FORT ST. JOHN -- Another local newspaper is closing its doors in the Peace Region.
Glacier Media announced the closure of both the Dawson Creek Mirror and Alaska Highway News on Friday. They will be releasing their final editions this week.
The Dawson Creek Mirror was founded in 1930 as the Peace River Block News while the Alaska Highway News opened in 1943. They have both been publishing daily or weekly newspapers ever since.
Both newspapers will be closing their online editions as well. Peter Kvarnstrom, the president of the Community Media Division at Glacier Media Group, wrote, that the closure will be “leaving a large gap in the local media landscape in a vast region that often views itself as both politically and economically separate from the rest of the province.”
They say that the changes to the media landscape have made the business model no longer sustainable. Advertising has shifted heavily to online platforms such as Facebook or Google and as such they have lost their advertising revenue.
“We extend a special thanks to our carriers, delivery personnel, journalists, and all staff who have worked long and hard to ensure that you have strong local sources for real news and local advertising. Finally, we want to extend our sincere thanks for over 90 years of support from our local community. Our readers, our advertisers our local governments and politicians,” wrote Kvarnstrom.
Rob Brown, the managing editor of the Dawson Creek Mirror/Northern Horizon, also wrote a letter to readers. He writes, “More than 90 years of print and newspapers are coming to an end in the Peace this week in both Dawson Creek and Fort St. John…. I’m sorry this company could not keep your paper going.”
The announcement follows the Fort Nelson News officially closing its doors as well two weeks ago, after publishing its first edition in 1959.
