Pontiac publishing family honoured by MRC

Pontiac publishing family honoured by MRC

The family behind The Equity newspaper in Shawville was recognized at the MRC Pontiac’s council of mayors meeting on Wednesday evening (June 18) for their contributions to the region over the decades.

Outgoing publisher Charles Dickson, along with his daughter and the paper’s current editor Sophie Kuijper Dickson, were presented with the Pontiac Paddle of Accomplishment, the MRC’s highest honour. The English-language weekly was founded in 1883 but has been owned by the Dicksons since 1953 when it was purchased by David and Rosaleen, Charles’ parents. The business was sold earlier this year to Jon Stewart of Calumet Media, though Kuijper Dickson remains in charge of editorial content. The transaction was finalized at the beginning of June.

MRC Warden Jane Toller read out a resolution recognizing the family’s efforts to provide the region with trusted local news and information.

Charles, at times overcome by emotion, highlighted the value of a vibrant public discourse and community engagement.

The speech echoes the sentiment of his farewell editorial, published on June 3:

“A community needs a community newspaper. A democracy needs a free press. In these terms, the Pontiac has been well-served. But it’s important to remember how easy it is to take your local newspaper for granted. While it has been here all the way back to our great-great-grandparents’ time, this is not a guarantee that it will be here forever. As with any community newspaper, that depends entirely on the support and engagement of the community it serves.”

Disclosure: The author of this article was employed by The Equity from 2016-2021.