If you live in Olds, Bowden, Didsbury or Carstairs, or Innisfail, odds are your newspaper was delivered by a carrier.
Carriers can’t be deterred by cold, rain, snow, ice, mud or grumpy canines. Delivering papers won’t make you rich, but it will teach responsibility, time management, resilience and job satisfaction. Fitness and fresh air are side benefits. It was my first job as a pre-teen kid in Saskatchewan. I’ll never forget the valuable life lessons it provided.
Despite our online options, most still love their printed paper and are quick to complain by phone or in-person, when it’s not delivered. If we fail to deliver, we’ve failed our loyal readers and advertisers.
There’s considerable preparation behind the scenes before papers are ready for pick up – it’s delivered from the press well before dawn Tuesday morning, and then unloaded, stacked and sorted for our carriers. It also takes considerable time and effort to retain and recruit carriers, update, and revise routes.
National Newspaper Week is celebrated Oct. 6-12 this year. Canadian Carrier Appreciation Day is Oct. 12. I’d like to thank all our carriers, dedicated parents, carrier assistants and our remarkable crew who work behind the scenes, playing a vital role in keeping residents informed. I encourage you to do the same.
Murray Elliott is the publisher of the Albertan.
