I've been a part of the newspaper industry since 1980 when I began on a part-time basis covering sports for the Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle. Eventually, I was brought on permanently part-time to also handle Chemainus community pages. After a brief stint pursuing a radio career at CKAY Radio in Duncan, I returned to newspapers in 1983, this time at the Cowichan Leader in Duncan. My roles there included reporting on sports and community features.
Over the years, the publication transformed into the Cowichan News Leader and Cowichan News Leader Pictorial. I remained dedicated to the newspaper until April 2015. Following a year of freelancing, I took on the role of news editor for a group of community-owned papers, which consisted of the Chemainus Valley Courier, South Cowichan Echo, and Duncan Free Press.
In 2017, Black Press Media acquired the papers, and I transitioned to the position of editor for the Chemainus Valley Courier, the sole publication from the trio that was retained. Since then, I've embraced the role of editor and have continued to contribute to delivering meaningful news and stories to the community.
