Hi there,

It’s hard to put into words what it means to me that you choose to support The Discourse. You are in a minority — the small-but-mighty group that has said that local, independent journalism is worth standing up for. 

We’ve said from the beginning that our goal is for The Discourse to be primarily supported by voluntary contributions from our readers. We want to be accountable to our community, ahead of all else. 

The truth is, we’re still far from that goal. For now, about a quarter of our revenue comes directly from readers. That means we rely heavily on other funding sources to fill the gaps — often one-off grants or government support that we cannot rely on in the long term. And the journalism industry in Canada has never been more precarious.

In that context, your support means more than ever, and I’m so incredibly grateful. 

This is the time of year when we reach out to readers most intensively to ask for their support. It’s the time when we do our best to prove to you why this is worth fighting for, and what your continued support could make possible. 

As a supporter of The Discourse, please know that you have already done enough, and my gratitude to you is eternal, regardless of if or when you might choose to end your support. 

Over the next three days, we’re offering new supporters of The Discourse a special gift: A sticker, a bookmark and a pair of earrings, designed and handmade by me and inspired by you.

Quantities are limited, but I didn’t want to leave you and all of our current supporters out. So, if you are in a place where you can and want to give again, you can make a one-time contribution through our website before midnight on Thursday, Nov. 30 and I’ll mail your gift to the shipping address you leave at checkout.

Or, if you would like to increase your monthly contribution, you can do that by logging into your account here. Please email me to let me know, and include the address where I can send your gift. 

Around this time last year, I bought a crafting machine as a gift to myself. I love the creative process and I love making little meaningful things that bring smiles to the faces of people I care about.

People ask all the time if I’ll start selling the things I make, and I’ve thought about it. But the truth is that crafting is the most fun for me as an act of love and generosity — and it’s in that spirit that I decided to make these thank-you gifts for fans of The Discourse.

I designed the sticker with a touch of nostalgia for the pre-internet era, and with generous help from sticker consultant Lys Morton (previously with The Discourse Nanaimo, now reporting full time for one of our sister publications, the Revelstoke Mountaineer.)

“As the kids say these days, I would go feral for this sticker,” he said in reaction to an early version of the design. Thanks, Lys! 😍

My colleague Shalu Mehta came up with the suggestion of a Discourse bookmark — a perfect, useful gift for curious community members. The design was inspired by a young friend of mine named Jayde, who loves books and butterflies. We recently spent an afternoon crafting together, and she found a design for 3-D butterfly bookmarks on TikTok. 

The Discourse’s version of the bookmark is inspired by the anise swallowtail, a butterfly that is native to Vancouver Island and western North America. I had started with the iconic monarch butterfly, but thanks to Lys’s recent reporting I now know that monarchs are not native to Vancouver Island, and a different choice would be more suitable!

The earrings are a simple hoop featuring the icon from The Discourse’s logo. I’ve handed out a few pairs to colleagues and friends, and am honestly just so thrilled every time someone is excited to don this symbol of support.

My colleagues Lauren Kaljur, Madeline Dunnett and I sported Discourse earrings when we met up at the Woodstove Festival earlier this month.

It’s all about community. It’s all about the people. And I’m reminded, time and time again, of what this work means to people. I was in a meeting recently and a few of my colleagues expressed that their job with Discourse Community Publishing marked the very first time they felt genuinely cared for and supported in their place of work. 

That’s what your support means. It’s about great journalism in support of healthier communities, and it’s also about good jobs for talented journalists, in a time where those are increasingly scarce. 

This work isn’t easy. The threats to journalism are truly existential, and despite our many successes The Discourse is still a ways off from sustainability and stability. 

And yet, here you are. And you are proof that this matters, that this is all still worth fighting for. From the very bottom of my heart, thank you. Thank you so very much.