Editorial

December 25 2024

A time of reflection, restoration and gratitude

The week between Christmas and New Year’s affords many of us a welcome opportunity for downtime. That’s something our busy world doesn’t exactly embrace, but it’s so important.

For those not travelling hither and yon over the holidays – as is often required for family visits – this can be a truly restorative time. These days of rest and a slower pace can re-energize us as we look ahead to the new year.

Many will also spend time this week reflecting on the year that was. We’re certainly doing that at The Journal as we prepare to say goodbye to 2024. It was a milestone year for this rural newspaper, as we marked our 30th birthday.

That’s still a little hard to believe; we sometimes still think of The Journal as the new kid on the block. But it has indeed been three decades, and we’re so very grateful for the many people who helped the paper succeed over the years.

We lost one of those team members last week. Dorothy Ostewig, from Lochaber and Goshen, worked behind the scenes; but, as our proofreader for about 20 years, she was an invaluable part of The Journal family.

Dorothy was 92 when she passed. No doubt the education she received in the 1930s and 1940s placed a very high priority on spelling and grammar which, together with her time teaching, made her especially adept in the role of proofreader. She became a friend to many at the paper over those years.

As we reflect on those three decades, we also remember other contributors to the paper – especially in the early years – without whom The Journal may not have made it this far. Sarah Mason Wilson, Annie Doyle, Judy Jollota and Alice Sutherland are just some of the names that come to mind. These women wrote about the comings and goings in their rural communities, and their columns were very well read.

That kind of support from readers is why The Journal continues to thrive today. Advertisers are of course another vital ingredient to the paper’s sustainability. And, we can’t overlook the role of staff, both past and present. The Journal has been fortunate to attract journalists and other staff who are incredibly committed to the cause of community journalism.

Our commitment to you, our readers, for the new year is to continue to cover the stories that matter close to home. Thank you for enabling us to do that by subscribing or picking up the paper at a store.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2025.