Richmond has a new voice as Manotick Messenger announces expansion

While Richmond may be losing a newspaper with the Stittsville News closing down, it is gaining another one with the expansion of the Manotick Messenger into Richmond.

“It was sad that Metroland announced the closure of its community newspapers, and it left Richmond as a vibrant community without a voice,” said Manotick Messenger owner and publisher Jeff Morris. “We are happy to announce that we are expanding our newspaper’s coverage and circulation into Richmond.”

The Messenger is in its 32nd year serving South Carleton. In the past decade, the Messenger and its sister publication, the Barrhaven Independent, have won more than 40 provincial and national awards. Morris said that it is not a difficult transition for the Messenger to expand its coverage area.

“There are a lot of things that we already cover that are relevant to Richmond,” Morris said. “We run Councillor Scott Moffatt’s column each week, and we also are the only newspaper or media outlet in the city that consistently covers the City Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee meetings. We have covered many Richmond-related stories in the past. We also cover the Osgoode Richmond Romans minor hockey teams, as well as South Carleton High School. We have a lot of readers in Richmond already, and we are thrilled to go door-to-door to share our award-winning publication with the residents of Richmond.”

The Morris family has roots in Richmond. Jeff’s mother, Beth, who still owns the Prescott Journal and Winchester Press, was a math teacher at South Carleton High School. Her late husband, John, covered Richmond when he owned the Kemptville Advance. Jeff also has ties to the community, as he served as a football coach at South Carleton High School for five years, along with Doug Grills, Rob Hamm and Stu Boardman.

“Even after our family moved to Prescott, we still kept a lot of ties in the community,” Morris said. “We kept our horses just outside of Richmond and we spent a lot of time here.”

Morris said that Richmond residents can expect a professional newspaper that is relevant and positive.

“We will still be doing everything that we are doing, and we will be adding stories and columns that are relevant to Richmond and the area,” he said. “I am not John Curry – he is a legend in this business, and I have a lot of respect for him. There are some things that he did that I will not be capable of doing, but at the same time, I think that we will offer some things that the Stittsville News didn’t. The fact that we are in every home in North Gower and Kars will help the businesses in Richmond who advertise with us, because the shopping flow from those communities is more friendly to Richmond.”

Morris also said he will be working closely with the Richmond Village Association and its’ publications to give them a voice and to promote the community’s 200th anniversary celebrations.

The Messenger is printed every other week. The first issue of Manotick of 2018 will appear in the community by Friday, January 12. It will be distributed door to door through the Flyer Force, and it will also be available at King’s Your Independent Grocer and other retail outlets. The entire newspaper is also posted online, linked at the Messenger’s website (www.manotickmessenger.on.ca). The entire newspaper is also posted on the Messenger’s Facebook page.