Our dear readers,
Over the past two decades, you – like most of the world – have probably come to rely on Facebook to connect with friends and family, and also receive news and information about your community.
That era, though, is coming to an end.
Because of the federal government’s Online News Act (Bill C-18) that was approved in Ottawa last week by the House of Commons and the Senate, Meta (which owns Facebook, Instagram, and many other platforms you probably use) is ending “news availability.” And Google could be next.
**What does this mean for news access?**In the coming months, all Canadian news stories you see on Facebook will be blocked from your feeds.
What does this mean for news access in the Westshore? As a subscriber of The Westshore, not much. You already get our vital local journalism and community storytelling right here in our twice-weekly newsletters, along with links to other stories and what else is happening around the community.
But it will have a huge impact on your family, friends, neighbours, and community who rely on social media to keep up with events and news in their backyard.
Since we started The Westshore, we’ve focused on creating the best and most engaging community newsletter here. We’ve done this specifically so that we don’t have to rely on anyone to deliver you the news – not Zuckerberg and Facebook, not Elon and Twitter, not any tech giant.
Our goal is and has always been to produce newsletters that are filled with the best news, events, and information you need to make better decisions throughout your day.
So what next?
We need you to help share the news with your family, friends, and neighbours. Let them know what’s going on, and that their access to vital information is about to change.
1. Forward this email to as many of your friends, family, neighbours, or colleagues, and invite them tosign up to The Westshore.
2.Share this post on Facebook(while you can still share The Westshore links!) and tell your friends there to sign up.
Thanks for reading, supporting, and helping to make a stronger community here in the Westshore.
– The Westshore team