These days, when I open my newspaper I’m always wondering whether it’s the last time I’ll get to read my favourite column or get a story about what’s happening in our community. Due to years of government inaction and the hostility of big foreign players, Canada’s news industry is dying.
Here’s the thing, though: Canadian storytelling matters. Whether it is on screens or in our newspapers, whether it is about a new initiative to support local businesses or about a new after-school program — our stories tell us who we are as a society. So if these stories disappear, so do we.
And that’s the crux of my fear. Canadian storytelling is going extinct and the government is simply standing idly by.
An election will be called any day now. I want our candidates to know that my vote comes at a price: if you don’t offer substantive solutions to the Canadian news crisis, you can forget about my vote.
I hope my fellow readers, my fellow community members, will join me in demanding more from our elected officials.
Karin Anders
Victoria
