The Biggest Year Yet
Thanks for the support
Thank you.
Put 2024 in the books as done.
Wasn’t going to do another column but this year-ender seemed worthwhile. because it is the biggest year of Bond Papers yet as we head into the 20th anniversary year.
Let’s start with numbers.
Every bit of 26% growth in subscribers of all types year over year. Eight percent in just the last 30 days.
40% growth in paying subscribers from this time last year. A shade over 7% growth in the past 30 days.
Social media used to be the main source of readers in the old days. With Substack and with the shifts in social media, most people are getting Bond Papers these days directly.
Well, directly from email or from their friends. Here;'‘s the message one new paid subscriber left for me:
"My friend shares your columns with me, and I felt the need to subscribe. It’s a shame every NLer and Labradorian doesn’t read your work . . . they would certainly see our government, and all of the “deals” they make, in a very different light. Thank you for providing an honest analysis!"
No shame in it. Most writing is public these days but the financial support helps. Welcome aboard!
"I've followed and enjoyed your articles for a good while and have been meaning to sign up. Being the semi-procrastinator I am it didn't happen until now. Keep your "reveals" and observations coming!"
See?
Not unusual at all to read along and then finally make the plunge and become a paying subscriber.
All that praise and the growth in readers means that what I am writing meets a need. It connects with an audience. *That* is what matters.
And thanks again for the support.
Join the club.
So what have people been reading this year?
Top story of the year and the top column of the Substack years was about the political splash caused by John Efford, son of the former federal and provincial cabinet minister.
The last bit is worth remembering as we head into the new year and an election:
Some people inside Confederation Building seem to realise that, as a low-rent bit of political provocation, the Premier’s rhetoric, and the over-loaded police presence on Thursday suggest.
They looked scared.
Second biggest story was “Real, Made-Up Newfies.” Identity and how we view ourselves or portray ourselves has always been a big issue here and this one caught on especially strongly.
Third most popular column was the obituary for Rex Murphy.
This was also a personal favourite.
The fourth and fifth most popular columns were about the new deal to give Churchill Falls power to Quebec for another 50 years at super cheap prices. Again. There’ll be more on this in the weeks ahead but as we get through the first full week of January politicians should remember how very insecure the provincial Liberals are.
Andrew Furey was giddy at the launch of his deal with Francois Legault. But the caution many people outside the Liberal Party have about his latest photo op is rooted in a far deeper problem, namely the public mistrust of NALCOR, even after Furey and his friends finally got around to changing the name after two years of pretending they’d already done the job. Wiping the name did not wipe the shame that oozes out of the cross-town headquarters of the provincial electricity company and runs down into Waterford Valley. This was the sixth most popular column of 2024.
We’ll wind this list up with Number Seven.
It’s from last January.
In his year-end interviews Premier Andrew Furey repeated the line that if the deal that came out of negotiations with Quebec on Labrador hydro development wasn’t the best one, then he’d walk away.
Top seven stories. *Four* were about the new Churchill deal and NALCOR, now doing business as NL Hydro.
Anyway… that’s it for 2024.
Happy New Year.
The anniversary column will appear on Friday morning.
20 years of Bonding.
And on Monday there’ll be a piece on the New 1969 Deal as the House of Assembly puts on yet another Furey photo-op.
At least *you’ll* be prepared for what’s next.