Labradorians rally to keep beloved magazine Them Days on track

It was a tough year for theonly magazine dedicated to the history of Labrador, but the people who keep Them Days running are confident the long-running publication has a strong future.

An administrator quit, the COVID-19 pandemic scratched a crucial annual general meeting in March, and Aimee Chaulk, the editor of more than 10 years, left on maternity leave in April, with her replacement exiting after that.

Alex Saunders, who was chairing a board that was down to just a couple of other members, said the group took some advice from Chaulk on how to get through the months to come.

"[It] was Aimee's suggestionthat we use guest editors for eachedition, and that worked out well so far," Saunders told CBC's Labrador Morning.

The idea had been in the back of Aimee Chaulk's mind for a while. She had planned to enrol guest editors forhelp when she returnsfrom her leave in the spring of 2021,but it was clearthe publication needed the help now.

"At Them Days, we do have a lot of community support," said Chaulk. "People really like the magazine, so the guest editorsthat we've had while I have been gone are sort of the regulars."

Them Days runs on subscriptions and an operating grant, and has always been dependent on volunteers through more than four decades of collecting stories and photographs about Labrador history.

Volunteersanswered the call

When it came to strengthening the number of people sitting on the board, the community also roseto the challenge.

This is our heritage.This is us, this is all about us."- Mike Broomfield

"I just heard that things weren't going so well," said past chair Mike Broomfield. "So I figuredI'd come to check it out and see if there is anything I could do to help."

Broomfieldsaid he was glad to see others step up, and added thatmany Labradorians just can't imagine Labrador without Them Days.

"This is our heritage," said Broomfield. "This is us, this is all about us."

Tracey Doherty, another board member, felt the same way. She thinks with all thatpassion put under difficult circumstances and with very few people to make timely decisions, tension did rise upamong board members.

"Of course when you get into a bit of pressure or stress, your personality kind of rises to the occasion and maybe there are some conflicts," said Doherty."But we worked through it."

AGM may happen virtually

In the end, the importance of that magazine trumpedany personal disagreements.

On the agenda: how to organize the delayed annual general meeting, and whether to do it together or on a virtual platform.

Speaking with Labrador Morning, the members of the board all seemed to agree on one thing: an eagerness forChaulk to step back into her role.

"I guess I've been there the longest now," saidChaulk. "So for the board, I provide a sense of continuity. I guess that's why they look to me for some support."

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