The Langley Advance hit the streets for the first time back on July 23, 1931.
It’s other half, the Langley Times, has been around since 1981. They merged in 2019.
The anniversary of this paper’s founding is now close to a far more tragic one – the shooting spree attacks of July 25, 2022.
This edition of the paper, and last week’s, contained several stories following up on the attacks – on the impact on the community, on relatives of the victims, and on local memorial efforts.
This is among the most important work that community news organizations like the Langley Advance Times can do.
National and regional media outlets will be there when there’s a major tragedy, whether an outbreak of violence, a flood, a fire, or a multi-car pileup on the highway.
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But when a story drops below the level of national or provincial importance, their attention turns elsewhere.
Local newspapers are here for the long haul. We’re here to keep following up on stories good and bad – from the upcoming Good Times Cruise-In car show to homelessness, from the housing crisis to the Fort Langley Jazz & Arts Festival.
One reason that local newspapers are invested in continuing to cover all these stories, and more, is that our staff are local, from the reporters and editor, to our busy ad consultants, our circulation workers who ensure the physical paper arrives in your neighbourhood, and our publisher.
There is no substitute for a dedicated local news outlet, if you want to know what’s going on in your community.
It’s impossible, especially in a growing community like Langley, to cover every newsworthy event.
But a team that’s invested in your community, because it’s also their community, is working to try to get as close to that ideal as possible.
– M.C.