Hi. My name is Jamie Harkins and I am the new editor [reporter/photographer] at the Lakes District News.
I would like to be considered your contact for any news stories or photo opportunities that may surface over this fall and winter.
Before coming to Burns Lake eight days ago, I was the news, sports and social reporter for The Davidson Leader, an award-winning weekly newspaper in central Saskatchewan.
Through The Davidson Leader I have researched and covered various issues including national, provincial and town politics, health, education, crime and high school and club sports.
I also served as the photographer when covering these events for the newspaper.
I love a good photo opportunity, so please get in touch with me if you see anything that should be in the Lakes District News.
Davidson is a small town with a population of about 1000 people and is located just off Highway 11 between Saskatoon and Regina.
It is a community of hard-working people with farming being the main occupation.
I hope the experiences I gained from working in a small Prairie community can help me excel in the much larger Village of Burns Lake.
The trees and mountains and lakes may take a little while getting used to though.
As will the train that seems to pass right through the office several times a day. My monitor is actually shaking as I write this.
A long time ago I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts from Ottawa’s Carleton University, my hometown (Go Sens!), with a major in English.
I am also a graduate of Oakville’s Sheridan College Journalism-Print program.
Since graduating from Carleton and before starting at The Davidson Leader, I was a writing contributor at the free local newspaper The Glebe Report where I completed stories on sports, music and news.
Over the course of my university studies I have been a volunteer reporter for The Charlatan, Carleton University’s undergraduate student newspaper.
I have also contributed to the news, national, arts and sports sections.
I have also previously worked as a part-time sports reporter for The Star and Weekly Journal, East Ottawa’s weekly newspapers, where I contributed a few sports stories a week focusing on the CJHL’s Orleans Blues and Cumberland Grads.
I covered various teams in different sports from local high schools and other matters involving minor hockey, soccer, football, basketball, swimming and baseball clubs or in East Ottawa’s sports world.
I have also completed internships at Embassy: Diplomacy This Week and The Hill Times since I graduated from Sheridan College.
This is all very boring, but at least I hope it gives you some idea of a few things I’ve done as far as work and education goes.
To keep this streak going I need some direction.
I don’t know anything about Burns Lake or its people, so I will only be able to write your stories and take meaningful pictures that chronicle your times with your insight.
Please give me a call or stop by the office with anything you think could be something.
I’ll do what I can, but to make the Lakes District News an interesting and enjoyable read I need your help.