May the Post ‘live long and prosper’
In recent days, the sale of the Cape Breton Post has become the news.
It’s funny how this sale triggered memories that I thought were long-forgotten. I can recall fond memories of the importance of this daily newspaper in the life of my own family. Growing up, the rule of the house was that our Dad would be the first person in the family to read the newspaper. We waited after school until Dad finished his shift underground so that we could get our hands on the comic pages. Our Dad just didn’t like to read a crumpled newspaper. That may sound strange but that was just the way it was. The Cape Breton Post was his window on the world.
Over the years, the Post has been the glue that has held our island together. We all have our own reasons for reading this daily newspaper. Of course, the obituary page is a “must-read.” We look to see if there is anyone we know listed so that we can pay our respects to the family. We read the rest of them just in case there is a connection to us … no matter how slight. We are a community that wants to show our respect to the deceased. That’s why we pull over when we see a funeral procession.
The letters-to-the-editor section is also a popular feature. We want to know what other Cape Bretoners are thinking about the issues of the day. For me, the “letters” section is a form of cheap therapy. Whenever I have a concern I grab pen and paper to share my thoughts. Better than it rattling around in my head!
There are columnists (like myself) who get an opportunity each month to hone their writing skills. Columnists like Morienite Ken MacDonald share their knowledge of what living in our small communities actually looks like.
We like to see what our local sports teams are doing, what’s going on in the lives of our seniors and what’s going on in our school communities. Imagine all the grandparents who have cut a picture out of the paper to place it on the fridge so that it brings a smile to everyone who enters the kitchen. All this brings a sense of connection to each other.
Add to the enjoyment of reading the paper, there is the employment issue. Many adults today had their first taste of having their own pocket money by becoming carriers for the Cape Breton Post. These youngsters learn responsibility by getting up early to pick up their papers, how to account for their papers as well as how to interact with the public. These are all good life skills that these youngsters can carry over to adulthood.
This newspaper employs local people. Their families depend on these jobs. Social media postings have expressed displeasure with the once rival newspaper over a labour dispute. We must realize that if we stop reading the Post, Cape Bretoners will lose their jobs. Haven’t we lost enough!
The focus of the Cape Breton Post is community and Cape Bretoners are very community minded. Readers can access the paper electronically so even on vacation we can read the local news. Just a quick call to the business office to get set up for this service. So whether we are relaxing out on the Mira or enjoying the sun in Florida, the local news is at our fingertips.
To borrow that famous saying of Mr. Spock from the Star Trek series, my wish for the Cape Breton Post is to “Live long and prosper!”