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<p><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p><span style="font-size:23.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1E9B00">MEDIA ADVISORY</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><img width="67" height="201" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:b4ee8132-7b10-4b91-b662-7c84a3927276" name="null"><o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-autospace:none"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">October 16, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p><strong> </strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;text-autospace:none">
<strong><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">BC photographer among big winners for
<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
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<strong><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015<o:p></o:p></span></strong></p>
<p> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">VICTORIA, BC –
</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">A black bear peers out of the dark of night directly into the lens; a raven stands out as a sole black figure in the white of winter; a mountain goat lounges under a star-filled
night sky.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p><strong> </strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">These striking images are among the six stunning photographs of BC nature at its best by Burnaby-based photographer Connor Stefanison, who has been singled out as the winner
of the Rising Star Portfolio Award for <i>Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015</i>.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Chosen from more than 42,000 entries submitted from across 96 countries,</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""> Stefanison’s images are among
the 100 selected as the year’s best, and will be on display at the Royal BC Museum starting December 4, 2015.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Another Canadian, Don Gutoski, was named the overall winner for
<i>Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015</i> by a panel of international judges for his image
<i>Tale of two foxes,</i> a beautiful and haunting portrait of the struggle for life in the subarctic climes of Cape Churchill, Canada.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Young Canadian Josiah Launstein is a finalist in the 10 Years and Under category for two photographs:
<i>Goose attack</i>, taken at Burnaby Lake in BC, and <i>Snowy scene</i>, a photo of a snowy owl taken in Calgary. Currently 10 years old, Launstein, who lives in Alberta, has been a photographer since the age of seven. This is his first time as a Finalist
for <i>Wildlife Photographer of the Year</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2015</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""> at the Royal BC Museum, the only showing in Western Canada,
will feature all 100 winning images, in huge, backlit displays, each accompanied by the story behind it.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">The annual competition, organized by the Natural History Museum and co-owned with BBC Worldwide, receives entries from professionals, gifted amateurs and young photographers
alike. The international judging panel includes some of the world’s most respected nature photographers and wildlife experts.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Stefanison will be hosting a number of events at the Royal BC Museum tying into the
<i>Wildlife Photographer of the Year</i> exhibition, which will be on display until April 4, 2016.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">A special
<i>Gallery Tour</i> on March 18 will see Stenfanison take visitors on a personal tour of the exhibition.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Also in March,
<i>Spring Break Camps: Focus On Nature</i> will encourage aspiring shutterbugs to find inspiration in
<i>Wildlife Photographer of the Year</i>. Each week-long session will feature a visit from Stefanison, as participants learn about photo composition and storytelling. This popular event sells out quickly each year.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Finally, the
<i>Photography Workshop for Adults</i>, running March 19 and 20, will involve going behind the scenes to our imaging studio and spending time “in the field” with Stefanison.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">For more information and to register for these events, visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">About the Royal BC Museum<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="xbodytext" style="margin-top:.1pt;background:white"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">The Royal BC Museum explores the province’s human history and natural history, advances new knowledge and understanding of BC, and provides
a dynamic forum for discussion and a place for reflection. The museum and archives celebrate culture and history, telling the stories of BC in ways that enlighten, stimulate and inspire. Looking to the future, the Royal BC Museum will be a refreshed, modern
museum, extending its reach far beyond Victoria as a world-class cultural venue and repository of digital treasures.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">- 30 -<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><strong> </strong><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Media contact:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">Royal BC Museum Media Inquiries
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">250-387-3207<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><a href="mailto:news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">news@royalbcmuseum.bc.ca</span></a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.0pt"><img border="0" width="19" height="16" id="Picture_x0020_2" src="cid:image003.png@01D1081B.F6D4DEA0" alt="Twitter_logo_blue"></span><a href="https://twitter.com/RoyalBCMuseum"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55"">@RoyalBCMuseum</span></a><u><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Univers LT Pro 55";color:blue"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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