Residents in La Ronge continue to fight for CBC bureau

PRINCE ALBERT — Residents in northern Saskatchewan continue to protest the closure of the CBC news office in La Ronge.

About 35 local residents and community officials attended a recent meeting in La Ronge to look at ways to fight the closure, which is planned for the end of February. Residents say the closure will affect the amount of news that people across Saskatchewan hear from the north.

Michelle Gale said a group of local residents is currently circulating a petition throughout La Ronge and surrounding communities and has set up a steering committee to look at more ways to stop the move. The group is continuing with a letterwriting campaign as well.

The Town of La Ronge has also written a letter to protest the CBC decision.

“We need to keep it here and so we’ll do whatever we have to, to show the management team they need to stay,” Gale said.

“When there’s a voice from all the regions of the province, that’s really important … CBC needs to see that it’s been a link.”

Residents in the northern community say having a local reporter in La Ronge means better coverage of northern issues. The CBC’S La Ronge reporter, Brett Bradshaw, has not only reported local news, but has also become a part of the community, she said.

Bradshaw leads a journalism class for local high school students and runs yoga classes.

CBC Saskatchewan announced the closure in January. John Agnew, managing director for CBC Saskatchewan, said in a previous interview that the lease was up on the CBC building in La Ronge and the contract with its local reporter had expired.

The CBC is planning to open a new office in Prince Albert. Closing the La Ronge office will save money, Agnew said.

Agnew said previously that the CBC will wait until details of the federal budget are released before deciding how many positions will be created in Prince Albert. But no new jobs will be announced before March 31, he added.