- Person
Paul Willcocks is an award-winning writer, former newspaper publisher, and journalist with over 30 years of experience. After growing up in Toronto and attending university in Montreal, he headed west and landed at The Advocate, the daily newspaper in Red Deer, Alberta. As the police and court reporter, he got early exposure to the fascinating world of criminals, cops, and courts. He was the first journalist honoured with the Jack Webster Commentator of the Year Award and a two-time National Magazine Awards finalist. Willcocks is proudest of a Michener Award for Public Service Journalism won as part of a four-person team at the Victoria Times Colonist. He also served as a columnist and editorial writer at St. John Telegraph Journal in New Brunswick, the Peterborough Examiner in Ontario, and Victoria Times-Colonist in British Columbia. He is now a senior editor with The Tyee in British Columbia. In 2012, Willcocks and his partner Jody Paterson left Victoria for two years as Cuso International volunteers in Honduras, helping develop the capacity of Honduran development organizations. In 2014, he published the book "Dead Ends: B.C. Crime Stories." He lives in Victoria, where he and his partner have been full-time housesitters since 2016.