EDITORIAL: BurlingtonToday has a new SPACE just for you

At BurlingtonToday, we are building a new SPACE especially for you.

We’ve been working on this exciting project for a long time — years, in fact. But now that it’s almost finished, we want you to be the first to know.

Welcome to SPACES, a unique gathering place that is 100 per cent local.

At Village Media, the news company that operates BurlingtonToday, our mission has always been to strengthen the cities and towns we serve. SPACES was designed with that goal in mind: to help you connect even deeper with the people, places, events and traditions that make your hometown so wonderful.

What is SPACES? Think social media network — but safe and welcoming and community-powered.

It is no secret that social media platforms have strayed from their initial promise to foster community connections and nurture relationships. Instead, they’ve spiraled into anonymous echo chambers, programmed to disseminate endless scrolls of content that rarely has anything to do with where you live — or who lives down the street.

Facebook and Instagram don’t even share legitimate local news anymore. Like every Canadian media outlet, BurlingtonToday was blocked from those platforms months ago.

Enter SPACES: our attempt to revive the lost art of meaningful local engagement. This new network isn’t just another project for us. We believe it will be transformational, a pivotal step toward mending the social fabric of our communities. By fostering civil, respectful discussions, SPACES can help tighten bonds between neighbours, reignite local interests and rebuild the trust that’s been eroded by Big Tech’s divisive, anonymous platforms. 

Whatever your passion — gardening, junior hockey, downtown restaurants, the latest vote by city council — there will be a SPACE for that. The best part? Each one will be curated by local experts and facilitated by a source you already know and trust: the local news site you’re reading right now.

Please join us as the final pieces come into place. Although we’ve been working diligently on this initiative behind the scenes, Village recently acquired SPACES.ca and publicly launched our official waitlist, which means you can sign up now to stay up to date on all our progress. The pilot phase kicks off this summer, with a broader rollout planned in late-2024.

Is this an ambitious experiment? Definitely. Do we think SPACES will have a real and lasting impact on your community? Absolutely. 

Take a look around and tell us what you think. Our SPACE is your SPACE.