A farewell to kings
I’ll never forget the call I received on Aug. 23, 2022.
It was from then-managing editor Brad Works, who had interviewed me the day before for a job in Truro, N.S. – a town I had never heard of before seeing the location accompanying a listing for a multimedia journalist.
As I was helping a friend of mine pack up their things to move to Nova Scotia, Brad told me they’d like to hire me for the position. This gave me two weeks to long-haul my life from my cozy home in Corner Brook, N.L., to a great unknown I had yet to discover.
Upon accepting, a rush of emotions suddenly came over me – a cocktail of joy, excitement and anxiety. I had finally landed a job at something I went to school for (a problem plaguing many of us English and journalism majors).
The next thing I knew, I was accompanying my friend to Nova Scotia. We ferried across, staring up at the stars on deck, giddy for what may come next in our lives.
I had left a lot behind in Newfoundland. My partner of six years stayed on the rock to finish their education. With them were our two cats – Lily, the sweet, old gal, and Gizmo, her unruly little brother with a pom-pom for a tail.
I wouldn’t see many of my friends or my family for a long, long time. It was a tough decision, but in retrospect, it was the right one. In February 2023, my partner decided to move up with me to Nova Scotia, and together, we started our life anew with an extra cat in tow—a small, skittish kitten named Juniper.
Our little family has come to love everything about Truro. Anytime we suggest moving elsewhere, the other quickly dismisses the idea with the simple argument that “I love it here.”
And I do. I really, really do. I have never felt so accepted by a community. I get comments constantly, digitally and in person, about the stories I write and their effect. It has been an amazing experience that I would not take back for anything.
That’s why it is all the more painful to announce that, as of May 10, I will be leaving my position as lead editor of the Truro News and The News to take on a new challenge with a Halifax-based news organization.
I want to thank every single one of you who read our content from week to week. It has been a blessing to provide you with the local news you deserve.
I also want to thank the amazing people I have met at SaltWire. Every day, I get to meet with two stellar reporters out of New Glasgow, Sarah Jordan and Angela Capobianco, to discuss our coverage (and have plenty of fun in the process). I am also thankful for the team of weeklies editors, including Jason Malloy, Carole MorrisUnderhill, Tina Comeau and our web specialist Mikaela Gorman. I would not be where I am now without the kind words of encouragement these people have welcomed me with.
Also in that group is our infallible captain, Carl Fleming, managing editor of SaltWire’s Nova Scotia weeklies. He has been a trusted resource; at once a harsh critic and a beloved educator. I cannot thank him, nor the others, enough for the impact they have made on my life.
I’d like to give one last thank you to former lead editor Richard MacKenzie, a man who has taught me nearly everything I know about local reporting, as well as the Truro News team who would joyfully bicker and banter in the office before its closure in April 2023: reporter Chelsea Gould, layout specialist Joey Smith, client solutions rep Krista Gregory, distribution manager Michele Macleod, client solutions manager Danielle Johnson and the ever-amazing client services rep Judy Morrell.
I hope readers will continue to pick up their weekly copy of the Truro News and The News for years to come. It is imperative that local news publications continue to thrive, as who else is there to hold the powerful to account outside of the provincial federal purview?
To all of these ‘kings’ who keep local, rural-focused journalism alive despite the challenges the industry faces, I bid adieu. Just know I am always in your corner and will undoubtedly continue to pick up my copy of the newspaper every Thursday without fail.
Til next time, friends.