 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner | Metroland Media Group (Torstar Corporation) |
| Founded | 1853, asWellington Mercury |
| Ceased publication | January 29, 2016 |
| Circulation | 12,863 weekdays 13,028 Saturdays in 2010[1] |
| Website | guelphmercury.com |
TheGuelph Mercury was anEnglish languagedaily newspaper published inGuelph,Ontario, Canada. It published a mix of community, national and international news and is owned by theTorstar Corporation. The newspaper, in many incarnations, was a part of the community since 1854. It was one of the oldest broadsheet newspapers in Ontario.[2] Publication was discontinued in late January 2016.
TheWellington Mercury was founded in 1853, and published weekly by owner George Keeling.
A competing paper was started in 1854, named theGuelph Advertiser. It was published weekly as well.
In 1862, Toronto newspaperman andMPJames Innes took over the editorship of theGuelph Advertiser and shortly thereafter formed a partnership withJohn McLagan, owner of the competing weekly newspaper theGuelph Mercury.
The two papers merged to form theMercury and Advertiser.The Mercury was expanded into a daily newspaper in 1867. Among its editors was the future best-selling novelistThomas B. Costain who worked there from 1908 to 1910.The Guelph Mercury has since had numerous owners. Innes sold his share in the newspaper in 1905 to J. Innes McIntosh, who also bought theGuelph Herald, a competing daily newspaper, in 1924. McIntosh then sold his share in 1929 to James Playfair, who sold the paper in the late 1940s toThomson Newspapers. Thomson remained owner for half a century, untilHollinger Inc. purchased the paper in 1995.Sun Media purchased the paper in 1998 and then resold it toTorstar.
The Guelph Mercury was then published six days a week byMetroland Media Group, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The newspaper also published a free weekly roundup for some time as well as various other special publications. A magazine,Guelph Life, was cancelled as a cost-cutting measure in 2009 but restored in 2015; it continued after theGuelph Mercury ceased publication in early 2016. The Mercury was one of few Metroland newspapers still to have their own presses since the Mercury's sister paper, theWaterloo Region Record, is printed at another Torstar site,The Hamilton Spectator in Hamilton, Ontario. In February 2009, Torstar announced layoffs across the chain, including 13 newsroom staff at theGuelph Mercury. According to the announcement, copy editing and page production of the paper will be transferred to theWaterloo Region Record, reducing the editorial staff of the paper to two managers and eight reporter–photographers.[3] Both theGuelph Tribune andGuelph Mercury are owned and published by Metroland Media Group but keep separate newsrooms and operations. The Guelph Mercury's Goss Urbanite Press was shut down on February 7, 2014, at which time printing moved to theHamilton Spectator.
On January 25, 2016,Metroland Media Group announced that theGuelph Mercury would publish its final issue on January 29, 2016, citing a difficulty in remaining profitable because of declining circulation (9,000 subscriptions at that time) and difficulty obtaining national advertising.[4] All of the staff were laid off. At the time of the announcement, there was an indication that some content would continue to be published on the newspaper's web site.[5] Metroland Media Group confirmed that it would continue publishing news and "unique local content" through its twice-weeklyGuelph Tribune which is distributed free of charge. As well, theMercury's real estate section,Guelph and District Homes, would continue to be printed and distributed.[6]
By April 2016, theGuelph Tribune had increased its coverage of local news and rebranded with a new title,Guelph Mercury Tribune. At the same time, theGuelph Mercury Tribune started using the website www.guelphmercury.com as its main location for online local news, information and advertising.[7]
Luelo said the Mercury will continue to have a web presence, but that it's too early to say where that content will come from.
A regional digital team would continue to put out a web version.