COLUMN: Please join me on this new(s) adventure

Well, we have our first “edition” under our belt! And let me tell you, if the launch of BurlingtonToday is any indication of things to come, we are in for one fantastic adventure.

Before I go any further, some background on me. As a lifelong resident of Waterdown, it’s natural that Burlington has been a part of my life since my earliest memories, which include trips to the Aldershot Towers store and a significant portion of my teen years spent at Roller Gardens and Chuck E. Cheese (ask your parents). I’ve worked here, played here, shopped here. My daughter was born at Joseph Brant Hospital, and I am a proud patron of the local library. 

I spent much of my career as a journalist at the Flamborough weekly community paper, first as a reporter, then as editor. For 17 years, I  covered everything from politics and business to bake sales and high school sports. It was at once challenging and exhilarating — there is no better way to truly get to know your community than by telling the stories that matter to the people who live there.

So, after a few years of freelance editing gigs (with a global pandemic thrown in), I am back in the newsroom. This time, it is virtual, and the stories appear in digital format rather than print — but the thrill of connecting with people and giving them a voice remains the same. And as I get out to more events and spread the word about BurlingtonToday, I’m finding many of you are as thrilled as I am that a major news organization is investing in local journalism, the way it should be done. 

Over the past eight years, Village Media has launched sites in 18 other communities, including Halton Hills, Orillia, Guelph and Stratford, to name a few. Each site provides local news that is free and accessible to all. And in each community, the response has been immediate and their following has quickly become loyal. That’s because they understand that strong community journalism means strong communities, and they put boots on the ground to get the stories that matter.  

Trust me, it's a lot of work. And we can’t do it without you. Reporter Tania Theriault and I, along with some help from local freelance writers and photographers, plan to get to as many events, announcements and interviews as we can. We will be looking to you for news tips, feedback and, of course, your readership.

So, in short, BurlingtonToday is your local news site — and you have a unique opportunity to help us make it great. Please reach out to me ([email protected]), Tania ([email protected]) or our news desk ([email protected]) with your press releases, comments or just to connect. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter, which delivers the local news right to your inbox. 

And buckle up. It’s going to be one heck of a ride.