This week in Canadian media history: Country’s first newspaper published in Halifax in 1752

By Eric Mark Do

By Eric Mark Do

John Bushell started Canada's first newspaper, the Halifax Gazette, on March 23, 1752. The paper started as a weekly, printed on both sides of a half-sheet of foolscap paper. The Gazette would have published sooner, but according to Bushell, there was no local news to be reported. The paper was still going strong when Bushnell died in 1761. In fact, it still exists today as the Nova Scotia Royal Gazette, the official government publication. 

Correction: An earlier version of this article misspelled John Bushell's name. 

Related content on J-Source:

• This week in Canadian media history: World’s first radio play-by-play of hockey game in Regina
• This week in Canadian media history: Predecessor of CBC Radio One broadcasted for the first time in 1924
• This week in Canadian media history: Toronto’s CFRB hit the air in 1927