Image Credit: John McDonald

A new newspaper is being launched in Peachland.

If that sounds like a headline from the 1990s, that’s kind of the point. This isn’t intended to be a money-making venture, just what a community newspaper used to do — serve the community. The Peachland Post is the product of two years of planning by a local society.

“It's kind of a community-building exercise,” Keith Fielding, President of Peachland Community Newspaper Society, said. “It's kind of symbolic of community somehow, and when you don't have a community newspaper, you lose that sense of connectedness. Apart from its intrinsic value, that's one of the things that I think it's going to assist with is helping to build a sense of community, belonging and community identity.”

Fielding was elected as the Mayor of Peachland in 2008 and 2011 alongside years of involvement in other local causes, so he knows a bit about community building.

Though the town is still served by the Peachland Phoenix, a subscription-based newsletter, Aberdeen Press closed the Peachland View, the town’s last newspaper, in 2020. But while the business failed, the society is betting a printed newspaper still holds value by spreading information about community events, news, obituaries, columns, editorials and sports and whatever else it can find.

They boast 12 potential contributors so far to complement some part time employees as well as volunteers to write and layout the pages.

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And yes, it will have advertising. It has relied heavily on Society members to get started but will rely on local businesses to help cover costs. Fielding says they hope to break even after their launch, though it may also take some time.

The paper is set to launch in mid November. The paper will be free for every resident and business owner and will be delivered on a weekly basis through Canada Post.

While print media is rapidly dwindling, the Society was looking specifically for a physical media because it’s accessible by everyone and has all the information in one convenient little package.

“We're deliberately in the print business because we think it's something that is important for our community,” Fielding said.

With locals contributing to the writing, advertising and reading of the paper, it's a community paper by the people, for the people.

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While the paper copy is available, an online site is currently under construction for those who want to read on their computer or mobile device and stay up to date on current Peachland events if they aren’t in the area.

Fielding said many tourists who come to visit the area like to keep up to date with what is happening in the community, giving the news site an opportunity to keep that connection even when separated by distance.

“It's going to be a kind of community building platform in a way, and a way to bring people together," he said.

The society is eagerly awaiting the launch of the newspaper and is excited to bring the small town, tight knit community feel of closeness back to the town.

“The fact that people will see themselves in it, in photographs, they'll recognize the authors of some of the contributions,” Fielding said. “I think we'll feel a sense of being engaged with it.”

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