Hi there,

A big thank-you to everyone who stepped up during our Spring Supporter Drive. Our goal was 100 new monthly supporters across Comox, Cowichan and Nanaimo. 

We welcomed a whopping 74 new monthly supporters and 22 one-time contributors! 

In this economy?! We have renewed hope for the future of independent, fact-checked local journalism.

Thank you so much for believing in this work alongside us, and welcome to the Discourse family!

We came up just short of our monthly supporter goal, so if you've been thinking about it, today's a good day.

Reporters Eric Richards and Mick Sweetman connect with community members at Cowichan Pride. Photo courtesy of Cowichan Pride

A few of you told us why you chose to support:

🍓 “I strongly believe in the value of and necessity for strong local newspapers and independent reporting.” 

🍓 “You hold the power in this valley to account for what they are doing.” 

🍓 “Gives me sense of community connection.” 

Here's what your support funds next:

• All communities: Putting your questions directly to candidates and publishing answers in plain language — the kind of coverage no AI tool can produce.

• Comox Valley: Ongoing coverage of the K'ómoks treaty.

• Cowichan Valley: Eric's reporting on which October candidates are backed by slates.

• Nanaimo: Mick's continued coverage of housing, supportive housing, urban planning, and the growth of formal political slates ahead of the municipal election.

We came up short of our goal, so if you've been thinking about it, you can still join! Every dollar you contribute goes to local journalism.

Thank you for being here and uplifting our communities.

Kindly,