Still here: Growing and adapting
Publisher’s Message
The last six months have been challenging, but exciting. In September 2023, my message on the front page of the print issue was that the RCP could disappear without more community participation. The response was encouraging! Here are some comments:
The RCP…
is the only newspaper I care about these days.
makes me feel connected to the community.
is such a great neighbourhood connector and info source.
has taught me so much about my neighborhood.
We included a reader survey with the message. It was completed by 81 people and a number of people emailed me directly. In October 2023, 41 people attended our AGM and nine people put their names forward for the five available board positions. RCP now has a full board of nine directors. We took some time to regroup and then put out a 16-page winter issue in December.
Survey respondents prefer to receive news from RCP via a print edition (88 per cent) or eNewsletter (60 per cent). Facebook and Instagram were the most used social media platforms; however, as a news organization ratcreek.org is now banned on Meta. Of the 81 respondents, 39 indicated an interest in contributing in some way. That’s amazing! My profuse apologies for not following up with everyone who offered help. It takes time to reach out, connect, and onboard new people. I’ve been doing what I can in the limited time available.
The last six months have been full of change. Thankfully, I like change but it does take up a lot of time! We decided to move to a quarterly print schedule, migrated our website to a lower-cost provider, added an events page and welcomed a new editor. This issue, we expanded from 16 to 20 pages and have seven new writers! Brenda Fortin, who has been our designer since September 2021, is passing the reins to Chelsea Boos. We are planning for our summer issue to be 24 pages!
RCP has three goals: build community, encourage communication and increase capacity. In 2024, we are focusing on developing capacity. We are working on a team/mentoring leadership model. Everyone can contribute content, whether it is community info, events, articles, photos, illustrations, or just a story idea. Someone with more experience can help someone with less.
RCP is working with partners to seek funding for a Community Ambassador Program that will recruit and train local residents to welcome and connect with both community members and visitors, to show them what makes north central Edmonton an incredible place to live, work, play, and shop.
We are launching a Substack. Substack is an online publishing platform with an email newsletter. It includes posts, podcasts and videos. You can have free and paid content, and the posts will be shareable on Facebook! Find us at ratcreekpress.substack.com. Subscribe to get news articles and posts sent to your email inbox! Paid subscribers will receive online content first, but all content will become free and be sent to all subscribers after some time.
So much to do and look forward to in 2024!
WELCOME!!
NEW EDITOR
Laura Vega is a professional in communications and marketing with more than 15 years of experience. She migrated from Latin America to Edmonton almost a decade ago, and still gets to discover new neighbourhoods, activities, and kind people. Laura likes to spend time exploring River Valley trails with her dog, growing her plant collection, and enjoying live music and arts.
NEW DESIGNER
Chelsea is passionate about art and design co-created with the community as a decorated cultural worker, arts non-profit administrator, and long-time neighbour. An author and documentarian of visual culture by the people for her column Back Words, she contributed to local and national fine art publications, as well as working on staff at Vue Weekly doing cover illustrations, graphics production, photo styling, and production design. Check out chelseaboos.com for a portfolio of more writing, lens-based work, and illustration.
2024 PRINT SCHEDULE
Summer delivered by June 7
Fall delivered by Sept 1
Winter delivered by Dec 1
 | A guest post by
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This is really great. Good work finding a way to adapt!
Poured her heart and soul into building community is right! To grow a tiny little paper delivered by hand door to door to one being delivered to 13,000 households is incredible. This can only happen through a lot of hard work, dedication and love of community by all involved. Karen, I loved your March 18th article called "Still Here - Growing and Adapting" and the beautiful picture that went with it. How exciting the growth and forward movement of the Rat Creek Press paper and how it has grown overtime from an idea to what is now. A paper that keeps up with the community and the times we are in. Congratulations!