Hi there! My name is Hannah Griffin and I am really excited to be the new reporter and photographer at The North Island Gazette. I arrived on the North Island last week and have been enjoying getting to know the community and spending time exploring beautiful spots like Coal Harbour, Telegraph Cove, and Georgie Lake.
I have spent the last seven years travelling and exploring throughout Canada and overseas. I grew up with two siblings in Toronto and spent a large part of every summer at overnight camp, an experience that I loved so much that I went on to spend six summers working as a canoe trip leader. The challenges and enjoyment of taking teenagers on two-week canoe trips in remote areas solidified my love for the outdoors and resulted in some important friendships.
After high school I moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia to study English at Dalhousie University.
After three years I moved to the Kootenay Mountains in interior BC, spending my first winter in Invermere, and three more teaching snowboarding in the beautiful town of Fernie. In between the winters I worked as a canoe trip leader and I also did some travelling to New Zealand and Australia.
In 2013, I was surprised and thrilled one winter day in Fernie when I was accepted into the Masters of Journalism program at New York University. I moved to Manhattan and was thrown into a whirlwind year and a half of learning everything that I could about the city, journalism, and the many characters that I encountered.
During this time I realized through my classes and amazing teachers that I love photography as much as writing, and I hope that during my time at The North Island Gazette I can use these two skills to represent the people, issues and news of this beautiful region to the best of my (always growing) ability.
I am so happy that this opportunity to move to the North Island came up, and myself and my partner Alex are really excited to become part of this community and enjoy living so near the ocean.