BARRY’S BAY – A lot has changed in the Madawaska Valley over the past four years and the Valley Gazette has been there every step of the way.
This month, the Gazette is celebrating its four-year anniversary of its first publication, which was released on May 20, 2010.
At that time, it was a Thursday paper, released every other week. The first edition of the paper was a 28-page publication, with only four coloured pages and the rest in black and white. It covered several of the mayoral candidates, who were running in the 2010 municipal elections, along with a house fire and many other local stories.
It has since come a long way, as the paper moved to full colour and began releasing weekly editions.
Founder and Publisher of the paper, Michel Lavigne, was born and raised in North Bay and relocated to the area in 1998.
He started Lavigne Media in 2010 in his previous home at the corner of Sandhill Drive and Highway 60 and released the inaugural paper with the help of three staff.
Over the years, some employees have come and gone, others remained and several fresh new faces have come on-board.
Flash forward to 2014. Numerous Ontario Community Newspaper Better Newspaper Awards line the walls at the new office inside the former Sears building in downtown Barry’s Bay. Lavigne Media has also published several Madawaska and Valley tour guides and In Valley Living magazines along the way.
The paper continues to be a weekly edition and is gaining popularity amongst locals and visitors alike.
Lavigne and staff recognize that without the support of the community, there would be no Valley Gazette.
They would like to thank the countless advertisers, subscribers and supporters of the paper over the past four years.
The Gazette looks forward to many more years covering the news within the community.