River Valley Sun’s Jim Dumville plans to write for pleasure and spend more time with family
As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. On April 1, after 31-plus years covering the issues, politics, and people of the Upper River Valley, Jim Dumville will retire from full-time journalism.
A graduate of the NBCC journalism program, Dumville honed his craft at the Bugle-Observer for 25 years before cuts to the then-owned Irving publication made him a free agent.
Shortly after his layoff in 2018, Jim joined Theresa Blackburn and her husband Stephen Chisholm in their dream to establish a free community paper in the valley.
“It gave us instant credibility,” said Blackburn. “He knew everyone, had covered everything, and we knew our dream would be easy to achieve once he was on board. We are really going to miss him. He gave more than he had to, and has always put the community first. We are more than just coworkers; we’re friends.”
In 2024, Blackburn penned a tribute to Dumville in ageless New Brunswick magazine, celebrating his 30 years as a steward of quality community journalism.
“As community newspapers continue to shutter in small towns and villages across Canada, what Jim does becomes all the more important,” wrote Blackburn. “He writes the stories and ensures issues get public exposure. He sometimes forgoes weekend relaxation to cover small community events. Jim doesn’t know what ‘downtime’ is because, as he says, his job doesn’t feel like a job. He loves what he does, and the community benefits from that love every day.”
When Blackburn and Chisholm planned the paper’s fifth birthday party in Feb. 2024, they quietly arranged for community and provincial politicians to present Dumville with certificates of appreciation. He was surprised and humbled.
“We wanted to honour a man who has given more than he’s taken and who continues to bring respect and honour to the practice of gathering, recording, verifying, and reporting information of public importance,” said Blackburn.
As for Dumville, he still plans to freelance for the paper and will be a regular contributor to the newspaper’s sister publication, ageless New Brunswick, when he isn’t hanging out with friends and family in New Brunswick and Quebec.
Blackburn says the paper plans to host a retirement party for Jim in late April.
