{{Short description|Canadian newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia}} {{hatnote|Not to be confused by the similarly named newspaper owned by Samuel Thompson in Toronto the 1850s}} {{use mdy dates|date=June 2024}} {{Infobox newspaper | logo = frameless|class=skin-invert | type = Daily newspaper | format = Broadsheet | founded = 1884/1858/1980 | owners = TC Publication Limited Partnership (Glacier Media) | publisher = Dave Obee | editor = Dave Obee | language = English | circulation = less than 35,000 weekdays<br />less than 35,000 Saturday<br />less than 35,000 Sundays in 2018<ref name="Circulation 2015">{{cite web|url=https://nmc-mic.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/2015-Daily-Newspaper-Circulation-Report-by-Title-SPREADSHEET_FINAL.xlsx|title=2015 Daily Newspaper Circulation Spreadsheet (Excel)|work=News Media Canada|access-date=16 December 2017}} Numbers are based on the total circulation (print plus digital editions).</ref> | headquarters = 201-655 Tyee Road<br />Victoria, British Columbia<br />V9A 6X5 | ISSN = 0839-427X | website = {{Official URL}} }}
The '''''Times Colonist''''' is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the September 2, 1980, merger<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |date=1980-08-15 |title=Stereotypers opposing layoffs |page=13 |work=The Daily Colonist |url=https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19800815/page/n12/mode/2up |access-date=2022-06-27}}</ref> of the '''''Victoria Daily Times''''', established in 1884, and the '''''British Colonist''''' (later the '''''Daily Colonist'''''), established in 1858 by Amor De Cosmos who was later British Columbia's second premier. The ''British Colonist'' was B.C.'s first paper "of any permanence".<ref>{{cite book|last=Hopkins|first=J. Castell|title=An historical sketch of Canadian literature and journalism |year=1898|publisher=Lincott|location=Toronto|isbn=0665080484|page=221|url=https://archive.org/stream/cihm_08048#page/n30/mode/1up}}</ref> De Cosmos was the editor until 1866 when D. W. Higgins took over—he would remain in the role for the next twenty years.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hopkins|first=J. Castell|title=An historical sketch of Canadian literature and journalism|year=1898|publisher=Lincott|location=Toronto|isbn=0665080484|page=232|url=https://archive.org/stream/cihm_08048#page/n42/mode/1up}}</ref>
Local news receives the greatest prominence in the ''Times Colonist''. Stories and photographs about Greater Victoria are often featured on the front page. The newspaper also has national and international stories, plus sections covering the arts, sports, and business. The ''Times Colonist'' has a website as well as an e-edition, which offers a digital replica of the printed pages.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Times Colonist E-edition |url=https://digitaltimescolonist.pressreader.com/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=digitaltimescolonist.pressreader.com}}</ref> According to News Media Canada, the ''Times Colonist'' saw an average daily circulation of 58,297 in 2015.<ref name="Circulation" /> From 2016 and into the 2020s, the average press run was below 31,000 copies daily.<ref name="Circulation" /> The ''Times Colonist'' is published six days a week (Tuesday to Sunday) and is sold by subscription or at newsstands.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Victoria Times Colonist |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/other/about |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Victoria Times Colonist}}</ref>
== History == On August 2, 1980, ''The Daily Colonist'' newspaper front page proclaimed "Merger pains lead to birth of new daily".<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |date=1980-08-02 |title=Merger pains lead to birth of new daily |pages=45 |work=The Daily Colonist |url=https://archive.org/details/dailycolonist19800802/page/n44/ |access-date=2022-06-27}}</ref> Victoria Press Ltd., which produced both the ''Daily Colonist'' and the ''Victoria Times'', could no longer sustain both competing newspapers without making significant financial cuts, Vice-President Colin McCullough wrote in a statement.<ref name=":1" /> Instead, both papers would fold, in what the paper called "the demise of two of Canada's oldest newspapers".<ref name=":1" /> The newly-formed ''Times-Colonist'' newspaper would be delivered twice-daily and subscriptions would continue to cost 5 dollars a month, although the newsstand price of the Saturday paper would rise from 5 to 35 cents.<ref name=":1" />
The merger resulted in layoffs — 53 full-time and eight part-time employees were let go,<ref name=":1" /> resulting in challenges from union representatives and fired staffers.<ref name=":0" />
The first edition of the ''Times Colonist'' was published September 2, 1980.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |title=160 years of news: From the British Colonist to today's Times Colonist |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/islander/160-years-of-news-from-the-british-colonist-to-todays-times-colonist-4668160 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Victoria Times Colonist |language=en}}</ref> In 1983, the newspaper stopped printing both a morning and afternoon edition and moved to daily morning publication.<ref name=":2" />
A two-storey Victoria Press Building had been constructed on Douglas Street in 1971, replacing smaller offices built on the same street in 1951.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |title=2621 Douglas St |url=https://www.victoriaheritagefoundation.ca/HReg/Burnside/Douglas2621.html |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=www.victoriaheritagefoundation.ca}}</ref> The Victoria Press Building remained the headquarters of the ''Times Colonist'' after the 1980 merger and up until the building's sale in 2017.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2017-06-16 |title=Times Colonist building sold |url=https://www.vicnews.com/news/times-colonist-building-sold/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Victoria News |language=en-US}}</ref> The Victoria Heritage Society has deemed the building architecturally notable for its "characteristics of the Late Modern style including its pre-cast concrete panels, exposed aggregate stucco cladding [...] and its full-height central entryway with rounded pre-cast concrete walls."<ref name=":3" />
In 1998, Southam Newspapers bought the ''Times Colonist.''<ref name=":2" /> Two years later, it was sold again to CanWest Publications.<ref name=":2" /> On July 13, 2010, the Postmedia Network acquired CanWest Publications and all of its assets, including the ''Times Colonist.''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Postmedia Network Canada Corp. completes acquisition of Canwest Publishing print and online assets {{!}} Postmedia |url=https://www.postmedia.com/2010/07/13/postmedia-network-canada-corp-completes-acquisition-of-canwest-publishing-print-and-online-assets/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=www.postmedia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2010-07-14 |title=Postmedia Network acquires Canwest's newspaper division |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/postmedia-network-acquires-canwest-s-newspaper-division-1.532616 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131205102449/http://www.ctvnews.ca/postmedia-network-acquires-canwest-s-newspaper-division-1.532616 |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 5, 2013 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=CTVNews |language=en}}</ref>
On October 18, 2011, the Postmedia Network announced it would sell the ''Times Colonist'', ''Nanaimo Daily News'' and ''Alberni Valley Times'', as well as 20 weekly and bi-weekly community papers, to Glacier Media for $86.5 million.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Postmedia Network Announces Sale of the Times Colonist in Victoria and British Columbia-Based Community Newspapers {{!}} Postmedia |url=https://www.postmedia.com/2011/10/18/postmedia-network-announces-sale-of-the-times-colonist-in-victoria-and-british-columbia-based-community-newspapers/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=www.postmedia.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-10-18 |title=Victoria Times Colonist sold to B.C. company |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/victoria-times-colonist-sold-to-b-c-company-1.1018285 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=CBC News}}</ref>
In 2017, the Victoria Press Building was sold to Merchant House Capital.<ref name=":4" /> In 2018, the newspaper announced it would no longer print its own paper, allowing staff to focus on the content and distribution of the newspaper.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-07-09 |title=Times Colonist newspaper to close printing press and lay off 18 employees |url=https://www.cheknews.ca/times-colonist-newspaper-to-close-printing-press-and-lay-off-18-employees-468345/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=CHEK |language=en-CA}}</ref> Since October 1, 2018, the newspaper has been printed by Black Press in Ladysmith.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-08-22 |title=Black Press to begin printing Victoria's Times Colonist newspaper |url=https://www.ladysmithchronicle.com/business/black-press-to-begin-printing-victorias-times-colonist-newspaper/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Ladysmith Chronicle |language=en-US}}</ref> The newspaper offices were moved in 2020 to Upper Harbour Place, a mixed-used residential and office building on Tyee Road in Victoria West.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Victoria Times Colonist - Contact Us |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/other/contact-us |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Victoria Times Colonist |language=en}}</ref>
In June 2019, it was announced the first 122 years of the ''British Colonist'' (later, the ''Daily Colonist'') would be available online, with free access, through the efforts of the ''Times Colonist'', the University of Victoria and other funding partners.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Watts |first=Richard |date=2019-06-09 |title=12-year project complete: Online newspaper archive covers Victoria's history |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/islander/12-year-project-complete-online-newspaper-archive-covers-victorias-history-4673486 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Victoria Times Colonist |language=en}}</ref> The digitized newspaper collection is reported to be one of the most popular database on the university's website.<ref name=":5" />
On May 28, 2022, the ''Times Colonist'' reported its former building would reopen that summer—new tenants include a brewery and commercial kitchen space.<ref>{{Cite web |title=City green-lights brewing and baking at renovated former Times Colonist building |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/city-green-lights-brewing-and-baking-at-renovated-former-times-colonist-building-5417250 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Victoria Times Colonist |language=en}}</ref> The newspaper will not be returning to the building as a tenant when it reopens.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tenants expected to move in next year at renovated former Times Colonist building |url=https://www.timescolonist.com/real-estate/tenants-expected-to-move-in-next-year-at-renovated-former-times-colonist-building-4692073 |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Victoria Times Colonist |language=en}}</ref>
== Circulation == The ''Times Colonist'' has seen a decline in print circulation in the last decade. Its total circulation dropped by {{formatnum: {{#expr: abs(100 - (58297 / 64915 * 100)) round 0}}}} percent to 58,297 copies daily from 2009 to 2015.<ref name="Circulation" /> From 2016 to 2021, the average press run was below 31,000 copies daily. Since 2021, that number has dropped below 25,000 copies daily.<ref name="Circulation">{{cite web|url=https://nmc-mic.ca/about-newspapers/circulation/daily-newspapers/|title=Daily Newspaper Circulation Data|work=News Media Canada|access-date=16 December 2017}}</ref>
:::::::::'''Daily average'''<ref name="Circulation Chart">{{cite web|url=https://nmc-mic.ca/about-newspapers/circulation/daily-newspapers/|title=Daily Newspaper Circulation Data|work=News Media Canada|access-date=16 December 2017}} Figures refer to the total circulation (print and digital combined) which includes paid and unpaid copies.</ref> {{#invoke:Chart | bar chart | height = 270 | width = 360 | group 1 = 64915:62709:58730:56170:52460:55050:58297 | colors = Darkcyan | units suffix = Copies | group names = | x legends = 2009:2010:2011:2012:2013:2014:2015 }}
==See also== *List of newspapers in Canada
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Official website}} * [http://www.britishcolonist.ca/ The British Colonist 1858–1980]
{{Glacier Media}} {{Canadian journalism}}
Category:Mass media in Victoria, British Columbia Category:Newspapers established in 1980 Category:Daily newspapers published in British Columbia Category:1980 establishments in British Columbia