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Coast reporter lands in Tumbler
Wednesday December 02, 2009 Readers of this paper may have seen the name “Greg Amos” appearing in these pages in recent weeks. That’s because I’m the new part-time reporter here, and I’m looking forward to providing some solid news coverage on the issues that affect life in this town. Here’s my background in a nutshell: I was raised in White Rock, went to school in Nanaimo and Vancouver, worked in mining exploration around B.C., went back to school in Vancouver, took my first reporting job on Sunshine Coast, came to work at the Dawson Creek paper in January, and moved to Tumbler Ridge this September.
I came here for a few different reasons, I suppose, but the main reason is the natural beauty of this area. I’ve lived on the Coast for most of my life and have always been around mountains, which I enjoy hiking, climbing, skiing, and snowshoeing in. My girlfriend and I first visited this area last February – the Boulder Gardens, to be exact - and were immediately hooked. We’re both looking forward to exploring the backcountry in this seemingly undiscovered section of the Rockies. I’m also here to take the reins of a community literacy plan now being developed.
I’m acting as the planning coordinator for the Literacy Now Communities program, which is a 2010 Olympics-related effort to plan out literacy development in the community over the next three to five years. When I expressed interest in moving to this neck of the woods, I was cornered by a school trustee who urged me to take a look into this program, since Tumbler Ridge is among the last communities in the North still without a community literacy plan. That’s probably the last I’ll write about Literacy Now within these pages – my role here is to report on the news, not to use these pages as a soapbox for something else. That could be seen as a conflict of interest, something every reporter (and politician) wants to avoid.
I’m starting out here with two and a half years of experience at community papers, and a decent understanding of how local government and communities function. I think this paper might have a special role to play in the community, since shift work means many people are too busy working, or tired from working long days, to take part in public meetings happening around town. Whether it’s forming a new club or learning about new industrial projects taking shape in our region, I’ll try to get there and cover it to keep this community wellinformed.
And for anything else worth reporting on, please get in touch with me here at the paper by calling 242-5700 or 250-242-5343.
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