Bluffs Community News

Delivers The Voice

The Team

General Manager ~ Teresa Wright

teresa@bluffscommunitynews.ca

Advertising & Accounts ~ Matthew Medland 

matthew@bluffscommunitynews.ca

Circulation ~ Bob Murphy 

circulation@@bluffscommunitynews.ca

Contributing Writers

John Rowntree - The Voice's Entertainment Reviewer

Cliffside Village Writers Group

Skylar Mackenzie

Matthew Medland

Teresa Wright - The Voice's Editor

Mario Dimain

Sherry Murphy - The Voice's Culinary Historian

Kathryn McGrath

Marilyn McGrath

Tracy Horvath

Catharine Bacque

Frank McKay - The Voice's Restaurant Reviewer

The Paper

Your Voice is More than "The Bluffs"

So here I was, well past midnight, on our very first press night … preparing to drop this little paper boat onto a great big lake. A beautiful, welcoming, always-feels-like-home, lake. And, there I am ten years ago, pictured above, wondering fearlessly where tomorrow might lead me.
I know I'm not alone in floating along. At times we're light as a feather on the surface, like a bird on the wind. Other moments drag us downward or up, we feel our bones resisting, drawn-out and wearisome. But, when the rain comes down, and the earth twists the very air we take for granted into a cyclone around us, we look at the continuum of time head-on. From within the struggle and confusion we are offered a chance to see yesterday, today, and tomorrow as thin veils atop each other. Time stands still.
Today, finalizing this, the seventh issue of this paper, I am reminded of the piece that I painstakingly worked with the guidance and support of Katherine McGrath, for our first issue of The Bluffs Voice, in December 2017. I note as well that now an estimated 14,000 of you are reading our monthly publication – yup, insert the stunned expression of choice here! We held a belief in community and voice. Where would our community be without a vehicle, a venue for clear, strong, passionate and truthful voices? Where would we be without a home for Catherine Bacque’s magnificent and moving piece last month, Walking The Last Mile?
The ebb and flow of change and growth, that’s what brings all this to mind. That first edition was eight printed pages. By March we’d grown to twelve. Yet, here we are in the midst of growing pains! This June 2018 issue is, in some ways, a step back. It is, once again, a simple eight-page paper. You’ve told us, in no uncertain terms: The Voice is welcomed, appreciated … Needed & Wanted, we just need to grow through the hoops, and land on our feet.
Ebb and Flow, Grow and Sustain. I must hold these truths in the front of my mind to remember that this is no sign of failure, it’s not even a setback. The paper will grow with the flow, as all things do, but it needs not be fixed in stone.
Turn the page with me, with us, to find out where we’re going …

For those that never read that first issue, here’s a few bits of our introduction, our mission:
The Bluffs Voice will be both a sounding board and a report card, as much a chronicle as a herald. We want you to engage with us, to question us, keep us on our toes, hold us to our commitment, and collaborate with us on building this, the voice of our community.
In the meantime, allow me to paint a picture of where we hope to go:
Imagine that we stopped writing the stories meant only to hook readers. Rather than taking advantage of anyone’s gawk-and-stare reflex, we’d focus on enriching the growth within our communities.
Picture a vehicle, a voice. that refuses to carry on ‘business as usual’. What if, instead, that voice bridled the status quo and asked original questions, looked at things from various angles, and discussed possible solutions?
Expect us to inform you, without saddling you with stress. Envision reading about tough issues without feeling overwhelmed. We could forge relationships throughout our community and invest in cooperative conversations with friends and neighbours.
The Bluffs Voice is both a vehicle and a venue. It is a mode by which to connect with unique talent, to map out the positive across our communities. It’s also a place to stand up and be counted, to be constituent, to have your voice valued, respected, welcomed and encouraged. I
believe you deserve that.
From the increase in readership, the requests for advertising and the incredible community engagement we've been part of, we find it safe to say that we are delivering on our promises.
But, change finds us. We are becoming simply The Voice (see it's fading away from the front page) - it's the right thing, at the right time. We know because you've told us! Your feedback is always important to us - this is Your Voice!
Now, moving into tomorrow, looking out over that ever welcoming lake, we also find a change is needed to our circulation area, our community. The Voice is now the only community paper serving the entire 20.1 kilometres of Kingston Road in Toronto! Yes, you will now find us from Queen Street to Port Union - we've gone all the way.
I'd ask you each to remember that we're together on the lake, flowing and growing. So, please support your paper, and your community: tell our advertisers that you saw their ad, volunteer to deliver papers on your street, Join our community on facebook. Talk, Engage, Question, Collaborate!
Stand up, be counted, and like the little girl pictured above, grab your tools, wade into deeper water, and dive right in! Don’t let nay-sayers belittle you into burying your head in the sand. Know that what is right for the soul is ‘good’ for health, yours, your loved-ones, and your community.

The founding of the original Bluffs Voice ...   

 Having administrated a Facebook Page under the name Bluffs Community News for several years, and having worked in the Community Newspaper 'industry' along with being writers, editors, marketing, sales and relationship building experts, the team decided it was time to Deliver a tangible, hands-on print edition of The Bluffs Community News.

    We all live in or grew up in one of the lakeside communities here in The Bluffs. We are all passionate about creating an alternative source of digestible news - Not the news that makes you cringe, the crises or horrors or problems that leave you feeling stressed, helpless or angry.

    333.2We are all committed to driving this vehicle that we have named The Bluffs Voice towards community engagement, resident and owner-operator empowerment. We are here to lend a hand to reshaping your community, our community into its strongest version of itself - for a great and sustainable future. ...

Won't you join us?

Read about us in the CCRA news (Centennial Community Recreation Association) here