KIVALLIQ - Kivalliq News was named Best in its Class at the Manitoba Community Newspaper Association awards in Winnipeg recently.

Kivalliq News editor Darrell Greer displays the Best in Class award from the Manitoba Community Newspaper Association in Rankin Inlet this past week. - NNSL staff photo

The 2008 awards marked the third time in the past five years Kivalliq News was named the best newspaper in its class by the Manitoba association.

The newspaper, known as Nunavut's award-winning voice of Kivalliq, also took first place for best layout and design, as well as second place for best front page and third place for best editorial page.

Editor Darrell Greer said winning the Manitoba association's class award for top community newspaper is a special feeling that never grows old.

He said earning a top award in such a competitive market as Manitoba takes a total team effort.

"Taking top spot for layout and design shows the level of support I've been fortunate enough to receive from my photo and production departments in Yellowknife for the past 10 years," said Greer.

"When Kivalliq News hits the street every week, it's the result of a lot of hard work by a good many people in the Northern News Services Ltd. family.

"I'm just lucky enough to be the guy on the front lines in the Kivalliq."

Greer said being a regional newspaper in the Kivalliq comes with a number of inherent challenges.

He said while Rankin Inlet is his home, his readership expects coverage from the entire region and that wouldn't be possible without the help of many people from Repulse Bay to Arviat.

"It never ceases to amaze to me the lengths some people will go to in the Kivalliq to highlight the accomplishments of people in their communities," said Greer.

"I've thanked many of them publicly in the past and continue to owe them a great debt of gratitude.

"People like Noel Kaludjak in Coral, Leonie Aissaoui in Repulse, the staff at the Mikilaaq Centre and Gord Billard in Arviat, and Glen Brocklebank in Chester - they all spend a lot of time getting photos and information to me and it's greatly appreciated.

"At the end of the day, it's all about people and that's what makes the Kivalliq so special - its people."