New look for The Oyen Echo

For the past 52 years, The Oyen Echo has been under the direction of Diana Walker. I am honoured and humbled to step into Diana’s shoes.

I was born and raised in Kindersley, Sask. In 2020, I moved back to my roots after a 33-year absence to start Your West Central Voice, a weekly community paper published in Kindersley. It serves a broader area, including Eston, Eatonia, Leader and Kerrobert.

I’ve spent my entire working career in communications and newspaper. I have worked for such publications as the Farmer-Stockmen AdVisor, Medicine Hat Shopper, Shaunavon Standard and Maple Creek News. I had my own publishing company previously in Gull Lake, Saskatchewan, where I ran the Gull Lake Advance for eight years from 2009-2017.

The community of Oyen deserves a weekly community paper. I’ve always believed in my abilities, and I’m ready to take on this challenge in these uncertain times. Joining me in this adventure is my husband Robert. We have been married for 20 years and have three teenage children.

The Echo will now be published and delivered to Canada Post on Mondays. Subscribers in Cereal and Youngstown can also expect to receive their paper on Monday, as we will be delivering the papers ourselves to Canada Post in those communities, rather than waiting for it to travel to Calgary and back.

A newspaper is the original social media. We need newspapers to help keep our history alive.

I would encourage people to send their interesting, thought-provoking or unique story or feature article ideas to me at kate@yoursouthwest.com.

I look forward to serving you for many years to come (maybe not quite as many as Diana)!