Fort Erie Observer celebrates five years of stories under current ownership

“Print isn’t dead.”

That’s a comment from Jen Wilkinson, owner and publisher of The Fort Erie Observer, a community newspaper serving Greater Fort Erie that recently celebrated five years with her at the helm.

The paper was previously operated by local businesswoman and former town councillor Marina Butler before Wilkinson took it over and published her first edition in September 2019.

The Observer is distributed to more than 13,000 homes in Fort Erie, Crystal Beach, Ridgeway, Stevensville, as well as parts of Black Creek and Sherkston every two weeks.

More than 1,000 copies are also delivered to local businesses and sites such as apartment buildings when a new edition comes off the press.

While coverage is expected to grow after recently hiring a new reporter, Wilkinson said her focus has been community news and not so much local politics and stories that come out of town council meetings.

“It keeps the community together, having news specific to us,” she said, referring to the human interest-type stories The Observer is known for.

“We’re just grassroots,” she added, also noting that a new website is currently being put together and that an online presence in today’s ever-changing media world is “really important.”

But a hard copy print newspaper is something people appreciate, especially seniors, she told Fort Erie Radio in a recent interview.

Delivering each edition through Canada Post and not drivers or carriers means the paper isn’t “thrown on driveways,” something she believes is appreciated by residents.

She said The Observer “has been really fortunate” to have been telling local stories for the last five years, and that she is thankful for the community support.

“We couldn’t have asked for anything more,” said Wilkinson.

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