Buyout: Al Parker

The Toronto Sun will be losing its Nosey Parker as of March 1, sources tell TSF.

Alan Parker, the Sun vet who has written the Nosey Parker blog since last fall, is the seventh known senior newsroom staffer to take a buyout since January.

The others are Lew Fournier, Bob McConachie, Kaarina Leinala, Sheila Chidley, Sarah Green and Melinda Kryk. Apparently, that's it for now for approved buyouts.

Meanwhile, one source says the ever popular Lew Fournier will be joining his fellow buyout recipients next Wednesday night for farewell toasts at The Jason George, 100 Front St. East, 7:30 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Ten bucks each will help cover the cost of the sendoffs for Sun staffers, who represent more than 130 years of Sun experience.

Meanwhile, Al Parker, a 1973 Centennial College journalism grad, has been around the Sun since the 1980s, editing copy on the rim, news editor (1985-1991), assistant managing editor (1991 to 2002) and deputy managing editor since 2002, writing the occasional features and then his diversified blog.

One of Al's more ironic blog postings was coverage of the Dec. 11 Toronto Sun/24 Hours Christmas Party, with lots of photos of smiling employees. Five days later, Black Tuesday, some of those smiling party goers were among 600 Sun Media employees laid off.

We're sure some of the Toronto Sun layoff casualties will be among those wishing the buyout recipients all the best Wednesday night. Toronto Sun Family members have always been supportive of each other.

We never thought the number of Sun newsroom vets would be counted in the dozens, but with the exodus of those laid off and the buyout recipients in the next three weeks, we are sadly getting there.

In fact, there are so few people left from the Sun's glory years that the days of TSF farewell postings are numbered. Once everyone who helped make the tabloid a success is gone, we won't have any emotional ties to the tabloid. It will become just another newspaper, stripped of all its unique and feisty style, content and heart.

That will no doubt satisfy a couple of "anonymous" TSF readers who say they are ticked with this blog for writing about the glory years and the people who made it all possible. Well, sorry, we prefer positive and productive over negative and destructive any day of the week.

And to those same TSF readers, if you want to take cheap shots at the blog, provide your names and we'll consider using your comments.

Meanwhile, the Kingston Whig-Standard turned 175 yesterday. The Toronto Sun is a mere 37 and, while profitable, has a questionable future as a competitive daily newspaper.