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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, September 25, 2015 | 4 Davis calls `-30-' on 34-year career in news by Tim Whitnell Metroland West Media I t's appropriate that animal lover Jill Davis has exhibited dogged determination over the course of her long journalism career. Despite liking nothing better than seeing the newspapers under her guidance sink their reporting teeth into an important or interesting local story, she says the time has come to call -30- on her 30-plus year run in community newspapers. It's essentially a Freedom 55 moment for Davis, who turns 55 on Oct. 27, less than a month after she retires from Metroland Media Group (this newspaper's parent company). It's now less than a week, Sept. 30 to be precise, when Davis wraps up 34 years as a reporter and editor in the GTA. She leaves as the Editor-in-Chief, the head honcho of editorial, for Metroland Media Group's Halton Division, overseeing the work of all editors, reporters, photographers and freelancers who contribute to the Oakville Beaver, Burlington Post, and Milton Canadian Champion, as well as the Flamborough Review. She was promoted to Editor-In-Chief in 2002. Immediately prior, Davis was managing editor of the Burlington Post, a role she assumed in 1992. She started her journalistic career as woman's editor for a small Thomson daily newspaper, The Brampton Daily Times, in 1980. She hit the ground running with her first bylined front-page news story while at the Times. Davis got to interview, by phone, one-legged runner and now Canadian icon Terry Fox. Her lead story detailed how an exhausted Fox, who had already run 3,800 kilometres in his epic attempt to run across Canada with his cancer fundraising Marathon of Hope, had a scheduling conflict and wouldn't arrive in Brampton on his highly-anticipated appointed day. Getting into newspapers seemed a natural choice for Davis. Her late father, Stan, was a career advertising sales rep with several Toronto daily newspapers; her mother Joan, now 87, once worked at the London Daily Mail in England. Newspapers were always at home Davis said newspapers could always be found around her house growing up. She even delivered the Toronto Sun in her youth. "We always watched the news on TV and had CFRB on the radio." One of her favourite family trips was to Washington, D.C. As a 16-year-old, she took a public tour of the Washington Post in 1977, the year after the release of the acclaimed movie, All The President's Men, about the newspaper's momentous Watergate coverage. It is her favourite movie, which makes sense as Davis sees journalism, when it's at its best, as shining a light on important issues and making a difference in people's lives. Davis said a letter sent to her several years ago illustrates the impact community journalism can have. It was from a family that lived near her in south Burlington. Being an animal lover -- she's owned cats and dogs over the years -- Davis had written about the family's friendly yellow Labrador being a "You can't be bored. Every day is different, especially if a big story is breaking. With the Internet (newspaper websites) now, it's like being a daily. I'm proud of how we have developed our website." Making headlines in the digital realm Senior Metroland Media administrators, too, have noticed the Davis-run Halton Division's high volume of reader Web and social media traffic, which has regularly outperformed many of the chain's larger divisions, including some of its small dailies. "Within Metroland's newsrooms, Jill Davis stands tall for me -- an esteemed pilot above this ongoing tempest, defender of local newspapers' strongest values, and a dogged and persistent initiator of fundamental change for her newspapers and staff to make local newspapers' digital content resonate in her coverage area and beyond," said John Futhey, managing director of community sites for Metroland Media Group Inc. Davis' immediate boss echoed those sentiments. "Her leadership has also been instrumental in the newspapers' website making tremendous strides in pageviews," said David Harvey, general manager of the Halton Newspaper Division. "Community leaders have noted that Jill has a reputation for providing fair, balanced and factual news to the people, and has contributed a great deal in the success of local organizations through her ongoing support," he added. Davis herself, and moreso the papers she has helmed, have won more than their share of awards. She was named the Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA) Editor of the Year Award for non-daily newspapers in 2008. Her efforts didn't go unnoticed. At the time of her win, Al Cupo, SNA's vice-president of operations, referred to a remark made by one SNA judge. "It is clear Jill Davis has touched many in her community, from the readers to even her mom, and isn't that what a great editor should do?" The Halton Division papers and the Flamborough Review have won numerous provincial, national and North American awards in her time as editor-in-chief. Davis said Post readers haven't heard the last from her as she will likely contribute an occasional guest column. She's also looking forward to finally attempting to write a children's book. The early years Born Gillian Davis in Southgate, England in 1960, Davis' family immigrated to Oakville when she was six. The family moved around the area, next to Georgetown, where she attended three elementary schools, and then to Burlington for Grade 8 at Frontenac P .S. By that time, Gillian had become Jill, tired of being called `Gilligan' by some students. Then it was on to Nelson High School, which she recalls fondly. From there, she entered Sheridan College's journalism program. She's been in newspapers ever since, save for a sharp turn in 1985 when she decided to give see Davis on p.18 Jill Davis, editor-in-chief of Metroland Media Group's Halton Division, is anticipating a world of new adventures as she wraps up a 34-year career in the newsroom. | photo by Nikki Wesley ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) In community journalism, you work with some awesome, amazing people, who you consider family. You can't be bored. Every day is different, especially if a big story is breaking. With the Internet (newspaper websites) now, it's like being a daily. I'm proud of how we have developed our website. Editor-in-Chief, Halton Division, Metroland West Media Jill Davis welcome sight in the neighbourhood. One of the kids in the family was thrilled to see their pet mentioned in the Post and sent Davis a thankyou letter done in crayon with a picture of their dog, Bo, meeting Davis' dog, Rusty. Davis has kept that letter, and others from readers, who appreciated regular coverage of fundraisers and other stories that resulted in positive reaction and help from and for members of the community on various issues. Some of the letters she has received, and kept, relate to her personal battle with breast cancer. The family scourge hit Davis in 2010 and she went through the long, arduous treatment for breast cancer, which kept her away from work for more than a year. She cites the support of her husband John, family, friends and co-workers as being instrumental in helping her get through that tough time. Her sister, Liz, recently came though her own breast cancer treatment. Davis didn't shy away from the sensitive subject, writing several columns about her own battle to shine a light on available support for those suffering the same fate. Healthy now, but perhaps in need of a break from the newspaper grind each day, Davis said she's leaving with no regrets, only many happy memories. "You should know when it's time to leave the party.... I'm not sure how I'm going to stop. I don't have a pause button, and I can't rewind." Looking back, she said she never considered trying to move on to the daily papers. "You can get lost in daily journalism. At the community level, you get more of a sense of the community and are maybe more sensitive to its needs." She likes what she considers the more intimate aspect of weekly newspaper reporting in a smaller newsroom. "In community journalism, you work with some awesome, amazing people, who you consider family.