The first edition of the Arrow Lakes News was printed on June 28, 1922, when Frank Rouleau launched the newspaper.

The store was located on the top floor of the small lobby (where the liquor store is located today).

Frank bought the equipment that The Advocate newspaper had used in 1914. The Advocate was started by Thomas Abriel with Robert Barrett as printer and editor. Unfortunately, the diary only survived about nine months. Lack of commercial involvement was thought to be the cause of its demise. However, it did provide insight into the life and times of those early days.

Shortly thereafter, the Arrow Lakes News moved to a new location on the top floor of the Edwards Building on Bay Street.

Tom Roberts was hired to run Frank Rouleau’s business. However, a fire necessitated another move to the back of the old bank building on Slocan Ave. This building was located below what is now the Home Grown Market.

Thanks to the brave efforts of some people, most of the printing equipment has been saved.

When Lewis Edwards rebuilt his business, he decided to move to Broadway. (Edwards Block now houses Home Grown Market, 2022). When the building was completed, the Arrow Lakes News moved to the back, and Dr. McLean used the front for his pharmacy.

Lewis set up an office for his solicitor and land company in the room that had been added to the north side of the building, with an entrance placed at the front to accommodate his clients.

Lewis Edwards’ move to Broadway and the construction of the magnificent Masonic Lodge in 1922 saw the emergence of this wide street as the city’s business hub. This was in line with Nakusp’s original plan.

The newspaper then moved to the back of the Arrow Lakes Supply building (where Royal LaPage Selkirk Realty is now located).

Mrs. Ralphia McLean served as its editor in 1923. ABS Stanley purchased the paper from Rouleau in 1924 and, together with his son ABS Stanley Jr., who was only 17 at the time, established a family business which would last for 70 year. ABS Stanley Sr. decided to move on a few months later and left the diary in the hands of his son.

Arthur Jr. hired Marjorie White to help with the composition and in 1932 they were married. The peaked-roof building that housed the back end of Stanley Printing (now Spiritwood Cards, Baubles & Tunes) was built in 1924 for the Arrow Lakes News. In 1968 Denis Stanley built on the part later known as Stanley Printing Ltd. This building later became the NACOMO Center and now houses Art Works from Turtle Island.

In 1970, Denis Stanley skilfully took over the business when his father, Arthur, retired. Both father and son have received many awards and accolades over the years for the quality of the newspaper they have printed. Not everyone always agreed with them, but they printed timely stories and were keen to advance historical events and help their town in any way with free advertisements or support items.

On December 1, 1994, Denis sold the business to Small Town Press Ltd. The newspaper kept the name and moved to 88 Broadway Street W to begin work. They then moved next to the Nakusp agencies for a short time, then across the street to part of the building occupied by Nakusp Glass in 2001, then the office formerly occupied by Dr. McNeill (203 Broadway Street W) where they remained for a decade, and finally the old Columbia Cable building (89 1st Avenue NW) in 2014.

Written by Rosemarie Parent from archival documents and publications of the Arrow Lakes Historical Society.