Mission Statement
theHumm's mission is to foster a positive and dynamic vision of the communities we serve by promoting the local arts & entertainment scenes and providing a forum for opinions and ideas.
Background
theHumm is a free, monthly, independent newspaper covering arts, entertainment and ideas in the small towns and communities of the Ottawa Valley. Circulation ranges from 8,500 to 9,500 copies, depending on the season. It is printed by the good folks at Winchester Print.
theHumm has been designed, edited and published by Kris and Rob Riendeau since 1998, and its contributors and columnists come from throughout the Valley. In 2025, D'Arcy Riendeau joined us as a full-time staff person.
Highlights
Highlights of the print version include:
- Comprehensive calendar of the month's events
- Monthly profile of an area artist
- Previews of upcoming events (concerts, festivals, theatre, literary events, studio tours, art shows, etc.)
- Reviews of local books and music, and interviews with creators
- Features about environmental and social issues
Hummail
We also publish a weekly e-newsletter called Hummail that reminds you about upcoming events (in case someone absconded with your print copy of theHumm). You can subscribe here, and we promise not to share your email address with anyone.
Where Can I Find theHumm?
theHumm is distributed to small, independent shops, cafés, libraries and tourist attractions in Almonte, Arnprior, Ashton, Burnstown, Calabogie, Carleton Place, Carp, Merrickville, Pakenham, Perth, Smiths Falls, and Westport.
Calendar, Editorial, and Ads
theHumm's editorial pages and calendar are exclusive to events happening in the small towns and rural communities that we cover. However, everyone is welcome to advertise. We offer free assistance with ad layout, because we want your ads to look terrific!
Submissions
- Articles and press releases may be emailed to editor@thehumm.com
- Calendar submissions may be emailed to calendar@thehumm.com
- Ads may be emailed to sales@thehumm.com
Deadlines
theHumm is published 11 times a year (monthly from March through December, plus a "Winter issue" that comes out in mid-January and covers until the end of February).
The Winter issue deadline for ads and editorial is January 6.
The deadlines for all other issues are:
- Editorial and calendar submissions — the 20th of the month prior to publication
- Advertising — the 22nd of the month prior to publication