Pass Herald to expand coverage into Sparwood

Local Journalism Initiative support aims to boost civic reporting in underserved communities through 2026 and 2027

The Pass Herald is set to expand its reporting capacity after the newsroom was informed it will receive a reporter through Canada’s Local Journalism Initiative, a federal program intended to increase local civic journalism in communities that do not get consistent coverage.

The additional reporting capacity is expected to allow the Pass Herald to expand more consistent coverage into Sparwood, where major local issues often intersect with the Crowsnest Pass and the wider Highway 3 corridor, including cross border commuting, emergency services, local government decisions, resource-based employment and transportation disruptions. The Herald plans to use the added capacity to pursue more regular reporting on Sparwood civic affairs while continuing core coverage in the Crowsnest Pass.

Canadian Heritage describes the Local Journalism Initiative as support for original civic journalism focused on underserved communities, with funded positions used to hire journalists or pay freelance journalists to cover public institutions and issues that affect residents’ day to day lives. The program is delivered through not-for-profit administrators, including News Media Canada for participating news publishers.

The federal program also includes a republication model that allows participating outlets’ Local Journalism Initiative stories to be shared more widely under Creative Commons licensing, a structure intended to broaden access to civic reporting beyond the original host outlet.

The Local Journalism Initiative launched in 2019 and has continued through successive funding periods. In March 2024, Canadian Heritage announced $58.8 million in funding to extend the initiative for three years, covering 2024 through 2027, framing the investment as support for independent local journalism in underserved communities.

While details about the incoming position, including timing and assignment, were not available at the time of writing, the change signals additional capacity for civic coverage in a region where limited newsroom staffing can restrict how often public meetings are attended and how consistently multi month issues are followed.

In Sparwood, more regular coverage would allow the Pass Herald to better track municipal decisions, local service pressures and community issues that matter to readers on both sides of the Alberta-B.C. boundary. The Herald’s expanded reporting footprint is expected to focus on local public institutions and community impacts, consistent with the program’s civic journalism goals.