Welcome to the first regular Tuesday edition of the Alberni Valley News.
This edition has been more than nine years in the making: our first issue hit the streets on Friday, Aug. 25, 2006, with the goal of bringing a different voice to the Alberni Valley.
We launched our second edition of the week, the Tuesday News Advertiser, in November 2014, in response to requests from advertisers and readers alike. Our Advertiser offered a lighter read, with a mix of hard news when necessary: bringing information about the Dog Mountain fire to the community, and announcing the return of the Martin Mars water bomber to the water.
Our Tuesday edition has gained strength and attention since we brought it to the streets. With the demise of the AV Times in October, reader and advertiser demand has dictated an expansion to a full edition. So we have retired the News Advertiser, if you will, and today introduce a fuller newspaper for Tuesdays.
We also thought since we are in our 10th year, it was time to update the look of our paper. In addition to adding regular features like opinion, arts and sports into Tuesday’s edition, and making room for more features, we’ve freshened our look.
Many readers have asked questions about our plans since the AV Times closed its doors in October. We won’t be going daily; that business model was proven not to work. We do have an active website and Facebook page, which brings breaking news to the community in a digital fashion, with more in-depth coverage in print later.
The Nanaimo Daily News is printing the TV Scene now, and it is available in the Friday edition on newsstands around the Alberni Valley.
Our papers will get bigger, provided we have support from the community in the form of advertising. More ads equal more space for stories and photos.
We will continue to produce award-winning investigative pieces and cover the stories that people are talking about.
We love to bring the Valley’s voice to our readers, and to share people’s stories—whether they be positive or controversial, sad or happy. In order to do that, we need to hear from you. Let us know what you’re passionate about; send us your letters to the editor; tell us what you think about decisions our municipal government is making; what’s happening in your neighbourhood, your school, your charitable group; who you think the movers and shakers are in our community, and what they’re doing that we should write about them.
Susan Quinn is the Alberni Valley News editor.
editor@albernivalleynews.com
