About

Alberta Street News is published by Linda Dumont, who works from her home in Edmonton’s inner city. Dumont is founder, editor, and designer. The first issue was launched November 16, 2003. As a street newspaper, Alberta Street News is a member paper of the International Network of Street Papers (INSP). There are four other member papers in Canada: in Montreal, Sydney, N.S., Vancouver, BC, and Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Alberta Street News is a street newspaper, sold by vendors on the street in Edmonton and Calgary. Sale of papers provides employment for the vendors who are entrepreneurs. They purchase papers at 50 cents a copy, then choose where and when to sell their papers for the price of a donation.

Many of the vendors face barriers to employment such as physical and/or mental disabilities, addictions, lack of education, prison records, adverse circumstances, family breakdown, loss of employment for any reason, or age. Vending papers makes it possible for a person to work for brief periods of time, or just when he or she is feeling okay because each person sets his or her own hours.

The money earned gives an improved quality of life. In addition, vendors learn life skills from interacting with the public, gain supporters, and make friends.