I’m back! But don’t worry, I’m not here to stay… you can un-roll your eyes. David Shanahan remains the editor of the Times – a role which he took back from me at the start of 2024 after I had filled it for a little over a year. In our very first issue of this year on January 11, David announced in his editorial that he was returning as editor, but he has since realized that he never explained the reason for the change. He has therefore asked me to do so in this guest editorial. I must say it feels good to be back, albeit temporarily!
It’s not easy to explain why David has returned as editor. It’s much easier to explain why I was asked to take over as editor in November of 2022 in the first place. David was busy. Having a history PhD and decades of experience tends to make a person popular with organizations seeking credible historical research. Meanwhile, David and his wife Maggie own not one, but two community newspapers – the North Grenville Times, and the North Dundas Times. David was working as the editor of both while juggling his employment.
I began working for the Times as a reporter in July of 2021. I am a resident of North Dundas and originally applied to be a freelance reporter solely for the ND Times. It wasn’t long before I was asked to contribute stories for the NG Times as well. Maggie sure knows how to fill the Times’ staffing needs. Fun fact: our marketing manager, Melissa, was headhunted by Maggie one morning while she was our server for a breakfast work meeting!
We had a team member leave in the early months of 2022. She had been filling a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter role, and I was asked to fill the role until the end of the contract. I reluctantly agreed, unsure if I would be able to commit to the time required to write all of the articles. I managed well (I think), and later that year, in October 2022, David and Maggie asked if I would consider taking over as editor of both papers in November. I was, again, reluctant. I work full time at Winchester Public School, and I also do volunteer work in addition to juggling the duties of being a husband and a dad. Being the editor of two papers seemed like too much to add, but I agreed because it’s not an opportunity that comes along every day.
What readers weren’t told was that it was always understood that my role as NG Times editor would be temporary. My wife and I purchased a house in South Mountain in September 2021, meaning that we live just a few kilometres from the North Dundas – North Grenville border, but the fact remains that my vote in municipal elections goes to North Dundas, my taxes are paid in North Dundas, and my main career is in North Dundas. I was born in Winchester and I have devoted my life to Winchester’s youth. That said, I have always explained that North Grenville is my community, too. Kemptville is a booming hub of commerce and services, and I live just as close to Kemptville as I do to Winchester. Nevertheless, a newspaper like the NG Times needs an editor who lives right in the thick of the action. Having a North Dundas resident as its editor was always meant to be a temporary gig.
For 14 months, I did my best each week to track down the important North Grenville stories, and to separate the interesting local news from the bland, the generic, the untruthful, and the harmful. In December of last year, over our Christmas holiday, David and Maggie invited me to lunch and explained that the time had come – David’s workload was back to a manageable level, and he was ready to take his rightful place in the editor’s chair once again. This chair is the golden throne of the newspaper business. It’s the hotseat of striving for the truth while expecting much feisty, democratic, and sometimes downright hilarious ridicule.
David may be the NG Times editor once again, but things have not returned to exactly how they were before November of 2022. Just like North Grenville needs a local paper with a local resident at the helm, North Dundas requires the same. I have therefore remained in the role of editor of the ND Times. I am grateful for the chance to explore stories in my home community in greater depth now that I can focus more on the ND Times. And I know that David is happy to be once again managing his newspaper in a more direct capacity, rather than giving advice from behind the scenes.
You’ll be delighted (or horrified) to know that you’ll still see my name in the NG Times most weeks. I will continue to cover stories and register opinions in print, though not nearly in as high a frequency as I did when I was editor. The Times staff have always believed in sharing as many different perspectives as possible. I’m also continuing to do behind the scenes work with the NG Times, since getting a quality newspaper in 8,500 mailboxes each week doesn’t just sound like a lot of work, it is a lot of work!
This editorial serves as hello, thank you, and goodbye until the next hello. I look forward to continuing to connect with the North Grenville community. P.S. – we North Dundas folks are jealous… that your mayor is better than ours!