West Island Gazette goes on hiatus

As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds in Quebec, we at the Montreal Gazette are making plans that reflect the challenges of these troubled times.

One of those changes means we will be halting publication of the print edition of the West Island Gazette until further notice.

The main reason is simple. There are fewer events, meetings and other activities taking place as all of us practise social distancing to try to slow the spread of the virus. That means there are fewer events for our

West Island team to cover.

There is another wrinkle for the West Island Gazette. Because it is a weekly publication in print, news that might be current on Monday could be overtaken by developments on Tuesday and be completely outdated by the time this edition comes out in print on Wednesday.

Our commitment to covering the West Island and Off Island regions is not changing. It just doesn’t make sense to do so in print and risk providing you with irrelevant or erroneous information because of the rapidly changing landscape around COVID-19. So until further notice, please look for regular coverage of this area in the regular Monday-to-saturday print edition of the Gazette or online at montrealgazette.com.

We have lifted the paywall on our coronavirus stories so that everyone has equal access to vital information.

Look for some of your favourite columnists in print in the broadsheet version of the Gazette until the West Island edition returns. And please stay safe as we navigate these difficult times.