Editorial
If you think that the paper you’re holding in your hands feels somehow slightly different, you’re right. In November, the Canada media conglomerate Torstar shut down its Nova Scotia paper, the Halifax Star. And almost immediately, the Cooperator’s long-time printer, Transcontinental (TCI) announced that losing the Star business was forcing it to close its plant on PEI.
We started printing with TCI in 2015. In my more than 40 years in and out of the newspaper business, I have never had a more helpful, more cooperative printer. We were especially sad because all of the people who had cared for us so well were losing their jobs. We will miss them, and we thank them for all their work. (And we were especially happy to learn this week that all of the TCI employees who were laid off have already found jobs!)
And so the paper you are now holding comes from our new printers, the Saltwire Network in Halifax. The same company will also be printing another former TCI client, our friends at The Coast. The paper is slightly smaller because of the dimensions of the Saltwire printing press. But we will continue to bring you the same award-winning coverage of the Eastern Shore.
As is often the case in such major changes in the life of a publication, we will be facing some increased costs. We started our Monthly Supporters program precisely to help us buffer our finances from the unexpected cost increases that have caused so many papers to close. (In the first week of January, Advocate Printing & Publishing announced the closing of The Laker and The Weekly Press, depriving Fall River and Enfield of their papers.)
If you appreciate what the Cooperator means to the Eastern Shore, please go to our website and become a monthly Supporter for as little as $5 a month (https://www.easternshorecooperator/support). And thanks to all of our existing Supporters for helping us get to where we are today. We look forward to serving you for years to come.
--Richard Bell, Editor, March 2020