Former reporter at print edition of papers excited at opportunity
FALL RIVER: News, event and sports coverage in the Fall River/Beaver Bank and some of East Hants areas will continue with the relaunch of The Laker News—at least in a digital-only format.
With the assistance of two investors, Pat Healey will be relaunching The Laker News as an online news website, geared to continuing the great coverage he and The Laker provided for years in print. Healey will also be part-owner of the company.
“I’m excited and nervous, but more excited, about the opportunity that lies ahead,” said Healey, 41. “I hope the community is as excited to have me back covering their stories.
“I am very grateful to be given this chance by my two backers to get my feet wet as a part owner, with the hope of one day The Laker News being owned by myself. It would be a dream.”
Healey was given the social media pages for The Weekly Press and The Laker. He continued with both as the rebranded The Laker News, with the look to the future of eventually merging The Weekly Press into The Laker News FB page. He also deactivated both of the papers Twitter accounts since his @reprtrPatHealey had more of a following.
Alan Joyce from Fall River-based WHATASITE.COM is assisting Healey on the website.
Born in Enfield, Healey went to Holland College Journalism school and had worked at his hometown paper The Weekly Press and The Laker for 11 years and four months before both were suddenly closed on Jan. 6, 2020.
While the news was devastating and shocked Healey’s life—and left the communities he covered sad–he took advantage of the offer of being given the website to run on his own.
Now his hope is that the community has his back and shows that the gamble of being his own boss-something he never imagined doing—will be worth it. He will be a one-man show collecting both advertisements and being the reporter.
“I’m just doing what I love doing and that’s telling the stories of the people in the communities I cover,” said Healey. “I hope the community sees that and supports me in this venture.
“This is only going to be as successful as the support I get from everyone.”
The anticipated launch date for the website, which can be found at www.TheLaker.ca, is tentatively scheduled for March 30.
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