Without a doubt, sometimes good things really do come in the smallest of packages.
Acting as publisher, editor, and delivery man—Steve Bonspiel harnesses his Fridays to put his community newspaper, The Eastern Door, into circulation.
He’s been at it for a decade—a notable portion of the Eastern Door’s 25 year run within the Kahnawake community.
Come Friday mornings, Bonspiel is equipped with his arsenal of information and is ready to distribute to those readers who wait eagerly to recap the week’s events.
But even with a nominal staff and contained circulation, the local publication just recently made its way into national headlines.
With just six staff members left—two reporters among them—the Eastern Door was awarded three Canadian Community Newspaper Awards: Best Small Community Paper in the country, as well as Best Front Page and Best Editorial Page.
“You really don’t think about these things, then once they happen you’re like ‘wow’—it’s nice to be recognized for something like that,” Bonspiel said.
Bonspiel’s career in journalism began in 2003 at The Nation magazine, serving the Cree of Northern Quebec.
However, he explained that it is the Eastern Door’s dedication to community issues that’s earned them trust among the Mohawk residents of Kahnawake. Citizens maintain an open dialogue with newspaper staff to ensure that the newspaper remains accurate and relevant to its readers.
“The importance, I think, becomes apparent when you either make a mistake or do something right, and they tell you about it,” said Daniel J. Rowe, an assistant editor. “They tell you about it and you realize someone’s actually reading—and it means something.”
This dedication by its staff has earned the Eastern Door a number of awards over the years. Unlike its modern print counterparts, who face an uncertain future, this local paper shows no signs of slowing production.
Even in a close-knit community like that on the reserve, some issues are harder to tackle – especially where everyone knows each other.
“We don’t shy away from the important issues and the controversial issues,” Bonspiel said. “We’ll go to court for years on end, and at the end of it we’re there—often the only media there.”
The Eastern Door's past nominations came in part due to their investigation of the Mohawk Council's controversial practice of expelling non-Natives from the reserve.
That coverage earned the newspaper a nomination for the Michener Prize for Public Service in Journalism in 2011, pitting it against high-end contenders such as Radio-Canada, the CBC, the Calgary Herald and the Vancouver Sun.
“We’re trying to tell the community’s stories, but at the same time, we’re standing up for the community,” Bonspiel added.
