People in B.C. are headed to the polls in October for municipal elections across the province.

At the same time, local newsrooms have been gutted, with existing reporting teams trying to do more with less.

Local politics are hugely consequential for how we live day to day but often have the lowest voter turnouts of any kinds of elections.

The Tyee’s independent journalists are on the ground, tracking candidates and issues across the province.

And we’re asking our readers what is most important to you this civic election season.

That’s because we work for you. Our non-profit newsroom is funded in large part directly by our readers, who we call Tyee Builders. As a Builder, you can contribute an amount that works for you, on your schedule, and help support the public interest journalism that is crucial during the democratic process. And because we’re a registered journalism organization, you’ll get a tax receipt for your contribution over $5.

Every dollar received from our readers ensures our talented team of journalists can get to work and make our reporting available to the public, free of charge, no paywall.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher

You made it all the way to the bottom of the article. That makes you some serious Tyee Builder material.

What’s a Tyee Builder, you ask? It’s a person, a reader, who has decided they want to be part of the team that helps keep open-access, public interest journalism alive.

Without them, without you, the Tyee’s newsroom, staffed with fiercely independent reporters and editors, would not be able to devote all their time to getting to the truth and sharing it freely with the world.

The Tyee is not part of a big news chain or owned by people who are trying to turn a profit. Our non-profit newsroom doesn’t stuff our pages with annoying ads or lock our work behind a paywall. But we still have bills to pay, and good journalism costs a lot. The only way we can square this circle is if a certain percentage of our readers agree to support our newsroom. And luckily, over 10,000 people have decided to do so.

With the help of our readers, we’ve bucked the doom and gloom trend in Canadian media – we’ve grown our team, reach more people than ever, and publish impactful journalism that sparks conversations, reveals truths and moves social change.

Back the team that powers our newsroom – you choose the amount, the frequency, and you can cancel at any time. Plus, you’ll get a tax receipt for your contributions over $5.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher