Today, the EQ hiatus is officially over. 🙂
But so is EQ as an online magazine. 😔
I hinted at some personal reasons to go on hiatus last year and, while I’m not going to give you a long and boring story about my life, I’ll just say that a combination of (newly-diagnosed) ADHD, the work needed to find ways to live successfully with said ADHD, and general stresses and overwhelm pushed me into a bit of a crash last summer. I’m feeling much better now (even with this election!) but I still don’t think I can quite wrap my head around all the things needed to keep EQ going in the ways I would like.
I mean, I’ve literally just started figuring out how to break down tasks and to-do lists without constant stress, confusion and shame. 😬
So, I won’t be continuing to run EQ as a local journalism outlet offering independent perspectives on Edmonton issues and news.
I’ve thought about keeping the EQ brand around as a way to continue to share my own journalism (or anything someone else would want to share or collaborate on) but that idea isn’t really fleshed out right now. The site will remain up for now, either way.
Side note:
If you struggle with stress of any sort, I always recommend finding a professional to talk with. It could just be a tough time for you, and/or it could be something else getting in your way that requires some care and attention, and compassion.You can search for psychologists with specific areas of expertise, or who have an office close to you, at the Psychologists’ Association of Alberta.
You can skip the wait for an appointment and start chatting with someone online with a service like Betterhelp – insurance note; the big online counselling platforms tend to be based in the U.S.
Mental healthcare is still too damn expensive, so you can also find free, walk-in, services at Momentum. They also take donations if you’re not in need at the moment but could help them help people.
If this is the last time we’re together here on this website I want to make sure you really hear how appreciative I am of you spending your time with me and other folks who have helped tell stories through this platform.
Thank you for choosing to subscribe to our newsletter. Thank you for reading, listening or viewing anything we’ve produced with local journalists and storytellers. Thank you for supporting the Edmonton businesses we’ve partnered with. Thanks for supporting local.
Thanks, also, to the local journalists, photographers, videographers, producers and storytellers who have been a part of this conversation. Please keep following them wherever they are, and follow others they are sharing stories from. Absolutely nothing will make me happier about my time with EQ than seeing myself as the only white, straight man on the contributors page.
(Personal note: Nothing I do that’s worth mentioning is done without the support of my wife and creative partner, Sally.)
And, thanks to Edmonton business owners, freelancers, makers and entrepreneurs who supported this Edmonton business. Local businesses and makers play such a huge role in our lives in this city, and some of the folks who do this work are truly building communities.
See you around, Edmonton.
Jeff
p.s. If there’s anything I forgot to mention, please get in touch at jeff@localhost or by replying to this newsletter.
Because we’re two weeks from election day in Alberta, please make sure to figure out where your voting station is, book time off to vote (or vote in the advance polls, or make sure your employer gives you the required time to vote on April 16) and get informed. Support a local candidate who will represent your values at the Alberta Legislature.
If you’ve got time, volunteer. If you’ve got money, donate. This really does feel like an election that decides the direction of Alberta for years to come. Be part of it.
Oh, and don’t vote for the party full of white supremacy and hate.
As I did when we went on hiatus last year, I’ll list some local journalism places and people to help keep you updated and informed on all things Edmonton:
The Yards – The print magazine for detailed looks at the downtown and Oliver neighbourhoods, and issues affecting Edmonton’s core communities
Taproot Edmonton – Local stories, a City Hall podcast, and curated emails on local topics
Rat Creek Press – One of Edmonton’s longest-running hyper-local sources
CBC Edmonton – Particularly Natasha Riebe at city hall, Andrea Huncar on social justice and the investigative team of Charles Rusnell and Jennie Russell (also follow CBC Indigenous)
Bashir Mohamed – Stop what you’re doing right now and go follow Bashir! He’s become one of the city’s most important voices. sharing Edmonton and Alberta Black history in very accessible ways.
Elise Stolte – Columnist focusing on city issues, a must-follow on Twitter and on Facebook
Tim Querengesser – Editor of The Yards, journalist and a voice of reason on all things urban planning
CJSR – The community radio station powered by listeners, with a whole slate of great news and interview programming from and with diverse Edmonton voices
Media Indigena – This podcast always has plenty of Treaty 6 topics and voices (Edmonton is on Treaty 6 land), also worth a follow on Twitter or Facebook
Alberta Views – For all things outside of the Metro Region (and sometimes inside it too)
Eighteen Bridges – For fantastic longform and feature journalism
Alberta Podcast Network – There are plenty of local podcasts to listen to and some great ones to support
Progress Alberta – Not news exactly, but sign up for their newsletter for a good dose of what’s going on provincially and how to help build a better province (if you like EQ you’ll probably like PA)
A couple of spots outside of Edmonton: support The Sprawl in Calgary, The Tyee in B.C. (and Alberta and nationally) and Canadaland (nationally) for more investigative, adversarial and local journalism and important and needed media criticism.
That list is in no particular order and likely definitely leaves out something or someone but it’s a fairly solid place to start.