You Could Own A 115-Year-Old Canadian Newspaper For Only $1
If you've ever dreamed of owning a little bookstore in a small town well, this isn't it. But it's pretty close! A Saskatchewan newspaper is holding a contest to find its new owner and it'll only cost you a $1. You can hardly buy anything for a dollar these days so this is definitely a steal.
Davidson is a small town in south-central Saskatchewan, southeast of Saskatoon, with a population of about 1,000 people and an iconic 24-foot tall coffee pot. The Davidson Leader newspaper has been around since 1904 and serves nine communities in Saskatchewan, including Davidson.
But now Tara de Ryk, the owner and publisher of The Davidson Leader, is retiring and leaving the paper after more than 20 years in the industry to spend more time with her family.
"My hope had been all along that someone within the communities we serve would come forward and want to keep it going," said de Ryk to CBC. "But I hadn't received any response so our newspaper association came up with this idea."
There is a contest to become the owner of The Davidson Leader after de Ryk retires.
To apply, all you have to do is write a 500-word essay on why you would be a good fit to take over the paper. The winner of the contest will be the new owner and publisher for only $1 and then start at the paper from January 1, 2020, onwards.
Word has been spreading around Davidson that its newspaper could soon be out of circulation.
"I'm kind of in a bit of a state of denial," said Mayor Tyler Alexander to CBC. "I was really hoping that someone would take it over. I'm still hoping that somebody steps forward."
If nobody from the community decides to take over, there's always the contest to fall back on because the town depends on the paper.
Alexander said that The Davidson Leader helps officials get their message out to the community and the reporters ensure transparency for the public.
However, if nobody from the community steps up and nobody enters the contest, then that would be the end of the paper.
"Who's going to tell those stories? Who's going to let people know what's going on? It's a record of this area's history," said de Ryk.
And the paper is actually still profitable with more than 1,200 paid subscribers and a community that cares for it so you wouldn't be taking on a lost cause.
If you want to enter the contest, submit your entry by email to davidsonleader@sasktel.net by December 13 with "Contest" in the subject line.
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