One of the greatest challenges of 2020 has been finding reasons to stay positive and have hope that the COVID-19 pandemic will soon pass.
We have faced a year of historic uncertainty due to the unparalleled pandemic which has left financial and emotional devastation in its wake. Other issues have included environmental catastrophes like the wildfires that consumed parts of the United States and Australia, social unrest and demands for justice through Black Lives Matter rallies and increased uncertainty about the future of health care in our province.
It seems each week we are confronted with troubling news from the local to the global level.
This week we can take a moment to look to the light and gather with our families, be it in-person or online, to celebrate Thanksgiving and share stories of what we are grateful for.
The holiday seems all the more important in 2020 given the tumultuous year we have faced.
This weekend take time to stop, enjoy good company and relish in the positive notes in your life.
Here at The Cochrane Eagle, we are grateful to be celebrating National Newspaper Week which runs from Oct. 4 to 10. The event is designed to recognize and rejoice in the role newspapers play in providing communities with credible and factual news.
However, this job is not always easy— To quote the National Newspaper Week tagline, “We wish 2020 was fake news too.”
This has been a difficult year for many of us as we have adapted and pivoted to survive the COVID-19 pandemic— That experience has been shared at The Cochrane Eagle as many of the events we would be covering have been cancelled or postponed and we have lost crucial advertising that pays the significant costs of providing a free weekly paper in the community.
At The Cochrane Eagle, we consider it a great privilege and opportunity to cover and share in the events and stories that matter to the Cochrane and area community.
We believe journalists play a critical role in providing independently verified and heavily researched information about the goings-on in our community.
The range of stories we cover span the gambit.
In the course of a single week, we cover exciting and fun events like Cochrane Culture Days, attend Town Council or cover heart-breaking stories like the recent death of a cyclist due to an alleged drunk driving collision.
We are compelled to share these stories and cover them with respect so Cochranites can pick up an issue of The Cochrane Eagle to find out what is happening in their town.
Like many businesses this year, the newspaper industry has been affected by COVID-19 and we are doing our best to adapt to the changes and heart-ache created by the pandemic.
This year for Thanksgiving The Cochrane Eagle is thankful to remain a trusted news source in Cochrane and we are thankful to be part of the vibrant Cochrane community.
This Thanksgiving we hope you have the opportunity to relax, unplug and take time to appreciate the bright spots in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving Cochrane.
