Chatham from the perspective of your summer reporter
Image courtesy of www.D2k6.es, via Flickr (CC).
Today is my last day at Chatham This Week. I will round out my summer reporting for Sun Media in Sarnia and then head to my parent’s place in Orono, Ont. for a few short days before making the cross-country hike to Grimshaw, Alta. where I will be employed as a journalist for the Mile Zero News.
Grimshaw is about six hours north of Edmonton. I’ve been told to have my winter jacket close at hand and enjoy my last week and a half of summer in Ontario as winter comes much quicker in the north.
Seeing as my experience here in Chatham was largely responsible for my obtaining a permanent position, I thought it only appropriate that I tell you what I have learned about your hometown.
• Chatham is a friendly town. Within three days of working here I had received hugs from two interview subjects. Just last week a man who I had interviewed in the weeks prior approached me to say he could tell I was having a rough day because I wasn’t smiling. He told me that when I spoke previously with him I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I wanted to make sure that you put that smile back on your face before you walked out that door,” he said.
• Chatham police officers are always available for comment and usually return your phone calls within a couple of hours.
• The people of Chatham are always a little disappointed to hear that the weekly is covering the community event instead of the daily. Except for the Cancer Society that is.
• CK Councillors love to talk. Council meetings are peppered with phrases such as, “I had a few questions, most of them have been answered, but I wanted to ask again…” or “I too wanted to say,” or my personal favourite, “This is really just a comment.”
I could list many more lessons learned but will avoid the urge to ramble. I’ve enjoyed my time here, thank you Chatham for putting up with my uncertainty at times and lack of knowledge at others.
I promise to share only the best stories with all my new Eskimo friends in northern Alberta :)
- K.F.
