Downing returns

Updated 14/7/11
We've been wondering where John Downing, a Toronto Sun Day Oner and former editor, has been since his last Downing's Views blog posting in March.

Travelling the world? Up at the cottage? 

No such luck. He was in hospital, without a computer, and gathering material on health care for future blog postings.

As John writes: "I was carried into the first of four hospitals on, appropriately, April Fool's Day. The joke was on me. From health to death's door in two days. And for the first time since May, 1957, I haven't written anything for 106 days since they don't allow computers in intensive care."

You can catch up to three Hospital Hell postings this month with Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5.

Welcome back, John.

Factory 5 & 6

Two more early 1970s Toronto Sun photos.

Bob MacDonald deep in thought?

Bill Fyfe the photo lab whiz

Re Factory 3

Received this e-mail from John Iaboni re the Factory 3 photo of the early 1970s Toronto Sun sports department: 

"I don't know who the Sun vet who contributed to this was, but he or she was accurate in some ways so I'll try to clarify the photo and a couple of other points. 

I believe the photo is a few years into the Sun and we were still in the original building on the second floor that was renovated after our initial days in the rundown fourth floor. 

I'd say this photo was circa 1973 or so because Rick Fraser joined us to be the beat writer for the WHA's Toros when the team left Ottawa (where they played for one season and were known as the Nationals) for Toronto in 1973 when Johnny F. Bassett bought the team from Doug Michel. 

With two pro hockey teams in town, I was to cover the Leafs and, in need of someone to cover the Toros, Rick came over from the Globe. He welcomed the chance to get a regular beat and I welcomed the chance to have him there so I could concentrate on the Leafs and not have to worry about both pro hockey teams. 

Really, we needed help and it was impossible for our initial staff to cover as much as we were without expanding our personnel. So my best guess is the photo shows: George Gross (shirt and tie), Kaye Corbett, seated, and me to the right at the top; Don Ramsay to the left and Rick Fraser to the right at the bottom. 

Ramsay was not part of our sports department; he was a copy boy who fancied himself as a wannabe sports writer at the time, a good friend of Rick's and, as such, hung around our department a lot, either dropping off copy from the telex machines or offering his thoughts and opinions on sports. 

Methinks he sat down in the open slot to fill the picture for whatever reason it was taken. During my time at The Sun he was never part of our sports department although he did work at The Sun as an investigative reporter for a time.

From this photo, if I'm correct on identity, George, Rick and Don are deceased. 

The reference that our department was strong from the start is correct although the initial vets were Ted Reeve, Jim Coleman (whose column was picked up from Southam News) and Bob Frewin (a freelancer and former Tely sports writer who wrote the Argos in those initial days while working for the government), 

The Original Five in the Sports Department were George Gross, Kaye Corbett, vet Eaton Howitt, Ken Adachi and young pup (at the age of 20) me. Unfortunately, Eaton and Ken are also deceased. 

Trent Frayne joined us in about 1974 and Jim Hunt (deceased) also came a few years in, providing a weekly column while he remained CKEY's sports director. 

Anyway, hopefully my memory hasn't completely failed me and this helps you out."

Thanks again for your input, John.

The Factory 4

 

Another Eclipse Whitewear Building shot from the early years of the Toronto Sun. 

Can you identify these three early staffers?

Shots snapped in the Eclipse building show an upstart tabloid making do with its factory surroundings and enjoying ample elbow room.

We get links

Gary Dunford, the Toronto Sun's Page 6 legend, sent us this link:

http://jxpaton.wordpress.com/

Dunf writes: 

"John Paton's candid in-house reports to his Journal-Register employees always make for interesting and thought-provoking reading, but if you scroll way down past his current fave quote clips, presentations, charts and video you'll find his March memo to the troops in which he celebrates turning their  'bankrupt' enterprise around in one year to a $41 million profit.

"And in recognition of same . . ."

Paton:

"We put about 1,000 Flip cams in your hands and we now produce about 4,000 minutes of original local news video per week. Stay tuned for more on that next quarter – think JRC TV.

"You changed our culture and how we think. And we are a better Company for that.

"AIl of that change is reflected in our bottom-line. I promised you would all share in that profit, so look in your pay check tomorrow - you will all find an extra week’s pay. All, that is, except for our senior executives. They have a bonus plan and it’s enough already.

"I promised and you delivered. And I cannot thank you enough for your effort this past year."

TSF believes the late, great Doug Creighton, who hired Paton as a copy boy way back when, is smiling on his protege.

As Dunf says about the "it's enough already" statement - LOL.

We get links

A link from Pat:

http://www.thewalruslaughs.com/2011/06/29/the-mediocrity-doctrine/ 

Sounds familiar.

Oh yeah, blogged by TSF two weeks earlier:

 

http://torontosunfamily.blogspot.com/2011/06/van-yahoos.html

We get links

An endorsement for the torontosun.com makeover, which also gets our vote:

http://natemichals.com/?p=98

The Factory 3

Updated 3/7/11
This shot could be of the sports department as the profile of the man in the forefront with the blue shirt looks like Rick Fraser, the sports writer now deceased. 

The Sun's sports department was strong from the start, with George Gross managing a mix of seasoned vets, including Ted Reeve, Trent Frayne and Jim Hunt, and young proteges. 

A Toronto Sun sports department vet writes: "Just before my time, but isn't the guy on the right John Iaboni? And why am I thinking that the fella beside him is a slender version of big Kaye Corbett. Hard to tell from that photo, though."

If you can ID any of the people in the photo, please email TSF.

Burnside Q&A

Scott Burnside, a familiar face at the Toronto Sun during the Bernardo/Homolka years, has made a name for himself at ESPN.

The co-author of Deadly Innocence, now based in Atlanta, held an online Chat With Burnside  Q&A this morning on SportsNation.

He was talking hockey.

In the 1990s, the NNA winner and investigative reporter Al Cairns were talking Bernardo/Homolka and readers couldn't get enough.

EdSun EIC

Word from out Alberta way is the Edmonton Sun is having a difficult time finding someone to accept the vacant editor in chief post.

"Word is the Edmonton Sun cannot find anyone to accept the position of editor in chief, either inside or outside Sun Media," says a TSF tipster.

"They've been advertising on Jeff Gaulin's site for months and have virtually no replies except from the odd journo school recent grad. Sad eh?"

Thanks for the update. The Edmonton Sun front has been quiet for months. All of TSF's tipsters have left the building.