The fund will be used to ensure that seniors, as well as other residents who do not have access to a computer, continue to have access to local news.
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At its January 23, 2023, Regular Council Meeting, Coaldale Town Council directed Town staff to create a Sunny South News subscription fund.
In July of last year, Council approved a pilot project with the Sunny South News that saw a copy of each new issue delivered to every residence in Coaldale through to the end of December. The idea was that because not everyone who resides in Coaldale has access to a computer or a smart phone, or has social media accounts, utilizing more traditional means of communication would also be required to meet Council’s strategic goal of keeping Town residents informed.
Although the pilot was successful, it became clear during Council’s budget deliberations this fall that, moving forward, a more cost-effective approach to keeping Town residents informed would be needed. “As a Council, we came to realize that in order to keep tax increases as low as possible, we’d have to find an alternative way to reach residents who continue to get their news by reading the local newspaper,” said Town of Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn. “Continuing with the status-quo would have cost the Town approximately $50,000 a year and, given inflationary pressures, spending that much for blanket deliveries each week no longer seemed feasible. Beyond that, it would have created a lot more waste because let’s face it – many Coaldale residents already prefer to get their news online and don’t need a physical copy of the Sunny South News delivered to their homes each week.”
As an alternative to making this pilot project permanent, therefore, Council directed Town staff to set up a Sunny South News subscription fund instead. “As I said back in August, our Council strongly believes in engaging with and meeting people where they are at, whether that be online via our Town website and social media platforms, or through regional newspapers like the Sunny South News”, explained Van Rijn. “That’s not going to change. The only thing that’s going to change is how we’re going to fund home delivery. With a Sunny South News subscription fund, seniors and other residents who still want traditional home delivery can continue to receive it but without it costing the Town tens of thousands of dollars a year. That’s a win for everyone.”
With the fund now set up, interested residents are encouraged to drop by the Town Office to sign up for a complementary subscription. Sunny South News subscription forms will also be made available at the Coaldale Public Library, Seniors Centre, and at the Green Acres Foundation Sunny South Lodge.