The Dennis family connection with the newspaper is as old as the first issue of the Morning Herald. William Dennis, who had emigrated from England to Nova Scotia in the early 1870’s as a penniless boy, was able by 1875 to commit $50 to the purchase of one share in the firm and was also the junior of two reporters. In 1907 Dennis acquired the remainder of the shares from the estate of Mr. John James Stewart, first Publisher of The Herald. William provided the leadership in the establishment of the city in the successful effort to build circulation. His frequent trips throughout the province in search of new subscribers and news for both the morning and afternoon papers are a family legend, the single-mindedness with which he pursued his journalistic goals a public one. Upon Dennis’ death in 1920, a majority interest in the company passed to a nephew, William Henry Dennis (1889-1954).

His nephew, William Henry, although less flamboyant, was at once more business like and more closely in touch with public opinion; but, unlike his uncle, he believed his first duty to be the production of more attractive newspapers than offered for sale by competitors. Both men were admired and attacked in their time, as men of impulsive character are. Senator William Dennis built the present Herald Building after fire destroyed The Dennis Building on Granville Street in 1912. William Henry Dennis conducted the affairs of the company until his death in 1954 when control passed to his son Graham William Dennis.

Graham William Dennis is the present owner of the company while his daughter, Sarah Dennis, currently holds the position of President and CEO. He is a graduate of McGill University and has received honorary degrees from Acadia University, University of Kings College, Saint Mary’s University, St. Francis Xavier University and Mount Saint Vincent University. His numerous philanthropic accomplishments were recognized in 2003 when he was the recipient of the Red Cross Humanitarian Award. His business acumen was recognized by his induction in the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame in 2005. He has the longest record of service as a publisher in the Canadian daily newspaper industry and has presided over a period of expansion of the newspapers for more than 50 years. The Halifax Herald Limited, under his direction, has become a rarity in Canadian journalism - a substantial daily newspaper operation free of chain ownership. His newspapers not only deliver the most comprehensive package of Nova Scotia news, but also provide coverage of the rest of Canada and the world. In the words of one former editor: “Not a sparrow falls in Stellarton, they used to say, but it finds its way to the pages of the Herald”.

Like his father before him, Graham Dennis has been committed to the production of more attractive newspapers than offered for sale by competitors. In 2003, he invested in a $26 million state-of-the-art Wifag printing press. . . the only one of its kind in Canada and one of only three in North America. The first issue of The Chronicle-Herald rolled off the new press February 1, 2004.

Today, The Halifax Herald Limited has staff spreading across Halifax, Amherst, Bridgewater, Kentville, Sydney, Truro and Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. Daily circulation of The Chronicle Herald exceeds 114,000 and weekly circulation of The Sunday Herald exceeds 80,000.

It became the little paper that could, and now the online version that would, still satiating that desire for news with a kick.

For over 30 years we have kept a dedication to a quality product that offers our readers something special.

“You can not do that on your own. You have to have good people running the paper. And we put out a great paper every single day,” says publisher and CEO Gordon Norrie.

Our loyal staff also includes, of course, people behind the scenes, from the guys running the presses to our paper carriers and our classified ad takers. The 1980s saw spectacular growth at the Edmonton Sun. For much of that decade, we were ranked as the fastest-growing newspaper in the country.

Another milestone was reached on Sept. 17, 1994, with the launch of the first Saturday Sun. The Sun became a seven-days-a-week force to be reckoned with, offering tremendous value to readers and advertisers alike.

And now, online, we offer breaking news updates throughout the day and night. Our website - www.edmontonsun.com - is bringing you the news as it happens, with stories, photos and video. We’ve also expanded to create the free commuter daily, 24 Hours.

From the glory of Stanley Cups to the tragedy of the Black Friday tornado, the Edmonton Sun’s been there.

And we will continue to be there for you.

A decade from now, we’ll be looking back and still forging ahead, with more news, more features, and possibly even a magazine in the paper’s future. But whatever we look like in 10 years, we’ll still be shaped by our readers, the little paper that continues to grow.

Letters to the Editor

Email: edmsun.editor@sunmedia.ca.
Note: All letters should be kept as brief as possible.

Contact the Sun

Main switchboard: 204-694-2022
Classified ads (Order an ad): 204-775-7575
Circulation inquiries (Delivery): 204-632-6506
News tips: 204-632-2761
Newsroom Fax: 204-697-0759
Letters to the Editor: E-mail letters@wpgsun.com. Fax to 204-697-0759. Note: All letters should be kept as brief as possible.

In 1892 Toronto was a bustling city of 180,000 with six newspapers competing for readers when a seventh daily, a self-styled “Paper for the People”, suddenly appears on the streets.

Born on November 3, 1892, The Evening Star had been created almost overnight by 21 printers and four teenage apprentices who were locked out during a labour dispute at the afternoon News. Their aim was to publish a serious journal - and possibly to teach the News a lesson. Little did they realize that their bright new four-page sheet would grow into Canada’s largest daily newspaper, The Toronto Star.

Learn more about the history of The Toronto Star or Joseph E. Atkinson.

You can also view an interactive timeline about Joseph E. Atkinson or watch the video Fighting Words: The Social Crusades of Joseph E. Atkinson.

The Toronto Star Today

Today, the Toronto Star is Canada’s largest daily newspaper, with the largest readership in the country. It is published seven days a week in the Greater Toronto Area and is owned by Toronto Star Newspapers Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The newspaper is printed at its production facility, The Toronto Star Press Centre, located in Vaughan, just north of Toronto. The Press Centre houses six MAN Roland presses and its extensive capacity allows for the use of full colour throughout the newspaper every day for both editorial and advertising purposes.

The Toronto Star Charities

The Toronto Star publisher, Joseph E. Atkinson, believed that his newspaper had a social responsibility to its readers and the people of Toronto. Having experienced childhood poverty, Atkinson created a charity more than a century ago that helped needy children during the summer months. A few short years later, he realized yet again that there was a need to help less-privileged children at Christmas … a time of year most enjoyed by children. And so the two charities were created … to help put a smile on the face of children.

OMDC promotes, enhances and leverages investment, jobs, and original content creation by:

(a)   contributing to the continued expansion of a business environment in Ontario that is advantageous to the growth of the cultural media industry and to the growth of new employment, investment and production opportunities in Ontario;

(b)   facilitating and supporting innovation, invention and excellence in Ontario ’s cultural media industry by stimulating creative production, format innovation and new models of collaboration among sectors of the cultural media industry;

(c)   fostering and facilitating co-operation among entities within the cultural media industry and between the public and private sectors to stimulate synergies in product development and the creation of products with original Canadian content;

(d)   assisting in the promotion and marketing of Ontario’s cultural media industry as a world-class leader;

(e)   administering provincial tax credit programs and such other programs and initiatives as may be required by legislation or a Minister of the Government of Ontario; and

(f)    acting as a catalyst for information, research and technological development in the cultural media industry provincially, nationally and internationally.

To help Ontario be recognized as a leading global jurisdiction to invest in, create, produce and enjoy original cultural media product.

“Culture is our Business”

Chief Executive Office
A Chief Executive Officer oversees OMDC’s activities in conjunction with the agency’s Board of Directors to achieve the agency’s mandate. Corporate Communications and the Corporate Secretariat are also located in this office.

OMDC’s services and programs are delivered through the following divisions:

Business Affairs and Research: coordinates strategic and business planning, agency operations (including financial services, information technology, human resources) and industry research and data collection. The group also coordinates annual operational support to the Toronto International Film Festival Group and the Canadian Film Centre.

Industry Development: provides opportunities for cultural entrepreneurs to create and market new products, develop existing markets and access new markets and grow their business via:

• Industry Initiatives: assists Ontario companies through Content and Marketing Funds (OMDC Book Fund, OMDC Film Fund, OMDC Interactive Digital Media Fund, OMDC Magazine Fund, OMDC Music Fund) the OMDC Export Fund (Books, Film and Television, Interactive Digital Media, Music) and indirect support to third parties for events and activities that stimulate the growth of Ontario’s cultural media industries. OMDC also administers the Trillium Book Award to foster increased public awareness of the quality and diversity of Ontario writers and writing.
• Film Commission: attracts, promotes and facilitates film and television production and post-production activities in Ontario, offering scouting assistance to decision-makers considering Ontario as a location and facilitation and trouble-shooting during production shooting.
• OMDC’s Digital Location Library: on-line virtual scouting from anywhere in the world, 24 hours-a-day.
• OMDC/FilmOntario/City of Toronto’s Partnership: builds Ontario’s profile as a film and television production centre at home and abroad through its office in Los Angeles.

Tax Credits and Financing Programs: administers, processes and assesses eligibility for the Ontario Government’s book publishing, film, television, digital media and sound recording tax credit programs: Ontario Book Publishing Tax Credit, Ontario Computer Animation and Special Effects Tax Credit, Ontario Film and Television Tax Credit, Ontario Production Services Tax Credit, Ontario Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit and the Ontario Sound Recording Tax Credit.

In conjunction with the Ministry of Finance, the group evaluates tax credit applications according to government legislation and regulations. Information and referral services are provided for applicants and potential applicants as are tax credit information sessions. The group also promotes the program to national and international producers.

Several electronic payment processing solutions exist nowadays, and it is not always easy for a merchant to determine which one should be used.

One great company that deserves the closest attention is Prodigy Payment Systems, a Texas based company, which was founded by 4 Dallas citizens. The company was founded on principles of ethics and integrity.

Prodigy Payment Systems provides several forms of electronic payment processing solutions, to SMB retail businesses in United States.
Several merchant payment processing solutions are offered by Prodigy:

- The total retail merchant solution
- Credit card processing
- Check processing
- Debit card processing
- Gift and Reward cards
-  EBT
- and Wireless payment processing

A merchant can submit an application online, through Prodigy Payment Systems convenient interface. In fact, the form takes less than 60 seconds to fill. They basically only ask the merchant it’s contact info and if currently or plans to accept credit cards.

They also have some specific services, geared towards certain business niches. Per example Ecommerce solutions, or retail, restaurant, mail order and hotels specific business offers.
Some specific  resources are available on the site for merchants. Some marketing tips are even included, per example, how to drive more traffic to a website, or to a retail store. Of course, if a does more sales, Prodigy Payment Systems gets more commissions!

The design of their site is very neat, and as a potential customer, browsing the website convinced me of trying their financial services.

Prodigy can be contacted at the following phone number: 1-800-641-0421. A live chat is also available on the site, which can be of a great help.

Finally, they are currently hiring! Joining such a great company can be a nice opportunity. Their recruitment team can be contacted at recruiter@prodigypay.com or by phone at 888-247-6504.

Douglas Gibson Books was the very first editorial imprint in Canada when it was established in March 1986. Legend has it that Jack McClelland, having just sold his company to Avie Bennett, advised him to lure Doug Gibson away from Macmillan of Canada, where he had been Editorial Director since 1974 and Publisher since 1979. By offering Gibson an editorial imprint, plus the independence to run what was in effect a one-man publishing house with no bureaucratic strings attached, Bennett was able to entice him to join McClelland & Stewart.

The hope was that some of the authors who had worked with Gibson over the years would choose to join him in this small “boutique” publishing operation, where he took on only 5-10 books per year and devoted himself to hands-on editing, choosing the jacket and all other details, and supervising the book through the publishing process.

The plan worked brilliantly. The authors who chose to follow Gibson from Macmillan were led by Alice Munro (The Progress of Love in 1986 was the very first Douglas Gibson Book.) Soon the parade of authors included W.O. Mitchell, Robertson Davies, Jack Hodgins, Donald Jack, Mavis Gallant and so many others that Macmillan in a few years folded its fiction publishing programme. The addition of authors such as these to M&S’s own already strong fiction list made for a very formidable group of fiction writers.
In non-fiction the list soon included John Sawatsky, Andy Russell, Barry Broadfoot, Myrna Kostash and Harold Horwood, among many others. Notable among the new additions was Don Starkell, author of the classic Paddle to the Amazon, while over time James’ Houston (Memoirs of an Igloo Dweller, and other titles) and Peter Gzowski (The Private Voice, and other titles) asked to join the imprint.

In September 1988, when Adrienne Clarkson left M&S, Avie Bennett persuaded Gibson to take over as Publisher of all McClelland & Stewart books. The wide-ranging new responsibilities meant that Douglas Gibson Books turned into a side-line. As a result Gibson devoted evening and weekend work to three or four books a year, largely because current Douglas Gibson Books authors expected and wanted the relationship to continue.

Despite this cut-back in numbers, Douglas Gibson Books has over the years amassed many prizes, including Governor-General’s Awards and Giller Prizes, and many of the titles remain in print year after year, as the list below demonstrates.

Since 1988 Gibson has kept the annual list very small. To avoid any conflict of interest with his role at M&S he encouraged many former authors to join the main M&S list, notably people like Ken Dryden, Guy Vanderhaeghe, Maggie Siggins, Robert Hunter, Michele Landsberg, Jeffrey Simpson and Roy MacGregor.

On occasion he edited M&S books without adding them to his personal imprint. Notable examples are the Memoirs of Pierre Trudeau and Alistair MacLeod’s books, No Great Mischief and Island.

In 2004, he returned to his imprint full-time as publisher of Douglas Gibson Books, which now publishes five to ten books a year. The imprint continues to represent Gibson’s eclectic personal interests in politics, history, biography, high adventure, and fine fiction.

D&M Publishers is one of the largest independent publishing houses in Canada with full offices in Toronto, Vancouver and Gabriola Island. D&M publishes Canadian fiction and non-fiction which is internationally recognized for the best quality editorial content, design and production. Our driving passion is to create the best Canadian books for readers worldwide and to bring the best international stories to our nation’s readers.

The house includes three unique imprints: Douglas & McIntyre, led by Publisher Scott McIntyre, Greystone Books, led by Publisher Rob Sanders and New Society Publishers led by Publisher Judith Plant.

From the very beginning, D&M has been committed to publishing the finest international authors such as Thomas L. Friedman, P.J. O’Rourke and Ishmael Beah and Canadian icons like Douglas Coupland, David Suzuki and Jean Beliveau.

D&M was co-founded by Jim Douglas and Scott McIntyre in 1971. Since its inception, D&M has created over 2,000 quality books in close to 4 decades and continues to nurture a rich backlist of more than 700 titles, including many Canadian classics.

In 2007, the majority shares were sold to a group of Vancouver-based private investors led by D&M Publishers new President Mark Scott, enabling the company to grow and plan for the future. This led to the D&M acquisition of New Society Publishers in 2008. For over thirty years, New Society Publishers has been cultivating a successful program with a deep sense of mission and shrewd market acumen.

Related Links

• About Scott McIntyre and the Douglas & McIntyre imprint
• About Rob Sanders and the Greystone Books imprint
• About Judith Plant and the New Society imprint
• Search our catalogue of books
• See our submission guidelines

The company, originally called J.J. Douglas Ltd. and co-founded by Jim Douglas and Scott McIntyre, was established in 1970 and published its first title in the fall of 1971.

In 1980, the company formed an innovative alliance with Patsy Aldana and Groundwood Books, the leading children’s publisher. In that same year Jim Douglas retired and Scott McIntyre became President, CEO, and majority shareholder.

Rob Sanders joined the company in 1988 and spearheaded the launch of the Greystone Books imprint in 1993. He is still Greystone Publisher, in charge of a list that features bestselling environmental, sports and outdoors titles sold to publishing houses around the world.

Since 1997, D&M has provided Canadian sales and marketing representation for Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

In 2005, Groundwood Books assets were sold to the House of Anansi.

Despite the perennial turmoil of Canada’s book market – famously known as “the perilous trade” – Douglas & McIntyre has continued to grow, with sales of Canadian-originated books increasing steadily, notably in recent years. This major success story reached a new peak when Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.’s majority shares were sold in 2007. Mark Scott became President and Scott McIntyre has retained his positions of Chairman and CEO. Read the press releasehere.

In June 2008, New Society Publishers was acquired by D&M. The innovative and internationally successful NSP program embodies those virtues-quality, a deep sense of mission, and shrewd market acumen-which have guided D&M over the years.

D&M Publishing has a new name and a fresh logo as of October 2008. The company continues to be one of largest independent publishers in Canada, with a thriving and innovative publishing program and three strong imprints. We are now looking ahead with great confidence, taking Canadian writers and books to the international market as never before.

Cormorant Books is committed to publishing the best new work in the area of literary fiction and creative non-fiction for the adult market.

Twenty years ago, Jan and Gary Geddes started Cormorant Books on their farm outside of Dunvegan in Eastern Ontario. Each of them had a reason for naming the company for this particular bird. According to Gary, the cormorant is such a good fisher that humans use it, with a wooden ring to prevent it from swallowing its catch.

Gary enjoyed being of use to Canadian writers briefly, then passing the responsibility and the glory to Jan, who had heard a rumour that the cormorant was a voiceless bird. She endeav- oured to give that bird a voice by introducing new writers to readers across Canada. Both Gary and Jan succeeded in acquiring the good catches, the new writers, and providing a foundation for a company that has introduced many significant voices.

Where are they now? Gary claims not to have swallowed all the manuscripts sent to him, however slick or fishy, but to have published some great Canadian books. He is now living in his favourite spot, the West Coast, and doing what he loves best, writing. His recent books include the acclaimed Kingdom of Ten Thousand Things and Sailing Home.

Jan Geddes now lives in Victoria and is working on a novel and is studying Latin. The hallmark of Cormorant’s twenty years of publishing is the discovery and promotion of new writing talent; in this time, the company has had ten books nominated for the various incarnations of the Books in Canada First Novel Award. The company’s fiction and translations have been nominated for many national, regional, and civic book awards and prizes.

Now in Toronto, keeping the Cormorant tradition established in 1986 alive has, at times, been difficult. At other times, it’s been relatively easy – finding a narrative voice of character and distinction, the new author with something to say that’s not been said before, rescuing the out-of-print authors whose reputations have tarnished with age and neglect.

Publishing books, such as those in the pages of this catalogue, is an adventure; it’s an intellectual pursuit without parallel. When a new book arrives from the printer, when an author receives her first glowing review, the hardest of times are forgot. We all live for these moments. The company’s dedication to publishing a diversity of voices from across the country continues, along with the belief that these voices are worth hearing. They are worth reading, not just for a small and select audience, but for the largest possible one, which is why we rely on booksellers and librarians, and why we rely on book reviewers and the media, who play as important a role in this endeavour as do we, the staff and authors of Cormorant Books

Commodore Books is the first and only black literary press in western Canada. We are affiliated with the non-profit West Coast Review Publishing Society. Explore the site, order some books, and support independent African Canadian literature.

Commodore Books is an imprint of LINEbooks, and operates under the umbrella of the West Coast Review Publishing Society, a non-profit society. All proceeds go to the authors and towards funding further titles.

Our name alludes to The Commodore, the paddle steamer that transported thirty-five black migrants from San Francisco to Victoria in the spring of 1858, during the Gold Rush. This small pioneer committee became the nucleus of British Columbia’s black community.