A report on the last night at the Kamloops Daily News

ARMCHAIR MAYOR SAYS: I don’t think I’ve every seen more strength of character in one room than I did at the wake held by Kamloops Daily News staff at Carlos O’Bryan’s tonight.

There was a lot of smiling, laughing and hugging. There were tears, too, but they are such a brave bunch. Some of them have job prospects, some don’t. They all have to figure out some way to support their families. There will be a whole lot of starting over.

But let’s back up, just a bit. On Monday, Glacier Media announced it was shutting down the paper. Tonight, just a few days later, staff was putting together the last edition.

I received a kind invitation to join them for a sort of celebration of life so, at the appointed time, I arrived at the paper’s offices on Seymour Street. The gathering was supposed to kick off at 4 p.m. but everybody was still busy getting tomorrow’s final edition together.

The last pages, except for sports (Gregg Drinnan and Mark Hunter decided to stay at their desks getting the Blazers game results and other sports coverage right up to their usual late-night deadline), were being finished up and proofed, so I pitched in.

On the one hand, it was a good feeling to be a part of it. I even caught a few things that needed fixing. But, damn, it hurt to have to see everybody going through such a night.

When associate news editor Catherine Litt handed me the front page and asked me to give it the first proof, and then send the last batch of news pages to press, I felt sadly honoured to do so.

The whole KDN staff carried on with admirable professionalism to produce that final edition — it is, in effect, the obituary for the city’s daily newspaper and for their own jobs — and I felt the enormity of that as I hit the button.

I will pause here briefly to explain that I was also given the honour of calling “Stop the press!” the night we shut down our press for the last time a couple of years ago.

I would have been happier if those two honours had not been necessary.

During the final hours, there were muffins, donuts and pizza and, yes, I indulged in a glass of wine while I was doing some copyediting but I blame publisher Tim Shoults for that because he’s the one who handed it to me. That’s my story, anyway.

Editor Tracy Gilchrist continued working away in her office. Lorraine Winter, Catherine Litt and news editor Mike Cornell were busy putting pages together. Reporters Sylvie Paillard and Michele Young were helping proof, and Mark Rogers was putting the final touches on the website. Jason Hewlett and Mike Youds were there helping out, too.

Ad reps, production staff, classifieds and business departments carried on. Danna Bach, who edits Kamloops Business magazine and special sections, sported a Daily News shirt.  Far from being quiet, there was a buzz in the building almost as if it was just another workday.

At about 5:30, Shoults came through to announce that the website comments had been turned off. There will be no more banter about KDN stories between Grouchy, Snuffy and all the others who have felt so at home there over the years.

Meanwhile, there was a lot of visiting and some chatting and farewells, and much picture taking but, you know what? They still made their deadline.

Working to the very end. Editor Tracy Gilchrist in her office.

Then, they gradually gathered at the bar. It was both a sad and joyful event. Sad for obvious reasons, but joyful because everyone in the room was grateful for having known each other and experienced such a wonderful place to work.

Later on, Shoults and some others made their way back to the office to be there as the sports pages were “put to bed.”  Still others hurried ahead hoping to beat Tim there so they could pull off a prank they’d dreamed up.

“Family” was a word used often tonight. It’s almost unbearable to think the link has been broken.

Sometimes, life just sucks.