We're calling on your collective memory again, Prince George, to help us solve another mystery.
In this photograph, taken in January of 1964, this young man is delivering the Citizen with help from his pony in what appears to be a largely rural part of the community.
We'd like to know who he is and, if possible, we'd like to meet him and talk to him about his experiences delivering the Citizen more than 50 years ago. There's a story there waiting to be told. Drop me a line at 250-960-2759 or [email protected].
We'd also like to hear from other longtime local residents who delivered the Citizen back in the day. Please send us your photographs and a short write-up of how long you delivered the paper, how much you earned, what you spent your money on, and your most memorable moments bringing the paper to homes in your neighbourhood. Drop us a line at [email protected] and please put "Citizen carrier" in the subject line.
We'll share some of the stories with you in the near future, both in the newspaper and on our website.
Whether it was decades ago or the present day, having a newspaper route is a common rite of passage for many children. Old enough to want their own money but too young to hold a "real" job, childhood entrepreneurs still gravitate to delivering the paper as a small but significant source of revenue.
Once those cheques start rolling in and the account balance quickly grows into the hundreds of dollars, the spending priorities inevitably change. Having earned the money themselves, spending top dollar on the toy of the moment seems irresponsible. Children are willing to freely spend the money of their parents but when kids are told to spend their own hard-earned cash, they become the definition of thrift and careful shopping.
Suddenly, they sound like their parents: "Can you believe the price they want for that? What a rip off!" and "Hey, check this out. I got it on sale at half price!"
The money is only part of the benefit.
Newspaper carriers learn about responsibility, commitment and deadlines. They acquire important planning and time management skills. They learn how to negotiate with friends, siblings and parents for help with their route. They get to know their neighbourhood and their neighbours.
The news can arrive on radio waves and through phone and cable lines but there's a bond formed between the recipient and the live person bringing the tangible product right to the door, rain or shine, hot or cold. It harkens back to a time when so many more things came to our door, such as our milk and many of our fresh groceries, our pastors, our doctors, our repairmen, our mail.
So thank you, Citizen carriers past and present, for bringing the news, one newspaper at a time. And if you know a young person needing some money, some character building or both, have them call 250-562-3301 or, if they must, fill out the online form at www.princegeorgecitizen.com/circulation/carrier-application.
