AJAs 2024 Finalists
Patricia's Canso joy
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| Date Aired or Published | June 2024 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | Tri-County Vanguard |
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| Location: | Yarmouth NS |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: Dear Judge, I am entering a photo of 99-year-old Patricia Nicholson, who served in London during the Second World War, in the category of Photojournalism feature. It appears at the bottom of the front page PDF that has been included with this entry. The event I was covering was a tribute to beloved Yarmouth Second World War veteran Jim McRae, who months earlier had died at the age of 106. A Canso aircraft, the very last one that Jim had flown, was brought to Yarmouth for a special commemoration event at the Yarmouth airport. While the ceremony was about Jim, I have to say that at one point during the day it was Patricia Nicholson who stole the show. I interviewed her as part of the story I was writing about Jim and about those who had gathered to remember his life. Patricia told me about how she remembered the raids that would happen when she lived and served in London and her fondness and affinity for the Canso aircraft that flew through the sky. She called them the “workhorses” of the war. She couldn’t believe she was having the opportunity to touch a Canso. She was in tears as she rubbed her hand across the aircraft. Then someone asked her, “Do you want to go inside?” Well, what a moment not only for her, but for us all, as we watched this 99-year-old woman climb into the aircraft. People who had been waiting in line to see the inside of the Canso gladly stepped aside to allow her to have her a turn first. The joy, when this 99-year-old woman climbed inside of the Canso, was truly incredible and heartwarming. It brought both smiles and tears to all who watched. My only regret of the day was that Jim McRae didn’t get to see her reaction as well. Then again, maybe he did. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: |
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