This was a challenging assignment — pick five stories that I worked on this year, and explain why I feel they were significant enough to write about.
Most reporters hope every story they write has an impact at some level.
Online news organizations are able to count the number of views each story receives, and that's certainly one important way to measure impact.
For this exercise, though, I decided that while I would keep that data in mind, I would exclude stories involving tragedy, something we unfortunately hear on a daily basis.
I chose instead to consider stories that were uplifting in some way, reflected important social issues, or served as valuable lessons.
Not in order of their significance, but rather in chronological order, here are five stories from 2023 that caught the attention of TBnewswatch readers:
- Many area residents were captivated by the outstanding success of former Thunder Bay resident Ray Lalonde on Jeopardy. By the time he ended his run in early January, he had won nearly US$400,000. The Hillcrest High School graduate proved that persistence pays off, as he only got into the competition with his third application to the show.
- In June, a motel operator in Kakabeka Falls received a threat for raising a Pride flag outside his business. The incident was seen as one of several in the region in 2023 that highlighted the issue of intolerance.
- Also in June, the growing number of homeless encampments in Thunder Bay came to the forefront when new data showed a huge increase from the previous year. Local agencies predicted the situation would continue to worsen, which it did in July, when the number of people living in these encampments tripled from the previous year and reached an unprecedented high. In December, there were still about 30 individuals living in tents around the city.
- In July, a Thunder Bay man's survival from a harrowing experience in a capsized kayak on Lake Superior demonstrated the importance of having proper equipment, especially when one is alone. He said later that, had it not been for the gear he brought along, he likely would have died.
- In November, details came to light about an incident in which a 15-year-old girl saved her father's life by using CPR she learned in high school. The story brought attention to the value of programs such as the one supported by the Advanced Coronary Treatment Foundation.
If you have a story you believe the rest of the community should know about anytime in 2024, please reach out to TBnewswatch.com.
You can email individual reporters (first initial + surname followed by dougallmedia.com) or use our submission form.
