AJAs 2024 Finalists
The Bangor Sawmill: 'It's such a devastating loss'
| Slug/Label | 'It's such a devastating loss' |
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| Date Aired or Published | June 8 2024 |
| Media outlet where first aired or published: | Saltwire.com/Tri-County Vanguard |
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Short explanation of the story and how it developed: Dear Judge: Please accept this entry in the category of Breaking News entitled ‘It’s such a devastating loss’ In the early hours of June 8, 2024, a devastating fire destroyed the Bangor Sawmill and Museum in the Municipality of Clare in southwestern Nova Scotia. This historic sawmill was the center and heartbeat of the community. It had employed generations of people dating back over 100 years. It still was a prominent feature in the present and just days earlier a major retrofit project that the community had fundraised for had just gotten underway. There has been much excitement that this project was underway. Days later there was now only heartbreak. I live about a 45 minute drive from the mill. When I learned of the fire I drove there to gather information for a story. It was a weekend and my day off, therefore this was unpaid overtime. With the smell of charred lumber still heavy in the air, I spoke with many people about the impact of this loss, ranging from the teenagers who had learned about the mill in school, to residents and neighbours, to seniors who as teens had worked inside the mill. I interviewed the person who discovered the fire and had called 911 and who went banging on neighbouring doors to alert people of the fire as embers were spreading. I touched on the history and what had been the future plans for the mill. The tourism loss. I also had video too that was part of the online posting that went on the website that afternoon. I was quite pleased with this package that I was able to pull together pretty quickly and have online that day. The PDF enclosed is the same story that was online, which then went to print in our next issue of the paper. While on the scene of the fire aftermath, I was also feeding the provincial Chronicle Herald newsrooms with photos and video from the scene to include on our website, while dealing with the challenges that come with internet data and cell service in parts of rural Nova Scotia. The story that appeared online included many photographs from the fire scene and photos I was able to source from the fire and how things looked prior to the fire. There was also video included. |
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Resources of the newsroom (money and time) available to complete the story: |
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