For 20-years The Cochrane Eagle has had a newsroom diligently working to bring community news to readers in town.
The paper was founded on a philosophy set by Jack Tennant— Building community connections and celebrating local stories with bombastic photos and meaningful articles.
Some have described The Eagle as Jack’s “love letter to Cochrane." This is a passion the newsroom has worked to cultivate and grow each day for the past 20 years.
Jack’s legacy looms large in the newsroom, and even though he left us in May 2018 his dedication to local news remains a pivotal aspect of the paper's success and influences how the newspaper operates.
His legacy extends outside the newsroom. We are often stopped by those who have a special story to share about Jack. These stories are heartwarming and remind us why we put ink to paper each week.
For many of us, the best part of being a journalist is having the opportunity to attend local events and connect with those who help make their community special.
Jack was celebrated for connecting with Stoney Nakoda First Nation members and ensuring their voices were heard in the paper, and this is a value we embrace to this day.
Every story matters, and as the province continues to reopen we look forward to once again connecting in-person.
However, working in the newsroom is not without adversity.
In the first months of its launch 9/11 struck in 2001, later in 2013 we covered the worst natural disaster in Alberta’s history when floods swept across the province and since 2020 we have been working to cover the COVID-19 global health crisis.
These events are both thrilling and exhausting to feature in the newspaper.
This past year has been especially filled with trials and tribulations, but we remain fuelled by our passion for covering local news.
Like many, we are looking forward to a full reopening of the province so we can return to our favourite part of the job— Connecting (in-person) with the community.
We have an exciting year ahead of us, already we are preparing to cover the municipal election in October and documenting how our town recovers from the economic devastation wreaked by COVID-19.
We remain committed to fostering the legacy set by Jack and work hard each week to bridge community connections from Stoney Nakoda First Nation to Bearspaw, from Bragg Creek to Cremona and everywhere in between.
There is nothing better than hitting the road and exploring these communities to learn what makes the area special.
There are so many incredible people and stories in the region. It is a privilege being able to document their adventures, adversities and triumphs each week.
Our job is not easy, but our love for the community remains strong.
We look forward to continuing to cover the community and reflecting the values and issues that are of the greatest concerns to residents.
To the community we thank you, we couldn't have done without you.
Îsniyes.
