Metroland Ceases Print Editions of Community Papers, Maintains Regional Dailies

Mass media publisher and distributor Metroland Media Group has taken a significant step by discontinuing the print editions of its community papers while preserving its regional dailies. Additionally, the company will seek protection and attempt to restructure under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.

For the longest time, Metroland, a subsidiary of Toronto Corporation has been a prominent player in Canadian media, providing communities with local news, stories, and information through its extensive network of publications. However, in response to shifting reader preferences and economic realities, the company has decided to shift its focus away from the traditional print format for community papers.

The job cuts and restructuring will affect 605 employees meaning that about 60% of the company’s labour force will be rendered jobless. Employees at the company’s six daily newspapers; Niagara Falls Review, Peterborough Examiner, Waterloo Region Record, Hamilton Spectator, St. Catharines Standard and Welland Tribune won’t be affected by the layoffs.

In a public statement the media outlet attributes the job cuts and restructuring to unsustainable financial losses arising from the changing preferences of consumers and advertisers.

“The media industry continues to face existential challenges, largely because digital tech giants have used their dominant positions to take the vast majority of the advertising revenue in Canada. The decline of the print and flyer distribution business was significantly accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and by the reduction of flyer usage both by readers and advertisers as a marketing vehicle,” said the company.

This development comes at a time when Canada’s media industry is facing consolidation which has become synonymous with mass layoffs and shuttered publications. The spike in tech companies has been blamed for swallowing up advertising budgets.