Here we are 10. Who would have imagined the brave little four-page newspaper that first saw the light of day March 24, 1997 would grow and morph to become the intrinsic part of the Sunshine Coast it is today? Certainly given the lifespan of many of the preceding newspapers, it must have taken a leap of faith for our publisher Peter Kvarnstrom to leave the security of the North Shore News and take on this new venture.
But come he did, with wife Susan and sons Eric, Carl and baby Alec. Then, as now, Peter's focus was being part of the community. He rapidly became involved in many different organizations: the Sechelt Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, Community Futures and Boy Scouts. And by doing so, he set an example for the rest of staff to not only work here, but to really live here.
Today our paper employs 22 full-time and part-time people, not counting the wonderful carriers who make sure you get your Coast Reporter each week. All of us live on the Sunshine Coast and feel the same concerns and triumphs as you, our friends and neighbours.
For 10 years it's been our mandate to provide coverage of all the news that's fit to print (and one or two stories we'd just as soon not have had to print.) And it usually wasn't hard for us to tell when we'd hit a nerve in the community. Those letters to the editor came fast and furious. To date Pan Pacific Aggregates and Wal-Mart have the distinction of being the hottest topics to hit newsprint on the Sunshine Coast. Some of the letters we've received all but sizzled when we printed them.
Another story that generated a lot of opinions both for and against was Christine Wood's story a few years ago on death and what happens to the body after that final passage. That was a subject many of our reading folks didn't want to consider. Discussion of death is still the ultimate taboo in many peoples' minds.
Some folks also get confused about how we make our living. It's pretty simple. Without the support of the business community we would not exist. Advertising is the lifeblood of any community newspaper and we're no exception. And we like that. We love the challenge of creating award-winning ads that drive home the merchants' message in a thoughtful and timely manner. This year two of our graphic designers have ads they created recognized in the top three in the province. On April 14 they see just where their talents take them. And that night, for the third time, we will find out if our stellar classifieds are once again number one in the province. We're going for gold.
So excuse us for bragging just a little. We really are a 10.
