A hearty welcome back

There’s something about ink-stained hands after poring over a newspaper that just feels right.

And while reading articles online is the new normal, there’s still plenty of people who enjoy sitting down with a printed product, savouring the written words on the pages and clipping out special mementoes to look at down the road.

It’s been a long seven months without a print product but we’re back on the newsstands this week — and we want to thank you for your understanding during our hiatus.

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted businesses the world over. The abrupt downturn in the market saw our CEO Mark Lever make one of the most difficult choices to date: to shutter the print products of all SaltWire Network-owned weeklies and lay off staff across the Maritimes in hopes of weathering the storm.

Simultaneously, the company looked inward for answers and began focusing on its roots once more — providing exceptional storytelling in the local communities that it serves.

Online, we have been with you during the uncertainty of COVID-19. We have been by your side as we try to make sense of the devastating mass shooting in April in and around Portapique. We have brought you stories of resiliency and strength through difficult times. We have brought you uplifting features and an abundance of recipes and do-it-yourself tips to try at home during quarantine.

And now, after months of rebuilding, the print products of multiple SaltWire Network publications are relaunching. Here in the New Glasgow area, we’re happy to be seeing our words and photos back in print, as they have been for generations, and we hope you are too.

This paper reflects the communities in Pictou County, and we hope you will see yourselves in our pages.

What makes a newspaper strong is community support and engagement. We want to hear from you. Write a letter to the editor. Pitch a story idea. Submit a photo.

In order for this printed product to be successful, we also need you, our readers, to invest in local journalism by purchasing a subscription. It can be monthly or yearly, and with it, you will be granted access to additional online content, which features interactive elements and multimedia like videos, photos and podcasts. This will help to ensure community journalism lives on.

We hope you enjoy this print edition. On behalf of our editorial team, it’s been our pleasure preparing it for you.