The Vancouver Sun

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. Published six days a week from Monday to Saturday, the ''Sun'' is the largest newspaper in western Canada by circulation.

The newspaper was first published on 12 February 1912. The newspaper expanded in the early 20th century 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

The ''Vancouver Sun'' published its first edition on 12 February 1912. The newspaper was originally based at 125 West Pender Street, just around the corner from '' The Vancouver Daily Province'', its rival at the time. In 1917, the ''Sun'' acquired the ''Daily News-Advertiser'', a newspaper that was established in 1886. From 1917 until his death in 1936, its publisher was Robert James Cromie. In 1924, the ''Sun'' acquired ''The Evening World'', another newspaper established in 1888.

In March 1937, a fire destroyed the ''Suns business and editorial offices. 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.

The ''Sun'' emerged as the city's leading newspaper after ''The Vancouver Daily Province'' experienced a lengthy labour dispute from 1946 to 1949.

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 in 1963, who later sold it to Southam Inc. in 1980. In 1992, the newspaper was taken over by Conrad Black's Hollinger Inc.

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.

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.

In May 2009, the newspaper laid off long-time editorial cartoonist Roy Peterson who had been drawing for the paper since 1962.

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'' 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.

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.

In 2017, the ''Vancouver Sun'' and ''The Province'' moved to East Vancouver, to the Broadway Tech Centre.

Content

As 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.

Editorial stances

The newspaper was first established in 1912 to "consistently advocate the principles of Liberalism". Under the Cromie family, the newspaper typically supported the Liberals, although were often critical of them. 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.

Circulation

The ''Vancouver Sun'' has seen, like most Canadian daily newspapers, a decline in circulation. Its total circulation dropped by percent to 136,787 copies daily from 2009 to 2015.

:::::::::Daily average Figures refer to the total circulation (print and digital combined) which includes paid and unpaid copies.

Notable staff

* Kim Bolan, crime
* Hal Sigurdson (1966 to 1976), assistant sports editor

See also

*List of newspapers in Canada
* List of newspapers in Canada by circulation
* Media in Vancouver
* The ''Vancouver Sun'' Classic Children's Book Collection
*Vancouver Sun Run

References

External links

*

''Vancouver Sun'' RSS feed

History of Metropolitan Vancouver

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vancouver Sun
Newspapers published in Vancouver
Postmedia Network publications
Publications established in 1912
Daily newspapers published in British Columbia
1912 establishments in British Columbia
Vancouver Sun people