AMHERST – To Dale Fawthrop, next week will mark the end of an era of Cumberland County history.
After more than four decades, the final edition of The Citizen-Record will roll off the press next week while the Amherst News will switch from a subscription-based product to a free distribution weekly with the first issue on July 4.
Fawthrop said the newspapers have been an important piece of the community and he wants to do something to celebrate that history.
“The show is based on going back and revisiting important events in the Maritimes, looking at Maritime history, Maritime people and Maritime stories,” Fawthrop said. “The Amherst newspapers have been one of my primary sources of research. With the upcoming change I decided it would be a good opportunity to pay tribute to what the papers have done to keep us informed.”
Fawthrop said his daily show on CFTA is also a tribute to the staff who have worked for both papers over the years and for other Amherst newspapers of the past. During the week he will be sharing headlines and stories from the newspapers of the past, including the commemorative edition of the Amherst Daily News in 2013.
“The people who have worked for the newspapers in Amherst have contributed greatly to the fabric of Amherst and our history,” he said. “I have picked out specific stories the Amherst papers have covered back to the miners’ strike in Joggins in the late 1800s, to the opening of the Highland View hospital and other historical events that would not be covered if we didn’t have a local paper.”
This Is When is aired Monday to Friday at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at 107.9 FM. By the end of 2018, Fawthrop will have produced 250 shows. He plans to continue the program in 2019. It builds on the popularity of the 1867 News, a show he developed last year to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday and the events leading up to Confederation in Nova Scotia.
The former Amherst deputy mayor, Fawthrop said This Is When has been very well received.
“My wife sometimes says she’s going out with a rock star because the show is so popular,” Fawthrop said. “People really like the show and I’ve had people say they will sit out in their car in the mall parking lot waiting for the show to end before going into the store.”
Twitter: @ADNdarrell
