Dear North Island Gazette readers, I’m the new reporter around these parts and I’m excited to get to work.
I have - with great excitement, I might add - been given the opportunity to replace Hanna Petersen, who left to go work in Prince George.
You might have already read my opinion articles, “Kervin’s Corner”, which have been running for about a year now, but I’ve also stepped into a different kind of writing, one that’s less focused on opinion and more so on facts.
I’ve lived in Port Hardy my whole life, so the North Island is nothing new to me. I attended Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw Elementary School, Avalon Adventist Junior Academy, and then Port Hardy Secondary School.
I also spent a few years away achieving a degree in Political Science at Simon Fraser University. During that time I dabbled in freelance writing. What initially spurred my interest in journalism was writing opinion pieces.
When I moved back home after college, I saw many changes in our local area. There was a new hotel (Kwa’lilas), other new companies, and also the revival of the North Island Mall.
My parents, Pat and Jackie Kervin, told me many stories about how life used to be here when the old Island Copper Mine was still running. My parents have lived here for over 40 years and both worked at the mine, choosing to stay in town even after it shut down.
I’ve had the unique opportunity to listen to other stories about how our town used to be and how it changed to what it is today. Growing up here, I’ve definitely seen the changes with my very own eyes, the good and the bad.
So, naturally, seeing how the North Island has gone through growing pains has made me that much more interested in writing about it, giving my own two cents.
After the span of a year freelancing for the Gazette, I know my writing is of a high quality, I have reported on facts as accurately as possible, and my topics are engaging and timely. Writing those regular columns is what made me jump at this opportunity when it was offered to me.
In my spare time I enjoy writing, having a few side projects in progress. I volunteer for my nation (Gwa’sala-’Nakwaxda’xw) sitting on the housing committee. I also try to learn everyday about my nation’s culture from my Elders.
In local newspapers like this one, it’s about the individual just as much it is about the story. And each individual has a story to tell. With that said, I’m excited to cover news and stories that interest you, the local reader who lives on the North Island.