Postmedia outsources print production of Montreal’s The Gazette

The Regina Leader-Post is printed in-house by Postmedia Network. Photo courtesy of Evan Radford.  

By Tamara Baluja, Associate Editor

The Regina Leader-Post is printed in-house by Postmedia Network. Photo courtesy of Evan Radford.  

By Tamara Baluja, Associate Editor

Postmedia Network will outsource the production of The Gazette, in Montreal, to TC Transcontinental Printing starting in August.

A firm date for the transfer of production has not yet been set, said Phyllise Gelfand, vice-president of communications at Postmedia, but she said the outsourcing will affect approximately 54 full-time employees and 60 casual workers. The media company said it also intends to sell its printing facility at 7001 St-Jacques Ouest and use any net proceeds to pay down debt. 

“These decisions, when they affect our colleagues and friends, are not easy ones but they are the right decisions for our business” the company said in a business update to all employees.

Over the past two years, Postmedia ended in-house production of the Calgary Herald and the Edmonton Journal. Postmedia also announced it will also put the Kennedy Heights printing facility for the Vancouver Sun and The Province up for sale in February 2015 and contract out the work.

Brian Reid, president of TC Transcontinental Printing, said in a press release the company is actively pursuing additional outsourcing opportunities in the Canadian market.

"Given the current pace of change in the newspaper industry, this additional agreement demonstrates the relevance of our printing platform and our ability to help publishers across Canada become more efficient,” he said. “We continue to benefit from our outsourcing offering as publishers express interest in our solution.”

Currently, Postmedia still produces the Windsor Star, the Ottawa Citizen, the Saskatoon Star-Phoenix and Regina’s Leader-Post in-house. 

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