WEYBURN – The community of Weyburn is mourning the loss of veteran journalist Greg Nikkel, who passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 21.
Nikkel was a pillar of the local news industry, dedicating nearly three decades to the Weyburn Review and SaskToday.ca. He was a significant voice in the community through his articles covering every aspect of life in the Weyburn area, as well as through his editorials and Nikkel’s Worth columns. His writing often reflected on local events, community initiatives and broader societal issues.
“Greg Nikkel was a respected and steadfast journalist of the kind all new journalists should strive to become, and he will be greatly missed by our news organization,” said Jayne Foster, SaskToday content manager. “Solid reporting and editorial writing along with quiet respectability and genuine concern for his community made him a man much admired in Weyburn and area. He will be missed by his co-workers in Weyburn and his readers alike.”
“He has been the voice of this community, through his stories and pictures, for four decades. He will be deeply missed,” Andrea Corrigan, publisher with The Weyburn Review/Weyburn This Week said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and all those his stories touched over the years.”
“I am saddened to hear about the death of Greg Nikkel, someone with whom I worked at the Weyburn Review for nearly two years,” said Jason Antonio, MooseJawToday and SaskToday content creator. “I was a young journalist in my early 20s in the late 2000s when I joined the newspaper and worked closely with Greg. I appreciated all the wisdom and advice he gave me and his patience in answering my questions, while I also appreciated his help with using DSLR cameras, which I had not used that often. My heart goes out to his family at this time.”
A journalist since 1988, Nikkel began his career in Alberta before moving to Weyburn in 1995, where he took over as news editor of the Weyburn Review. Over the years, he has won multiple awards for his contributions to journalism, including recognition for news and feature writing, editorial excellence, and photography. He was also recognized for his outstanding coverage of education, health care, sports, arts and culture, tourism and other topics that mattered to the community of Weyburn and beyond. He was named Photographer of the Year by the Saskatchewan Weekly Newspapers Association in 2019 and was recognized in other categories for his impressive photographs many times throughout his career.
His dedication to the industry and the community was recognized in 2023 when he received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for his contributions to communications.
Beyond his professional achievements, Nikkel was deeply committed to his community. His volunteer efforts extended to the Rotary Club of Weyburn and his church.
Nikkel was known for his compassionate storytelling, highlighting both triumphs and challenges within the community. His coverage ranged from local issues to profiles of inspiring individuals. He had a special talent for recognizing and celebrating the extraordinary people of Weyburn, a sentiment he often expressed in his writing.
Family was central to Nikkel’s life. He was married to Tracy, with whom he celebrated 35 years of marriage in 2023. Together, they raised four children. In his columns, he reflected on fatherhood and the joys of family life, writing in 1995, “When I come through the door at the end of the day, it’s worth all the heartache and frustration and tiredness to hear running feet and the cries of, ‘Daddy! Daddy’s here!’, followed by their small upturned faces and arms reaching up for a hug or to be picked up.”
His impact on journalism and the community was profound. Readers trusted his integrity and thoughtful reporting, and colleagues respected his dedication and talent. In a column he wrote after receiving the Queen Jubilee award, Nikkel expressed his gratitude for being part of the Weyburn community: “This tells me what I’ve always known—that Weyburn and area is home to many, many amazing, talented, and incredible people.”
Nikkel was a journalist who cared deeply about his community. His work combined thoughtful commentary with a strong sense of local advocacy and was valued by many readers over the decades.
“There have been many times when I have given my congratulations to Greg (Nikkel), because he writes such a good column. I usually agree with him… not always … but I just like to read his columns,” said Margaret Lukey, a second-generation subscriber of the Weyburn Review in an interview done during the 2020 Newspaper Week. “His editorials are always covering something local, which is prudent. It really applies to current events that happened in the last week. He is quite a remarkable writer.”
Nikkel’s legacy will live on through the stories he told and the people he inspired. He will be deeply missed by his family, colleagues and the community he so faithfully served.