At some point, as telephones became common place, say 60 years or more ago, deaths were announced by phone....though I bet it was frowned upon by those who felt it should only be said in person.

In the past 10 years, deaths are also announced through emails to friends, or group lists.  This was the equivalent of the phone telephone tree, and a certain etiquette formed around such notes.  The subject matter is often "Sad news" or some such...and then the news is broken, sometimes with a link to the obit.

 I have also shared the death of a friend's parent, through this forum.  A friend also shared the death of my mother in this forum.   This became another forum of etiquette. How to share in a virtual space the sadness associated with the community loss. 

Our youth and friends are showing us how to use Facebook to announce passings.  Sometimes, like with emails, the news travels faster via facebook than the grapevine.  The facebook announcements run the gauntlet from short updates, to RIP pages, to notes about a person.

Our youth are also hearing of tragedies via texts to each other. They are the shortform of the phone call, passing a message to each other.

Obituaries cost a lot of money.  They are not cheap, especially if you wish to name children, volunteer/work history, predeceased by, where visitation is, funeral, donations to, etc.  Don't even consider a photo....or your price increases. In addition, the cost is per day.  So, run it once and hope people read it...or run it twice...  Decide which paper(s) to put it in.  The daily? the weekly? Which day if running in daily.

Now, consider how wide a population that obit will cover.  Compare it to a facebook update , which will be shared, commented on, etc, and thereby increase the probability of it being seen....at no cost....by a large number of people.

So, the question I have is...what do people think about obits.   

What is the intent of an obituary? What are the key components for you? 

Have the papers priced themselves out of the obits, and is the usage of other media a way of allowing human communication at no charge, or is it inappropriate.

Isn't it more complicated Pinga.

I received a note from the niece?  of my dad's cousin. The cousin-Audrey had died. i knew about that, my parents attended funeral in Ont.

But Audrey had no children or husband and the niece? went through her address book and sent a note to everyone in it, commenting on her death and with the card from the funeral.

On a practical note-It meant everyone was notified.People know.  Folks won't wonder where this year's Christmas card is-nor will they send one.

On another level it felt weird as I don't think I've met the person who sent the card.

In our community and within our local newspaper, the notice of death is printed in the paper and put in by the local funeral home.  It is a small announcement - just news of the passing and information about the funeral.

After the funeral the family puts the obituary in the newspaper - this can be anywhere from one week to several months.  It is general fairly lengthy and contains information about the person and lists family as well as who took part in any way in the funeral service.  It general contains thank you's from the family as well.  They can vary in lenghth from short to very long.  And yes, they are costly.  But it is one item in our local newspaper that keep people purchasing the newspaper!  Because people want to read this information. 

The local funeral home has a web-site in which the obituary as printed in the paper is eventually put on the web-site.  They wait for awhile after the publication so that they do not compete with the newspaper.

Generally people put photographs in the obituary, but not always.  Generally they only run in one edition.

I understand what you say about the way news travels these days through facebook and texts.  Quite often parents of teenagers and young adult children away from home will find out about the death of someone (especially someone young) in the community from one of their children who don't live here but saw it on facebook or in a text within hours.

Another thing to consider is do you consider the announcement of the death in a different way from the formal obituary?  Sometimes the obituary isn't written until most of the family have gathered, which may take several days.  The death must be announced fairly quickly though. 

It seems for some a note on FB is fine.  I would probably be upset to hear of a death in that way.  I think I'd want something more private and personal.  There are FB pages in memory of people who have died too.  I've haven't visited any though.  I heard (I think on CBC radio) that young people who spend time in 'memory pages' often get stuck in there grieving and it doesn't help them much.

 Kay, how would you want to hear, and .....here's the other part...is there a sense of timing...or etiquette

Day 1 -- family notifies family via in-person or voice

Day 2 - other notifications start to occur with emails, etc from churches as arrangements are known....obit may be placed

Day 3 - facebook and other more informal news spreads.

I'm really asking, as i don't get it.  To me, I would rather know that someone has died, and read it on facebook, than not hear....but i also understand that sense of respecting the families time.  ...sigh, for me, i would rather have told everyone at once, so for me, facebook was a good tool -- a way to get information out fast & efficiently, and then allow people to share through the interlocking circles of friends.

 Beloved, I think you showcase the difference between a small community and a larger one... but still, there must be people who would want to know in the community next to you, who wouldn't get your obit notices...or say, the community next to the community next to you...ie, even within small areas, people are known outside of the sphere of this funeral home and this paper.

Yes Pinga, it is a smaller community that I was showcasing and that I live in.  The family of the deceased would phone other family members, both locally and out of town - those they felt that they needed to hear it in person from them.  They might ask them to contact other members of their own family about the passing.  The family would also contact very close friends, and again, ask them to contact others.

Then, they would leave it up to others to contact the persons they would think need to know . . . and this would be done in a variety of ways - telephone calls, emails, etc.

The year my mil passed away we got 4 Christmas cards addressed to her from friends/family from out of town (we could not identify who these people were as only first names that were unknown to us) - so not everyone from away had heard the news.

I agree Pinga, I too would rather read it on facebook (would have to be my daughter's as I'm not on facebook) or receive a text or whatever, than not know.

In small communities news travels fast.  It is also announced on our local radio, which is broadcast in other places.  I understand how it would be harder if someone lived in a city and was involved in a lot of organizations or groups . . . it would be a big task to let everyone know.

 I've found out about friends who have died various ways.  In person or by phone is best, especially if it's someone close.  I have found out about friends that I had lost contact with on facebook.  One by a note that I was sent, one by a RIP status.  For the status one, the person had probably forgotten we were fb friends as we haven't had any contact in years.  I appreciated the status as I was able to get more information by messaging him and was able to make it to the funeral.  I actually see a facebook message or e-mail as more personal than a newspaper obituary as someone at least made the effort to make sure you knew.

I don't think that newspapers should be omitted entirely, I know my mom has found out about many this way and in one case it was a former teacher.  I don't know how every former student is going to be contacted when a school population is over 3000.

The more methods of informing people, the better, but it is best to contact people who were close to the deceased before more public notices are made.

The way it seems to happen in my extended family and community in New Brunswick:

Unless it is a sudden death, close friends and family probably know it is expected.  Someone phones their brother, or sister, or close family member from the hospital: 

"I sat with Uncle Edward last night.  He died around 3:00 this morning.  I just waited until you would be awake before I called.   I'm going home now, and I'll call  ----, -----, and -----from their."

"Ok, I'll call cousin S---- and she can contact her extended family.  I can also call someone in B-----'s family, and I'll go over and tell Aunt M-----.   Are you going to let his neighbour k---- know?   And what about someone from the legion?"   "I'll get Grace to call them, and also the church."

So it goes.  The clesest family members break up the list among them making sure some key people are informed.  Within an hour or so calls are going out, most people passing on the information to other family members or friends.   "I didn't want you to read it in the paper .. . " 

But a obituary is almost always placed in the local paper - often with the assistance of the funeral home, who probably have several samples where you can just give them the information and they contact the paper.  Many people check the obituaries before they read anything else in the paper - even if they have already been informed of the death they want to check the details and find out arrangements.  They also check for people they used to know, or know only slightly - people they lived near when they were children, classmates, people they used to work with, people they know in the neighbourhood or come in contact with through church, or shopping (she worked at the Coop store for fifteen years, I've missed her lately).   We also check the list of survivors for people we know - taking note that someone we bowl with has lost a parent, spouse, or grown child, and remembering to express our condolences the next time we see them. 

Because our paper doesn't publish on Sunday, deaths late on Friday or on Saturday won't be in the paper until Monday.  They are often announced in church, along with a bit of information about the deceased. 

And I know - people who are on facebook get the word out even faster, but it will probably take another generation before most of the people (especially the older ones) are familiar with the various computer programs.  I still have many friends who don't have a computer in their homes and have no idea how (or interest in) using one.

 Seeler, thanks...and I think you are also indicating that "private time" -- the first day or two, until the obit comes out, for people to let friends and family know via personal contact.

 For our 4 parents we did obits in the papers.  Because my parents had lived till they were in their 40's in Toronto, we live there,  we did a Toronto paper as well as their home town of London.

I too have been surprised at what seems like excessive cost and I honestly think its a bit of gouging by the papers.  I think my dad's obit in the Star was $800+.

We have called close friends to let them know but it is the way to let their greater aquaintences know.

For my mom this spring we got a card from my grade 1 teacher who saw the obit and had fond memories of my mom.  I have gotten cards from their old friends in Toronto who wouldn't have ever heard.

I read the obits.  Usually just a scan of the names looking for any I know and I do see them.

I think they serve a purpose but I do they they are way over the top as far as cost.

In Collingwood, where we have our cottage they do a radio announcement weekly.  I think it is Saturday morning but I m not sure.

They call it Notice of Passing and they list the folks who have died that week and where the services are......  Usually 3 or 4 notices as it's a smallish place but its quite nice

- Intent is to notify that someone has died, give key components of their life and indicate if there is visitation, funeral and if a memorial donation can be given and where.

- I think the cost of obits and funerals in general are a problem.  Perhaps why more and more people are choosing not to have funerals or visitations anymore which is sad.  I think as ritual they are important and for the friends and family of the deceased it is helpful to be in relationship in a time of grief - doesn't matter if there is a religious component or not really.  If the cost is making this prohibitive that's a shame.  That's why I don't have a concern around doing things differently and imo an obituary doesn't have to be placed in a newspaper.  Facebook, Twitter and email are viable options the drawback being that some people will miss reading it.  However not everyone reads the obits section of the paper on a daily basis either so I guess you do the best you can letting people know.

I agree . I don't think an obituary should be an   eulogy. It is for facts as Meredith quoted, imo.

In my family the person who was at the hospital, or identified the body after an accident phones the really close family members.  They then phone the family in the wider circle (cousins etc).  Someone notifies a key person in any groups the deceased was part of (Legion, seniors bowling group etc) who (one hopes) passes the news on.

Funeral arrangements can be heard on the radio.  Items can be put in the paper for a large fee.  

Even in basically rural/small town environments I have heard of people from 'away' receiving almost no acknowledgement of there grief.    There is more support when people knew the deceased than when they didn't.  For the bereaved, of course, the pain is just as intense, even if there late parent/sibling lived elsewhere.

The research suggests grief counsellors in high schools do not help - that facebook  and memory pages trivializes grieving and thus not help.  Watch a tv and interviews ="oh I am upset but never meet her" comments

Now this does not mean the question is not important for it is.  How to tell. The simple answer is many sources - not everyone is on line, not every gets the paper and word of mouth is hit and miss.  I know the later from experience for in my small community if I miss the paper and no word of mouth and no on line, I can run into someone in a story and ask how is..... then get back he died.   But that is life and we cannot get all the information we need or send out.

RIP forum is an interesting forum from a sociological point of view - it can be and has been misused by those who seek to hurt - it can be narcissistic - it can be heart felt - and it can be a great way to find out informatin.  Just say how it worked in respect to a young cousin who died at 21 - 

Ok, for me, an obituary should be more than "Dead- Visitation- Burial'. It should, for me, include a short biography. It communicates a death but also memorializes the person and acknowledges their loved ones. I cannot tell you how many cut out, saved, yellowed, brittled obituary notices I have seen in my lifetime.

Spoken as someone with connections to the newspaper business:
Is the local newspaper pricing themselves out of the obituary business? YES!
They do not care though. They are interested in making money. They are interested in advertising dollars. Any space spent on news, community events, obituaries.... is advertising space. Given a choice to run this article or picture or put in an ad, an ad will always win. They have a formula that the paper is __% ads. So, if they have lots of ads, you get some more newspaper stuff. If they do not have lots of ad space booked, you get little news. They are also outsourcing left and right to India and the Phillipines.

So, if you decide to spend the tremendous amount of money for the obituary in the local weekly paper, it may get it out after the visitation, funeral and burial are all over.

The local radio station does an announcement here, but nobody is really tuned in to hear it.

Notifying family and friends and the community is the purpose. So, my advice is, do it however works for you and what will work timewise for the person (if they would want to be present or not at funeral, etc). Write an email, compose a snail mail letter, make a phone call, use Facebook....

Ok, for me, an obituary should be more than "Dead- Visitation- Burial'. It should, for me, include a short biography. It communicates a death but also memorializes the person and acknowledges their loved ones. I cannot tell you how many cut out, saved, yellowed, brittled obituary notices I have seen in my lifetime.

- I agree.  What do you think of people writing their own obituary?  Prior to their death of course :)

I have one written out and told my kids that it is mainly for assistance if they want/need it.  They may not remember some of the things that others might remember me for - lots happened before they were born!  I'm sure they would blank out on family history details for example.  Of course they may ignore it when the time comes - there choice!  I've made some sugestions about a funeral too and I have a list of people who should probably be told including phone numbers, snail and email addresses.   They know where to find my will and other paperwork.

ps - I hope I'm not dead yet!

 wow, kay, you are amazing, that is great prep.  I hope your kids don't need it soon, but, I also would have appreciated that from my mom.

What did I find two weeks after she was gone....a prayer that she had clipped, which dawned on me, was probably something she would have wanted on the back of her order of service....or as a passage to be read at her funeral.  sigh.

we did our best, but, knowing what she wanted would have been great.

hmm, haven't decided yet.

Well Pinga just remember you cant be all things to all people.  

My father (who has been gone almost three years) still gets:

1.  Phonecalls from the doctors office

2.  People on the street asking "how is your Dad these days....haven't seen him around much lately.

3.  Visa bills with a balance of $0.00.   I phoned the bank was told I could not close the account because I was not his executer.  I told them my mom was the executer but she was also deceased and I was HER executer.  I did not have the authority to close the account even with a death certificate.  So almost a year ago I crossed the address out and put on the envelope "Not at this address.  Moved to ____________ cemetary"  I have not gotten a Visa bill since.

4.  Bank statements with a balance of $0.00.  I did manage to close that account last June.

5.  Phonecalls from former customers looking for my Dad because he was a tailor.

6.  The dogpen I ordered from UFA came with my Dad's name on all the boxes.  I don;t know how THAT could have happened.

7.  Mail....offers for credit cards.

People might not read the paper that week the obit was in or could forget in a year.  It is impossible to inform everyone.

 oh, agreed Serena.  Mailing lists are painful reminders to folks.

I think overall, I am hearing that over communicaiton is better than under, with a recognition of etiquette, ie a window for family / close friend  face to face or phone communications.

Meredith,

My wife and I are big fans of doing things in advance. Our reason is not because the other would not know what was important or that they might not know details. Our reason is because the one left will be an emotional mess and have too much other stuff to deal with than "I have to call the paper". I know how hard it was when my aunt died to worry about, "what would she have wanted laid out in?" and "what do we put in the paper." Now, if one of us feels they would need busy work in those initial days they can do all that stuff, but they have the other persons list to use or to rely on if they are wrong about wanting to be busy with details.

The other thing is that -should it be far off -, "well who can remember?" I grew up surrounded by the elderly. It taught me great things. While their mind was good they had me in steady, clear writing put names on their pictures, for fear nobody would know who this person was (and they would not be able to answer or not be around to ask). It also helped because later they would say "I do not know who that person is" and I would say "that is your brother Bill"... It would then trigger, "oh, yeah, Bill did I ever tell you..." or "Yes, that is Bill in front of our old house...." So, it means an obituary is done and all our photos have names, places, dates... so we have the triggers we need or that someone else knows when they sort our things. The history of that sewing basket is on a card inside its lid, where it came from (who that person was because a name might not mean anything to a person who never met them) and who it should be passed on to. It was triggered by my saying I would have to let her family sort out their heirlooms among themselves. She knew they would fight, so she tended to it - so I am not put in that place where someone says "that was aunt___'s" and takes what was never a family heirloom or that I do not have to, in my own grief, deal with them bickering over who is taking Grandma's china.

When we call and say, "you know Nan's ____? Are you interested in it or would one of your kids be, or do you have any ideas?" It is not met with, "WHAT? Are you sick?". It is met by, "oh, no kids and passing it in the family or tying up loose ends so they are not there for others".

Friends have said we do so many things they never thought of, maybe because we have no children and cannot say "they will do it". Maybe that has nothing to do with it. Maybe it is because we talk about everything. Heck, we each know what long term care places are approved of and which are not. We might talk about someone going to a home and it starts a discussion on what would be most important. Like, "if I am able to go about, I want it to be on the bus run" or "I would like a place I could bring in my own dresser if it was body prior to mind" or "I need a view if I have sight"....

Maybe we are just weird? Or maybe it is the past medical history or ongoing conditions inviting conversation others consider macabre.

Many people don't realize until they are in the middle of it just how much work there is to looking after the details in the hours, days and months after a death in the family - and doing it while in shock and mourning can be exhausting and overwhelming. 

It helps if the other person has things in order, has a will, and chooses their executor carefully.  Unless this is a simple transfer of 'everything to my spouse', or if your two children get along and work together really well, I would recommend a professional. 

I worked for a trust company for many years.  This was my job.  I assisted my boss, a lawyer in preparing wills, and later in settling estates.  We were not emotionally involved but still it was a big job.  Yes, even redirection mail and cancelling magazines, as well as looking after financial matters, seeing that assets were accounted for and protected, taxes paid, bills paid, real estate and personal property sold or transferred or distributed according to the expressed wishes of the deceased.  (Usually we didn't have to arrange for the funeral - except in cases where the deceased was very elderly and had no competent relatives - but we did assist with application for CPP death benefits, and look after paying for the funeral.)     Yes, we did charge for our services, but often we saved the beneficiaries at least enough to cover our fees, as well as the worry and heartache of looking after details while burdered down with grief.   (No, we didn't sort through personal photo albums or old Christmas cards - except a quick check to make sure there wasn't a twenty dollar bill tucked in a card and laying in the bottom of a draw for 30 years.)

My parents told me a few months ago that they were going to write their obits and of course I balked.  In my head I know it's probably a good thing to do but I didn't want to deal with it.  I think I'll say to them that they can go ahead and write their obits and leave them in a file with their wills etc and just don't tell me about it.  Part of their reason is what others are saying around the time being stressful enough and though I understand in my head I still balked. 

I have issues...

Oh, my. No. As recently as ten years ago in rural Ontario the obituary was posted in the local post office. Telephones were reserved for immediate family. The obit was published in the local newspaper and broadcast on the local radio station (and in many parts of Canada, such as where I live, it still is). We still read them in church, if the death happens between Thursday and Sunday, which would have missed the paper.

It's a balance. The local newspapers know obits are their bread and butter and price them accordingly. OTOH, papers like the Toronto Star and the Globe & mail charge rapacious amounts of money for the same thing. Add a picture and it costs the equivilent of an ounce of gold (we had to do that for my mother-in-law a year ago).

CFOS does the funeral announcements twice daily, seven days a week, just before the news at noon and 5 PM. Accoring to the station manager, they are the highest listening points in the day after the newscasts. There are many parts of Canada which are similar.

Even so, having a professional can reduce the amount of stress and work signifciantly.

I had church members who wanted to do the funeral of a loved one themselves. About a month later they told me "We made a HUGE mistake. We should have let you and the funeral director do everything. we had NO idea..."

I always tease my funeral director coleagues that they have the best collection agency in the world. You see, nothing from the estate can be paid out by a bank or trust company until they see the funeral bill marked "Paid in FULL".

[/quote]

Since nobody has mentioned it yet, perhaps it is a local custom, but around here you can goggle the local funeral homes and find out which funerals they are doing each week.  I guess that you would have had to hear of the death, but then check each of the three local funeral homes.  One of them most likely has the names, times of visitation, date, time and place of funeral (and maybe officiating clergy), and perhaps the obituary.

Handy to have in case someone has wrapped the vegie peelings in that section of the newspaper and dumped coffee grounds on it.

DKS,

Obituaries are not bread and butter, nor are classifieds. They are space. Space is sold. When the obit price is high, would be "booked" obits get dropped and thus become corporate advertising spaces. There is nobody thinking you can charge Mrs. Jane Doe's children what you can charge an auto dealership.

There are few "local" newspapers that actually exist anymore. There are ones people think are "local". About 100 community newspapers, over 4.75 million copies,  from Niagara to Hamiltion to Ottawa to Parry Sound are owned and operated by a corporation. That corporation is then part of another... Most wind up on the door of TorStar.

Corporate means that obits as 'human interest" mean nada. The space is___ rate. If Mr or Mrs Mourner wants to pay what the auto dealer would, let them, but otherwise use the space for the car ad.

Still calling yourself a community newspaper and asking the mourner to pay a couple hundred dollars for a half-inch paragraph containing minor information for an obituary is either business or corporate greed. 

Calling yourself a community paper and having nothing about the community, because it does not pay and has to be written versus filling it with "canned news" and being basically a flyer of ads, is business or corporate greed.

Selling the entire front page to an advertiser (not a half page wrap) is either business, desperation or greed.

The reality is that every page, half page, quarter page, etc... is space to sell and goes to who pays the most. It is a revenue source. Period.

They have falling readership and do not have enough advertising and more and more newspapers close each year.

They can address that and what being a COMMUNITY NEWS-paper means and the community (advertisers and subscribers) decide what it means to them and support it. If not, corporation or community will decide they cannot support newspapers and close them or they can say they cannot make money and outsource it to other countries. It is basically outsourcing.

You can subscribe to a mailing list from our local funeral homes who send you an e-mail that they have a new funeral.

You live too close to Toronto. Outside of the GTA Sun Media owns many the local daily and weekly newspapers. The regional publisher for Sun Media (she manages att the Sun Media newspaper properties between Kingston and Lake Huron) is a good friend. She has said to me that their bread and butter is very much local news and ads. Their big moneymaker here are the flyers. Sun Media has an armlock on that product in southwestern Ontario. Metroland and TorStar are non-players.

That's not what our Sun Media publisher says oublicly and privately.

That's not out local Sun Media daily. Lots of local news with some national and international from QMI.

Again, not happening here.

Check out the Port Perry Standard. A friend of mine is the publisher. They put Metroland on the run in Durham Region.

DKS

Corporations each decide how they will do business. I do not think we can really call Sun Media/Quebecor or Metroland/TorStar local newspapers. Corporations each decide how they will do business. Often, one side chooses the opposite of the other. Personally, I wonder what the price differences actually are between Sun Media in local markets versus Metroland.

Almost 3 hours Toronto is not that close, especially when it is north.

Sun Media and Metroland often compete in the same areas.

The Scugog Standard and Uxbridge Standard are independents. Yes, but is not the whole of Durham Region and one cannot really say anyone was put "on the run". It means they have survived or thrived in spite of Metroland. The Port Perry Star is Metroland along with the Uxbridge Times Journal. So, to in Durham region is The News Advertiser in Pickering and Ajax, Whitby This Week, Oshawa This Week, Clarington This Week, North Umberland News....

It would be like me saying there is the North Bay Nugget when most the area is Sun Media and Metroland. A few years back the list would have been longer, but here independents have  mostly taken the money and run.

My dad died 7.5 years ago and we are still hearing from the odd person that didn't find out at the time.

I own a local totally independent newspaper...the other "local" papers around here are all owned by the Black Press Group and thus are under strict rules as to how much advertising they need per pages published and they have no leeway to give local content priority.  I am amazed at the amount people will pay to put an obit in the regional daily paper for a week ($100-$200+ per day!)...my ad costs are much lower.  As an independent, I have the flexibility to make items such as obits of local person a priority in an issue over say the local ladies club update (which will make it in a later issue).  In terms of greed, it isn't just the newspapers, it is the whole funeral industry.

BethAnne, doing any hiring?  LMAO

SG...are you doing any writing?

I often hear Graeme complaining about our local papers - apparently all the newspapers in this province belong to one family - the Irvings.  But they are local papers - you are apt to find a picture and a front page story about a cat up a tree, or an abused dog found wandering around the mall on a slow news day.   Yes, there are lots of ads, and sometimes the paper is stuffed with flyers from the various stores.  But the editor seems to know what people are interested in and what sells papers, and the advertizers like to know the circulation.  Does every second or third household have the paper delivered to their door six days a week?

People like to read news and see pictures of local events: car accidents, bidge closures, flooded basements.  They like to see the comics and Dear Abby, but they also like to see the local writer with her reflections every Saturday, and another who reports as a stay-at-home dad of three teenagers.  They like to read about the middle school basketball team, and check the senior bowling scores every Tuesday (Mr. Seeler may have his name in with a high triple of 299, although someone beat him out with a high single of 105, to his 101. 

We like to see which churches are having rummage sales or turkey dinners, and when the guest gospel group will be visiting the big church downtown. 

We like to see birth announcements, weddings (often with the picture), and funerals.  The obituary might only be in once but usually has a picture, and four or five inches, listing survivors, and deceased siblings, perhaps a favourite dog will be mentioned, and a note sying he retired after 35 years as school custodian, and he enjoyed hunting and fishing and playing cards.    And I don't think it costs an arm and a leg - it is almost always in the paper. 

The next year there will be a lovely (in the author's eyes) memorial poem mentioning how much he is missed. 

Gosh - maybe there is something special about living in the Maritimes.

In this area, the Sun Times is it. It has high local content and QMI. It's not unbiased, but it is largely local.

That's where I am. And the competition is the Ontario edtion of the Toronto Star. Yes, people do put local obits in the Star. Not often, but it happens.

Not outside of the GTA, on  a daily basis.

I was quoting the publisher himself.  

The PP STar was an independent, but it was bought by Metroland about a decade ago. The staff, however, left and started their own newspaper, which has done quite well.

We have all of that in our local Sun Media newspaper. You can see what will be tomorrow's page 1 on their web page here:

http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2877847

That was my lunch today. Rotary Club news still counts.

Beth,

I was not job hunting for myself (I got out a while back). We had all our eggs in one basket. Our days are spent waiting for the pink slip.

Am I still writing? More than ever.