Change is the essence of news, and this newspaper is no exception. With this issue, we are transitioning from a for-profit corporation to a non-profit cooperative, a change we are undertaking to provide new avenues for people from all the communities along the shore to participate in strengthening the paper’s coverage.
In a world in which papers have been going out of business left-and-right, the Cooperatorhas been an exception, thanks to the dedication of a small group of people, but especially of Gina Dunn and Jacqueline Sanford.
As you can see from the masthead, this issue will be the first since the very first issue in the spring of 2014 without Gina Dunn as Managing Editor and Distribution czar. (Gina was one of the four founders of the paper, with Laurie Cook, Shasta Smith, and myself.) And this issue is the first in four years without Jacqueline Sanford in the demanding position of Advertising Manager, soliciting the advertising from local businesses that have made it possible to keep this paper alive and growing.
Gina and Jacqueline have been stalwarts throughout the joys and sorrows of publishing a local community paper, dealing with the inscrutable corners of Canada Post, wrestling dozens of boxes of papers off loading docks in Dartmouth for delivery to the Post Office, sitting through all those monthly production meetings, stringing up banners at Trunk 7 and the rink…there’s no end to what it has taken to deliver, month after month, a paper that we aimed to highlight the strengths of our communities, to showcase businesses and artists, to feature athletes and teams, and to provide a place for anyone to share concerns with our readers.
Gina and Jacqueline are exploring new ventures, although we hope to continue to benefit from occasional articles and opinion pieces. I will miss their humour, their grit and determination, and their selflessness in working so closely together to produce this paper.
--Richard Bell, Editor
