History

High Country Business Services Ltd. published the first High Country News on January 1990, covering 1,300 households in Bragg Creek, Redwood Meadows and Priddis. It was initially printed on 11 x 17 bond paper which was manually folded, collated and stapled; a year later, we switched to newsprint on a web press, which has been far quicker and cheaper to produce.

It was quickly recognized that neighbouring areas also needed a publication for community news… and so the expansion began. In 1991 – Springbank; in 1992 – Millarville; in 1993 – Black Diamond & Turner Valley. Rural Routes 8 & 9 came on board in 1994 & 1997, then Longview was included in 2003. Over 10,000 households now receive the High Country News – FREE!

The concept of the High Country News is to provide a no-charge outlet for the community groups to promote their organizations and announce any fundraising events; to give an opportunity for aspiring writers to be published; to provide informational articles by local business people; to offer non-commercial and commercial classifieds sections; and to afford businesses a reasonably priced avenue for promotion.

In 1993, Horst Hackforth of Sawmill Studio began providing artwork for the front page, which continues to this day to give the paper a unique look. Please click on ‘Front Page Gallery’ to view Horst’s artistry.

In 1994, a local Priddis resident, Paul Hemingson, began submitting his musings, entitled Western Ways. Although he has now moved north of Calgary to his retirement property, Paul continues to provide a monthly column for this paper. Paul has self-published his collections of articles, in volumes called Western Ways, I, II & III, and Notes from the North Quarter.

To find out information about the communities this paper covers, please click on Links.

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