Column: Thanks for the ride, Lloyd

I would be remiss if I forgot to thank all of the wonderful people I have met since my first day at the Meridian Source in Oct. 2015.

It also didn’t take very long for me to realize Lloyd is one of the most generous communities I have worked in throughout my career. It would be impossible to count all the good news stories I wrote about people and organizations donating money or raising funds for various causes.

As a journalist in Lloydminster, I still find it amazing how easy it is to contact some government officials who actually return calls. 

When I worked at home for Pipeline News, I once got a phone call from the Ministry of Highways after I requested some information for stories I was doing on energy transportation corridors. I got a call back from someone I wasn’t expecting who identified himself as Jim Rater, Minister of Highways! 

No where else in Canada would that ever happen except in Saskatchewan where some ministers are not shielded by bureaucratic roadblocks. Officials in Lloyd have been pretty receptive to interviews as well.

Looking back, I would have to say the  most important thing I have learned as a reporter at the Source is the impact of a community newspaper in a small city like ours.

No where else will you see a photo of every local high school grad, for example, let alone stories and photos of people of all ages you know in the news. 

A lot of weekly papers in small communities are doing very well because of the familiarity factor of local news and ad coverage.

The Source also has a website to cross promote stories and ads to cover all the bases locally. Shop locally applies to the Source too, so everyone here is banking on your continued support in 2025.

My thanks go out to the Source for hiring me and giving me the freedom to cover just about anything and everything without having to punch a clock— but my time here is up.

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