A local paper that punches above its weight!
(FOR 50 YEARS AND COUNTING)
Welcome to the Low Down to Hull and Back News (did you get the pun?), the feisty English-language newspaper of the Gatineau Hills, located in West Quebec.
As an independent, family-owned newspaper, we do not report to a corporate CEO in some far away city. Our dedicated team of passionate newsies is made up of locals who live and work in the community we serve and that’s why this newspaper really delivers. Over our 50-plus years we have built a strong relationship with the community and know the Gatineau Hills better than anyone else. Our locals recognize us as a trusted news source; our advertisers know our readers are highly engaged and paying close attention to every page. We deliver factual, researched, local news that cannot be found anywhere else.
The news industry is in crisis – that’s undeniable – but with our growing readership the Low Down is bucking the trend. (At least for now.) And that’s thanks to our loyal readers, supportive advertisers and connected community that understands the importance of their local paper.
Accolades
TOO MANY AWARDS TO COUNT, MOST RECENTLY:
NATIONAL AWARDS
Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA)
Best Front Page – 2024
Best Feature Story – 2018
PROVINCIAL AWARDS
Quebec Community Newspaper Association (QCNA)
Best Overall Newspaper – 2013, 2019, 2020, 2023
Best Website – 2024
Best Business Story – 2024
Best Community Health Story – 2024
Best Advertisement (small) – 2024
Best Headline Writing – 2023, 2024
Best Front Page – 2023
Best News Story – 2022, 2024
Best Feature Story – 2023, 2024
Best News Photo – 2023
Outstanding Photojournalism Award – 2022, 2023
Our Team
Nikki Mantell
OWNER & PUBLISHER
CONTACT: nmantell@lowdownonline.com
Nikki Mantell is the owner and publisher of The Low Down to Hull and Back News. She got her start in the news business in 1973 at the age of one – the year her parents started the newspaper out of their house in Chelsea. Never one to shy away from child labour, they put her to work labelling newspapers, selling ads, and writing news stories. In 1998, at the age of 25, she bought her parents out and took over as publisher. Since then, she has published over 1,300 editions, gotten married, had two children and never missed a deadline.
Simon Hopkins
REPORTER
CONTACT: simon@lowdownonline.com
Readers can help our new reporter get to know the ins and outs of the Gatineau Hills – this is Simon Hopkins’ first full-time journalism job. But that doesn’t mean he comes without experience. He launched his journalism career at Carleton University’s student newspaper and has since contributed to outlets like the Canadian Press and Ottawa Business Journal. Simon loves covering inclusion in sports and political accessibility. Simon lives in Ottawa and is a big hockey fan, especially the PWHL. When he’s not writing news stories, he can be found at his local dive bar, watching sports and eating chicken wings.
Kendall Knowlton
REPORTER
CONTACT: kendall@lowdownonline.com
Maybe the name sounds familiar? Well, she’s back! Kendall Knowlton is a recent graduate of Carleton University’s journalism program and has been an intern at the Low Down since 2024. Now she’s ready to continue pursuing her lifelong dream of being a full-time news reporter. She adores writing environment stories, features and participating in activities she gets to write about. When she’s not writing for the paper, you’ll either find her by the river or curled up with a good book at a coffee shop.
Heather Hopewell
GENERAL MANAGER
CONTACT: general@lowdownonline.com
Heather is the General Manager at the Low Down. She started in 2017 at the front desk and is now the dynamo at the centre, making sure everything at the Low Down runs smoothly. Heather is married with four kids, a cat, two dogs and a ball python. She lives in Masham.
Aden Seaton
ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR
CONTACT: sales@lowdownonline.com
Aden Seaton spent over a decade in the charitable sector and then, one day, while reading the classified section in … you guessed it … the Low Down, she saw her dream job listed. And BOOM, next thing you know, she became the newspaper’s Advertising Sales Director. Aden has been selling ads since 2019. That’s the magic of the Low Down classifieds section.
McMillan Family
DELIVERY
Wakefielders Agnes and her son Odin McMillan have been delivering the Low Down since 1977. The Low Down couldn’t deliver the news without the people who actually deliver the news.
Trevor Greenway
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTACT: editor@lowdownonline.com
Trevor Greenway is an award-winning journalist and editor. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief at The Low Down to Hull and Back News and spent extensive time covering news, sports and features in Ottawa for Metro News and other publications. Trevor has won multiple awards through the Quebec Community Newspaper Association, the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, and his work has been recognized by the Canadian Association of Journalists. Trevor lives in Masham with his family.
Madeline Kerr
REPORTER
CONTACT: madeline@lowdownonline.com
Madeline Kerr is a transplant to the Hills from a small town in southwestern Ontario where she grew up believing she was meant to live in the big city. But after trying out a number of big cities, she proved herself very wrong and came hurtling back to village life and settled in Wakefield. Madeline discovered the Low Down her first day in town and promised herself she’d find a way to finagle a job writing for the paper. Since July 2023 she’s been living her dream as a Low Down reporter.
Matt Harrison
COPY EDITOR
CONTACT: matt.harrison76@gmail.com
Matt Harrison is the Low Down’s Copy Editor and brings with him over 20 years of experience in journalism, including as an editor of Ottawa XPress, Ottawa Magazine, and Queen’s Alumni Review magazine. He has also managed the book publication of the award-winning The Bearded Lady Project: Challenging the Face of Science and Canadian Union of Postal Workers’ (CUPW) anniversary book, Pushing the Envelope: The Struggle Continues. He has a passion for history, cycling along the Voie Verte Trail (though he uses a bell and goes the speed limit), and cooking for his wife and two daughters in Edelweiss.
Susan Williams
ART DIRECTOR
CONTACT: design@lowdownonline.com
Susan Williams is the Low Down’s Art Director who has been working in the design industry since 2017. She has extensive experience with print advertising pieces, digital marketing, website design and branding. Susan’s approach to art direction and design – whether she’s designing a brand new Scandinavian/modern farmhouse, advertisements, or logo concepts for new and existing businesses – combines an unwavering eye for detail and simplicity.
Jessica Valentini
MARKETING DIRECTOR
CONTACT: jessica@lowdownonline.com
Jessica Valentini is the Low Down’s Marketing Director and brings with her over 20 years of experience as an Advertising Executive and award-winning Producer, working with brands like Procter & Gamble, RBC, Toyota and the Canadian Olympic Committee. Jessica has a passion for community involvement; you’ll see her on the pitch coaching with the Soccer des Collines Club and volunteering at Chelsea Elementary School where her two kids attend.
Our Contributors
Tina Therrien
COLUMN: UP THE LINE
READ IT: MONTHLY
CONTACT: strawbus@auracom.com
Tina and her family are thankful for the tranquility of life Up the Line; the only horn honking around here is a friendly toot when the snowplow operator drives by.
Eric Seifert
COLUMN: ON PÊCHE IN LA PÊCHE
READ IT: MONTHLY
After a misspent youth in Scarborough, Ont., Eric Seifert went to Carleton U, met a Wakefield gal and never looked back. In 2001 he started working at Lee Valley Tools in Ottawa, where he has been the senior writer since 2008, writing for their award-winning retail catalogue and website. A long-time Edelweiss resident, he has been fishing the waters of the Gatineau Hills for over 25 years.
Jacques Legault
COLUMN: BYLAW & DISORDER
SEE IT: MONTHLY
Jacques Legault is a long-time Chelsea resident, semi-retired professional listener tuned into municipal Freudian slips. He’s a tempo-impaired drummer who’s missed more downbeats than elections.
Tanya Skeates
COLUMN: EATS BY SKEATES
READ IT: MONTHLY
CONTACT: tanyaskeates@gmail.com
Tanya has been living in the Hills for over 20 years and is quietly resurfacing after her successful time at running a little restaurant in Wakefield called Soupçon. Forever grateful for her years spent in the village and all the support and love she received with her time there, Tanya likes to live under the radar now. She still loves her farmers, spending time with her husband and dogs while making elaborate meal plans for everyday cooking and for feasts with friends.
Phil Jenkins
COLUMN: ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
READ IT: WEEKLY
CONTACT: phil@philjenkins.ca
Phil has lived in the Gatineau Hills for over 30 years, most of them in a straw bale house. He works in the arts as an author, columnist, actor, storyteller and as a songwriting, recording and performing musician. He began working as the Low Down’s weekly arts reporter in July 2023.