Longtime member of the Canadian news industry John Cruickshank has been named publisher of The Toronto Star.

Cruickshank, currently publisher at CBC News, has held positions at news organizations including The Globe and Mail, the Vancouver Sun, the Kingston Whig-Standard and the Chicago Sun-Times. In an interview with the Star, he said:

“The Toronto Star has the resources and opportunity to be one
of the world’s great metropolitan papers. I want to make sure it bears out.”

Cruickshank replaces interim publisher Don Babick, who took over after Jagoda Pike quit to to lead Ontario’s bid for the 2015 Pan American Games.

Cruickshank joined the CBC just over a year ago. He said he leaves with some sadness, but that “print is not out of my system.”

Cruickshank will take on his new role on January 1, 2009. Jennifer McGuire, executive director of news programming, will become interim publisher for CBC News.