Peter and Nancy turned the reins of the family business over to Yanik Richards and Michelle Ollerhead in 2020. Yanik joined The Buzz at the end of 1999, and Michelle came on board in 2015. “The Buzz is PEI’s biggest fan,” says Yanik. “We’re that friend who is obsessed with one thing and can’t stop talking about it. We really just want everyone to enjoy it with us.” Aside from the hard work of staff, writers, photographers and others behind the scenes, Yanik and Michelle credit the ongoing success of The Buzz to “our avid readers, all the creators and performers who give us so much to write about, and the steady support from advertisers who choose The Buzz to reach locals and visitors.” The Buzz has been quick to adapt to the changing media landscape. “Digital media, and its spawn social media, are transforming trends that we’ve had to continue to dance along with.” The Buzz had the first electronic publication (website) on PEI in 1995. It’s now the familiar buzzpei.com site, supplemented by @buzzpei and #buzzpei. Hurricane Fiona 2022 was a challenge like no other. “Fiona arrived Friday and continued into Saturday, but our deadline to have the files for the October issue delivered to the printing press was on Sunday evening. By early Saturday morning, the whole family (son Logan and dog Maya) was camped out in our living room with computers and makeshift workstations. We put that issue together with generator power and spotty cell phone hotspots, while the shingles were being ripped off the roof and water was
coming in through the light fixtures. We were exhausted from working round the clock with almost no sleep for two days while Fiona roared outside, but we met our deadline.” Producing the Buzz is simultaneously rewarding, demanding and overwhelming at times. “Delivery day remains one of our favourite times because we get to see the fruit of the month’s labour. It’s great to hear “Yay! The new Buzz!”when the new issue arrives!”
@buzzpei www.buzzpei.com www.issuu.com/buzzpei
◄ Yanik Richards, Michelle Ollerhead
SPRING 2023 www.pei-living.ca
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