By Dylana Milobar

“The Big E” brings new voice from Kamloops streets

Jan 11, 2019 | 4:24 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s the latest way for less fortunate Kamloops residents with a nose for journalism to not only exercise that interest, but make some money.

The Big Edition, known as ‘The Big E‘ is a newspaper run by street folk in Kamloops. 

Today’s launch comes after the passing of Elmer King, a well known face on Kamloops streets who had pushed for the venture.

The project was largely led by members of the city’s Lived Experience Committee and has been in the works for over a year.

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It was no small venture either, with lots of work done to get the final product out — helped along by people like Alex McGilvery, a member of the Interior Authors Group who designed the layout of this first edition. 

“I spent the month, I don’t know how many revisions to get it right. We were still fixing it the morning before we sent it off to the printers.”

The premise is to provide homeless or low-income contributors a way to earn money while sharing stories, current events, poems, and editorials to the public. 

Cynthia A. Travers has experience in homelessness herself, and is one of The Big E’s lived experience contributors. 

“The reason for the involvement is to end panhandling. You know, to put self esteem back in my street brothers and sisters, to show them that they’re loved, and that people do care. Not all of us have drug problems and alcohol problems, but we do have mental health problems,” she explains.

The Big Edition costs $3, with vendors keeping $2.50 of the profits, and will be sold monthly throughout Kamloops by street vendors and various organizations.