The News — a brief history

Since 1911, The News and its predecessor, The Evening News, have been arriving on doorsteps in Pictou County six days a week.

The pages of this paper have announced the beginnings and ends of wars, of deaths and births. It has told of mine disasters and church teas, of businesses opening and closing. Most important, it has been a witness to the lives of the people of Pictou County.

According to historian James Cameron in his book, Pictou County’s History, The Evening News was founded by James A. Stairs, who began daily publication of The Evening News in 1911 after previously operating a weekly paper, The Standard, in New Glasgow.

Here’s a look back at some key dates in the history of the paper.

■ May 1911 – It is believed that this was the month that The Evening News began publication as part of The Standard Printing Company Ltd.

■ 1912 – The publishing company name changes to Albion Publishing Company Ltd.

■ 1913 – Albion Publishing

Company merges with Free Lance Publishing Company Ltd (founded in 1895) of Westville to form Scotia Printers Ltd. with J.W.H. Sutherland Sr. as president and Stairs as vice-president. The Free Lance would later become an auxiliary weekly to The Evening News.

■ 1929 – The Evening News plant moves from Archimedes Street to the Chambers Building on Provost Street. A high-speed press is added.

■ 1930 – The Evening News is added to the Canadian Press full service coverage with installation of tele-printer equipment.

■ 1936 – J.W.H. Sutherland dies leaving the management and ownership of the newspaper to his sons.

■ 1969 – Thompson Newspapers purchases The Evening News.

■ 1996 – Southam Newspapers purchases The Evening News from Thompson.

■ 1998 – Hollinger Canadian Newspapers takes ownership of the paper.

■ 2000 – CanWest Global Inc. purchases the paper.

■ 2002 – Transcontinental Media becomes owner of The Evening News. During Transcontinental’s ownership the publication would switch to a morning publication and become known as The News. It was at this time the paper switched to a tabloid-sized paper.

■ April 2017 – The Chronicle Herald announces the formation of the SaltWire Network and the purchase of The News along with 26 other Transcontinental-owned publications. The News returns to a broadsheet-sized paper just over two months later.

■ May 30, 2018 – SaltWire announces that The News will become a weekly publication.

■ June 30, 2018 – The final daily edition of The News is printed.

■ July 5, 2018 – The first weekly edition of The News will be distributed.

SUBMITTED BY CLYDE MACDONALD OF THE PICTOU COUNTY ROOTS SOCIETY The Chambers building in New Glasgow, shown here in 1930, at the corner of Provost and Forbes streets, was built in 1910 by contractor John J. Grant. At a later point it was home to The Evening News. The building has wreaths above the front entrance...

SUBMITTED BY ROBERT GEORGE OF RED DEER, ALTA., AND CLYDE MACDONALD OF THE PICTOU COUNTY ROOTS SOCIETY This 1931 photo shows an office inside The Evening News building on the corner of Archimedes and Forbes streets in New Glasgow. Through the window on the adjacent corner can be seen the Academy of Music (where the Bell Aliant parking lot is now...