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PRPEAK.COM
Thursday.October 16.2025
Vol.31 No.01
Canada Post Agreement 40069240
SPONSORED CONTENT
Publisher purchases media company
Kelly Keil moves to owner after start as a student When Kelly Keil came to work at the Peak while attending high school in 1995, she never imagined she would end up its owner. As of September 30, the ownership transfer was completed between her and Glacier Media Group (GMG). Founding publisher Joyce Carlson remembers a teenage girl coming into the office located across the street from Max Cameron Secondary School. She wanted to participate in a work experience to learn how a newspaper was put together. “That two weeks ended with permission from the school to allow her to come every Tuesday to help get the pages ready to be flown to Vancouver, where the paper was printed,” explains Carlson. After graduation, Keil kept working at the paper until she left to live in Victoria. “I was a reference for her to work at a newspaper in the city,” says Carlson. “I received a call regarding her resume from the hiring person, who was surprised someone so young could have so much experience. I recommended they hire her and see for themselves.” Keil subsequently decided to re-
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turn to the community and was rehired to a front office position, helping with reception and classified ad sales, as there was no opening in the composing room where she had worked originally. “She eventually became publisher in 2018 and now is the owner, a true example of learning on the job,” adds Carlson. GMG was originally a 50/50 partner with the Carlson family when the Peak started. Orest Smysnuik, the group’s CFO, explained that the company has become too big to manage small markets, so the decision was made that local owners were a better choice to manage them. Prior to the latest change of ownership, GMG sold newspapers to local owners in Prince George, Merritt and three communities in Saskatchewan. “We are thrilled for Kelly and for the market,” says Smysnuik. “She’s smart, hardworking and well-connected in the community. We have every confidence that she will be successful as owner of the Peak.” Peter Kvarnstrom, current GMG community media division president, represented ownership’s share of Peak Publishing from 1999.
He worked closely with Carlson and then with successive publishers since she retired in December 2015. “I have known and worked alongside Kelly since 1999 and promoted her to publisher,” says Kvarnstrom. “It’s been an incredible pleasure to watch and see her grow and flourish. She stepped into the publisher’s role seamlessly and her team continues to be a significant community asset. “Kelly has followed the footsteps of Joyce with enthusiasm and energy, positioning the Peak as a central hub of information, in print, online and in the community. And her commitment to journalism is unwavering.” “Kelly not only works diligently for the success of the Peak, but she also leans into our industry issues in a significant way. She follows both Joyce and me in her role as current president of BC and Yukon Community Newspapers Association, devoting significant time to ensuring communities across our province remain well served by publishers and journalists working at the local community level. Kelly has that future firmly in mind as she takes on the role of owner of the Peak.”
Keil said it feels like life has come full circle. Walking into the Peak as a 15-year-old student, she never dreamed it would someday be hers to carry forward. “I am so grateful to Joyce and her family, and to Peter, for believing in me and giving me the space to grow through every stage of my life and career.”
She added that this community and paper have shaped who she is, and she is honoured to be its owner now. “I’m especially proud to work alongside our incredible team, and I look forward to continuing to share our stories and collaborate with the people who make this region such a special place.”
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