Chatham Daily News
·Aug 2026
Raccoon Portrait Lands Local Photographer in National Contest Final
Amateur photographer Andrew Waterhouse of St. Thomas is a finalist in Canadian Geographic’s 2026 Canadian Wildlife Photography of the Year competition for his image “Five Little Faces,” showing five young raccoons near Lake Margaret. Waterhouse, a web developer who began photography late last year, regularly photographs wildlife and natural areas around St. Thomas, Sparta, London and Elgin County. The competition received more than 10,000 submissions in 2024 and 2025, and the winner will receive a two-year Canadian Geographic photographer-in-residence term. Final results are expected in late August, with winning images scheduled for publication in the magazine’s November-December issue.