Turning the page

Events often unsettle life, and Le Tour hasn't been spared its share of perturbations. The paper is the product of a constant evolution over 24 volumes, which comprise 96 issues plus two special editions. It has certainly manifested a form of resilience in adapting well, even improving, through the many changes imposed upon it.

In its early days, the paper was printed by Le Progrès de Magog. The volunteer editorial team (Betsy Johnston, Daniel Paquette, and Denis Boulanger) would spend up to three days assisting the person who laid out the paper. The original articles, handwritten or typed, were typeset then pasted up onto large sheets of paper. These were then used to produce the films to prepare the plates for the press. It was a painstaking procedure because of the impeccable quality we demanded.

After a few years of fine-tuning this process, it was difficult to change printer when Le Progrès announced its closing. The production was moved to The Record in Sherbrooke. Not only was this further away and more costly, it was also more difficult to work with a daily newspaper that only attended to Le Tour once its own needs were met.

The production of the paper soon became very arduous for the volunteers. So, the Bureau du Tourisme et des Congrès de Sutton (BTCS) hired someone under contract to do the sales, writing, editing, and publishing. The volunteers remained involved in its management. However, even the most stable contractors and administrators are subject to change, which means more adaptation.

Economic circumstances, the different perspectives within the board of directors, and the evolution of the community have always directed the appearance and the contents of the paper. As the needs of readers change (interactivity), the means of communication evolve (digitization), individuals become more demanding (updated information), businesses grow and markets tend to specialize, what will become of Le Tour? We must hope that the paper will evolve with continued resilience so that it remains a useful communication tool equally serving the population, visitors, and the development of the community. Assuredly, time will tell... www.letoursutton.com

Happy reading!