Community Living Ontario

Cottage Country Now publishes monthly column during 50th year of service
Wednesday November 23, 2011 -- Deb Bartlett

Community Living Parry Sound is marking its 50th year with great support from its community newspaper.

The association’s executive director Jo-Anne Demick says a news story and editorial were published in Cottage Country Now on the day of the association’s 49th annual general meeting in September.

Throughout the silver anniversary year, the association will have a monthly column on a variety of topics of importance to the community living movement published in Cottage Country Now  to create awareness, which is one of the association’s six strategic directions.

The first column was a historical overview of community living,  and the second was on the history of and transition from institutional care and how it’s evolved over the years. 

The third column will centre on language and people first language.

Having the stories and columns published “fits nicely with our strategic directions on impacting societal attitudes and creating awareness,” says Demick.

A story by Cottage Country Now reporter Sarah Frank was written from interviews with staff and information she gathered, says Demick.

An editorial, written by regional managing editor Jack Tynan came as a surprise.

“He just wrote it from his heart,” says Demick.

Parry Sound is a small town with just one local paper, and the association enjoys a great rapport with the paper’s staff.
 

Demick admits she doesn’t think she appreciated the great relationship with the paper until she read the editorial.
 

She says she asked if it would be possible to highlight the work of the association, and there was no hesitation on the part of the newspaper’s staff to run the columns.
 

She says that different businesses have sponsored the column, but sponsorship is not a condition to it being published.
 

“I could see that some of our community partners had participated, and it was really nice,” says Demick.
 

The editorial pieces, which highlighted why and how the Community Living movement started, have generated interest and awareness in the community, she says.
 

Demick hopes the community will be engaged in the association’s anniversary celebrations.
 

To comment on this story, or to share your association’s media strategy, contact Deb at 800-294-0051, ext. 30, or e-mail deb(at)axiomnews.ca.