Inaugural CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism goes to Dustin Patar
TORONTO, April 3, 2023 /CNW/ - The Canadian Journalism Foundation (CJF) announced today that the inaugural CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism goes to Iqauluit, Nunavut photojournalist Dustin Patar. Patar won for his evocative image showing researchers peering into a crack in the Milne Ice Shelf, published in The Narwhal on Sept. 10, 2022. The $5,000 award celebrates provocative, impactful and inspirational climate photography from around the world.
Launched in December 2022 by the CJF in partnership with internationally renowned photographer and filmmaker Edward Burtynsky, the award recognizes a single image that furthers people's understanding of the causes and effects of climate change. It received submissions from across Canada.
"Dustin's image conveys a sense of the vastness and magnitude of the challenge facing all of us," says Burtynsky. "The role of science and geology come through, as do the dangerous warning signs of impending trouble.
"The humane figures bent over the crack in the ice remind us of how small and helpless we are to stop this as it unfolds before our eyes. Dustin's image should provoke a lot of different conversations and allow for different ways to understand the story."
Patar's work focuses on the environment and the Arctic and has appeared on CBC Indigenous and in The Narwhal, Vice, Hakai Magazine, Nunatsiaq News and Arctic Today.
"Reporting from the far North poses significant logistical challenges," says award-winning photojournalist and jury member Lucas Oleniuk. "This photograph provides the viewer with a rare glimpse into the front lines of climate change and succeeds in documenting those working to mitigate the effects of a warming planet."
Patar will be recognized at the CJF Awards ceremony on June 13 at the Royal York Hotel, Toronto. For tickets, tables and sponsorship opportunities, see contact information below or visit the CJF Awards page. The CJF-Edward Burtynsky Award for Climate Photojournalism jury members are:
Edward Burtynsky, chair;
Allie Rougeot, Toronto-based climate justice activist;
Jason Chiu, Head of UX + design, Export Development Canada;
Hannah Yoon, photojournalist and 2014 Tom Hanson Photojournalism Award winner;
Patti Gower, photojournalism professor, Loyalist College; and
Lucas Oleniuk.
This award is generously supported by Marci McDonald and Clair Balfour and Lisa Balfour Bowen.
Founded in 1990, The Canadian Journalism Foundation promotes, celebrates and facilitates excellence in journalism. The foundation runs a prestigious awards and fellowships program featuring an industry gala where news leaders, journalists and corporate Canada gather to celebrate outstanding journalistic achievement and the value of professional journalism. Through monthly J-Talks, a public speakers' series, the CJF facilitates dialogue among journalists, businesspeople, academics and students about the role of the media in Canadian society and the ongoing challenges for media in the digital era. The foundation also fosters opportunities for journalism education, training and research.
Related Links
SOURCE Canadian Journalism Foundation
Natalie Turvey, President and Executive Director, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected]; For sponsorship opportunities, contact: Josh Gurfinkel, Director of Operations, The Canadian Journalism Foundation, [email protected]
Share this article