| Seriously Westcoast | |
 | |
| Type | Dailynewspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Postmedia Network Inc. |
| Editor-in-chief | Harold Munro |
| Founded | 12 February 1912; 113 years ago (1912-02-12) |
| Headquarters | 400-2985 Virtual Way, Vancouver, B.C., V5M 4X7 |
| ISSN | 0832-1299 |
| Website | vancouversun |
TheVancouver Sun, also known as theSun, is a dailybroadsheet newspaper based inVancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division ofPostmedia Network, and is the largest newspaper inwestern Canada by circulation. Since 2022, it is published five days a week from Tuesday to Saturday.
The newspaper was first published on 12 February 1912. It quickly expanded by acquiring other papers, such as theDaily News-Advertiser andThe Evening World. In 1963, the Cromie family sold the majority of its holdings in theSun toFP Publications, who later sold the newspaper toSoutham Inc. in 1980. The newspaper was taken over byHollinger Inc. in 1992, and was later sold again toCanWest in 2000. In 2010, the newspaper became part of thePostmedia Network as a result of the collapse of CanWest.
TheVancouver Sun published its first edition on 12 February 1912.[1] The newspaper was originally based at 125 West Pender Street,[2] just around the corner fromThe Vancouver Daily Province, its rival at the time.[citation needed] In 1917, theSun acquired theDaily News-Advertiser, a newspaper that was established in 1886.[1] From 1917 until his death in 1936, its publisher wasRobert James Cromie.[3] In 1924, theSun acquiredThe Evening World, another newspaper established in 1888.[1]
In March 1937, a fire destroyed theSun's business and editorial offices.[4] The only death was the janitor, who suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. TheSun promptly moved across the street into the World Building, where theWorld had been published. The building was accordingly renamed theSun Tower.[5]
TheSun emerged as the city's leading newspaper afterThe Vancouver Daily Province experienced a lengthy labour dispute from 1946 to 1949.[1]
In 1958, theVancouver Sun andThe Province joined to create thePacific Press in response to the rising costs of producing newspapers. First the papers merged their mechanical and financial departments, then they both moved into the Pacific Press Building on December 27, 1965.
In 1963, the majority of the Cromie family holdings in the newspaper were sold toFP Publications, who later sold it toSoutham Inc. in 1980. In 1992, the newspaper was taken over byConrad Black'sHollinger Inc.[1]
The newspaper'sphotography department became the first in the world to fully switch over todigital photography following the 1994 release of theKodak DCS 400 series, which used aNikon F90 body; the camera was developed byKodak in collaboration withThe Associated Press and each unit cost $16,950.[6]
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In 1997, Kennedy Heights, the printing press for theVancouver Sun andThe Province, was opened in Surrey. Later in 1997 the paper moved toGranville Square. In 2000, the newspaper was sold toCanWest.[1]
In May 2009, the newspaper laid off long-time editorial cartoonistRoy Peterson who had been drawing for the paper since 1962.[7]
In 2010, the newspaper became part of thePostmedia Network, as a result of the collapse ofCanWest. In December 2011, after much research on the demographics of the greaterVancouver area, the newspaper launched a Chinese-language versionTaiyangbao[8] with original Chinese language content. According to an article broadcast on China Now onChina Radio International (December 2011), the key to success was not necessarily to "translate" its English-language version into Chinese.[9]
In January 2015, the Kennedy Heights printing press operation was shut down, resulting in 220 workers losing their jobs. Printing of theVancouver Sun andThe Province were outsourced, each to different printing press operations.[10]
In 2017, theVancouver Sun andThe Province moved to East Vancouver, to the Broadway Tech Centre.
In October 2022, theVancouver Sun andThe Province stopped printing the Monday editions.
As a broadsheet newspaper, theSun was not originally related to theSun Media chain and its tabloidSun papers inToronto,Ottawa,Winnipeg,Calgary, andEdmonton. However, theVancouver Sun and the tabloidSun papers have been part of the same company since 2015, as a result of Postmedia's acquisition of Sun Media.[11]
The newspaper was first established in 1912 to "consistently advocate the principles of Liberalism". Under the Cromie family, the newspaper typically supported the Liberals, although they were often critical as well.[1] Under Hollinger Inc., the newspaper was considered amiddlebrow newspaper with a more socially and economically diverse readership than its competitor. While publishing under Hollinger, theSun's editorials, op-ed articles, and guest columns were unambiguously critical of the federal Liberal government.[12]
TheVancouver Sun has seen, like mostCanadian daily newspapers, a decline incirculation. Its total circulation dropped by 22 percent to 136,787 copies daily from 2009 to 2015.[13]
