As I look back on an abnormal year in news and gather stories to create a 2020 “year in review,” I’m finding some of our best stories don’t fit in any categories.
So, I created my own called “editor’s choice.”
Here are some of the best reads that came out of the Revelstoke Review this year. If you haven’t read them yet I recommend you do.
The first is a deep dive into the history of Mt. Begbie, how it got its name and what it may have been called before.
Reporter Liam Harrap spent months trying to track down this information and it was worth it. It’s called “What’s in a name? The story of Mt. Begbie,” and can be found online or in the Feb. 20 edition of the print newspaper
The next was a joint effort between Liam and myself looking at how the overdose crisis has impacted Revelstoke.
We interviewed a local teenager who lost her dad, people in recovery and experts treating and working with people with addictions. It’s called “Out of the Shadows: Illuminating Revelstoke’s overdose crisis” and can be found online or in the Oct. 8 edition of the Review.
This year, Liam was determined to write more historical stories.
He succeeded and then some, including a story about the avalanche in Roger’s Pass in 1910 as well as a historical look at nursing in Revelstoke.
But the one that stands out the most was a story on Revelstoke enduring the Spanish flu. It’s called “How Revelstoke survived the Spanish flu” and can be found in the April 9 edition of the Review.
Liam also wrote a great story about bears and garbage management, which you can find online under the headline “Saving bears: Revelstoke’s garbage dilemma” or in the Oct. 29 edition of the newspaper. Turns out there are lots of options and philosophies when it comes to managing bears.
The pandemic brought many changes, including to funerals. Liam wrote a story called “Death in a time of COVID-19” that looks at funerals and grief. Find it online or in the May 14 Review edition. More pandemic related coverage included talking to new moms about their experience during the pandemic, one of which was diagnosed with COVID-19 just days before giving birth.
We also heard from a family who left town after a tenant dispute, a good example of the possibility of unsafe households as people were required to stay home.
Another story Liam and I did together was coverage on Revelstoke’s Black Lives Matter protest. I’m including this one not because I think it is the best writing ever but because Aza Deschamps, organizer of the protest, is an inspiring person and deserves to be recognized. Liam’s photos are also fantastic. The story is called “‘We either make a difference or we don’t’: Revelstoke teen leads protest in support of BLM” online and can be found in the June 11 newspaper.
It has been a tough year in many ways, but there is always a silver lining. Personally, if I don’t look for it I become a miserable wreck.
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@RevelstokeRevue
editor@revelstoketimesreview.com
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