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Newspaper career of Williams Lake’s Lorie Williston celebrated at gala

Williston retired in 2018, but is credited with making Black Press North what it is today
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Retired Black Press North President Lorie Williston of Williams Lake is congratulated by Black Press Chairman David Black Saturday during the 2019 Ma Murray Community News Media Awards banquet and gala at the River Rock Casino and Resort on receiving this year’s Eric Dunning Award for dedication and service to the community news media industry. (Photo courtesy of BC and Yukon Community Newspaper Association)

Retired Black Press North President Lorie Williston received a standing ovation and a round of applause from colleagues and peers recently at the 2019 Ma Murray Community News Media Awards.

Williston was presented the prestigious Ledcor Eric Dunning Award for Dedication and Service to the Community News Media Industry during the annual awards banquet and gala, held at the River Rock Casino and Resort in Richmond and hosted by the British Columbia and Yukon Community News Media Association (BCYCNA).

Williston’s newspaper career started 37 years ago in Williams Lake as a data clerk at the Williams Lake Tribune. She became a payroll clerk in 1988, comptroller six years later and rose to publisher in 2001.

When the Interior was split into Cariboo North and Cariboo South in 2003, Williston became Vice President of the North, before being named president of Black Press North in 2005 managing papers stretching from Ashcroft in the south to Kitimat in the Northwest. Papers in Barriere and Clearwater and in Prince Rupert and Haida Gwaii were soon added to her portfolio.

Williston retired in 2018, but is credited with making Black Press North what it is today.

In accepting the award, Williston thanked her husband, Mike, and family, for their support, and said she thoroughly enjoyed being a part of the newspaper business.

She also thanked her mentors, David Black and Bob Grainger, for their many years of guidance and support.

While working was always a driving force for Williston, she now looks forward to spending more time with her husband, children and grandchildren — all of whom live in Williams Lake.