Welcome to our first Village Media newsletter of the year!
From newsroom wins to new launches, January is all about setting the tone for what’s ahead. Here’s a look at what we have been up to and where we are headed next.
Village moves ✨
Our community partner specialist team grew by two in January.
Welcome to Jessica Wells, community partner specialist in North Bay and Kaitlyn Zaragoza Ceren, community partner specialist in Newmarket & Aurora. 🎉
💛 Introducing GoodMakers
What if you could help create more good in your community?
Village Media has launched GoodMakers, a new initiative that gives readers across our markets a powerful way to support local charities, grassroots organizations and community programs.
Built on the foundation of our long-standing GoodWorks efforts, GoodMakers amplifies individual contributions through matched fundraisers, local grants and storytelling that inspires action and keeps support close to home.
The GoodWorks programs have supported hundreds of local individuals and non-profits across our communities, reinforcing our role as both a trusted local news source and a community impact organization. GoodMakers formalizes what has always been part of our DNA, showing readers that their support directly fuels local journalism while strengthening the communities we serve.
💛 Teddy Bear Capers deliver joy to local hospitals
This holiday season, our teams across Guelph, Cambridge, Elora Fergus, Milton and Halton Hills rallied the local business community to support a special initiative benefiting children in hospital over the holidays: our annual Teddy Bear Caper.
Through the campaign, businesses purchased stuffed animals to be gifted to young patients in the hospital over the holidays, while 100 per cent of the $19,900 raised across all markets was donated directly to the hospital foundations. We are proud to lead this meaningful effort and help make the holidays a little brighter for children and families in our communities.
Taking a Closer Look 👀
It's been a busy month in the Closer Look studio. From a record breaking storm that saw the GTA shut down, to the new Netflix mini-series that sounds eerily familiar to the Humboldt Broncos tragedy of 2018, to a speech from Canada's Prime Minister in Davos, Switzerland that seemed to have the whole world talking.
Be sure to sign up for the Closer Look email to never miss a pod release.
ICYMI: Curiosity, hockey and a hit TV series 🏒
Back in June, Taylor Pace noticed something happening in her neighbourhood — and like all good journalists, she was determined to get to the bottom of it. In this case, a TV crew had set up shop outside the Sleeman Centre, the home of the OHL’s Guelph Storm. Pace, a reporter at GuelphToday, would walk her dog around the building, trying to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
She soon learned that the production in question was Heated Rivalry, a soon-to-be smash hit that has since captivated viewers across the globe. But Pace didn’t stop there. After the show was released, she pieced together a wonderful feature story about Guelph’s connection to the series and how deeply it has impacted one Storm fan in particular.
✨ Spotlight on sponsorships ✨
In January, we sponsored 19 initiatives in our communities 💛
AuroraToday
Aurora Chamber of Commerce
BayToday
North Bay Regional Health Centre Foundation, Near North Palliative Care
BurlingtonToday
Laureate College
CambridgeToday
Galt Jazz, Arcady Ensemble
CollingwoodToday
My Friend's House, Elephant Thoughts
GuelphToday
Michael House
MidlandToday
Canadian Museum of Water
NewmarketToday
Men's Probus Newmarket, Trails Youth Initiatives
OrilliaMatters
Orillia Museum of Art & History, Hospice Orillia
PelhamToday
Rotary Club of Fonthill
SooToday
Strive YPG Algoma Visionary Awards, City of SSM Annual Downtown Plaza Sponsorship, ARCH Hospice
Village-wide
Holistic Healing Fair
Pawesome Villagers of the month 🐾
Meet Bruce and Phil ❤️
Bruce's favourite activity is playing fetch. You can throw a ball for him a thousand times and it doesn't matter how tired he is, he will retrieve it. He also really loves sitting at the supper table with the family and intently listening during dinner conversation.
Phil's favourite activity is swimming. He's not much of a runner, or a walker even, but he will swim for hours. When he isn’t busy swimming, you can find him begging for food. When he wants something you have, he will put his paw on your lap and patiently wait for you to share.
Proud pet parent: Gabriella Bernardo
See you in February!
