Prince Albert residents told CBC Saskatchewan they want the city’s stories shared more often, more fully and with a wider audience.
CBC Saskatchewan held a public town hall meeting Tuesday, June 23 at the EA Rawlinson Centre, where residents spoke with CBC staff about local coverage, community representation and what stories they feel are missing from provincial media.
The event began with a question-and-answer session, with CBC staff seated at the front of the room while residents came to a mic to ask questions and share concerns. The room later broke into smaller table discussions, where each CBC officials sat with residents to hear story ideas, take notes and speak more directly about local coverage.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
CBC Saskatchewan managing editor Paul Dornstauder speaks with Mayor Bill Powalinsky, Ward 1 Coun. Daniel Brown, Kayleigh Skomorowski and other residents during a table discussion at the Prince Albert town hall
The event drew a mix of elected officials, community representatives and residents. Mayor Bill Powalinsky and Coun. Brown were among those in attendance, along with representatives from local arts groups, youth engagement work, labour, Parks Canada and provincial politics. Kayleigh Skomorowski attended from the arts community, while Tara Switenky, community lead with the Students’ Commission of Canada in Prince Albert, was also present. Carolyn Carleton from the Mann Art Gallery, Mat Derworiz, president of the Prince Albert and District Labour Council, and NDP press secretary Cathlia Ward were also among those at the town hall.
Paul Dornstauder, managing editor of CBC Saskatchewan, said the strongest thing he heard from residents was pride in Prince Albert.
“I spoke to numerous people who are deeply attached to and invested in and proud of their city, and would like to share that with the rest of the province,” Dornstauder said.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
CBC Prince Albert reporter Lisa Risom listens during a small-group discussion at CBC Saskatchewan’s town hall at the EA Rawlinson Centre
The town hall followed CBC Saskatchewan’s expansion into Prince Albert, where the public broadcaster opened a local bureau with reporters Aishah Ashraf and Lisa Risom. The bureau covers Prince Albert and stories from parts of northern and central Saskatchewan.
Dornstauder said residents were pleased to see more reporters working from the community.
“Prince Albert, it’s Saskatchewan’s third largest city. It’s a significant place,” he said. “If we are able to have even more storytellers on the ground in the community, telling stories that not only matter to the people of Prince Albert, but sharing those stories with audiences across the province and beyond, nationally, I think that’s a big win.”
Residents at the meeting raised questions about Prince Albert’s visibility in CBC coverage, including television, radio and online platforms. There was also discussion about how the city is often viewed from the outside, and whether coverage can lean too heavily on crime or negative stories.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
CBC Prince Albert reporter Aishah Ashraf speaks with residents during a table discussion at Tuesday’s town hall
Dornstauder said CBC has to cover difficult issues, but also has a responsibility to find stories about people working to improve their community.
“We do tell stories about challenges facing the city, but I think you’ll find even more stories about people who are working to overcome hardship, people who are resilient, people who are working to make their community a better place,” he said.
The discussion also touched on Prince Albert’s Indigenous population, growing newcomer communites, arts and culture, housing, commuinity supports and the city’s connection to northern Saskatchewan.
Dornstauder said those parts of the city are central on how CBC thinks about future coverage.
“If we’re going to reflect the community, we have to reflect the fullness of the community,” he said.
He said that includes reaching beyond traditional sources and making sure more voices are included in stories.
Arjun Pillai/Daily Herald
Residents take part in a small-group discussion during CBC Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert town hall at the EA Rawlinson Centre
CBC staff also heard questions about how far the Prince Albert bureau’s coverage area reaches. Dornstauder said the bureau is based in Prince Albert, but can travel and report on stories from a wider region, including northeast and east central Saskatchewan.
He said CBC will now take what it heard back to its assignment editors, producers and reporters.
“We are going to sit down with our assignment editors, with our producers this week and talk through what we heard,” Dornstauder said.
He said success for the bureau would mean returning a year from now and hearing that residents see more of themselves, their neighbours and their families reflected across CBC platforms.
“It was a real privilege to be able to hear their thoughts about CBC coverage of Prince Albert, of the community, and where we’re hitting the mark, and where we have room to grow,” he said.
arjun.pillai@paherald.sk.ca
