Black Press closing Penticton print plant

3 community papers move their printing to The Daily Courier

PENTICTON — Black Press is closing its Penticton printing plant and bindery, the company has announced, and The Daily Courier will pick up some of the slack.

Three Aberdeen Publishing newspapers — Oliver Chronicle, Osoyoos Times and Peachland View — that had been printed at the Black Press facility in Penticton will now be done at The Daily Courier’s press facility.

The twice-weekly Black-owned Penticton Western News will now be printed in Vernon, Western News publisher Shannon Simpson said.

“The restructuring requirement was precipitated by the decision of a commercial print client (Aberdeen Publishing Inc.) to relocate the printing of their weekly newspapers to other press locations,” said Simpson said in a statement posted on the newspaper’s website.

He declined to comment on how many jobs will be lost in Penticton. The shop is believed to have employed at least 10 pressmen and insertion staff.

Rob Munro, vice-president of Unifor Local 2000, which represents unionized staff at the Penticton Herald and The Daily Courier, said the move is a vote of confidence in the work produced by members.

“It’s good news for our Unifor Local 2000 members at the Kelowna Daily Courier that some of these newspapers will be printed there,” said Munro.

The Herald and Daily Courier are published by Continental Newspapers, which is majority owned by David Radler and Glacier Media.

Aberdeen Publishing, which is privately owned by Bob Doull, has eight community newspapers in B.C. and Alberta. Some of its other titles, including the Merritt Herald and Kamloops This Week, which had been printed at the Black Press facility Vernon will now be done at Kodiak Press in Vancouver.