Editor-in-Chief Vern McGill welcomes you to a new year of the Calgary Journal.

A journalism professor once told me that every person has a story to tell. I was skeptical at first. How could everyone have a story that’s worth telling?

A local Mac’s store cashier or a seemingly random group of people gathered at a bar – do their stories really shape our city?

Three years down the road, I have witnessed and listened to stories of success, heartbreak and even the paranormal.

I hear these stories and it becomes clear; each and every single one of us is an important piece our city’s puzzle.

And that’s what leads to our promise at the Calgary Journal – to report on the people, issues and events that shape our city.

The woman working at Mac’s in Silver Springs had been there for nearly two decades but was in the process of moving to a new location.

She was nervous, excited and worried that she might not see the faces she had come to know at her current location. Working 16-hour days, six times per week, her story is one of determination. A story worth telling.

By listening to the stories of Calgary’s people, I learned that the group clinking pints at a busy pub had met only a few weeks ago on an internet forum. The social club they created was filled with people claiming to be socially awkward, but at a glance it looked as though they had been friends since childhood. Another story worth telling.

We look forward to a new year reporting on the people, issues and events that shape our city. From all us at the Mount Royal University journalism program and the Calgary Journal, thank you for your continued support and for sharing your amazing stories.

Vern McGill is the Editor-in-Chief of the Calgary Journal.