NNSL (May 13/98) - It was tough competition against Alberta community newspapers but Yellowknifer walked away with top marks for General Excellence in its class.

The annual awards for the 97-members of the Alberta Weekly Newspaper Association took place in Banff, Alta., earlier this month.

Yellowknifer also won second place for Editorial Page Design. Another Northern newspaper, Inuvik Drum won an award for Best Front Page.

"Yellowknifer was an easy pick for tops in General Excellence," the judges said.

The judges called the layout "clear and categorized", headlines "strong," general appearance "attractive" and considered the stories "well-constructed, well-written and interesting."

Special praise was reserved for the photography.

"What primarily set Yellowknifer above the pack was outstanding photography. These photographers don't simply sling their camera bags over their shoulders and head out to the next assignment. They think and it shows."