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''The Chronicle Herald'' is a
broadsheet A broadsheet is the largest newspaper format and is characterized by long Vertical and horizontal, vertical pages, typically of . Other common newspaper formats include the smaller Berliner (format), Berliner and Tabloid (newspaper format), ta ...
newspaper published in
Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348,634 people in its urban area. The ...
, Canada owned by
SaltWire Network SaltWire Network Inc. is a Canadian newspaper publishing company owned by the Dennis-Lever family of Halifax, Nova Scotia, owners of ''The Chronicle Herald''. Saltwire owns 23 daily and weekly newspapers in Atlantic Canada.
of Halifax. The paper's newsroom staff were locked out of work from January 2016 until August 2017. ''Herald'' management continued to publish using
strikebreaker A strikebreaker (sometimes called a scab, blackleg, or knobstick) is a person who works despite a strike. Strikebreakers are usually individuals who were not employed by the company before the trade union dispute but hired after or during the st ...
labour, and were accused by the union of refusing to bargain in good faith with the intention of
union busting Union busting is a range of activities undertaken to disrupt or prevent the formation of trade unions or their attempts to grow their membership in a workplace. Union busting tactics can refer to both legal and illegal activities, and can range ...
.


History


Early years

Founded in 1874 as ''The Morning Herald'', the paper quickly became one of Halifax's main newspapers. The same company also owned the ''Evening Mail'', which was published in the afternoon. Its main competitors were the ''Chronicle'' in the morning, and the ''Star'' in the afternoon. By 1949 the papers had merged to become ''The Chronicle-Herald'' and ''Mail-Star'' respectively.


Graham Dennis era

Graham W. Dennis took over as publisher of the newspaper in 1954, at age 26, after the death of his father, senator William Henry Dennis, who in turn had succeeded senator William Dennis in running the paper. He led the newspaper for the next half century. Dennis was proud of the paper's independence and rebuffed numerous offers to buy it. He was known as a humanistic employer interested in the welfare of his employees, stating that his proudest moment was the introduction of a pension plan for ''Herald'' staff. He had a reputation as an "old-school media baron" who set up bureaus across Canada and even one in London, England. Dennis considered the paper essential to effecting positive change in Nova Scotia and ensured that it was available across the province. In 1998 the company began producing a Sunday edition called ''The Sunday Herald'', which ran until April 20, 2013. In 2004 ''The Chronicle-Herald'' and ''Mail-Star'' were merged to form the single ''The Chronicle Herald''. In January 2004, ''The Chronicle Herald'' became the first newspaper in Canada, and one of only several in the world, to operate a ''WIFAG'' offset press. This development led to an increased use of colour, and changes in font and styling. In 2002 the historic ''Herald'' headquarters on Argyle Street was listed for sale for $15 million and sold by the Dennis family to the cable TV mogul
Charles Keating Charles Humphrey Keating Jr. (December 4, 1923 – March 31, 2014) was an American sportsman, lawyer, real estate developer, banker, financier, conservative activist, and convicted felon best known for his role in the savings and loan sca ...
. Keating died in 2005. In 2007 Argyle Developments Ltd. purchased the property from his estate. The ''Chronicle Herald'' moved in 2008 to one of the buildings on the ex-
Maritime Life The Maritime Life Assurance Company was a Canadian insurance company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was founded in 1922 and in 2004 it became fully integrated with Manulife Financial, with the Maritime Life brand being retired. In 2004 ...
campus in Armdale. The former ''Herald'' buildings were demolished and the site was redeveloped as the
Nova Centre Nova Centre is a mixed-use commercial development under construction in downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It comprises a hotel tower, two office towers, the new Halifax Convention Centre, retail space, and Grafton Place, a public pedestrian ...
, which houses the new
Halifax Convention Centre The Halifax Convention Centre is the main conference centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It opened on December 15, 2017 in Downtown Halifax, replacing the older World Trade and Convention Centre. The Halifax Convention Centre is part of the ...
. In October 2008, ''The Chronicle Herald'' was named one of "
Canada's Top 100 Employers Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual editorial competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions ...
" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in ''
Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...
'' newsmagazine. On February 3, 2009, the paper laid off 24 employees, the first layoffs in the paper's 136-year history. The cuts represented approximately one quarter of its newsroom staff, but it remained the largest newsroom east of Montreal. These cuts impacted the production department where nine employees were laid off. The company stated that these layoffs were the result of a decline in advertising due to the distress of the current economic situation. In 2014, the Herald issued layoff notices to another 20 newsroom employees.


New management

Sarah Dennis, daughter of owner Graham Dennis and vice-president since the 1990s, took over as CEO of the newspaper in November 2010. She married Mark Lever in August 2011. Graham Dennis, who ran the newspaper for more than 57 years, died on December 1, 2011 at the age of 84. Sarah Dennis inherited the paper. Lever took over as president and CEO in 2012. Though the newspaper is profitable, Dennis and Lever have aggressively cut costs in recent years. Dennis holds a "far less romantic view of the newspaper" than her father did, a characteristic that journalist Stephen Kimber said has made cost-cutting easy. Dennis stated: "It's a business, and you have to run it like a business. The history is important, but you can't let that determine what you do." Shortly after taking over as CEO, Dennis championed the newspaper's independence, stating: "The fact that we’re not controlled by someone in Ontario makes a big difference in what we can do." She stated that the newspaper would remain independent as long as possible. However, following her father's death Dennis stated that she would entertain offers from potential buyers. Discord erupted in 2011 after the ''Herald'' wrote a new contract for freelance journalists that gave the newspaper rights to freelancers' work forever, without any payment for signing over the copyright. Numerous freelancers, including Ralph Surette and
Silver Donald Cameron Silver Donald Cameron (June 21, 1937 – June 1, 2020) was a Canadian journalist, author, playwright, and university teacher whose writing focused on social justice, nature, and the environment. His 15 books of non-fiction dealt with everything ...
, refused to sign. Dennis stated that the newspaper was simply emulating what other newspapers across the country were doing. The newspaper purchased Bounty Print, a commercial printing company, in 2011. In 2012 they purchased ''
The Casket ''The Casket'' is a weekly paper published in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Canada, by SaltWire Network. First published on June 24, 1852 by John Boyd, The paper was eventually acquired by Casket Printing and Publishing Company. Brace Publishing Limi ...
'', a weekly newspaper published in
Antigonish , settlement_type = Town , image_skyline = File:St Ninian's Cathedral Antigonish Spring.jpg , image_caption = St. Ninian's Cathedral , image_flag = Flag of Antigonish.pn ...
, through a Herald sister company, Brace Publishing Limited. The company also launched the glossy ''Herald Magazine'' in February 2012. It launched the ''Cape Breton Star'', a weekly newspaper, in Cape Breton in May 2014. Circulation has been in decline. In 2012 the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported circulation of 108,389 weekdays, 112,306 Saturdays and 97,190 Sundays
Audit Bureau of Circulations An Audit Bureau of Circulations is a private organization that provides industry-agreed standards for media brand measurement of print publications and other media outlets in a given country. The International Federation of Audit Bureaux of Circula ...
br>e-Circ data
for the six months ending September 30, 2011. Retrieved February 16, 2012.
In April 2012 the Sunday edition was discontinued as a cost-cutting measure and the Saturday paper was renamed ''Weekend''. Still, in 2013, Sarah Dennis stated that the newspaper was profitable and that readership was at an all-time high. In September 2014, weekday circulation was estimated at 70,000, with the weekend edition selling 72,000. On-line subscriptions totaled 1,862.Reported in AllNovaScotia.com, May 1, 2015, citing an Audited Media report In February 2015, the ''Herald'' locked out its 13 unionized printing press workers, causing the first work stoppage in the company's history. The lockout ended about a month later, after the union agreed to major concessions.


2016–17 labour dispute


Lockout and bargaining

On January 23, 2016, 61 members of the Halifax Typographical Union's newsroom and news bureau staff were locked out of the Herald by Dennis and Lever, who went on to hire " scab" reporters as replacements. The ''Chronicle Herald'' refused any concessions offered by the union, and later on the striking staff launched a competing online newspaper called ''
Local Xpress ''Local Xpress'' was an online newspaper based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was founded in 2016 by 57 members of the Halifax Typographical Union's newsroom unit while on strike from ''The Chronicle Herald'', the city's daily newspaper. The ' ...
''. By September 2016, the number of striking workers was down to 56 as some had sought new employment for financial reasons. The union criticized the ''Herald'' for spending more than $400,000 on security (as at September 2016) while demanding cuts in the newsroom, and stated that the real intention of management was to bust the union. The typographical union also accused Sarah Dennis of hiring private investigators to tail and intimidate picketers. In September 2016 the ''Herald'' announced that it was shutting down the ''Cape Breton Star'' due to "a prevailing headwind of union sympathy in industrial Cape Breton". The union agreed to wage cuts and increased working hours equating to an hourly pay decrease of 17 per cent, layoffs of a third of unionized staff, a cap on severance pay, reductions in vacation time and mileage allowance, a 25 per cent lower starting wage, and elimination of the
defined benefit pension plan Defined benefit (DB) pension plan is a type of pension plan in which an employer/sponsor promises a specified pension payment, lump-sum, or combination thereof on retirement that depends on an employee's earnings history, tenure of service and age ...
founded by Graham Dennis. However, the dispute dragged on with no agreement being reached between the two parties. The newspaper was accused of making unreasonable demands with the aim of breaking the union, and hired lawyers advertising services in union-busting. During a round of bargaining in October 2016, ''Herald'' made numerous additional demands, including further cuts to the union's bargaining power, reduced sick leave pay, a further four per cent wage cut, eight more layoffs (amounting to a total of 26 layoffs), and the closure of ''
Local Xpress ''Local Xpress'' was an online newspaper based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. It was founded in 2016 by 57 members of the Halifax Typographical Union's newsroom unit while on strike from ''The Chronicle Herald'', the city's daily newspaper. The ' ...
'' and the signing-over of all ''Local Xpress'' content to the ''Herald''. In November 2016 the union filed a complaint with the
Nova Scotia Labour Board A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramat ...
accusing the ''Herald'' management of "bargaining in a manner designed to end union representation", preventing an agreement from being reached. As a result of this strike, CEO Mark Lever won rankandfile.ca's annual ''Scumbag of the Year'' award for 2016. It was the second time in three years a Nova Scotian won this award.


Strikebreakers and quality issues

Throughout the strike, the Halifax Typographical Union used social media to draw light to typographical and factual errors that plagued the paper since the strike began, and alleged that these quality issues were a result of using inexperienced " scab" staff. In addition, the union and others lambasted the strikebreakers for questionable journalistic practices. The use of strikebreakers is banned in many countries, but Quebec is the only jurisdiction within Canada that outlaws the practice. Several faculty members at the
University of King's College The University of King's College, established in 1789, is in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.Roper, Henry. "Aspects of the History of a Loyalist College: King's College, Windsor, and Nova Scotian Higher Education in the Nineteenth Century." Anglic ...
, which is well-regarded for its journalism program, advised graduating students against crossing the picket line. The ''Herald'' approached several King's students and were rebuffed. Investigative journalist Tim Bousquet, of the ''
Halifax Examiner The ''Halifax Examiner'' is an online newspaper based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was founded in 2014 by Tim Bousquet, former news editor of '' The Coast'' alternative weekly paper. Bousquet, known for covering local politics and undertaking long ...
'', questioned the newspaper's practice of printing
advertorial An advertorial is an advertisement in the form of editorial content. The term "advertorial" is a blend (see portmanteau) of the words "advertisement" and "editorial." Merriam-Webster dates the origin of the word to 1946. In printed publications, t ...
content nearly indistinguishable from regular news. Similarly, the union pointed out instances of the "scab ''Herald''" reprinting
press release A press release is an official statement delivered to members of the news media for the purpose of providing information, creating an official statement, or making an announcement directed for public release. Press releases are also considere ...
s nearly verbatim. Of the quality of the newspaper during the strike, Bousquet wrote: "Without the professional journalists, the paper is crap ..The Herald has zero credibility. And the complete abandonment of any journalistic standards is showing in spades." Alex Boutilier of the ''
Toronto Star The ''Toronto Star'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper. The newspaper is the country's largest daily newspaper by circulation. It is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary of Torstar Corporation and part ...
'' spoke out after the ''Herald'' reprinted one of his articles and attributed it to his name only, with no mention of the ''Star'', making it appear as though he was writing as a strikebreaker. Boutilier stated that he could not find the piece on
The Canadian Press The Canadian Press (CP; french: La Presse canadienne, ) is a Canadian national news agency headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Established in 1917 as a vehicle for the time's Canadian newspapers to exchange news and information, The Canadian Pre ...
news wire while Bousquet commented that aside from the ''Star'', the ''Herald'' appears to have been the only other newspaper to print the story. The ''Herald'' subsequently removed his byline from the online edition.


Chebucto Heights controversy

Controversy surrounding an article published 8 April 2016 online (appearing in print on 9 April) made national headlines. The story alleged that Syrian refugee children attending Chebucto Heights Elementary School were "choking, pushing, slapping and verbally abusing their fellow classmates". The paper was widely condemned as the story was unverified, having been based on a sole anonymous source, and was written with a highly sensational tone that alleged acts of "brutality" by children as young as five. It was published anonymously, lacking any
byline The byline (or by-line in British English) on a newspaper or magazine article gives the name of the writer of the article. Bylines are commonly placed between the headline and the text of the article, although some magazines (notably ''Reader's D ...
, and was picked up by right-wing media abroad to bolster anti-refugee sentiment. The superintendent of the
Halifax Regional School Board The Halifax Regional Centre for Education (formerly Halifax Regional School Board) is the public school district responsible for 136 elementary, junior high, and high schools located in the Halifax Regional Municipality in Halifax County, Nova Scot ...
, Elwin LeRoux, stated that he was "deeply offended to see the school represented so inaccurately". LeRoux stated that the school board had investigated the allegations and had come up empty-handed. In the face of public outcry the newspaper tweaked the article online, removing some details before deleting it from the ''Herald'' website altogether on Monday morning. The paper published an editor's note that admitted the story "needed more work". In the wake of the controversy award-winning non-union columnist Lezlie Lowe quit the newspaper in protest, stating in her farewell column that "The story lays bare the worst of the worst xenophobia in our city and our province. It lacks all proportion. Balance eludes it, start to finish."


Regional expansion

On 13 April 2017,
Transcontinental Transcontinental may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Transcontinental", a song by the band Pedro the Lion from the album ''Achilles Heel'' * TC Transcontinental, a publishing, media and marketing company based in Canada, a subsidiary o ...
announced that it had sold all of its newspapers in Atlantic Canada to
SaltWire Network SaltWire Network Inc. is a Canadian newspaper publishing company owned by the Dennis-Lever family of Halifax, Nova Scotia, owners of ''The Chronicle Herald''. Saltwire owns 23 daily and weekly newspapers in Atlantic Canada.
, a newly formed parent company of the ''Herald''. The Halifax Typographical Union called the purchase evidence that the ''Heralds claim of impending financial collapse was a "total fabrication". The president of CWA Canada also weighed in, stating of the ongoing labour dispute: "This has never been about money. It has been about power and union busting."


Government inquiry and conclusion

On 13 July 2017, the
Department of Labour and Advanced Education Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military *Department (administrative division), a geographical and administrative division within a country, ...
announced that it was setting up an Industrial Inquiry Commission, under the provisions of the province's Trade Union Act, to force mediation between the union and the ''Herald'' management from 4 August 2017. A union spokesperson called the move "long overdue" while the ''Heralds chief operating officer called the announcement "puzzling". The dispute finally ended in August 2017 when the union voted to ratify a new eight-year deal. The agreement included an increase in the work week from 35 to 37.5 hours, the dismissal of 26 union staff (with 25 returning to the newspaper and one moving to Cape Breton), and wage cuts.


Circulation

''The Chronicle Herald'' has seen like most Canadian daily newspapers a decline in circulation. Its total circulation dropped by percent to 91,490 copies daily from 2009 to 2015. ''The Chronicle Herald'' is the highest circulation newspaper in the
Atlantic provinces Atlantic Canada, also called the Atlantic provinces (french: provinces de l'Atlantique), is the region of Eastern Canada comprising the provinces located on the Atlantic coast, excluding Quebec. The four provinces are New Brunswick, Newfoundlan ...
, although it briefly lost that title to the now-defunct '' StarMetro Halifax'' (formerly ''Metro Halifax'').. :::::::::Daily average Figures refer to the total circulation (print and digital combined) which includes paid and unpaid copies.


Notable personnel


Editors

* William Dennis * Robert McCleave *
Jane Purves Jane Stopford Purves (July 22, 1949 – June 1, 2013) was a Canadian politician, who was elected to the Nova Scotia House of Assembly in the 1999 provincial election. She represented the electoral district of Halifax Citadel as a member of the ...


Journalists

*
Steve Maich ''yes'Steve is a masculine given name, usually a short form (hypocorism) of Steven or Stephen Notable people with the name include: steve jops * Steve Abbott (disambiguation), several people * Steve Adams (disambiguation), several people * Steve ...
*
Linden MacIntyre Linden Joseph MacIntyre (born May 29, 1943) is a Canadian journalist, broadcaster and novelist. He has won ten Gemini Awards, an International Emmy and numerous other awards for writing and journalistic excellence, including the 2009 Scotiabank ...
*
Judi McLeod Judi Ann T. McLeod (born 1944) is a Canadian journalist. Formerly a reporter for a series of newspapers in Ontario, she now operates the conservative website, ''Canada Free Press'' (CFP). Early life and career McLeod was born in Prince Edward Isl ...
* Walter D. O'Hearn (''Halifax Herald'', 1929-1932)


Columnists

* George Bain *
Silver Donald Cameron Silver Donald Cameron (June 21, 1937 – June 1, 2020) was a Canadian journalist, author, playwright, and university teacher whose writing focused on social justice, nature, and the environment. His 15 books of non-fiction dealt with everything ...
* Scott Taylor (current) *
Jan Wong Jan Wong (; born August 15, 1952) is a Canadian academic, journalist, and writer. Wong worked for ''The Globe and Mail'', serving as Beijing correspondent from 1988 to 1994, when she returned to write from Canada. She is the daughter of Montreal ...
*
Sylvain Charlebois Sylvain Charlebois is a Canadian researcher and professor in food distribution and food policy at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. He is Dalhousie's former Dean of the Faculty of Management. He is currently the Director of t ...
(researcher, current)


Cartoonists

* Bob Chambers *
Michael de Adder Michael de Adder (born May 25, 1967) is a Canadian editorial cartoonist and caricaturist. Early life and education Born in Moncton, he attended Riverview High School (New Brunswick), Riverview High School. He then graduated from Mount Allison Un ...
(current) *
Bruce MacKinnon Bruce MacKinnon (born 1961) is a Canadian editorial cartoonist for ''The Chronicle Herald'' in Halifax, Nova Scotia. He is the recipient of several awards of excellence for his work. Biography MacKinnon was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, wher ...
(current) *
Owen McCarron Owen McCarron (1929 in Halifax, Nova Scotia – June 27, 2005) was a Canadian comics artist and publisher. As a publisher, he was a prolific packager of promotional comic books. He also produced work for American comic book publishers, including ...


See also

*
List of newspapers in Canada This list of newspapers in Canada is a list of newspapers printed and distributed in Canada. Daily newspapers Local weeklies Alberta * Airdrie – ''Airdrie Echo'' * Bashaw – '' Bashaw Star'' * Bassano – ''Bassano Times'' * Beaumont – ...


Further reading

* William March, 1986, ''Red Line: The Chronicle-Herald and The Mail-Star 1875-1954'', Halifax: Chronicle Agencies Limited, 415 pp


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chronicle Herald, The Newspapers published in Halifax, Nova Scotia Daily newspapers published in Nova Scotia Newspapers established in 1874 1874 establishments in Nova Scotia SaltWire Network publications