Kevin Rollason

I’ve gone on for too long but - hey - it has been 41 years in journalism. I’m hoping I helped make a difference in your lives and it is now time for the younger generations to carry the torch. For a final time: -30-

And, while the reporter writes the stories, a whole team of editors and photographers, as well as other production staff, advertising sales people, and many others helped ensure my stories got into your hands, whether in the physical newspaper or web site

I want to thank the 1000s of people who I interviewed through the years - not all happy about it - who helped me write the stories and, of course, the 1000s of readers who buy the paper - we wouldn’t be here, and I wouldn’t have had a job to do what I did, without them

After court, I interviewed the defence counsel and, for my final question, I asked if she was doing anything Friday or Saturday night. We’ve now been married 33 years

Fun story: when I covered the Law Courts I did a story about how a judge, Crown attorney, and defence counsel all came together to give a thief who was a mom a break.

Sad that my career began with the search for Candice Derksen and ends with still no one serving time in prison for her death - thinking of her mom Wilma

Reading thousands of obits through the years, to find the lives of interesting people, so we could spotlight them in news stories or on the front of our Passages section or in my newsletter proving everyone has a story

Pennies from Heaven, Miracle on Mountain, Sunshine Fund, Philanthropy page - stories which raised funds or gave a pat on the back to many worthy organizations and people helping many

Interviewing every Manitoba Premier, starting with Howard Pawley, every Winnipeg mayor, starting with Bill Norrie, and questioning every Prime Minister, starting with Brian Mulroney - I only missed Carney

I am in awe of the many many people who agreed to speak to me after their loved ones died tragically, on what was the worst day of their lives. They trusted me to let people know their loved ones were far more than a statistic and I thank them

I gave readers a window into my youngest daughter’s life, and my family’s love for her, as she faces the challenges of living with multiple disabilities - these stories struck a chord with readers and many I interviewed would ask about her

Bowen’s letters were so detailed I was able to turn them into a years long Twitter/X project with what he was doing 100 years to the day - you can still find it @SignedStanley

I wrote many features for Remembrance Day for which I was honoured by the Royal Canadian Legion. One was about Stanley Bowen, a soldier who sent hundreds of letters back to his sweetheart from the trenches of the First World War.

I was working the night when news about a Swissair jet going down in the Maritimes was slow in coming, I began phoning and was linked by shore radio to fishermen who - while the national news wire was reporting people were being rescued - told me all they were seeing were bodies

Writing about how the city’s then-fire chief was testing response times by crews - and potentially endangering citizens- by calling in false alarms himself. He had his wrist rapped for that one

Trying unsuccessfully to convince a woman lacking home care not to end her life with MAID before she allowed the story to run was a very sad one

Dog shoots man then saves him - not only did the National Enquirer pick it up, but how I handled the story actually made it into a Canadian journalism textbook