I agree with you. For a newspaper, the sinews of war is advertising sales.
However, our reality is different. For example, between 5,000 and 6,000 people speak French at home in Saskatchewan, whereas the total number of French mother tongue residents is between 16,000 and 17,000. If everyone read the French-language newspaper, it would still be difficult to convince the guy who owns a service station to buy advertising. Whether we like it or not, all these households are scattered across the province. In spite of that, I agree with you that the newspaper should make every possible effort to increase its local advertising.
Going back to what Lily was saying, advertising is information. It represents revenues and makes the newspaper more vital. But there are market realities in Newfoundland, Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island which make things very difficult.
Having said that, we are not asking for your pity. Our newspapers do their job and generate revenues, but there is another side to the coin: we are a pillar of community vitality.