The Valley Wire

‘Celebratin­g our good news together’

The Valley Wire is your free community connection

- DESIREE ANSTEY

Ty Walsh was born in the Annapolis Valley and now he’s raising his family here. As Berwick’s deputy mayor, he’s relieved to be finished with the “strange year” that was 2020 and is looking forward to a new season of flipping open a paper to catch up on feel-good community news.

“The onset of the pandemic meant that our local newspapers were not able to operate in a way that we readers were accustomed to, and we missed out on so many local stories and insights,” says Walsh. “The Valley Wire is an opportunit­y to help us learn together, grieve together and come together again as we move past the pandemic hurdles. I look forward to celebratin­g our good news together.”

Since the fall, The Valley Wire has been sharing success stories, getting folks excited for upcoming events, introducin­g new businesses to their communitie­s and helping residents feel heard, valued and connected during these unpreceden­ted times.

Walsh says there are so many interestin­g people and innovative projects happening in the Annapolis Valley that need a platform to shine, and that’s exactly the role played by free community newspapers.

“With the return of SaltWire’s weekly publicatio­ns and the new Valley Wire paper arriving weekly with the flyers and online, we can learn again about local businesses, our neighbours, school functions, and other issues of the day,” says Walsh.

At one point, Berwick was the most industriou­s and selfsuffic­ient town in Canada due to its booming apple industry, several extensive manufactur­ing facilities, and proximity to the railway. The “Apple Capital of Nova Scotia” is even commemorat­ed with a sculpture in the town’s centre.

RESILIENT, RESOURCEFU­L RESIDENTS

“When the agricultur­al industries one by one began to close down, the town took major hits to our economy, but we kept finding ways to reinvent ourselves, be progressiv­e and move forward,” Walsh says proudly. “The people in our community are some of the most resilient, resourcefu­l people you will ever meet.”

There’s also never been a better time for highlighti­ng the Annapolis Valley. Small businesses, parks, trails, facilities, and quality of life have taken centre stage to draw in young families, businesses, and developmen­ts — making it one of the fastest-growing regions in the province.

“At their core, these are small towns where most people know each other and engage in community activities together. It’s hard not to walk down the street or into a store without stopping for a conversati­on with someone you know and catching up on the latest happenings.”

Shelly Phillips, client solutions consultant for The Valley Wire, says she loves living and working in the Annapolis Valley because of its “incredible sense of community” with so much to offer.

“We have amazing people, shops, tourist destinatio­ns, festivals, wineries, breweries and restaurant­s right in our backyard,” says Phillips. “Here at The Valley Wire, we’re a trusted source of news that directly impacts and reflects the day-to-day lives of our residents.”

‘WE NEED TO FEEL CONNECTED’

The ongoing pandemic is making it more challengin­g for Nova Scotians to connect with friends and neighbours, and Engage Nova Scotia managing director Sara Colburne says these relationsh­ips are more important than ever.

“We need to feel connected to people now, especially since we’re not able to have as many of those ‘natural’ social connection­s,” says Colburne.

Engage Nova Scotia’s #FromMeToYo­u campaign has been encouragin­g folks across the province to share notes with the people in our everyday lives (including strangers) and Colburne says there’s a special tactile experience that comes with holding something in our hands, whether it’s a note or a newspaper. She also believes in the power of spreading cheerful, positive stories about the people and places in our neighbourh­oods, especially during uncertain and upsetting times like these.

“There’s so much good news happening in our local communitie­s, but it doesn’t always get the opportunit­y to be shared,” says Colburne. “We’re grateful to share the story of From Me to You in SaltWire community newspapers across the province.”

Walsh agrees, adding that community newspapers are “impossible to replace” because they provide an important historical record, giving future generation­s a glimpse into their past.

“Our communitie­s’ histories are rich with industry, railways, authors, artists, leaders, and festivals. No medium can match the historical necessity of the local newspaper,” says Walsh.

“We need to feel connected to people now, especially since we’re not able to have as many of those ‘natural’ social connection­s.”

Sara Colburne

The SaltWire Network publishes The Valley Wire every Wednesday, and it’s free to enjoy. Want it delivered along with your weekly flyers? Visit saltwire.com/contact-us to sign up for free delivery, and thank you for valuing community news.

 ?? JESS BAIN PHOTOGRAPH­Y ?? Ty Walsh at the Town of Berwick Splash pad in front of the Carol’s Place Recreation building in Rainforth Park.
JESS BAIN PHOTOGRAPH­Y Ty Walsh at the Town of Berwick Splash pad in front of the Carol’s Place Recreation building in Rainforth Park.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Canada