We deliver

As we prepare our subscription drive each year, The Creemore Echo team takes a moment to reflect on the past year and set goals for the year ahead.

The subscription drive is an annual tradition when we shamelessly ask members of the community to willingly pay for the newspaper that they would otherwise receive for free.

With each year we are increasingly grateful for the support of this community, which understands the value of a local newspaper and sustains its operations through subscriptions and advertising.

As the print media landscape changes, a number of challenges have emerged behind the scenes including a reduction in the number of printing presses in operation (although we are very lucky in this regard), labour shortages, paper supply issues, and changes at Canada Post, to name just a few.

Everyone knows that the newspaper industry has been gouged but The Creemore Echo has survived and, dare we say, thrived. People marvel at the fact that a small community like Clearview Township can support an independent newspaper dedicated to local news and information. Their eyes light up when visiting our retail store at the realization that they are in the newspaper office, and one with a long history in the village of Creemore, going back over many iterations to 1886. As stewards of this little community newspaper we work hard to ensure it remains relevant and healthy under our watch.

With each edition of The Creemore Echo, we strive to deliver:

• A trusted source for news and information;
• A reliable vehicle for advertisers;
• A conduit for community building;
• A commitment to democracy.

In the past year we have delivered on a lofty list of goals to further strengthen and legitimize The Creemore Echo. Last year, we promised to deliver more and we did. We put out more pages and told more local stories than ever before.

We were successful in registering as a Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization (QCJO), which sets us up to leverage some benefits available through the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA). Subscribers to our weekly email can also access a digital news subscription tax credit.

We also expanded our distribution to Stayner, New Lowell, Nottawa and other parts of Clearview Township as part of a pilot project to see if it could be a viable long-term model. We have launched a reader survey to gauge interest and you can expect to see Echo staffers with clipboards in hand when we are at the Creemore Farmers’ Market on May 18, 25 and June 1.

Members of The Echo team will be manning a booth at the market where we would be delighted to accept your feedback and contributions (we will be accepting debit and credit cards, in addition to cash and cheques).

The survey and all subscription options are posted at creemore.com/shop. Every little bit helps.