Guelph Mercury To Stop Printing Newspaper, Will Affect 26 Jobs

A newspaper with a history as old as Canada itself will print its last issue this week.

Metroland Media Group announced Monday the last edition of the Guelph Mercury, established in 1867, will be published Friday.

The closure will affect 23 full-time and three part-time employees, according to a press release on the newspaper’s website.

The company said the newspaper was suffering financially, with circulation dropping to less than 9,000 home-delivery subscribers.

Publisher Donna Luelo said “the decision was not made lightly,” and that shutting down the print edition was the only viable option.

“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,” she said in the release.

Tony Saxon, a sports reporter for the Mercury, tweeted news Monday.

The Guelph Mercury will cease publication on Friday. I loved my job more than most of you will ever know. I will miss it terribly.

— Tony Saxon (@SaxonOnTheStorm) January 25, 2016

I got paid to watch hockey. I met interesting, fun and talented folks every single day. I had fun every day. I was a lucky man.

— Tony Saxon (@SaxonOnTheStorm) January 25, 2016

The Guelph Mercury began publishing as a daily newspaper in 1867. This is a sad day for Guelph, not just the wonderful people that work here

— Tony Saxon (@SaxonOnTheStorm) January 25, 2016

Local MPP Ted Arnott also weighed in.

The Guelph Mercury served our area as a daily broadsheet newspaper since Confederation. Thank you to the Merc’s staff#guelphmercury #onpoli

— Ted Arnott (@TedArnottMPP) January 25, 2016

Others tweeted about their personal experiences with the newspaper.

@simonhoupt @guelphmercury Mercury has been my primary source for local news. Not everything in print edition is online. Sad to see print go

— Robert White (@selaw13) January 25, 2016

When I was a kid I used to cut the stories I liked out of the @guelphmercury and make my own newspaper with them.

— Jason Garcia (@Jason_Garcia) January 25, 2016

end of an era of my Grandpa asking me if I want his copy of the @guelphmercury when he is done reading it since i dont get it delv.. sad.

— Carlie Roberts (@friendsmycloset) January 25, 2016

The Mercury began as a weekly paper called The Advertiser in 1854. A Toronto newspaperman named James Innes bought The Advertiser and another weekly called the Mercury in 1862.

Both papers were turned into a daily in 1867.

The newspaper was locally owned until it was bought in 1947 by the Thomson Newspapers Corporation.

In 1995, it was purchased by Hollinger Inc., and ownership changed again twice in 1998. The Mercury was briefly owned by Sun Media before it was sold to Torstar the same year.

The company said its local real estate guide and lifestyle magazine will continue printing.
Source: HP