Guelph’s local paper printed last issue on Jan. 29, 2016
The Guelph Mercury’s final edition was printed on Friday, Jan. 29. The closure will leave 23 full-time and three part-time employees out of work.
The Guelph Mercury, owned by TorStar Corporation’s Metroland Media Group, was owned by Thomson Newspaper Corp. from 1947 until 1995, until Hollinger Inc. took over. Ownership then moved in 1998 to Sun Media, before Torstar Corporation seized control that year.
Torstar also owns the Toronto Star, whose printing press was closed down mid-January. 220 full-time and 65 part-time staff members were lost in the closing, including 13 digitally focused members in the newsroom.
The Mercury’s publisher, Donna Luelo told CBC News that no staff will remain at the paper following the last print.
“The Guelph Mercury has a great team; their concern was for each other, the hundreds of carriers that delivered the newspapers and the thousands of subscribers that invited us into their homes six days a week,” said Luelo in an email to CBC News.
[pullquote align=”left” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]Many have voiced their support…[/pullquote]According to Leulo, the Mercury will continue to have a web presence, although it is is unclear who will write the local news to fill the site. All eight editorial staff members were let go during the layoffs. Leulo indicated that a regional digital team would continue to put out a web version of the paper.
On the 59 Carden Street blog, city council reporter Joanne Shuttleworth wrote: “It is not clear if there will still be an online presence, but it won’t be (generated) here if there is.”
“The decision was not made lightly, but the decline of classified and national advertising in recent years has made it impossible for the printed copy of the daily newspaper to remain profitable,” said Luelo, in a news release published on the Guelph Mercury’s website.
In the same release, the owner of Metroland stated that severance packages will be distributed to all affected employees.
Many have voiced their support including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
“Canada loses an institution with the shutdown of the Guelph Mercury,” Trudeau wrote in a Jan. 26, 2016 tweet. “Sad to see it go.”
The closure comes partly due to the decline of classified and national advertising, and partially due to subscriptions falling below 9,000 subscriptions in a city of 115,000 people.
“This is a challenging time for journalists telling Canada’s stories,” Prime Minister Trudeau tweeted. A hug-mob was organized following the news of the loss of the paper. Many readers, friends, and former employees flocked to the Mercury on Jan. 28, 2016 to give their condolences.
The Ontarion spoke to the Mercury’s general manager, Dave Kruse, at the event. Kruse described the community support as “unbelievable,” and “phenomenal.” Kruse stated there were an “endless call volumes,” following the news of the closure, and that “coffee’s were covered,” by members of the community all week.
Following the hug-mob, friends, family, and co-workers stepped next door to the Albion for a final cheers to the Guelph Mercury.
The Mercury said its real estate publication, Guelph and District Homes, and its lifestyle magazine, Guelph Life, will remain in print. Additionally, Metroland said that it would continue to deliver news and “unique local content,” through its bi-weekly newspaper, the Guelph Tribune.
The Ontarion and Mercury were once sibling papers prior to closure of the Mercury’s printing press. The Mercury will be missed.