Maybe you should sit down, I have some news that may upset you. No one's hurt but someone is leaving. Try not to take it personally because it’s not you, it’s me.
This week marks my last at the Bonnyville Nouvelle.
I know what you’re thinking, ‘does that mean you’re leaving Bonnyville for good?’ Fear not, dear reader, I will still be around but not as a reporter for the paper anymore.
To say it's hard to leave a position I’ve held for three years (and two months) would be an understatement. I completely uprooted my life to move to a community I hadn’t heard of before I applied for the job and stepped into a role in a field that I’d wanted to be a part of since I was in Grade 8.
It wasn’t without bumps in the road. (I mean that literally.)
When I made the trek across the country from my hometown of Oshawa, ON to Bonnyville, I drove through a hale storm that had me swerving all over the highway. It was my first introduction to Alberta weather and will forever be remembered.
I jumped headfirst into the role of reporter and learned as much as I could. I spent late nights at my desk (ones I won’t miss) writing out stories to tell the community about an event that had just passed, a council or school board meeting and spread the word on local issues. I took photos of family and friends celebrating and shed light on topics few people wanted to discuss.
I hope I did so with grace and the honesty you expect from your local newspaper.
Working in the media during the COVID-19 pandemic was a unique experience. We became a regional paper, we hunted down the news and stories when little was happening, and I realized I was really cut out for this business.
I’ve had some experiences I won’t soon forget, like attending my first rodeo, chuckwagon races, 4-H club events, and a demolition derby. I got lost way too many times to count but kept trekking on. I met some unforgettable people and even made some close friends in my three years as a reporter for the Bonnyville Nouvelle and Lakeland This Week.
I want to thank my former boss for taking a risk on me and allowing me to learn and embrace a community that I now consider my own. I also want to thank you, my dear reader, who has been with me since my first introduction column three years ago. I hope you had as much fun as I did.
