ST. PAUL - It’s been 100 years since the first edition of the St. Paul Journal rolled off the press – a milestone not easily achievable for any business.
A proud history
In 1924, Gilbert Larue founded the St. Paul Journal. While the methods and approach to getting the weekly newspaper into the hands of residents has changed over the years, the St. Paul Journal remains a constant, still operating from its main street location.
The publication of a newspaper in St. Paul dates back to 1920, when the St. Paul Star was first published. That newspaper was edited by J. E. Buchanan and H. C. Diamond was the manager, but it folded in 1923, making way for the St. Paul Journal in 1924.
In 1943, a change of ownership took place at the St. Paul Journal, when Larue sold to J. A. Thivierge. In 1945, another change took place when Larue took back possession of the newspaper with his son, George, who became owner in 1947.
Two years later, the newspaper was sold to L. H. Drouin in 1949, who was both the editor and publisher of the St. Paul Journal and remained with the Journal for many years.
In 2000, Great West Media acquired the St. Paul Journal from the Drouin family. The Drouin family had published the newspaper and provided commercial printing services to the community for two generations.
On March 31, 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the first edition of Lakeland This Week was published, bringing the St. Paul Journal into the fold with the Elk Point Review, the Bonnyville Nouvelle, and the Lac La Biche Post – all owned and operated by Great West Media.
Four years later, the newspaper continues to be published as Lakeland This Week, containing sections within that still bear the names and masthead of each of the four newspapers – along with a newer section dedicated to Cold Lake news.
“I believe the St. Paul Journal is one of only two businesses in St. Paul that can lay claim to 100 years or more of business operations in the community, the other one being the St. Paul Foundry,” says current publisher Clare Gauvreau.
“It is a rare and impressive milestone to have achieved, and we owe a debt of gratitude to our business clients and readers who have supported us through the years,” adds Gauvreau.
Keeping history alive
While reporting on current events is a top priority for the St. Paul Journal, past editions of the newspaper also provide an in-depth history of St. Paul.
At the St. Paul Museum, editions of the newspaper dating back to the St. Paul Star in 1920, all the way to the 1985 editions of the St. Paul Journal, have been digitized. These digital versions of the newspaper allow people to not only get a glimpse at the history of the community, but a view of what life was like over the past century.
“It’s a valuable addition to our research component of the museum,” says Alice Bourget, museum coordinator. She says the museum regularly gets requests from people wanting access to the digitized versions of the St. Paul Journal.
Sometimes, it’s a local non-profit such as the St. Paul Ag Society who wants to verify information about their own organization’s history – such as looking up when the Lakeland Rodeo Association finals first came to St. Paul – and other times it is past residents who are looking for historical information about a family member, explains Bourget.
Recording local history and being able to look back on past editions of a newspaper helps to illustrate “where we come from and how far we’ve come,” says Bourget.
“For anyone who is a bit of a history buff – it's kind of interesting to see how the reporting of news has changed over the years,” she adds, pointing out that stories in the past would often describe visits by family members, how long they stayed, and other personal details.
A happy accident
An accidental start led to a decades-long career for long-time reporter Vicki Brooker, who has been covering news in the St. Paul-Elk Point area for nearly 45 years.
“I took my daughter Marge, who was a student reporter for Elk Point Reflections, to cover a bonspiel at the curling club, because she wasn’t driving yet . . . I wanted to make sure the winners got their pictures in the paper, so I borrowed her notes and negatives and took a story to the Journal.”
A few days later, Brooker would get a cheque in the mail and a letter from L. H. Drouin telling her she could write Elk Point news whenever she wanted.
“I haven’t stopped doing just that since that day in February 1980,” said Brooker. A few years later, the Elk Point Review was born and not long after, Brooker became editor of the newspaper.
“That was my dream job. I’d loved newspapers from the time my dad taught me to read the headlines of the Calgary Herald, and as a kid, would snitch sheets of my mother’s writing pad and lay out newspapers with news about an imaginary town. When I got to be the literary editor of the Conrich Chronicle, our school paper, I was ecstatic, but when I graduated, my mother told me flat out that I could not pursue a newspaper career, because that was ‘no job for a lady, you would meet such dreadful people’.”
After moving to the St. Paul-Elk Point area in 1977 and continuing to pursue her love of writing, the doors would open for Brooker and her dream would come true.
Changing roles
Another long-time employee of the St. Paul Journal is Debbie Joly. She is often the first person to greet customers at the front office.
“I started working for the St. Paul Journal in 1991, leaving twice to do other things and then returning again. My role started as reception, then I moved into accounts, for a few years I worked out of both St. Paul and Bonnyville offices as office admin. Just in the last year I took on the advertising sales position,” explains Joly.
The changes Joly has experienced while working with the newspaper are many.
“There have been so many changes, the first being when [Great West] became the owners of the paper,” says Joly. The changes to staff have been many, and a shift to digital advertising has also been a big change.
The pandemic saw some of the biggest changes, with the newspaper becoming a regional product.
Despite the countless changes over the years, Joly believes the St. Paul Journal is “ingrained in the community.”
"Even though times have changed, we still have people who have subscribed for many, many years and still love receiving the paper and find value in it,” she says.
A new reporter
Joining the St. Paul Journal in July 2022 after graduating from the Digital Communications and Media program at Lethbridge College, reporter Mario Cabradilla has been with the newspaper for two years.
He decided to pursue a career in journalism mostly because he likes to write and listen to people’s stories.
Speaking about the importance of community news, Cabradilla believes, “Newspapers are all about serving communities by providing them with accurate information. Because without information, a community is blind.”
He adds that “As far as the news team here at the Journal goes, while I can't really speak for them, I've observed that they just want the best for the communities here. They care . . . because they also live here.”
Community news
Along with recording local history, the St. Paul Journal also works alongside municipal governments, reporting on decisions being made by councils, and creating discussion around diverse topics.
“From a municipal perspective, local media plays a vital role in fostering transparency, accountability, and connection. The Journal serves as a bridge between the Town and its residents, engaging us in meaningful conversations and celebrating what makes our community unique,” says Town of St. Paul Mayor Maureen Miller.
She adds, “Celebrating 100 years of the St. Paul Journal is truly remarkable. More than a news outlet, the Journal has been a steadfast recorder of our shared history, capturing the stories, milestones, and challenges that have shaped St. Paul.”
Miller notes that “Reaching a century of service is a testament to the Journal’s resilience and dedication. On behalf of the Town of St. Paul, I extend heartfelt congratulations and gratitude for a century of service to our community. Here’s to the next 100 years of storytelling and impact.”
Reliable journalism
One hundred years after the newspaper was established, the St. Paul Journal, along with the other newspapers that make up Lakeland This Week, continue to report on local, provincial and federal issues, while reporters also attend events, council meetings, and work to bring a variety of issues to light – not only within the pages of the newspaper, but with a strong online presence too.
“Providing reliable local journalism to our communities is the foundation of the business and Great West takes that responsibility to heart,” says Great West CEO Duff Jamison. “Whether it’s reporting on our municipal councils, schools, courts or the community organizations that ‘glue’ it all together, we make it our mission to keep our readers informed.
Jamison adds, “While many of our readers continue to prefer the printed newspaper, many others are reading the news on desktops, tablets and especially their phones. In fact, our 80,000 monthly online readers of Lakeland Today will view about 2.5 million pages this year. Clearly, people are keenly interested in local news, and we intend to continue providing it to St. Paul for years to come.”
Speaking of the 100-year milestone, Gauvreau adds, “I’ve always said that our role is to record the life and times of our community. While so much has changed in our industry through the years in terms of the technology and tools we use and how people consume news, our role remains unchanged. Our commitment to local news, recording it and delivering it into the hands of our readers in print and online is as strong today as it ever was.”
Past editions of the St. Paul Journal and Lakeland This Week are available on LakelandToday.ca with a subscription.
Searchable archives of historical editions of the St. Paul Journal are available from the St. Paul Museum. The cost to access the Google Drive is $25, which provides six months of access.