Last week was National Newspaper Week in Canada, and we here at the North Shore News celebrated by … delivering all of our newspapers late.
OK, that was actually a coincidence, and a poorly timed one, or ironically kind of funny one, depending on your perspective on the situation and general outlook on life.
And no, obviously we didn’t intentionally deliver newspapers late. There was a rather simple and, frankly, old-timey kind of explanation for what happened. The printing press broke down. Yes, for real.
In this day and age of instant online news, foreign policy as explained on TikTok, and whatever is going on with the artist formerly known as Twitter, this was a reminder of the very essence of the newspaper business, its historical roots. It is the printed word on paper, it is ink and rollers and fonts and teenagers in jaunty caps delivering the news of the day right to your doorstep.
The delay in our delivery turned out to be less than a day in most cases, but we sure heard from a lot of readers in the meantime. I fielded a few of those calls myself, and I was pleasantly surprised at how cordial they all were. Each one I fielded followed basically the same script.
“I didn’t get my paper delivered today, what’s the deal? Oh, the press broke down? That’s too bad. The papers are on their way soon? That’s great, because I need that paper.”
No, not every delivery complaint we get is so sweet, but I always take heart from the interactions I’ve had with keen readers who say they love us and they just want to get their paper on time and, fingers crossed, not soaked through by the North Shore rains.
And I know that there are many reasons why people are so keen to get their paper. As editor, I’d like to say that all of our readers can’t wait to see what stories of intrigue and wonder our amazing writers have produced this week. And I must say this week’s paper – no doubt delivered on time – is full of some doozies. Workers concerned about an explosion risk? An expansion of the industrial waterfront next to North Van’s super-trendy Shipyards District? A North Van man who grows some of the world’s most gigantic, most gorgeous gourds?! West Van sex parties?!?
But I know that’s only a piece of the picture. Many, many readers are most interested in checking out our ads and scoping the deals found in the flyers, and who can blame them in these days of food and gas prices that would make Scrooge McDuck blush.
And I’ve spoken to many readers who immediately flip right to the back of the paper, to the obituaries, to see if they recognize any names. That’s a bit of a slightly morbid, but beautifully human, reminder of the connections that are so important in a community. It’s the circle of life, poignantly presented in stark black and white.
And other readers just want the crossword puzzle.
Whatever the reason, we heard from many people who missed their paper when it was late, and all of them who spoke to me, at least, ended the conversation by telling me how much they appreciated the work we do and how important that weekly connection to the community was. It was, in fact, quite heartwarming, a delightful silver lining to a challenging situation.
That being said, we’ve taken every measure possible to ensure that such a delay never happens again.
In any regard, I am still so honoured and glad that you are reading this, whether it’s online, packaged in our daily newsletter, or delivered to your door and spread out on your dining room table.
In any form we can, we’ll always do our very best to get the news to you.
The calls I received last week confirmed your interest and love. The feeling is mutual.
Andy Prest is the editor of the North Shore News. His lifestyle/humour column runs biweekly.
