We are Northern Ontario.
Our Commitment
The Northern Hoot sets out to slow down the news and take an in depth approach to exploring the issues that affect the lives of Northern Ontarians. We strive to deliver information and stories that will educate, amuse, enlighten and create the conversations necessary to improve the quality of life for people in the North.”
Our Story
The Northern Hoot is an independent publication and we want to give ownership of the news back to the citizens of Northern Ontario.
Unrestrained by controlling corporate interests or shareholder obligation, the Northern Hoot fearlessly breaks open the contentious matters in the North. We are dedicated to publishing intelligent and transparent information that creates rigorous debate and meaningful conversations.
We are reviving long-form journalism by taking the time to sit down with the experts, and with you, so that we can connect to the facts and the heart of a story.
The Northern Hoot is also about place. We want to be as unique as the region we serve and that’s why we’re celebrating everything that makes Northern Ontario so special.
Though Northern Ontario is a vast land and our voices across the region diverse, it is our similar experiences that bind us as one community and cultivates our cultural integrity as proud Northerners.
Northern Hoot Believers
There is a much needed alternative to the publications currently available. An on-line publication focusing on Northern Ontario through an investigative reporting lens will provide an excellent venue for Northern research and issues. – Dr. Gayle Broad, Associate Professor, Algoma University, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
The mainstream media in the North is extremely dependant on advertising revenues and business considerations require staffing levels unsuited and inadequate to proper journalistic research and reporting. While press releases may be of interest, it is the analysis and considered opinion of impartial reporters which is valued by readers. Without investigative reporting, which takes time the mainstream media no longer wish to accord journalists, media outlets become mere propaganda organs for those that can afford their rates or regurgitate press-release spin and hype. – George Browne, Lake Superior Action Research, Montreal River, Ontario
Northern Ontario has long needed a voice representing and celebrating the uniqueness of our Northern culture while offering an alternative to sound bite journalism. The Northern Hoot offers an alternative to the often skewed consumer driven model of news reporting. – Murray Lamothe, Writer, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
For those of us who crave intellectual conversation and heartfelt debate, our news sources tend to come from a distance. We turn to media from larger centers around the world to meet our needs. As a result, our connection to our community and our neighbours is weakened and the stories happening at home tend to be missed. With Sault Ste. Marie working so hard to attract well-educated, young professionals, our ability to meet this need and encourage this connection is becoming all the more important. We need local spaces where people feel free to write about and explore difficult issues, personal experiences and the stories that create our collective history. We need to encourage people to connect to Sault Ste. Marie and Northern Ontario if we hope to keep them here. The Northern Hoot has the potential to encourage and support those conversations and connections. – Helen Scott, Lawyer, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
People enjoy reading stories with greater value. A day can still be productive after reading a quick comic or the criminals of the week. But there is nothing motivating about this. Compare this to being hungry and either ordering fast food or sitting in a small restaurant. One has a better effect, doesn’t it? There will always be people who want compelling entertainment in their day. People who want a stimulating story to read. Who want to be reminded why they chose to live in Northern Ontario. – Broderick Causley, Student of Mathematics, Moscow, Russia. Hometown -Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
Having been born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario I will forever consider Northern Ontario my home. I am now living in Belleville, Ontario and frequently rely on news websites to learn about the latest events and stories occurring in the North. So many issues that affect the people of Northern Ontario go unexplained by mainstream media. Smaller news sources that rely on advertisers can become stunted for fear of losing their revenue should certain material be published. I would gladly subscribe to an onlineNorthern Ontario news source that focused on producing in depth, high quality investigative material that did not have to cater to advertisers. This is exactly the voice Northern Ontario needs. – David Viitala, Counsellor, Belleville, Ontario. Hometown- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
People of Northern Ontario are unique in culture in comparison to the rest of Ontario. Presenting media that pertains specifically to Northerners connects people to issues that they can most relate to, thus creating a community culture. As Northern Ontario is a vast geographical area with many citizens facing the same issues, we as Northerners relate in our own way. It is important to draw positive from the issues that people from Northern Ontario face and create solutions. The Northern Hoot certainly addresses our cultural concerns and would be an asset to northerners alike. – Caceila Trahan, Youth Poverty Activist, Sudbury, Ontario. Hometown- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario
