I didn’t realize how hard this letter would be to write until I started.
First of all let me say thank you to Trail Times reporter Sheri Regnier. Without your help I would never have got my refund from Air Canada.
And that’s my point.
In our technological, computerized day and age we (the little folk) are constantly being put on the back burner. Our needs and concerns do not concern big corporations whose only concerns are stockholders and the almighty dollar.
To voice our concerns and complaints we are told to send an email where, for all we know, it floats off on the Internet cloud. We can’t talk to a real person.
That is unless your town has a local newspaper like Trail. We also have a caring and thorough reporter. After our meeting it wasn’t long before Air Canada was contacted, a story was written and published and the power of the press was brought to bear.
Don’t underestimate the power of the press. Emails can be lost or ignored but you can’t ignore the printed word as Air Canada found out.
Thanks to Sheri and our local paper, the Golden Nugget Saloon in Rossland and the Trail Kiwanis Club both reached out to help not only with my Air Canada plight but also with help for my trip to Vancouver when I get the call for my kidney transplant.
One thing politicians and corporations hate is bad press. They can’t ignore it. Having a local paper with a diligent staff keeps them honest. We have one here.
Thanks to the Trail Times, an honest reporter and a respectful staff, I not only got my refund from Air Canada but I was able to meet some new friends in this wonderful town that I’ve joined.
I keep hearing everyone say they have no time to sit and read the paper. So they lose themselves on their laptops and cellphones. But your local paper is much better at keeping you locally informed, usually about things you have forgotten otherwise. They will back you against the big boys.
Try to remember that. It will be missed if it’s gone.
It keeps you up to date, gives local sports stories, gives you a laugh and helps you keep the faith.
And after a nice relaxing read, it can keep Spot from soiling the carpet or line Tweety’s cage.
The uses are almost limitless. That’s my opinion.
Dan Ervin
Trail