Dailey tribute

More than 1,000 people attended today's 2 1/2-hour celebration of life for Citytv's Mark Dailey.

Dailey died Monday from cancer. He was 57.

Citytv has also added its half-hour tribute to the 31-year Citytv newscaster to its online videos.

Mark's clan

Mark Stewart, an award-winning Toronto Sun cop desk vet with three young children, was 38 when he died from cancer on Nov. 18, 1995.

Mark, one of a number of Sun newsroom staffers to die before their time, had been working the police desk full-time since 1982, winning awards and the respect of colleagues, readers and police.

Colleagues considered Mark a key player in the glory years of the tabloid, sharing cop desk duties with Rob Lamberti and Lee Lamothe.

Well, just after the 15th anniversary of Mark's death, TSF received a family update from his daughter, Emma, and she said it was okay for TSF to share it with readers.

Emma, who is studying for a B.A. in Sociology, writes:

"My name is Emma. I am the second of Mark's three children who all miss him very much. A lot has changed for us in the 15 years since his death.

"We were moved to New Brunswick, where I am now in my third year of study at Saint Thomas University. My brother, Dan, is still working on healing after he was involved in a terrible car accident a little over three years back. He is slowly working away at university with interest in journalism. Teagan is in the midst of her Grade 11 year at a local high school.

"My mother, Toni, has found what she loves to do while working at Saint Thomas University - tutoring students with disabilities.

"I made it back to Toronto last summer to bury my grandparents, my father's parents, and was pleased to see a new grave marker connecting my dad to his parents. It had not been completed by the time we left, but I hope to get back next summer to view the final product.

"I am so thankful that you spent your time to compile this web page for all the families. I could never express how much it means to know that he is not forgotten.

"Thank you so much."

Thank you for your email, Emma. You, your siblings and mother are doing your father proud.

Sun TV News jobs

Sun Media posted numerous Help Wanted ads today with a Dec. 31 application deadline as the chain prepares for a March launching of its Sun TV News channel.

Most of the positions are Toronto-based: Talk show producer; senior weather anchor; writer/editor; senior news anchor; news anchor; senior graphics artist; graphics artist; studio switcher; studio director; assistant director; audio operator; graphics playback operator; line up editor; multimedia content producer, resource coordinator.

Other TV jobs have been posted for Ottawa, Vancouver, Montreal, Calgary and Winnipeg. 

While the positions are TV oriented, jobs descriptions indicate responsibilities for some jobs include Sun Media's print and online venues.

Salaries offered for key positions will be an early indication of how competitive PKP intends to be in staffing his new television venture.

Will the paycheques attract the Ted Baxters of broadcast media, or the Walter Cronkites?

Stay tuned.

2011 Heroes coin

Pete Fisher, Sun Media's tireless Highway of Heroes photographer and promoter, can take another bow after the Royal Canadian Mint announced a 2011 Highway of Heroes collector coin will be minted. 

On hearing the news Tuesday, Fisher, who works the Cobourg/Port Hope area at Northumberland Today, wrote this letter of acknowledgment:

"I've sat here for about an hour, going over this email, hoping not to forget anyone. Please don't hate me if I have. It's been an emotional day . . . believe me, it's been an emotional day.

"Let me first give thanks to the people who helped make this happen. The first and foremost goes to Caroline McIntosh. I've never met her, but have talked to her regularly on the phone. She has always been there and I can't believe the effort she's put forth for this . . . simply put, amazing. 

"Joe Warmington said in the first column about this, that I'm a take no prisoner's type of person. Well, I can say that Caroline is the same. I cannot thank her enough for what she has done. Her effort has been nothing short of fantastic. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

"Joe Warmington from the Toronto Sun. Joe kicked this off with his column. He's always been a strong supporter of Canada's military. He's a great friend and has always been there for me. Thank you Joe.

"To Hector Mcmillan, Mayor of the Municipality of Trent Hills. Words simply aren't enough. I first talked to Hector about this when I was in Campbellford covering the Legion story. Immediately he gave his support. I can certainly say, without his efforts this would not have happened.

"To Linda Thompson, Gil Brocanier, and Sue from the Municipalities of Port Hope, Cobourg and LaSalle. Thank you for standing up and supporting this. Strength was in the numbers and you were there for all the right reasons.

"To Karl Walsh of the OPPA, who has been there since the first to get Cobourg Police Constable Chris Garrett what he deserved, thank you.

"To the OPFFA/TPFFA, thank you.

"I thank both MPP Lou Rinaldi and MP Rick Norlock. I'm not a political person, but both have been extremely supportive. They have my utmost respect.

"I thank the Royal Canadian Mint. Freedom of this great country we call Canada gives us the choice of free speech. In that, it was simply a matter of opinion. I thought, along with thousands of others, that our heroes deserved this recognition. And not only them, but the people that come out to the bridges each and every time.

"To the radio stations, including Roy Green and Ted Woloshyn, who have given their support for this cause, it's been great. Thank you also to the television stations, like CHEX and Lisa MacDonald - this wouldn't have happened without their support.

"And to the paper I work for, Northumberland Publishers, they have been there since the start, willing to give their support for this cause that is so right. I can't thank them, and Cecilia, enough for writing the stories and keeping everyone informed.

"Finally, what this is all about, was doing the right thing for the heroes of this country. They shall never, ever be forgotten. And when I think about them, I think about their families. I, and we all owe them so much. 

"I have said from the start, and I will say to the end, their families are not alone, and will never be alone, I will always be there for them, and I know everyone in this email will also be there for them. I think of their sacrifice each day when I wake up, and I think of them now.

"I can't imagine what they go through, but I can at least tell them, they are not alone.

"Thank you to all (and I hope I didn't miss anything)"

Pete Fisher
Photojournalist
Cheers

Well done, Pete.

Noel - you're fired

A TSF tipster says another pre-Christmas Quebecor trimming, this time at Canoe.

"I heard there was more layoffs at Canoe this holiday season," the tipster writer. "At least 5 people." 

Are they alone, or have other Sun Media employees quietly left their buildings after being pink-slipped this Christmas season? We have a feeling there have been other casualties.

Meanwhile, a voluntary departure from the Welland Tribune reduces the reporting staff to three.

A tipster writes:

"Welland Tribune reporter is leaving to go into the  public sector. Government job with big pay, benefits, and pension. This will leave the Tribune with 3 reporters."

Strobel strays

Mike Strobel a guest columnist at the online Torontoist?

Anything to flog your new book, Bad Girls and Other Perils, eh Mike?

Interesting read, though. Took us back to the days when Toronto newspaper wars flared and Ben Johnson lied to us first.  

Judging by the comments of Torontoist readers, the great journalism divide in 2010 is between traditional print writers/readers and uppity online writers/readers.

Torontoist readers actually chastise Mike for using his trademark one-line sentences for his online guest column. 

Don't fold to Torontoist pressure, Mike. Keep those paras short, sweet and punchy.

Tabloid readers love you - and your style.

Lennon page

Kudos to Marie-Joelle Parent and John Kryk for a couple of unique John Lennon stories marking yesterday's 30th anniversary of the rock legend's murder in New York.

Personally, we can't get enough of the writings of New York-based Marie-Joelle and John, but with John, the question is why doesn't he write more often? Thoroughly enjoyed his November piece about Johnny Carson.

Marie-Joelle's Twitter page says she is  a "New York multi-media entertainment and news correspondent for Sun Media Canada." 

Sun Media should keep her busy. She has the tabloid touch. More frequent input from her would be preferably over those embarrassing WENN-dominated back pages any day of the week.

BTW: WENN online is even more of a joke. A count this early a.m. - 15 WENN entertainment stories for Tuesday and Wednesday.

But when the budget is tight and manpower is minimal . . .

Bob and Regent

The annual Regent Park Christmas Dinner will mark its 30th year on Christmas Day and the late, great Toronto Sun writer Bob MacDonald would be applauding the milestone.

The dinner - more than 1,300 people sat down at the tables last year - was a pet project of Bob's for more than 20 years before he died at 76 on Feb. 26, 2006. 

Organizers of the dinner could always count on Bob to be in the food line on Christmas Day, helping to feed the less fortunate while his own family waited for him to share their day.

Bob's faithful readers continue to support the dinner at the Sacre Coeur Church, 381 Sherbourne St., each year.

Donations are being gratefully accepted at: 

Regent Park Christmas Dinner,

P.O. Box 30085, 2365 Warden Ave., Unit 4

Scarborough, ON, M1T 0A1

TSF's 4th birthday

Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Toronto Sun Family blog.

TSF was launched Dec. 8, 2006, as a morale booster for Toronto Sun employees, past and present, who were concerned about the flagship tabloid's future. 

Chatter at a Toronto Sun reunion, attended by 150 current and former employees two weeks earlier, included major concerns about job losses.

SOS - Save Our Sun - lapel stickers were everywhere. The Toronto Sun was once named one of the Top 100 companies in Canada to work for, but Quebecor had curbed the appeal.

We tried Myspace for the blog launch but ran out of allotted photo space within a day, so we switched to blogspot and it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

TSF traffic was slow in the first few weeks, but input from proud current and former employees, pre-Christmas layoffs and other news kept the ball rolling.

Unfortunately, good news has been minimal over the past four years, with Quebecor:

Slashing payroll numbers (including 600 on Black Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008);

Selling newspaper buildings, including 333;

Closing newspapers and merging others;

Eliminating Christmas bonuses, sabbaticals etc.

Dropping the Dunlop Awards;

Messing with proven content;

Turning newsrooms into sweatshops etc.

Unleashing this year's Tory Kory fiasco in Ottawa;

And the list goes on.

Four years later, as TSF counts down to the Toronto Sun's 40th anniversary next Nov. 1, the mood at Sun Media is as distant from pre-Quebecor years as can be.

What the fifth and final year of TSF blogging brings is anyone's guess. Our dream scenario is PKP unloads his newspapers in favour of someone who gives a damn about print.

With employees slashed and buildings sold, more newspaper closures could be on the horizon. As it is, PKP has too many toys in his closet to focus on newsrooms.

The billionaire's newest toy, Sun TV News channel, launches in March, no doubt putting more pressure on overworked and understaffed newsrooms across the chain. 

So stay tuned, TSF readers.

Many thanks to TSF's faithful gathering of reliable tipsters who have kept TSF postings flowing in the first four years.

Most tipsters employed by Sun Media remain anonymous, fearing for their jobs. In Quebecor's world, they say putting a name to a Sun Media tip can cost you your job.

Sun vets from the glory years say the loss of freedom of speech for newspaper employees is the saddest post-Quebecor cut of all.

Lunch casualty?

A St. Catharines Standard reader e-mailed this typo gem found online after a Port Colborne teenager was struck by a train:

The story reads:

"He was taken to Welland hospital before being airlifted to Hamilton with injuries to his food and leg."

Must have been the ham on rye he was carrying.

Editors caught the typo in updating the story.