August 30, 2018: Has it Been 40 Years Already?; Newswest turns a corner.

August 30, 2018: Has it Been 40 Years Already?;
Newswest turns a corner.

By Tim Thibeault.

This month completes Newswest’s 40th year of publication. If, as they say, “Life begins at 40,” then we are about to embark on a great adventure.

Having started as a neighbourhood newsletter, Newswest has developed into a community newspaper offering readers and residents a place to voice their concerns, celebrate their victories, plan their strategies, suggest new directions, and perhaps even bemoan the changes wrought by Time.

When Newswest began in the early fall of 1978, Gerry Rafferty was enjoying 4 weeks on the top ten charts with a song that would inspire the name of a popular Westboro breakfast haunt. Barbra Streisand was complaining to Neil Diamond that, “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers,” and Olivia Newton-John was “Hopelessly Devoted to You…”.

At City Hall, Lorry Greenberg was handing the reins of the city over to Mayor Marion Dewar who would hold that office for the next 7 years. On Parliament Hill, “then” Prime Minister Trudeau was 59 years old while “now” Prime Minister Trudeau was just seven.

Things change with time, as growth and development coax, cajole and drag us into the future. And Newswest is growing and changing as well.

We are always looking for people to tell us what’s going on, and what it’s all about. Over the years we have had scores of contributors helping make Newswest an entirely volunteer-driven undertaking that celebrates all the neighbours and neighbourhoods throughout Kitchissippi Ward.

We have benefitted from the generosity of sponsors such as GT Express, the Dovercourt Community Centre, and local businesses like Herb & Spice, as well as those sponsors whose services you can see in banners throughout these pages. And, as always, we seek new voices, and new writers to keep our readers informed and advised about what is going on and what may be happening if someone doesn’t do something.

You may be one of those intrepid souls who has a little time to give to the community. If so, we would love to hear from you. So would your neighbours.

To those who have stood by Newswest over the years,we can enthusiastically offer a heartfelt thank you and a warm and friendly handshake with eye-contact. Some have been with us for generations, others are just beginning their adventure with one of Ottawa’s longest running continually published community newspapers. Wherever you are on that spectrum, Newswest welcomes you, thanks you, and looks forward to serving you for as long as this community has news to share and people to read about it.

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[Ed: and here are a few articles from;

• – Newswest News – From Our Printed Past –
• October 1979: Newswest celebrates first year.
• December_1980: You make it happen. – by – Don McGillivray.
• February 1982: The names behind Newswest. – by – Francis Rolleston.
• January 1985: Newswest Logo Winner.
• November 1985: On putting out the paper.
• October 1986: NEWSWEST needs help.
• March 1993: Letter to the editor: Thank You to Newswests readers. – by – Karen Peters.
• March 1998: Newswest to service Hintonburg.

Please don’t forget Newswest needs you reader-contributor and any who can help sponsor the print edition to survive as your community news.]