The Vancouver Sun, also known as the Sun, is a daily broadsheet newspaper based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The newspaper is currently published by the Pacific Newspaper Group, a division of Postmedia Network, and is the largest newspaper in western Canada by circulation. Since 2022, it is published five days a week from Tuesday to Saturday.
| Seriously Westcoast | |
 | |
| Type | Daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Postmedia Network Inc. |
| Editor-in-chief | Harold Munro |
| Founded | 12 February 1912 |
| Headquarters | 400-2985 Virtual Way, Vancouver, B.C., V5M 4X7 |
| ISSN | 0832-1299 |
| Website | vancouversun |
The newspaper was first published on 12 February 1912. It quickly expanded by acquiring other papers, such as the Daily News-Advertiser and The Evening World. In 1963, the Cromie family sold the majority of its holdings in the Sun to FP Publications, who later sold the newspaper to Southam Inc. in 1980. The newspaper was taken over by Hollinger Inc. in 1992, and was later sold again to CanWest in 2000. In 2010, the newspaper became part of the Postmedia Network as a result of the collapse of CanWest.
History
editThe Vancouver 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 from The Vancouver Daily Province, its rival at the time.[citation needed] In 1917, the Sun acquired the Daily News-Advertiser, a newspaper that was established in 1886.[1] From 1917 until his death in 1936, its publisher was Robert James Cromie.[3] In 1924, the Sun acquired The Evening World, another newspaper established in 1888.[1]
In March 1937, a fire destroyed the Sun's business and editorial offices.[4] The only death was the janitor, who suffered minor burns and smoke inhalation. The Sun promptly moved across the street into the World Building, where the World had been published. The building was accordingly renamed the Sun Tower.[5]
The Sun emerged as the city's leading newspaper after The Vancouver Daily Province experienced a lengthy labour dispute from 1946 to 1949.[1]
In 1958, the Vancouver Sun and The Province joined to create the Pacific 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 to FP Publications, who later sold it to Southam Inc. in 1980. In 1992, the newspaper was taken over by Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc.[1]
The newspaper's photography department became the first in the world to fully switch over to digital photography following the 1994 release of the Kodak DCS 400 series, which used a Nikon F90 body; the camera was developed by Kodak in collaboration with The Associated Press and each unit cost $16,950.[6]
In 1997, Kennedy Heights, the printing press for the Vancouver Sun and The Province, was opened in Surrey. Later in 1997 the paper moved to Granville Square. In 2000, the newspaper was sold to CanWest.[1]
In May 2009, the newspaper laid off long-time editorial cartoonist Roy Peterson who had been drawing for the paper since 1962.[7]
In 2010, the newspaper became part of the Postmedia Network, as a result of the collapse of CanWest. In December 2011, after much research on the demographics of the greater Vancouver area, the newspaper launched a Chinese-language version Taiyangbao[8] with original Chinese language content. According to an article broadcast on China Now on China 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 the Vancouver Sun and The Province were outsourced, each to different printing press operations.[10]
In 2017, the Vancouver Sun and The Province moved to East Vancouver, to the Broadway Tech Centre.
In October 2022, the Vancouver Sun and The Province stopped printing the Monday editions.
Content
editAs a broadsheet newspaper, the Sun was not originally related to the Sun Media chain and its tabloid Sun papers in Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, and Edmonton. However, the Vancouver Sun and the tabloid Sun papers have been part of the same company since 2015, as a result of Postmedia's acquisition of Sun Media.[11]
Editorial stances
editThe 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 a middlebrow newspaper with a more socially and economically diverse readership than its competitor. While publishing under Hollinger, the Sun's editorials, op-ed articles, and guest columns were unambiguously critical of the federal Liberal government.[12]
Circulation
editThe Vancouver Sun has seen, like most Canadian daily newspapers, a decline in circulation. Its total circulation dropped by 22 percent to 136,787 copies daily from 2009 to 2015.[13]
- Daily average[14]
Notable staff
edit- Kim Bolan, crime
- Hal Sigurdson (1966 to 1976), assistant sports editor[15]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e f g "Sun (Vancouver)". Historica Canada. 17 October 2014. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2022.
- ^ Mackie, John (22 October 2021). "This Week in History, 1933: A Vancouver Sun mural depicts the wealth and opportunities in B.C." Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on 6 December 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ Stephen Hume, "Cromie, Robert James" Archived 2016-07-31 at the Wayback Machine, in Dictionary of Canadian Biography, vol. 16, University of Toronto/Université Laval, 2003–. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
- ^ "An iconic landmark that towered over the British Empire". Vancouver Sun. 7 February 2012. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
- ^ Thirkell, Fred; Scullion, Robert (1996). Postcards from the Past: Edwardian Images of Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Heritage House Publishing Co. p. 142. ISBN 9781895811230. Archived from the original on 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2023-10-30.
- ^ Richards, Dan (23 October 2013). "The 30 Most Important Digital Cameras of All Time". Popular Photography. Archived from the original on 7 December 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
- ^ AAEC. "Association of American Editorial Cartoonists News, June 14, 2009". News.editorialcartoonists.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2012-12-17.
- ^ Todd, Douglas (December 9, 2011). "Vancouver Sun's Chinese-language website lures fast-rising ethnic group. Site includes 13 bloggers from Metro Vancouver and Asia". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012.
- ^ China Now, China Radio International, December 2011 broadcast
- ^ "Presses stop at longtime printing plant for Vancouver Sun and Province". Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
- ^ Bradshaw, James (13 April 2015). "Postmedia-Sun Media deal officially closes". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on 27 March 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
- ^ Greenberg, Joshua (April 2000). "Opinion Discourse and Canadian Newspapers: The Case of the Chinese "Boat People"". Canadian Journal of Communication. 25 (4): 517–537. doi:10.22230/cjc.2000v25n4a1178.
- ^ "Daily Newspaper Circulation Data". News Media Canada. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2017.
- ^ "Daily Newspaper Circulation Data". News Media Canada. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 16 December 2017. Figures refer to the total circulation (print and digital combined) which includes paid and unpaid copies.
- ^ Prest, Ashley; Campbell, Tim (January 18, 2012). "A bit of an icon as a sports editor". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg, Manitoba. p. 22. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.