Grand Bend, Ontario community newspaper and entertainment events guide. Also serves Zurich, Dashwood, Port Franks, Exeter, Parkhill. Casey Lessard photos.
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View from the Strip
By Casey Lessard
It’s not often Grand Bend attracts attention on a national stage. Last summer, the country watched Grand Bend and Mt. Carmel for a horrible reason: the murders of Bill and Helene Regier. Friday night, my work covering their murders for the Grand Bend Strip was honoured nationally when I received the Canadian Community Newspapers Association Award for Outstanding Reporter Initiative. I took the stage with event host Ralph Benmergui and thanked my mom, Anjhela, and the Regier family.
Here’s what the judges had to say:
“There were many stellar entries in this category this year. The writing was absolutely superb and the initiative shown by reporters across the country is fantastic.
“This award goes to those reporters who went beyond normal reporting to give their readers something that was important, relevant, and compelling.
“First place: Casey Lessard of the Grand Bend Strip. Faced with murder story that was breaking nationally, Casey decided to tell the story of the victims through the eyes of the friends and neighbours who knew them. Through a series of one-on-one interviews presented in the newspaper in a Q&A format, Casey presented a poignant and fitting tribute to the murdered couple.”
Thank you to the Regier family, and to the people who opened their hearts to tell their memories of Bill and Helene. This award honours your stories.
Dear Casey
The Regier Family would like to Thank-you for the beautiful article you printed last summer in memory of our Mom and Dad
Bill and Helene Regier. This article truly reflected the wonderful people they were and the community they were so proud to be part of. Faith, Family and Friends were stong values in our parents lives and they lived this by example every day .
Mt. Carmel and the surrounding community has embraced us with support over the past months and for this we are also thankful.
Our lives are changed forever, our pain continues to hurt to our very core. We have lost two great people. Thier strength and strong family values are embeded in all of us, Children, Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. It is this unique love and strength they have left us with that will get us through.
Thank-you
Carol Denomy (Daughter)
Congratulations Casey!!! You did such a wonderful job on that article (as all your publications are) and you totally deserve to win that award. Your paper is a welcomed and refreshing change, setting it high above all the others out there in print today. It’s personable, warm, and always interesting. Keep up the great work!