Editor:
It was with great sadness that I read of the departure of editor Lance Peverley from the Peace Arch News.
I have always regarded your paper as a very significant one in our community. Under the guidance of Mr. Peverley, it played a very significant part in keeping people aware of important news and changes in White Rock and South Surrey.
I think of a phrase on CNN frequently used, “Keeping them honest.” How true. I cannot imagine where we would be without this little paper telling us the latest events, both happy and tragic, and information that we would not hear anywhere else.
Lance Peverley has played a truly significant part in my own life, more than one could imagine. In my mission to save some of our valuable trees and glorious landscape over the past five years of rapid development, I can say, without exaggeration, that without his unfailing help, I would have saved nothing.
It was his printing of the letters I wrote to your paper, and coverage of my work by his wonderful reporters, such as Alex Browne and Amy Reid, that brought important concerns to the attention of our mayor and council, and the community. When it is near impossible to gain admittance to their chambers, i.e. the people who control the city, one can see how important a newspaper with a dedicated editor, becomes to the community. Good judgment and guidance of staff is imperative.
In him I saw a man of integrity and deep caring for the people of this town. I was always impressed by his editing of my letters. Any alteration, usually spelling errors or dropping of an occasional sentence, was done with such expertise and sensitivity that he invariably improved them. This is more than can be said of some much larger and so called, more important papers that I occasionally wrote to.
The Peace Arch News is only a small paper in the community. To me, it was not small. It was excellent from every standpoint, and my mission would have failed without it. I thank Lance Peverley for that. I will miss him very much.
Sybil Rowe, South Surrey