
Photo by Rob Moses
Print is dead? Nope. Not in Calgary.
After publishing for a year and a half as a digital journalism startup, The Sprawl has made its first foray into newsprint. And now we'd like to put the paper into your hands.
This limited-run newspaper is the culmination of our pop up newsroom at the Central Library, where we asked Calgarians: what do you want for your city over the next 25 years?
Calgarians posted their answers in droves. Meanwhile, we brought together a diverse group of local journalists to dig into some of the possibilities. This project was a true community effort.
Here's what you'll find inside the paper:
- Mirjam Guesgen and Sarah Lawrynuik on climate change
- Grace Heavy Runner on reconciliation
- Christina Frangou on building a welcoming city
- Peter Hemminger on Calgary's cowboy déjà vu
- Hadeel Abdel-Nabi on the new arts underground
- Onai Petra Abote on the changing face and place of worship
- Doug Horner on why heritage buildings matter
- Willem Klumpenhouwer on regional rail
- Jeremy Klaszus on income segregation
PLUS!
- Comics page by Sam Hester
- Calgary-themed crossword by Len Dueck
- Poster designed by Chris Pecora
- Illustrations by Kyle Simmers, Nicole Wolf and Tom Bagley
This is truly a newspaper like no other: there are no ads. That's because The Sprawl is directly crowdfunded by members—Calgarians like you—instead of being stuck trying to sell to advertisers.
We're member-driven, not ad-driven.
All of our members get a copy of the newspaper. We'd love to have you on board and send you one, too! Check out the Sprawl Manifesto to learn more about what we do and why we do it. If you like what you see, sign up as a Sprawler on Patreon.
Most members kick in just $5 to $10 a month—more or less the price of a coffee or lunch.
Take a look at what people are saying:
I wrote the cover story for @sprawlcalgary's 2044 edition. The message: Every person who lives here can make YYC a more welcoming place. We offer a spectrum of welcomes—or rejections—to newcomers, ranging from outright racism to indifference to genuine kindness. pic.twitter.com/26sXFmpFNx
— Christina Frangou (@cfrangou) March 15, 2019
I love this so much. @sprawlcalgary is the first paper (community newsletters included) I can remember reading (in my whole life) with no ads. NO ADS! Be still, my heart. Thanks to everyone who Patreoned to make this possible. pic.twitter.com/GUkugwuUrS
— Alison Van Rosendaal (@boyd_alison) March 15, 2019
And they say print journalism is dead... this is my #Calgary. So proud of what @sprawlcalgary has accomplished. pic.twitter.com/9KMPTVmj9C
— Gena Rotstein (@KarmaAndCents) March 15, 2019
Already can't wait for the next edition. Hint hint @klaszus. Now there has to be another print wdition🤔😉 #yyc @sprawlcalgary pic.twitter.com/oZ62tp95A2
— Nonos (@onaipetra) March 15, 2019
Finally got my hands on the limited-run, print edition of the @sprawlcalgary. Hard-hitting awesomeness. Congrats to @klaszus, @beatriceaucoin, and all of the other contributors. pic.twitter.com/6IkyLI3D6S
— brett bergie (@brettbergie) March 14, 2019
When you become a Sprawler, you're not just supporting local journalism. You're joining a community of people who care deeply about Calgary and its future.
Thanks for considering it.
Jeremy Klaszus
Founder/Editor, THE SPRAWL