The Shelley Fralic Award

This award commemorates the life and legacy of Shelley Fralic (1953 – 2021) the beloved Vancouver Sun columnist and Jack Webster Foundation Trustee.

The Shelley Fralic Award honours a B.C. journalist who identifies as a woman, and who exemplifies Shelley’s legacy of concern for excellence in journalism and making her community a better place.  In choosing the recipient of the Fralic Award, judges will consider both early-career and seasoned journalists on the impact they have had, through their commitment to journalism and to their communities. 

Winners of this award are chosen from nominations submitted by members of the media and the community at large, and will be celebrated at the annual Webster Awards gala.

Nominations for the 2024 Shelley Fralic Award are no longer being accepted. Scroll down below to find out about this year’s 2024 recipient.

About Shelley Fralic

Shelley Fralic was a consummate journalist, a fierce champion of the media, and staunch defender of the fundamental right to free expression. She was a trailblazer in the newsroom at a time when most newsroom leaders were men, and she understood more than most the challenges of competing on a playing field that was never really level. Shelley’s first job at The Vancouver Sun was in human resources, but she was destined for the newsroom. She was hired as a reporter in 1979, fresh out of Langara journalism school. She ultimately worked her way up to executive editor, a rare accomplishment for a woman in what was then a highly male-dominated business. In 2003 she landed her own column and for the next dozen years built a huge following as a columnist of the people.

Shelley’s commitment to social justice for the most vulnerable drove her to dedicate countless hours to The Vancouver Sun Children’s Fund Adopt-a-School Initiative, and The Vancouver Sun Raise-a-Reader program, which have made a difference in the lives of many B.C. children growing up in poverty.

Recipients of the Shelley Fralic Award

2024 Shelley Fralic Award Recipient – Isabelle Southcott

The community that Isabelle Southcott has served as a journalist for the past 31 years has transformed – and so has her contribution. Arriving from Nova Scotia in 1993, Isabelle started as a reporter with the independent Powell River News and Town Crier, became editor of the Powell River Peak, and left in 2006 to found Powell River Living magazine – now qathet Living (qL). A few months after starting the magazine, she became a newly single mom of two boys aged 6 and 8, with a restraining order against their father. The first home she bought was infested by rats. She had a staff of zero, but one contractor. Through grit and skill and vision, Isabelle built qL into the most-read publication in the 20,000-strong region, now with a staff of five.

qL has thrived because of the stories Isabelle and her team has mined from this region. Since 2006, the mill has closed; retail slumped; incomes fell; health services became sparse; tensions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous locals soared; crime surged and so did the price of real estate; weather patterns changed. Isabelle has been there through it all, trusting that if she kept reporting on stories that locals care about personally, they’ll continue to read. And they have. qL makes its way into the homes of about 90 percent of locals each month, through voluntary pick-up.

The stories qL covers represent and resonate with the community, because they are indeed important to them. In the May 2024 issue alone, Isabelle published stories on the diminishing snow pack in qathet (climate change); the recovery of Tla’amin Nation’s only surviving pre-contact poles (reconciliation); the impact of fireworks on pets and livestock (civic governance); new investment in the mall (local economy); ayajuthem language (Indigenous cultural recovery); the revitalization of Canada’s oldest continuously-running movie theatre (heritage); and much, much more – all stories that touch the lives of locals in very immediate ways.

Tla’amin Nation asked the city to change its name in 2021 – an “ask” that has turned into a horrific public debate. Isabelle led the business community in responding to the Nation, and changed the name of the magazine from Powell River Living to qathet Living – qathet is the name of the regional district and is an ayajuthem word meaning “working together.” Because the magazine is so well-respected and so wide-reaching, this simple name change made an unparalleled impact towards reconciliation in this region.

Isabelle was the founder of Powell River Women in Business, the local president of Toastmasters, a long-time member of the Rotary Club, has served on the executive of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Powell River. A life-long advocate for animals, she has owned Nova Scotia Duck Toller Retrievers since childhood; now, she shows and breeds them – a pre-retirement project that has landed her a role as vice-president of the Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever Club of Canada. In December, Isabelle will retire as owner of qathet Living.

2023 Shelley Fralic Award Recipient – Sophie Lui

Vancouver, B.C. – The Jack Webster Foundation is pleased to announce Sophie Lui as the 2023 recipient of the Shelley Fralic Award. Sophie Lui is a highly respected and trusted journalist celebrated province-wide for her excellence in journalism. With a remarkable track record spanning Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, she has earned the esteem of viewers and peers alike.

In the Global BC newsroom, Sophie’s colleagues admire her thoughtful approach, insightful questions, and her unwavering love for the craft. While she is known for her tenacity as a journalist, she is equally admired for her compassion.

As the anchor of Global BC News at 5 and co-anchor of the flagship Global BC News Hour at 6, Sophie helps guide the stories that need to be told, ensuring people who need to be heard are given a voice.

That leadership goes beyond the headlines. Sophie is also active on Global BC’s Diversity and Gender Equity Committees, confronting sexism and racism while promoting inclusion. She is passionate about using her voice for change in the Asian community and beyond.

As a senior member of the team, she also recognizes the importance of investing in her colleagues, taking the time to mentor and champion them. She has a sincere desire to help young journalists and see them flourish in our challenging industry.

2022 Shelley Fralic Award Recipient

Jennifer Thuncher is an outstanding leader, mentor, beacon of journalistic effort and integrity, and community advocate.  

Over the years, journalism interns and graduates, many from Langara, have been sent to Jennifer as their introduction to the real world of journalism. Jennifer does much more than simply get a little practice in. She continues their education, teaching them how to be ethical and compassionate, tough and fair.  It is apparent that the most idealistic of these students, the ones interested in social justice and making the world a better place, love their time with her.  She sees journalism as a real mission and also one that is always informed by her community.  

Like Shelley Fralic always did, she doesn’t let herself think that being a journalist puts her above regular citizens. She sees herself as one of them, but able to put their concerns in the spotlight through rigorous and sensitive reporting.  

She reflects all the conflicting emotions and reactions of her community, warm and empathetic when tragedy erupts, funny and light-filled when her town’s quirkiness is on display.  

So often, awards like this go to people who are well-known by a big audience. Journalists like Jennifer, who are the biographers and advocates for their community, only get appreciation locally.  

Giving this award to Jennifer Thuncher is a real tribute to what Shelley was always aiming to do in the profession she loved so very much, as does this first recipient of the Fralic Award