Congratulations to the Deep Cove Crier on its 30th anniversary of publication.
In an age when the changing economics of print, and increasing public migration towards digital sources of information means community newspapers are disappearing, it is very encouraging to see this monthly Seymour-focused newspaper flourish.
I was first asked to contribute to the Crier when I was elected mayor in 2005. Since then I have submitted more than 130 columns on a range of topics.
Sometimes the articles come easily, and sometimes they are collaborative efforts on more technical issues involving statistics and projections.
I have written about bees, pay parking, dogs, mushrooms, mountain bike trails, rubbish, Malcolm Lowry, road access, bridges, traffic, trees, community plans, roadway medians, landslides, forest fires, volunteerism, waterfront access, the Penguin Plunge, and many other local issues.
The issues that always generate the greatest response from Seymour readers are traffic, pay parking, trees, and dogs.
Over the years the Crier has offered a much-appreciated opportunity to share my perspective on issues of both local and regional interest with the residents of Seymour.
There is no equivalent publication in Lynn Valley or in the western part of North Vancouver District, so the chance for the local mayor to write regularly with a hyper-local focus is unique.
As mayor I have had the opportunity on behalf of our council to write about these issues and try to keep residents informed about our strategies and plans.
I thank the Coney family and the Crier for collaborating to provide this good read each month for the Seymour community.
Over the decades the North Shore Citizen, Outlook, News and the Crier have served the community well, providing us with a local perspective on current affairs and issues.
At a time when the rapidly changing media environment is making the viability of print publications increasingly fraught, it is important that we support our local papers.
They are now virtually the only media outlets who regularly cover the work of municipal governments.
As a citizen and mayor, I read both our papers from cover to cover.
I wish the Deep Cove Crier continued success, and hope there will be many more anniversaries to celebrate in the future. Happy birthday!
