Richmond Hill council honours pair of veteran York Region journalists

Gratitude, heartfelt wishes shared in celebration of Kim Zarzour and Steve Somerville’s dedication to local news

Yorkregion.com
Oct. 27, 2023
Melissa Wallace

At a special presentation at council on Oct. 25, Richmond Hill mayor David West remarked that it was a “bittersweet moment” when acknowledging the work and efforts of two award-winning York Region veteran journalists who have served the city well.

Steve Somerville, who retires on Oct. 27, and Kim Zarzour, who served the region until Sept. 29 have been an integral part of York Region municipalities, shedding light on the people, places and events that matter to communities.

“It’s never lost on people in elected office how really important local journalism is and you have been a fixture in our community and in the York Region community for quite some time with the great work that you've been doing,” West said to Zarzour.

“[You have] delivered news of importance to our local community and the broader region and province with well-written and balanced reporting… So I just want to thank you very much.”

Somerville, West said, has witnessed and recorded the evolution of Richmond Hill from a town to a city through growth, a pandemic, “the good, bad and the ugly.”

“Steve has been sharing the moments of our region since the 1980s, capturing the action, the emotions and the telling of stories of our community through photos.

“He always has a joke to relax the nervous subject and a quiet way of eking out the perfect shot… The honesty of his pictures really does speak volumes.”

Council presented Zarzour and Somerville with a commemorative plaque to express the city’s gratitude.

YorkRegion.com asked Zarzour and Somerville to share their thoughts on what it’s been like to work as a community journalist and the moments that stuck with them. Here are their words:

RH Sommerville award
Photojournalist Steve Somerville celebrates more than 30 years of work with Metroland Media Group, capturing and recording life in York Region. Richmond Hill Mayor David West presented a plaque to recognize Somerville's longstanding contributions to the city.

I kind of grew up as a young (maybe a bit naive) “I’m gonna save the world with my camera“ journalist -- first in England, then here in the Greater Toronto Area, centred in Richmond Hill -- to now becoming maybe a somewhat less naive journalist.

I started here when the town signs said, “Population 35,000.” I was happy to be photographing for the Liberal as the town/city grew enormously. I met some great people along the way and established great relationships, including my colleagues, Kim Zarzour and Marney Beck. I met my wife Jamie in a roundabout way through the Liberal. She’s been with me from almost day one during the many ups and a few downs during my time here in Richmond Hill.

Photojournalism is a great way to witness and record issues and events, and learn more about the world around us. I guess I didn’t exactly save the world, but I really enjoyed trying to help people see and experience the world in a clearer, more succinct and truthful way. Covering Richmond Hill and York Region were major parts of it all for me.

Journalist Kim Zarzour’s thoughtful and thought-provoking pieces have informed the public and shared profiles of individuals and businesses in York Region. Richmond Hill Mayor David West presented a plaque to recognize Zarzour’s longstanding contributions to the city.

The best part about being a community journalist was getting to know some amazing people and having the opportunity to build connections and make a difference.

Many stories stick with me. There were the ones that warmed my heart, like the manager of The Keg at Hwy 404 and 7 who found a way to serve steak to a dying man at Hill House Hospice. There were stories that hurt my heart -- like uncovering the horse massacre on Vandorf Road or hearing the struggles faced by parents whose grown kids have serious mental illness.

And stories that fired it up -- like digging into Richmond Hill Watchdog flyers that were supposedly from a grassroots group but actually were a well-financed campaign to discredit members of council.

Maybe the most memorable story was that of Rohan Salmon. The 49-year-old man called me in desperation one day. He’d been paralyzed in a car accident 16 years ago and had lived in a Richmond Hill retirement home since then. The home was evicting him and he had no idea what to do or where to go.

In all these cases, none of the stories would have been told without residents and readers who continue to rise to the challenge, to make that effort to stay connected and care about their community. I feel honoured and humbled that so many residents were willing to open their doors, to share their lives and concerns with me, and entrusted me to tell their stories.