The News needs your help this year, but our restaurants need your business now

Jeff Green | Jan 13, 2021

Last year, in our first issue of the year, long before we had any idea that 2020 would be dominated by a pandemic that would have an impact on our daily lives for 9 months (and counting), we published a call for reader support.

It costs about $30 a year to deliver a newspaper 50 times a year to each of the 12,000 mailboxes in Frontenac County and Addington Highlands. We cover those costs with advertising dollars, and starting a few years ago, we began asking readers who are well disposed towards us, and can afford it, to pay towards printing, mailing, production and editorial costs to deliver the paper, and the online version, each week.

We have always had a good response. Many readers have sent us $30, and many others have sent more to cover for others who cannot afford a voluntary subscription. In addition to this annual editorial appeal, we run a house ad every once in a while. Every time a cheque for $25 or $30, or $50 or $100 arrives, or we get a call with a credit card or an e transfer, it helps financially, of course, but it helps our morale as well. 

In 2020, as the COVID-19 impact on our communities became clear, rather than becoming irrelevant as we initially feared because the events that we promote each week were cancelled, our services seemed to become even more valuable to our readers. There is plenty of information (and misinformation) floating around about what has been going on in the world at large, but our focus on the local impacts of the pandemic, and ways we have been coping, has shown us that we are, if anything, more of a part of people's lives.

One way we know this is the case, has been the fact that the sponsorship line in our accounting software, which has risen every year, doubled in 2020 as compared to 2019.

While this did not cover all of our revenue losses from other sectors, it certainly helped, and we head into 2021, the 50th anniversary year for the “North Frontenac” and the 20th year since it became privately owned and operated, confident and committed in the importance and viability of our role in the communities that we serve.

For any of you who choose to support us this year, thank you in advance. And for those who read the paper weekly or on occasion, thank you as well. Reading the paper is itself a measure of support, and we urge all of our readers to patronise our advertisers, who make our communities what they are.

That brings me to the other part of this appeal. The hard reality we are all facing right now is that lockdown measures will be increased in the coming weeks, not relaxed.

While many of our local businesses, such as hardware stores, grocery stores, and pharmacies, have been able to remain busy and profitable in these circumstances, the impact on local restaurants has been severe.

They have had to adapt, each in their own way, to their dining rooms being closed.

The best way to support your local restaurant is to order take-out. It is also a great way to get a break from cooking. 

In order to support local restaurants across the region, we are putting together an advertising feature that will begin running next week. 

We hope the ads will create some interest in the fine food that is available for take-out and delivery throughout the region.

Because the restaurants are hurting in many cases, this is a free advertising feature. 

Look for it, starting on January 21. But don’t wait until next week to order take-out. Give your favourite restaurant a call today.