Christmas 2012 layoff casualties

Updated June 18, 2913

Another 500 Sun Media jobs have been cut by Quebecor, including a Toronto Sun Day Oner and many other loyal employees across the chain. Names posted will be added to this list.

Known casualties:

Ontario newspapers axed since October
Amherstburg Echo 
Capital City News in Ottawa
Dunnsville Chronicle 
Guelph Review
Kitchener-Waterloo Review
Leamington Post
Lindsay Post 
Midland Free Press
West Niagara News in Grimsby
Windsor This Week 

The Sun tabloids

Calgary Sun
Jim Legg, desker
Sandra Smith, executive assistant
Roy Clancy, columnist 

Edmonton Sun - All 35-plus pre-press employees, plus three copy editors, a photographer,
Jeremy Loome, editorial writer and letters editor, 17 years service Maria Ladouceur,
long-time executive admin staffer 

Toronto Sun
Jim Thomson, Toronto Sun Day Oner, 41 years service
Lorrie Goldstein, senior associate editor, 34 years service 
Gary Loewen

Ottawa Sun - 10 jobs lost, including
Mitch Axelrad, editor-in-chief
Jackie Lawrence, manager 

Ottawa Sun printing plant

Winnipeg Sun - seven employees

Ontario community newspapers
Brantford Expositor
City editor
Newsroom assistant
Managing editor resigned (Nov. 21) 

Chatham Daily News
Bruce Corcoran, managing editor (shown the door Nov. 26)
Pam Wight, assistant managing editor (Nov. 26)
Jeanine Foulon, ad manager
Ron McLintock; circulation manager
A contract ad rep
A customer service rep
Plus Jim Blake, former managing editor and publisher, who
"had editorial oversight of a host of weekly newspapers in southwestern Ontario" 

Chatham This Week
One reporter

Clinton News-Record
Editor 

Collingwood Enterprise Bulletin
Doreen Sykes 

Cornwall Standard Freeholder - one reporter, an advertising clerk, plus

Milton Ellis, publisher
Anthony Joubert, circulation magaer 

Kenora Daily Miner and News
Bob Stewart, news editor/columnist, 36+ years
Mitch Wolfe, publisher 

Kingston Whig-Standard
Publisher three weks ago, ad director on Monday, sports editor on Tuesday 

Kingston printing plant - more than 40 employees 

London Free Press
Sports editor 

Niagara Falls Review
Seven layoffs, one early retirement. Six are full-time positions

Orillia Packet and Times
Ad manager, 12 years
Circulation manager, 13years
Ad rep, 5 years

Owen Sound Sun Times - two reporters, plus
Cheryl McMenemy, publisher
Karen Pridham, news editor, 27 years service

Sault St. Marie Star - four jobs
Publisher, editorial assistant, reporter and ad sales rep.

Sarnia Observer
George Mathewson, news editor

Simcoe Reformer
Merv Hawkins (gone earlier), group publisher, previously senior group publisher for Sun Media Bowes publishers for about 30 years before that job was eliminated
David Langford, corporate sports editor .

(Daryl Smith, group publisher for southwestern Ontario and Sarnia Observer, ousted last month)

St. Thomas Times-Journal
Patrick Brennan, reporter
Robert Chaulk, photographer

Stratford Beacon-Herald
John Kastner, managing editor 

Welland Tribune - Four jobs lost

Outside Ontario
Drayton Valley Western Review (Alberta)
The publisher and group publisher of Central Alberta 

Portage La Prairie Daily Graphic
Barry Clayton, publisher

Barrie -Mondays

Updated re Brockville

Another Sun Media Monday edition is fading to black.

The Barrie Examiner announced Thursday its Monday edition will be axed as of April 11 because it "has become the weakest link, and is a poor representation of what we do on a daily basis."

Say what?  Anything major that happens after deadline Friday night in Barrie, which has a population of about 150,000, won't be available in print until Tuesday?

Readers are encouraged to go to the online Examiner for Barrie-area news, which reflects Sun Media's downplay of print media.

The Examiner story clearly says it doesn't have adequate staff to provide both a competent daily newspaper and a video-ladened website.

"We are now also shooting video on a daily basis and I encourage you to visit www.thebarrieexaminer.com," says David Zilstra, publisher of the Examiner. "This new attention to our website has stretched our resources and we need to make some decisions about the direction of our news operation."

The Examiner, published since 1864, also told readers:

"Unfortunately, due to rising printing and distribution expenses, starting April 14, our Thursday paper will no longer be delivered complimentary to some of our rural areas, including parts of Oro-Medonte Township and Elmvale." 

The slow death of Sun Media print newspapers in favour of online efforts by limited staff continues.

Previous Sun Media Monday print casualties include the Chatham Daily News, and the Kenora Daily Miner & News. The Portage Daily Graphic dropped its Wednesday edition. 

"As well as both the Pembroke News and Pembroke Observer (albeit over a year ago now)," says a TSF reader. 

"Brockville also publishes only five days a week," says another reader.

Have there been other Monday casualties? Let us know.

Metro deal

SONG and Metro reached a tentative deal early this morning for 70 employees at the free Toronto daily, says SONG president Brad Honywill.

Negotiations continued past the 12:01 a.m. deadline and the tentative deal will be voted on by the editorial, sales, production and office workers Monday, he said in a press release.

That is one down, six more (Sun Media) spring contract negotiations to go for Honywill at the Sarnia Observer, Chatham News, London Free Press, Simcoe Reformer, Stratford Beacon-Herald (advertising), Brantford Expositor, Niagara Falls Review, Belleville Intelligencer and Pembroke Observer.

Sun Media & ONAs

Updated 03/13/2010 re story links
On a day when Quebecor bean counters and shareholders cheer an increase in 4th quarter profits, TSF salutes all Sun Media employees nominated for 2009 Ontario Newspaper Awards.

They submitted numerous entries knowing they would be on their own for any expenses incurred and fully aware of PKP's lack of interest in promoting excellence in journalism.

Links to nominations news stories where available: Chatham Daily News; Niagara Falls Review; North Bay Nugget; Orillia Packet & Times; Sarnia Observer; Sault Star; Simcoe Reformer; St. Catharines Standard; Sudbury Star;

Congratulations to all involved and good luck May 1.

These are nominated Sun Media entries as found in the Canadian Press story:

Larry N. Smith Award for Novice Reporting (under 25,000 circulation)

Tyler Kula - Sarnia Observer

Spot News Writing (over 25,000 circulation)

News team - London Free Press

Spot News Writing (under 25,000 circulation)
Lara Bradley, Harold Carmichael, Rachel Punch, Bob Vaillancourt - Sudbury Star
Corey Laroque - Niagara Falls Review
Elliott Ferguson - Woodstock Sentinel Review

Gene Florcyk Memorial Award for Sports Writing (over 25,000 circulation)

Bruce Garrioch - Ottawa Sun

Robert J. Hanley Award for Sports Writing (under 25,000 circulation)

John Law - Niagara Falls Review
Brian Smiley - Brantford Expositor
Cory Smith - Woodstock Sentinel-Review

London Free Press Award for Excellence in News Feature Writing
Rob Tripp and Paul Schliesmann - Kingston Whig-Standard

Feature Writing (under 25,000 circulation)
Lara Bradley - Sudbury Star
Teviah Moro - Orillia Packet and Times

Ontario Power Authority Award for Green Environment Writing
Rachel Punch - Sudbury Star

James Bruce Award for Excellence in Coverage of Entertainment and the Arts
John Law - Niagara Falls Review

Walter J. Blackburn Award for Excellence in Editorials, Opinion and Analysis (over 25,000 circulation)

Kalvin Reid - St. Catharines Standard

K.J. Strachan Award for Editorials, Opinion and Analysis (under 25,000 circulation)

Monte Sonnenberg - Simcoe Reformer
Brian MacLeod - Sudbury Star
Brad Peters - Niagara Falls Review

Joan May Memorial Award for Columns
Tom Mills - Sault Star

K.A. (Sandy) Baird Award for Humour Writing
Bernie Puchalski - St. Catharines Standard

Spot News Photography (over 25,000 circulation)
Julie Jocsak - St. Catharines Standard

Jack Bowman Memorial Award for Spot News Photography (under 25,000 circulation)

Elliott Ferguson - Woodstock Sentinel-Review
John Lappa - Sudbury Star
Corey Laroque - Niagara Falls Review

Feature Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
Diana Martin - Chatham Daily News
Christopher Smith - Brantford Expositor

Sports Photography (under 25,000 circulation)
John Lappa - Sudbury Star
Ken Pagan - North Bay Nugget
Brian Thompson - Brantford Expositor

John E. Motz memorial Award for Excellence in Layout and Design
Owen Sound Sun Times

Design and Graphics (under 25,000 circulation)
Sherri Lavigne - Sudbury Star
Darryl G. Smart - Woodstock Sentinel Review

Municipal Affairs Reporting (under 25,000 circulation)
Hugo Rodrigues - Woodstock Sentinel-Review
Denis St. Pierre - Sudbury Star
Gord Young - North Bay Nugget

Online Multimedia Special Project
London Free Press

As for the benefits of slashing staff, cancelling the Dunlop Awards, removing water coolers, cutting benefits, selling off real estate, eliminating Sunday sections, firing janitorial staff, closing papers, rolling three community newspapers into one, eliminating some Monday papers, selling out Pages 1 and 2 to advertisers, having employees work from their homes, eliminating newsroom cable TV service and other Sun Media carnage, click here.

Monday, Monday

Updated 04/03/09
Monday editions of Sun Media newspapers appear to be expendable this year.

A Sault Star story says the Kenora Daily Miner & News, one of the former Bowes newspapers launched in 1881 and a daily since 1952, dropped its Monday edition this week.

And a Winnipeg Free Press story today says: The Portage Daily Graphic newspaper, which has served Portage la Prairie for 125 years, is ending its Monday paper - and residents expect more publication days will be dropped later.

The Graphic, a former Bowes newspaper, will publish its final Monday edition on March 31. Other changes in its printing operations could cost half of the paper's 40 employees their jobs.

In January, the Monday edition of the Chatham Daily News was dropped and others were to follow.

The Winnipeg Free press story says Ian MacKenzie, the last independent owner of the Graphic, lamented the moves.

"Very disappointing. I don't know that it's necessary," said MacKenzie. "It's now owned by a big corporation and the only thing that matters is exceptional profits."

Chatham -Mondays

The Chatham Daily News has announced today's print edition is its final Monday paper.

"Today's Chatham Daily News is a souvenir of sorts, as it is our final Monday print edition," says the paper, one of the Osprey Media dailies picked up by Quebecor in 2007.

"Due to economic conditions affecting the entire newspaper industry, papers across North America are being forced to make changes. Your Daily News is not immune to the economic realities facing the print news industry"

The announcement notes the London Free Press has dropped its Sunday edition and also mentions the "St. Thomas Times-Journal and Kingston Whig-Standard have already cut print days or are planning to do so in the near future."

Fewer days at the Times-Journal and Whig-Standard are news to TSF, but Quebecor's axe has been busy since PKP became Sun Media chief.

The PKP shuffle

A few confirm or deny tidbits for Sun Media chief PKP from the rumour mill:

Is the Monday print edition of the Chatham Daily News being axed, leaving Tuesday to Saturday distribution?

Beginning this month, will PKP be personally signing all expense cheques for Toronto Sun employees?

Did PKP really walk into one of his sparsely-staffed newsrooms and ask: "Where are all the reporters?" Was "This is it" the reply?

Is Journal de Montreal days away from a lockout?

Just asking.