Cam Cole
{{Short description|Canadian sports journalist}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Cam Cole
| image =
| caption = Cole in 2020
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1953}}
| birth_place = Vegreville, Alberta, Canada
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Journalist
| education =
| years_active = 1975 – 2016
| known_for =
| spouse(s) = Jan (married)
| children = 2
| awards = Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award
| notable_works =
}}
Cam Cole (born 1953) is a Canadian sports journalist. During his career, Cole has worked for the Edmonton Journal, National Post, and Vancouver Sun. After retiring in 2016, Cole was awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award by the Hockey Hall of Fame and Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award.
Early life and education
Cole was born in Vegreville, Alberta in 1953.{{cite web |title=Cam Cole bio |url=http://www.canada.com/sports/Cole/1236760/story.html |website=canada.com |access-date=April 4, 2019 |date=January 30, 2019}} He attended the University of Alberta (U of A) where he was a journalist for the student newspaper, The Gateway.{{cite web |last1=Zeisberger |first1=Mike |title=Cam Cole: Hall honor 'hard to grasp' |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/cam-cole-honored-by-elmer-ferguson-award-hall-of-fame/c-292870918 |website=NHL.com |access-date=April 4, 2019 |date=November 12, 2017}} However, Cole dropped out of U of A's science program and pursued a career in book-and-magazine distributorship before returning to the University as a general arts student.{{cite web |title=2004 Cam Cole |url=http://www.sportsmediacanada.ca/?p=444 |website=sportsmediacanada.ca | date=4 August 2004 |access-date=April 4, 2019}}
Career
In his second year back at U of A, Cole began working as a general sports journalist for the Edmonton Journal after their high school journalist was fired.{{cite web |last1=Larsen |first1=Karin |title=Sportsman of the week: Cam Cole, sportswriter |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/sportsman-of-the-week-cam-cole-sportswriter-1.3898668 |website=cbc.ca |access-date=April 4, 2019 |date=December 17, 2016}} During his time with the Edmonton Journal, he covered high school sports, soccer, the Alberta Junior Hockey League, and the National Hockey League's Edmonton Oilers.{{cite web |title=2017 HOCKEY HALL OF FAME NHL MEDIA AWARD RECIPIENTS ANNOUNCED |url=https://www.hhof.com/htmlInduct/ind17prolog.shtml |website=hhof.com |access-date=April 4, 2019}} In 1998, after covering the Edmonton Oilers 1980s dynasty, Cole moved to Toronto to work for the National Post.{{cite news|last1=Tait|first1=Cam|title=Celebrating Cam Cole |url=https://edmontonsun.com/2017/01/05/celebrating-cam-cole/wcm/87a14818-0146-4e5e-8495-7884b693dc5d |access-date=April 4, 2019 |publisher=Edmonton Sun |date=January 5, 2017}} While with the National Post, Cole was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame Reporters of Canada wing{{cite web |title=CAM COLE |url=http://www.cfhof.ca/members/cam-cole/ |website=cfhof.ca |access-date=April 4, 2019}} and awarded the Sports Media Canada Sportswriter of the Year award in 2004. The following year, Cole was hired by the Vancouver Sun while covering the 2005 Super Bowl for the Post.{{cite web |title=2011 – Cam Cole |url=http://www.sportsmediacanada.ca/?p=4672 |website=sportsmediacanada.ca| date=9 October 2011 }}
In 2010, Cole was named a finalist for the 2010 Jack Webster Awards as "Best News Reporting of the Year" for his article "A Tragic Day in Whistler."{{cite web |title=Finalists named for BC's Annual Journalism Awards |url=http://www.jackwebster.com/new/news.php?id=56 |website=jackwebster.com |date=September 9, 2010|access-date=April 5, 2019}} While with the Sun in 2011, Cole became the first reporter to be awarded the Sports Media Canada George Gross Award as Sports Media Canada Sportswriter of the Year for the second time. Cole stayed with the Sun until his retirement in 2016.{{cite news |title=Retired Sun columnist Cam Cole honoured by Hockey Hall of Fame |url=https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/retired-sun-columnist-cam-cole-honoured-by-hockey-hall-of-fame |access-date=April 4, 2019 |publisher=Vancouver Sun |date=April 17, 2017}} At the time of his retirement, Cole had reported on multiple general sports events such as the Olympic Games, Grey Cups, Stanley Cup finals, golf championships, Ryder Cups, Presidents Cups, Canadian Opens, World Series, Super Bowls, and world figure skating championships.{{cite news |last1=Cole |first1=Cam |title=Cam Cole: Through 16 Olympics, 30 Stanley Cup finals and three rounds at Augusta, it's been a charmed life |url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/cam-cole-through-16-olympics-30-stanley-cup-finals-and-three-rounds-at-augusta-its-been-a-charmed-life |access-date=April 4, 2019 |publisher=National Post |date=December 16, 2016}} In 2017, Cole was awarded the Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award by the Hockey Hall of Fame.{{cite web |last1=Zeisberger |first1=Mike |title=Humble Cole to enter Hockey Hall of Fame |url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-province/20170418/282170766023751 |publisher=The Province |access-date=April 4, 2019 |date=April 18, 2017}} At the announcement of his award, Scott Burnside, president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, said "...Cam is widely regarded as one of the greatest Canadian sports writers of all time. You'll get no argument from this quarter." In 2018, Cole was awarded Golf Canada’s Distinguished Service Award for his sports journalism career.{{cite web |title=Golf Canada to recognize four honourees with Distinguished Service Award |url=https://golfcanada.ca/article/golf-canada-to-recognize-four-honourees-with-distinguished-service-award-2 |website=golfcanada.ca |access-date=April 5, 2019 |date=January 22, 2018}}
Publications
The following is a list of Cole's publications:{{cite web |title=au:Cole, Cam. |url=https://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3ACole%2C+Cam.&qt=results_page |website=worldcat.org |access-date=April 4, 2019}}
- Ice level: Canadian hockey moments from the last 50 years: Canada's best from the best (2005)
Personal life
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Canadian Football Hall of Fame members}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cole, Cam}}
Category:University of Alberta alumni
Category:Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award recipients
Category:Canadian male non-fiction writers