TheTimes Colonistis an English-language dailynewspaperinVictoria,British Columbia,Canada.
 | |
| Type | Dailynewspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | TC Publication Limited Partnership (Glacier Media) |
| Publisher | Dave Obee |
| Editor | Dave Obee |
| Founded | 1884/1858/1980 |
| Language | English |
| Headquarters | 201-655 Tyee Road Victoria,British Columbia V9A 6X5 |
| Circulation | less than 35,000 weekdays less than 35,000 Saturday less than 35,000 Sundays in 2018[1] |
| ISSN | 0839-427X |
| Website | www |
It was formed by the September 2, 1980 merger[2]of theVictoria Daily Times,established in 1884, and theBritish Colonist(later theDaily Colonist), established in 1858 byAmor De Cosmoswho was later British Columbia's secondPremier.TheBritish Colonistwas B.C.'s first paper "of any permanence".[3]De Cosmos was the editor until 1866 when D.W. Higgins took over—he would remain in the role for the next twenty years.[4]
Local news receives the greatest prominence in theTimes Colonist.Stories and photographs about Greater Victoria are often featured on the front page. The newspaper also has national and international stories, plus sections covering the arts, sports, and business. The Times Colonist has a website as well as an e-edition, which offers a digital replica of the printed pages.[5]
According toNews Media Canada,the Times Colonist saw an average daily circulation of 58,297 in 2015.[6]From 2016 to present, the average press run was below 31,000 copies daily.[6]TheTimes Colonistis published six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday) and is sold by subscription or at newsstands.[7]
History
editOn August 2, 1980,The Daily Colonistnewspaper front page proclaimed "Merger pains lead to birth of new daily".[8]Victoria Press Ltd., which produced both theDaily Colonistand theVictoria Times,could no longer sustain both competing newspapers without making significant financial cuts, Vice-President Colin McCullough wrote in a statement.[8]Instead, both papers would fold, in what the paper called "the demise of two of Canada's oldest newspapers".[8]The newly-formedTimes-Colonistnewspaper would be delivered twice-daily and subscriptions would continue to cost 5 dollars a month, although the newsstand price of the Saturday paper would rise from 5 to 35 cents.[8]
The merger resulted in layoffs — 53 full-time and eight part-time employees were let go,[8]resulting in challenges from union representatives and fired staffers.[2]
The first edition of theTimes Colonistwas published Sept. 2, 1980.[9]In 1983, the newspaper stopped printing both a morning and afternoon edition and moved to daily morning publication.[9]
A two-storey Victoria Press Building had been constructed on Douglas Street in 1971, replacing smaller offices built on the same street in 1951.[10]The Victoria Press Building remained the headquarters of theTimes Colonistafter the 1980 merger and up until the building's sale in 2017.[11]The Victoria Heritage Society has deemed the building architecturally notable for its "characteristics of the Late Modern style including its pre-cast concrete panels, exposed aggregate stucco cladding [...] and its full-height central entryway with rounded pre-cast concrete walls."[10]
In 1998, Southam Newspapers bought theTimes Colonist.[9]Two years later, it was sold again to CanWest Publications.[9]On July 13, 2010, the Postmedia Network acquired CanWest Publications and all of its assets, including theTimes Colonist.[12][13]
On October 18, 2011, thePostmedia Networkannounced it would sell theTimes Colonist,Nanaimo Daily NewsandAlberni Valley Times,as well as 20 weekly and bi-weekly community papers, toGlacier Mediafor $86.5 million.[14][15]
In 2017, the Victoria Press Building was sold to Merchant House Capital.[11]In 2018, the newspaper announced it would no longer print its own paper, allowing staff to focus on the content and distribution of the newspaper.[16]Since Oct. 1, 2018, the newspaper has been printed byBlack PressinLadysmith.[17]The newspaper offices were moved in 2020 to Upper Harbour Place, a mixed-used residential and office building on Tyee Road inVictoria West.[18]
In June 2019, it was announced the first 122 years of theBritish Colonist(later, theDaily Colonist) would be available online, with free access, through the efforts of theTimes Colonist,theUniversity of Victoriaand other funding partners.[19]The digitized newspaper collection is reported to be one of the most popular database on the university's website.[19]
On May 28, 2022, theTimes Colonistreported its former building would reopen that summer—new tenants include a brewery and commercial kitchen space.[20]The newspaper will not be returning to the building as a tenant when it reopens.[21]
Circulation
editTheTimes Colonisthas seen a decline in printcirculationin the last decade. Its total circulation dropped by 10 percent to 58,297 copies daily from 2009 to 2015.[6]From 2016 to 2021, the average press run was below 31,000 copies daily. Since 2021 that number has dropped below 25,000 copies daily.[6]
- Daily average[22]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"2015 Daily Newspaper Circulation Spreadsheet (Excel)".News Media Canada.RetrievedDecember 16,2017.Numbers are based on the total circulation (print plus digital editions).
- ^ab"Stereotypers opposing layoffs".The Daily Colonist.August 15, 1980. p. 13.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^Hopkins, J. Castell (1898).An historical sketch of Canadian literature and journalism.Toronto: Lincott. p. 221.ISBN0665080484.
- ^Hopkins, J. Castell (1898).An historical sketch of Canadian literature and journalism.Toronto: Lincott. p. 232.ISBN0665080484.
- ^"Times Colonist E-edition".digitaltimescolonist.pressreader.com.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^abcd"Daily Newspaper Circulation Data".News Media Canada.RetrievedDecember 16,2017.
- ^"About Victoria Times Colonist".Victoria Times Colonist.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^abcde"Merger pains lead to birth of new daily".The Daily Colonist.August 2, 1980. p. 45.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^abcd"160 years of news: From the British Colonist to today's Times Colonist".Victoria Times Colonist.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^ab"2621 Douglas St".www.victoriaheritagefoundation.ca.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^ab"Times Colonist building sold".Victoria News.June 16, 2017.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Postmedia Network Canada Corp. completes acquisition of Canwest Publishing print and online assets | Postmedia".www.postmedia.com.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Postmedia Network acquires Canwest's newspaper division".CTVNews.July 14, 2010.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Postmedia Network Announces Sale of the Times Colonist in Victoria and British Columbia-Based Community Newspapers | Postmedia".www.postmedia.com.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Victoria Times Colonist sold to B.C. company".CBC News.October 18, 2011.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Times Colonist newspaper to close printing press and lay off 18 employees".CHEK.July 9, 2018.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Black Press to begin printing Victoria's Times Colonist newspaper".Ladysmith Chronicle.August 22, 2018.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Victoria Times Colonist - Contact Us".Victoria Times Colonist.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^abWatts, Richard (June 9, 2019)."12-year project complete: Online newspaper archive covers Victoria's history".Victoria Times Colonist.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"City green-lights brewing and baking at renovated former Times Colonist building".Victoria Times Colonist.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Tenants expected to move in next year at renovated former Times Colonist building".Victoria Times Colonist.RetrievedJune 27,2022.
- ^"Daily Newspaper Circulation Data".News Media Canada.RetrievedDecember 16,2017.Figures refer to the total circulation (print and digital combined) which includes paid and unpaid copies.