Two community newspapers publish their last editions in B.C. this week

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Two newspapers in British Columbia are publishing their last editions this week, eliminating coverage by community newspapers for a large swath of the province’s northeast. 

Glacier Media announced it is shutting down both the Dawson Creek Mirror and the Alaska Highway News out of Fort St. John.

A letter published online from Peter Kvarnstrom, the president of Glacier’s community media division, says the business model for the papers is no longer sustainable as advertising dollars have shifted online.

The Alaska Highway News was first published in 1943 and the first incarnation of the Mirror arrived in 1930.

Kvarnstrom says while the newspapers grew their digital audience significantly, they lost most of their advertising to those same digital platforms.

Both newspapers published weekly, on Thursdays, and maintained a daily news presence online. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2023.

The Canadian Press