After over four years of seeing his name scribbled beside a variety of stories, readers will no longer find a Brandon MacLeod byline in the Bonnyville Nouvelle.
The longtime writer and editor of the paper has packed up his belongings and moved on, passing the baton to Mike Pickford who has been named the Nouvelle's new editor.
“I was fortunate to have been a part of the Bonnyville Nouvelle, a respected organization with a long history in this community,” said MacLeod. “After more than four years working with groups, organizations and individuals in the region, both as a reporter and the editor, I am sad to be leaving, but also excited for the future.”
As he mentioned in his column: It's a tough thing, breaking-up these days, which appeared in the Oct. 21 edition, MacLeod and his partner have packed up what's left of their belongings and moved to Victoria, BC, to start a new chapter in their lives.
After working with him for nearly two years MacLeod feels the Nouvelle newsroom will be in good hands with Pickford at the helm.
“The Nouvelle has continued to boast an honest, reliable and transparent newsroom and I believe that will continue under new editor Mike Pickford and senior reporter Andrew Mendler. With strong backgrounds in journalism, a deep caring for the community, and knowledge of the region, the Nouvelle is in good hands,” said MacLeod.
Pickford, who ventured out to Bonnyville almost two years ago from Lindsay, Ontario, says he has relished his time here and is ready to take on a new, more senior role with the publication.
“For the past two years I've had the privilege of reporting for the Bonnyville Nouvelle and it's an experience I've thoroughly enjoyed,” said Pickford. “Now, with our longtime editor and friend Brandon MacLeod moving on, the opportunity arose for me to take the next step in my career and assume responsibility of editorship at the Nouvelle. I know I have some big shoes to fill, but I can't begin to explain how excited I am to lead the Nouvelle into this new era.”
The promotion of Pickford and loss of MacLeod still leaves a hole in the Nouvelle newsroom, one the paper plans to fill with the addition of a new reporter.
Even though the Nouvelle has lost a good reporter and will run short-staffed for a while, Pickford still believes he will be able to lead the way in producing a high-quality paper full of accurate and timely information.
“For years, the Bonnyville Nouvelle has been the best source for news in the Lakeland and, in my new role as editor, I will be doing all that I can do to ensure that continues,” Pickford said.
