Getting to know my neighbours, one story at a time…

I’ve been quiet here because I’ve been busy making noise elsewhere in my technical writing studies and freelance work. In between all that, I’ve been having fun writing for our community paper, the Kitchissippi Times.

The Kitchissippi Times is a popular purveyor of community news and events, history, personality profiles, and photography. It reflects life in three of Ottawa’s most vibrant, creative and historic communities: Westboro, Wellington West and Hintonburg.

I love that it’s a print publication, and not just online. It’s a tangible thing you can pick up at the local cafe or community centre and take home to show your family and friends.

It’s especially exciting if you make the cover of KT, and thanks to poet Pearl Pirie for sharing this photo of her recent cover story. (I will be sharing Pirie’s poetry in a future post.)

Not all community papers are this good, but “KT” is artfully (and lovingly) put together by editor Andrea Tomkins, with contributions from local writers and photographers.

As a writer who has interviewed all kinds of interesting people across Canada (and all the way to Bosnia), it’s been a revelation to talk to people from my own community: an immigrant starting her own business, a poet launching her new book, teachers and students celebrating a successful music program, and an energetic-vegan-athlete-coach inspiring everyone she meets (including me!).

I’ve discovered a seemingly endless stream of inspiring stories in my own backyard, stories that start out small but end up being about something big: triumph over adversity, achieving dreams, and building community.

In a world where the news we consume is increasingly owned by large corporations, and dominated by celebrity culture, community papers are the voice of people you won’t hear anywhere else.

It is important to tell our (own) stories.

Don’t you think?