One of the best parts of publishing a community newspaper isn't something that ever makes it into print. It's the conversations that happen afterwards. Over the past few weeks, I've lost count of the number of people who've stopped me just to tell me they've been enjoying Haida Gwaii News. More than once I've heard the same phrase: "It feels like a real community newspaper." I've thought about that a lot because it's one of the nicest compliments I could receive. What exactly makes a newspaper feel like a community newspaper? It certainly isn't because we cover council meetings, court cases or missing cats. Every newspaper should do that. Those stories matter and they're the backbone of what we do, but they aren't what gives a paper its personality. That comes from everything in between. It's the column that makes you laugh over your morning coffee, the story that reminds you of growing up here, the photograph where you spot your neighbour before you even read the caption, or learning something new from someone who's spent a lifetime studying the natural world. Those are the things that turn a newspaper into something people look forward to every second Thursday.
Thankfully, this newspaper has never been just my voice, and I hope it never is. One of the things I'm proudest of over the past few years has been watching our family of contributors continue to grow. Janet has become one of those writers readers feel like they know personally. Susan Musgrave continues to challenge and inspire. Through Science Matters, David Suzuki carries on his educational legacy, sharing his passion for science with a whole new audience. Jeff Bear keeps us entertained with his award-winning writing, while his favourite four-legged reporter, Boyz Jones, still occasionally steals the spotlight. There are so many more and they’re still coming. This issue, we're excited to welcome two new voices into the HGN family. One already feels like the long-lost auntie who's finally made her way home. The other proudly introduces himself as "Uncle Bob." I have a feeling readers are going to enjoy getting to know both of them, and they're joining us at a time when several familiar voices are preparing to return after enjoying the last few weeks of summer. We also have a handful of new writers quietly working away on stories they're finally ready to share, and I can't wait for you to meet them over the coming months.
The truth is, no one person can tell the story of Haida Gwaii. I can report on council decisions and community events, but I can't tell you what it was like to grow up here fifty years ago. I can't describe the excitement of your first Logger Sports Day, the memories tied to a favourite fishing hole or the quiet satisfaction that comes from spending decades volunteering behind the scenes. Those stories belong to the people who lived them, and every time someone shares one with us this newspaper becomes a little richer. A few days ago I ran into a group of young girls who were absolutely thrilled because they'd been in the newspaper again. Before I could say much they were telling me about all the other times they'd appeared in Haida Gwaii News. They remembered the events, the photographs and even who they'd been standing beside. It made me smile because they weren't just talking about being in the paper. They were talking about memories. Years from now they'll pull an old copy off a shelf, laugh at a photograph and remember exactly where they were that day. That's something print still does remarkably well. A newspaper quietly becomes part of a family's history without anyone really noticing.
Maybe one day one of those girls will send me her first column. Maybe she'll write about one of the very events she once attended as a child or tell a story only she can tell. I certainly hope so, because that's how community newspapers continue to grow. They aren't built by one reporter, one editor or one publisher. They're built by dozens of people who are willing to share a little piece of themselves with everyone else. If Haida Gwaii News feels like a real community newspaper, it isn't because of anything I do on my own. It's because every issue contains a little more of this community than the one before it. And I can't think of a better compliment than that.
Stacey