Draft:The Cornwall Seeker

The Cornwall Seeker is a monthly newsmagazine based in Cornwall, Ontario. It was founded by Julia Lucio and Mai-Liis Renaud in 2010, originally as a newspaper under the name "The Local Finder." The newsmagazine is primarily focused on arts, culture, and events.

History
The Cornwall Seeker was founded in 2010 by "Seeker Chicks" Julia Lucio and Mai-Liis Renaud. At the time, the business was a weekly black and white tabloid newspaper called "The Local Finder."

The company has gone through various name, branding, and production changes over the years. By the release of issue #2, the newspaper had changed their name to "The Local Seeker."

In August 2018, the company changed to its current form. It switched from newspaper format to its current two-in-one flip newsmagazine format, featuring the Cornwall Seeker side and the Seeker Flipside. At the same time, the newsmagazine adopted monthly publishing as opposed to the newspaper's bi-weekly publishing.

Format
The current Cornwall Seeker is a two-in-one colour magazine consisting of two distinct sides: The Seeker side and the Seeker Flipside.

The Seeker side is focused primarily on SDSG arts, culture, and events, featuring all of the columns from the newsmagazine's various columnists, coverage of recent events, and occasional political news and coverage. This side heavily promotes local arts in columns such as "The Art Seeker" and "5 Questions With."

The Seeker Flipside's theme changes every month and is topically themed in accordance with the month. For example, the March edition is typically women themed.

Distribution
The Cornwall Seeker is distributed to various stores, restaurants, and other public places across Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry within the first week of every month. Additionally, the latest edition can be found outside of the main office. In any of these locations, the newsmagazine can be picked up free of charge. The newsmagazine distributes an estimated 5,000 copies every month.

The Cornwall & SDG Seeker Snippets is also distributed to public places across Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry. This happens around the 18th of every month. An estimated 10,000 copies are distributed monthly.

Seekers Choice Awards
From 2011 to 2019, and again in 2023 after a hiatus due to COVID-19, The Cornwall Seeker has held a local awards event titled "Seekers Choice Awards." The event consists of the Co-Founders of the newsmagazine awarding members of the community for excellence in various fields such as visual art, musical art, athletics, and contribution to The Seeker. In 2016, the event raised over $3,000 for two charities.

Cornwall Arts Centre
In May 2015, The Cornwall Seeker donated $2,500 towards the establishment of an arts centre in Cornwall. This was one of the first donations made for the cause, a cause which has since received over $1,300,000.

International Women's Day Show
From 2014 to 2020, The Cornwall Seeker held a trade show in celebration of women in business called the International Women's Day Show. Estimates of the success of the later years of the show guess that around 1,000 citizens are in attendance. The show has frequently had notable guest speakers such as former Cornwall mayor and current senator Bernadette Clement, who spoke in multiple years.

In 2020, the show was held virtually due to COVID-19. It hasn't been held again since then.

GoFeedMe
In partnership with many other SDSG businesses and non-profits, The Cornwall Seeker helped launch GoFeedMe, a non-profit organization aiming to provide food to those in need via delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Editorial Board

 * Julia Lucio: Co-founder, managing editor, columnist of "Agree to Disagree"
 * Mai-Liis Renaud: Co-founder, creative design, columnist of "Out and About" and "Locals in the Loupe"
 * John Grow: Columnist of "For What its Worth"
 * Louise Mignault: Politics & social.
 * Mateo Lucio: Junior editor, Columnist of "Keeping it Reel" and "Take Note"

Columnists

 * Ian Bowering: Writer focused on SDSG history
 * Lisa Gray: "Wondrous Life"
 * Betty Healey: "roadSIGNS"
 * Sylvie O'Rourke: "Outdoors Club"
 * Yafa Goawily: "Yafa Arts & Crafts"
 * Ivan Labelle: "Men Writes"
 * Anna Varnava: "Gardening Questions"
 * Marlene Lister: "Fashionably Marlene"
 * Sharyn Thompson: "Sharyn's Pantry"
 * Grant Fraser: "Grant Spills the Gravy"
 * Transition Cornwall+: "The Latest News From Transition Cornwall+"