It has become common practice in some publications for an editor to write a short essay once he leaves his post. In my case, I’m closing Muskeg News myself and, since I’m the boss and this is the last day of work, I can do whatever I want, which, in this case, means subjecting you to a sum-up of what happened over the last year, as well as pondering what the future may bring.
Muskeg News rose out of the ashes of the Daily News, closed by Black Press a few weeks after it bought the 99 year-old newspaper in July 2010. The difference, of course, was the medium which transmitted the information: while the Daily News was the old grey lady of Prince Rupert, Muskeg News’ presence was mostly online, over the Internet. Our first post was on July 11, 2010 — our first picture for our main story was the one you see above. It would be silly to say we were trailblazers; the migration of information to the Internet has been going on for the last decade.
But there were similarities, mostly with the people who contributed stuff for Muskeg News. George T. Baker, who always had a great nose for a news story, wrote for us for a while before he was scooped up by the MotherCorp. Patrick Witwicki, a.k.a. “LB,” continued his sprightly sportswriting career by filing a story once a week. Rudy Kelly, who actually hadn’t worked for the Daily News since the Liberals were in power, filed his beloved “slice of life” columns online.
A handful of other contributors came and went. Most notable were Mike Ambach, a local photographer who has that rare ability to tell a whole story with a single image. Gina Clark used her network of connections in the local arts scene to promote and publicize local goings-on in town. Even local celebrities like Matt Simmons, Thom Chow, Chantal Cornwall and Larry Hope made cameo appearances.
While the website maintained the same look and feel for the last year, the print edition went through multiple transformations. From a leaflet to a tri-fold brochure to a tabloid broadsheet, it finally settled upon a monthly 12-page entity that was delivered to every door in Rupert. Looking back on it all, I can say without a modicum of modesty that the product grew larger than I thought it would, thanks mostly to our readers and our advertisers.
Over the last year, we covered some great stories, but we also missed many. Such is life in a newspaper. The Northwest news cycle seems to me like a baseball game – nothing much happens most of the time, but suddenly there’s a whole bunch of news happening all at once and reporters get utterly overwhelmed. Because of that, it was much easier to throw together a monthly print edition than a website that was updated daily; hence the reason you may have noticed that nothing changed on the website for a few days at a time.
Still, we broke quite a few stories over the year before our competition, which has to be the measure of quality for any news agency, large or small. And, given all the changes we’ve documented over the last year, I think I can safely make some declarations about the state of Prince Rupert, and where it appears to be going.
First off, I believe the economy in Rupert is improving. This may coax a confused look or two from some people, or perhaps a “are you outta your mind?” Yes, McMillan is closing. Yes, many storefronts remain empty on 3rd Avenue West. Yes, it’s a tough slog for any local businessman to make any money around here. But there is a great deal of confidence in Prince Rupert that has been shown by some big guns. The provincial government just announced $15 million for the railyard at Ridley Island; that announcement attracted the CEO of CN to our remote part of the world. Speaking of Ridley Island, the coal terminal continues to sign contracts, allowing it to leverage that into borrowing power to expand its facilities. Outside of Rupert, Rio Tinto Alcan’s expansion in Kitimat, and B.C. Hydro’s new transmission line have most likely employed some people in town. Canpotex, that coy suitor, has caused everyone in town to repeatedly murmur “will they or won’t they?” If that company ultimately decides to build a potash terminal here, you won’t be hearing about the struggling Prince Rupert economy for a long time to come.
As always, the only thing that stands in the way of progress is political will, or lack thereof. The container port has enjoyed the support of people of all political stripes and, perhaps surprisingly, outside of Port Edward’s council there has not been many protests of expansion at Ridley Terminals Inc. – surprising because dirty coal is usually an easy target.
Provincially and federally, this town is NDP orange, and this doesn’t appear to be changing anytime soon. They have been in opposition both in Victoria and Ottawa for so long, I wonder if they know what it’s like to govern. The HST protest was a case in point: a tax that made sense was decimated because of a long list of grievances against former premier Gordon Campbell. In other words, people voted it down simply to oppose it. I blame both the B.C. Liberals and the NDP for the destruction of that tax, and I’m still waiting for either party to explain to me how people my age will be able to pay for our aging population in the decades to come. After all, that was the conundrum the HST solved; its defeat has created a new economic puzzle that still needs to be sorted out.
Federal politics in the area will be given new life over the next few months as Nathan Cullen pursues the leadership of the NDP. He’s a long-shot, but if he wins, his presence as leader may turn Skeena-Bulkley Valley into a national voice, which will bring forth both treats and an unwanted spotlight onto the constituents of the riding.
Municipally, the City of Prince Rupert can choose to be a main player in the development that’s happening. Whether or not the current council has taken a leadership role is for you to decide at the ballot box this November. The next council is going to have to make some tough decisions about its finances; yes, this is said with every election, but this time it’s a bit more important. The contract with city workers will be expiring in the next few years, and payroll is by far the biggest strain on the City’s budget. Businesses and residents alike are fed up with the constant tax hikes that seem to be inevitable with each passing budget. If council chooses to build a new fire hall and police station, these taxes will rise even higher. Taxpayers, quite frankly, can only take so much, so councillors may have to make deep cuts in the next few budgets if they want to get re-elected in 2014.
As for me, although Muskeg News has ceased publication, Muskeg Press Ltd. lives on. This URL will have a new look in the coming weeks, and we will continue to provide information services & products to Prince Rupert. Many people have asked me if Muskeg News will come back in the future. The short answer is “no,” but Muskeg Press may have a few different publications up its sleeve. Stay tuned.
Finally, I know I’ve said this many times, but I think it bears repeating once more in this finale. Thank you so much to all the readers and advertisers who supported Muskeg News over the last year – you were the reason it existed. Most of all, thank you to all my friends and family who put up with the typical side-effects of running a newspaper: mood swings, moments of panic, and eternal second-guessing.
A la prochaine.
~Chris Armstrong
