For nearly a century and a half, THE EQUITY has told the story of the Pontiac — written one week at a time. It has marked our milestones, preserved our history, and held up a mirror to the communities we call home. This paper has documented the lives of my family and thousands of others who have shaped this region, and it’s an honour to now serve as its publisher.
While this marks a new chapter in the life of THE EQUITY, the core values of the paper remain steadfast. The editorial team continues to operate with full independence, under the leadership of Sophie Kuijper Dickson. The newsroom’s integrity, its commitment to fairness, and its role as the voice of the Pontiac will remain untouched by business decisions or ownership. My role is to support that work — quietly and from a distance — stepping forward only when needed, such as in this note.
When powerful winds swept through our region and power outages stretched along the Ottawa River, we collected the basic facts of what had happened, tried to get important answers, and got a story online by noon the next day. It was far from groundbreaking – most newsrooms now operate with this kind of turnaround – but for this 142-year-old weekly publication, we were trying something new. The response was overwhelming. We recorded the highest level of website traffic in our history — because we shared timely, reliable updates from down the road. That moment affirmed what THE EQUITY does best: it shows up when it matters most.
As we look to the future, THE EQUITY will continue to evolve. Despite rumours, there are no plans to end the print edition anytime soon. Many of our readers — especially seniors — still rely on the printed paper as their primary source of local news. But for those born after 1980, news is more often read on a phone or delivered by email than picked up in print. Our audience will continue to shift, and we’ll continue to adapt. What won’t change is our commitment to serving readers in whatever format they prefer — and keeping THE EQUITY a trusted voice for the Pontiac, both in print and online, for years to come.
Jon Stewart
