JOY'S JOURNAL
/by Joy Metcalfe
(click on images to enlarge)
THE 2025 WEBSTER AWARDS
Honouring Excellence In Journalism
It was forty-plus years ago and one of those dreary October nights in downtown Vancouver. I was scurrying around the Hotel Vancouver, hoping to pick up an item or two for my column in the Kerrisdale Courier which was due in two days. One of my good friends, VPD's Bob Stewart, came up to chat and mentioned that CKNW's Jack Webster and the Vancouver Sun's Jack Wasserman were sipping and supping up on The Roof, hatching something. These guys were both friends of mine and it was Wasserman who had urged me to start writing columns.
Said he, "You are always giving me items so I know that you can do it."
So the two J's whispered in my ear that evening that they had come up with an idea that would pay homage to superior reporters and storytellers in the press, television, and radio in the Lower Mainland. I thought it was a great idea as a yearly event honouring those dedicated scribes.
Broadcast legend bill good, of the eponymous bill good award.
And that's where the ground work was laid for the annual Jack Webster Awards ceremony, which became so popular that it outgrew the Hotel Vancouver location and was transferred over to the larger Hyatt Regency, where we have gathered en masse for the past several years.
Last week at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the 39th edition of this tribute evening was a complete sell-out with, every TV channel, radio station and big and small newspapers being represented.
Emcees were CTV's Keri Adams and Cantonese News anchor Karen So, who were happy to introduce the evening's very special guest, Katie Simpson, CBC's Foreign Correspondent, who is based in Washington, D.C.
I have covered many of the Jack Webster Awards over the years but this evening was extra special, probably because most if not all of the nominees knew each other. We see them on the nightly TV news and we hear their names daily on the radio stations or in the press. The late and unflappable George Garrett definitely would have been on that stage, accepting a “Best Newsman” award if he was still with us. It would have been his 92nd birthday on Nov. 19 ...
It truly was a warm, happy evening with some 15 winners taking home their precious prizes, with Sean Holman winning the “Bill Good Award”, Laura Palmer being chosen to win the “Shelley Fralic Award”, and Belle Puri receiving the “Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award,” among so many others.
And I'd like to personally congratulate the hard-working executive director of the Jack Webster Foundation, Janet Mitchell, who has put this show together for the past eight years. There is no rehearsal. Janet just orchestrates and choreographs it and gives very, very detailed notes to each person involved.
And she doesn't look a day older than when she was the publicist for theatrical czar, Garth Drabinsky and travelled with me throughout Canada and the U.S, promoting his shows, like The Phantom of the Opera, on my daily Joy's Journal program on CKNW. I was commiserating about the fact that I had never sent a card when Garth was released from jail, hoping that he'd soon be back on his feet. My wish still stands ...
autumn gala chair carol lee.
CHINATOWN AUTUMN GALA
The following evening I was covering the always successful Chinatown Autumn Gala at the Hotel Vancouver. Some excited 700-plus guests swept into the ballroom to experience one of the best and most exciting galas of the year. Event chair Carol Lee has been a dedicated and determined leader to bring Chinatown back to its former glory days.
Once again, Darlene Poole and Sam Feldman were going to recreate their roles as co-emcees. Unfortunatly this was not to be as Sam felt very unwell that night and ended up in St. Paul's Hospital with a suspected heart attack. He's home now and feeling much better.
BC premier david eby and the west end journal’s joy metcalfe. and no, he’s not standing on a soapbox!
Also involved were committee members Jiamci Bai, Yoshi Karasawa, Soha Lavin and Leslie Lee. Carol's mother, the lovely Lily Lee, wore some of her finest gems and sparkled everywhere. Also the beaming Segal family was on hand enjoying the evening. I also spotted Roger Gibson, the former owner of the Pink Pussy Cat nightclub in Gastown, who becomes more handsome with every outing, and last but certainly not least, our very tall B.C. premier, David Eby. It was quite a night! ...
UP NEXT …
Next month I'll tell you all about the annual Launch luncheon for the Pacific Autism Family Network at the Vancouver Convention Centre, the 25th annual Ladies Luncheon at La Terrazza, the fourth annual Vancouver Cocktail Week in January, Lunch with a Legend at The Terminal City Club, and so much more ...
Happy December Ho! Ho! Ho!
