Rankin Inlet (Jan 05/05) - Journalist Ronna Bremer celebrated a special birthday on Dec. 21, 1994.

Not only did she turn a year wiser on that date, she was also holding the first edition of the Kivalliq News in her hands in Rankin Inlet.

This photo of Arviat's Mark Kalluak looking back upon a yellowed copy of the Keewatin Echo adorned the first edition of the Kivalliq News on Dec. 21, 1994. The Keewatin Echo ceased publication in 1975. - NNSL file photo

Bremer was the first Northern News Services Ltd. editor at the helm of the Kivalliq newspaper.

Now working in the public relations field, Bremer says the Kivalliq region was ready for the paper's arrival in '94.

"I remember going to an implementation committee meeting in Rankin and having Manitok Thompson, who was a hamlet councillor then, tell me how honoured they were to have me there," recalls Bremer.

"I'm thinking, Oh my God, I'm a reporter. You're not supposed to be happy about having me here.

"But, that was so indicative of the sentiment within the whole community at the time.

"Everybody was so excited to have their first regional newspaper there."

Bremer says building contacts was challenging during the early days, and there were more than a few hiccups along the way.

Not being technically gifted, panic would set in when the fax modem wouldn't work and she couldn't transmit her stories to Yellowknife for printing.

And, Mother Nature also provided her share of stress to be dealt with.

"You were always fretting whether you would get your film out and then you'd be fretting on whether the paper would get in."

Bremer says she felt part of the community during her time in Rankin, which isn't always the case for reporters in many locales.

She says people across the entire region went out of their way to make her feel comfortable.

"The kids, especially, were really excited to have their own paper.

"As a kid from southern Alberta myself, who had spent a year in Inuvik along the way, it was a real learning experience for me.

"The thing that sticks out in my mind the most is how everybody went out of their way to help make the paper such a success."

Bremer says her time in the Kivalliq will always hold a special place in her life.

And, she gets a kick out of the hoopla surrounding a certain NHLer these days.

"I always laugh because I remember Jordin Tootoo, Troy Aksalnik and Nathaniel Kusugak visiting my office all the time when they were about 10 years old.

Best time

Marty Brown came to the Kivalliq in 1995 as the paper's second editor and returned for a brief stint in 1998.

She says the time she spent as editor of the Kivalliq News was the best time of her life.

"I had never been the editor of a whole newspaper before and it was terribly exciting," says Brown.

"The people were awesome and the scenery was to die for."

Brown says being unilingual presented its share of challenges when she first arrived in the Kivalliq.

She says she was often at the mercy of "kind-hearted souls" who would take time to stop by the office and keep her in the loop as to what was happening in the region.

"Nine years ago, you had to develop your film by hand, which I did on Thursday nights.

"So, while I was in the back room doing my film, I'd be listening to community radio without understanding a single word being said.

"When I think back, it was just hilarious. I wouldn't have missed it for the world."