Hello Barrhead. My name is Barry Kerton and I am a community reporter. It is a title I wear as a badge of honour. In my life, I have been fortunate to have a number of different jobs. I have worked as a delivery driver, a deli worker and a pressman, but the one I am most proud of is community reporter.
Hello Barrhead. My name is Barry Kerton and I am a community reporter.
It is a title I wear as a badge of honour. In my life, I have been fortunate to have a number of different jobs. I have worked as a delivery driver, a deli worker and a pressman, but the one I am most proud of is community reporter.
When I was in high school, I dreamed of working for a big city newspaper. To be more specific, a sports columnist.
I blame Jim Taylor. Taylor was a sports writer whose career spanned 46 years, working for newspapers such as the Victoria Colonist, the Vancouver Sun and Province and the Calgary Sun among others.
Like many youngsters, growing up in B.C. in the 1980s I loved the Vancouver Canucks and B.C. Lions and one of the first things I would do is open the Vancouver Province to see how my teams did and to read Taylor's column.
It was after reading one of Tayor' columns that I decided to become a sports writer.
However, it did not take long for me to discover that being a sports writer would not be in my future. Not because I did not love sports or writing, but because I found out I liked something more, being a community reporter.
Covering stories that are important to the community.
In my career as a journalist I have worked for newspapers in Creston, B.C., Red Deer, Enderby, B.C., Peachland, B.C., Mayerthorpe, Whitecourt and now Barrhead.
What I have learned during my time living and working in these communities, is every story is important, whether it be a story about building a new aquatic centre, a school play or a community fundraiser.
I often call myself, the bake sale reporter. It is not a term in a derogatory fashion, but one said with affection and pride.
Now to tell you a little bit about myself. I am married and after a long stint in B.C. returned to Alberta three years ago. Currently, my wife and I live in Whitecourt, but we hope to be able to call Barrhead our full time home after I am able to find a place to rent for ourselves and our dogs.
When I am not working or spending time with my wife and my dogs, I like to spend my time on the air.
Not as an on air, radio DJ, but as an amateur radio operator. Amateur radio is a hobby that allows people from all walks of life to talk to each other over the air by Morse code, voice and many other types of communication modes. One of my favourite things in amateur radio is to try to contact countries a great distance away through a mode radio amateurs call HF or high frequency radio. Another area in amateur radio I like to do is public service.
In times of emergency radio operators are often called upon to provide communications when all other types of communications failed. Back in 2003 and 2009, when I was living in Kelowna, B.C. I was part of a number of amateur radio operators who volunteered their time and skills to help relay information between the Emergency Operations Centre and various reception centres when people were forced to evacuate their homes due to wild fires that surrounded the city.
So that is me in a nutshell. I am excited about learning more about the area and its residents and to calling Barrhead my new home.
If you see me on the street do not hesitate to introduce yourself and if you are a ham radio operator and hear me on the air my callsign is VE7KNK.
