Le Soleil makes headlines

July 15, 1880 The newspaper is first printed in Quebec City as L’Électeur, the official publication of the Liberal Party of Canada. Dec. 27, 1896 The Catholic Church officially denounces L’Électeur after the newspaper publishes accusations of the clergy of interfering with elections. Dec. 28, 1896 After an all-night meeting at Château Frontenac, the newspaper is re-launched as Le Soleil to retain its mostly Catholic readership. Canadian Primer Minister Wilfred Laurier becomes the political director until his death in 1911. 1903 Quebec City Mayor and Quebec Premier SimonNapoléon Parent becomes majority shareholder of Le Soleil following the retirement of founder and editor-in-chief, Ernest Pacaud. 1918 Le Soleil prints the first ever photo in a Quebec newspaper.

1929 Le Soleil is bought by Liberal Party member Jacob Nicol. 1934 Editor-in-chief JeanCharles Harvey is fired after publishing his novel, Les Demicivilisés, a scathing critique of Quebec’s clergy and French Canadian elite. 1936 Liberal Party ideas are officially confined to Le Soleil’s opinion section. The same year, Le Soleil purchases the competing L’Événement newspaper. 1948 Businessman Oscar Gilbert becomes owner of Le Soleil and it ends its affiliation with the Liberal Party. 1950 Le Soleil’s journalist union is founded by Françoise Côté, Quebec’s first female francophone general-assignment news reporter. 1973 In the midst of a battle with the journalists’ union, Gilbert decides to put Le Soleil up for sale rather than negotiate. Quebec Premier Robert Bourassa prevents the sale to Power Corp. of Canada under Paul Desmarais, citing concerns about excessive media concentration. Le Soleil is purchased by Unimédia, with support from Desmarais in order to prevent Pierre Péladeau, who owned Québecor and the Journal de Québec, from controlling the Quebec City market. Aug. 30, 1977 — July 8, 1978 A strike completely stops publication. Le Soleil loses about 30 per cent of its clientele and $20 million. 1987 Unimédia puts Le Soleil up for sale and Power Corp. is once again blocked by the Bourassa government. It is purchased by Conrad Black’s Hollinger Group. 2000 The newspaper is purchased by Gesca, a Power Corp. subsidiary. March 14, 2015 Gesca sells Le Soleil, along with Ottawa’s Le Droit, Sherbrooke’s La Tribune, Chicoutimi’s Le Quotidien, Trois-Rivières’ Le Nouvelliste and Granby’s La Voix de l’Est to Groupe Capitales Médias with Martin Cauchon as owner.