I always figured I'd be writing a farewell column at some point, and I guess that day has arrived.
After a little over five years of working here, this is officially my last column for the Airdrie City View. I recently accepted a reporting position in Calgary and will be starting my new job after Labour Day.
Saying goodbye is certainly bittersweet. While I'm excited about the future, I've made some great memories and met some fantastic people while working in Airdrie these last five years. Even though I didn't live in Airdrie throughout my tenure here, I came to develop a lot of passion for the city and the various issues and topics we'd cover, whether it was the lack of a hospital or the need for another highway interchange.
When I first joined the City View in 2018, I was hired primarily to cover sports and I had some great times photographing, interviewing, and writing about many of the city's sports teams and athletes. I came to relish covering the local high-school teams and the various sports clubs around town. I got to help celebrate Airdrie's most talented athletes as they excelled and developed in their sport and moved onto the next level.
Of course, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. Suddenly, there were no sports going on to cover as the world seemingly came to a halt. With our newsroom staff diminished, I found myself reporting news again, covering everything from City council meetings to local Black Lives Matter rallies to those daily Dr. Deena Hinshaw briefings.
At the end of 2020, I had the opportunity to become the City View's editor. It was an immediate steep learning curve. I must confess I entered my first leadership role with a lot of naïvete. I quickly learned that sometimes our coverage would not make everyone happy, regardless of how thorough or balanced it was.
In addition to developing a thicker skin, being an editor taught me a lot about accountability. Suddenly I was accountable not just for my own articles, but for the entire newsroom's content. As I'd become the most senior member of the newsroom, I had to improve my leadership capabilities and try to be a mentor for any new reporters or interns.
Seven years after starting my first full-time journalism job, I still have passion for the news. While the stress of constant deadlines can feel a bit like being on a hamster wheel, I truly feel being a reporter is the best way to get to know a community. Working in the local media is a great way to feel like you're a part of the ebb and flow of society.
Since I'm fast-approaching my word count, in closing, I'd like to thank my publisher, my fellow colleagues in the newsroom, those who read our articles, and the hundreds of Airdronians I've interviewed over the last five years. Thank you for taking my questions and allowing me to share your story.
