Toronto SunCover from June 27, 2010TypeDaily newspaperOwnerPostmediaEditor-in-chiefAdrienne BatraFounded1971Headquarters365 Bloor Street EastToronto, OntarioM4W 3L4Circulation119,048 weekdays 111,515 Saturdays 142,376 Sundays (as of 2015)[1]ISSN0837-3175OCLC number66653673 Websitetorontosun.com
The Toronto Sun is an English-language tabloid[2] newspaper published daily in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is one of several Sun tabloids published by Postmedia Network. The newspaper's offices are located at Postmedia Place in downtown Toronto.
The newspaper published its first edition in November 1971, after it had acquired the assets of the defunct Toronto Telegram, and hired portions of its staff. In 1978, Toronto Sun Holdings and Toronto Sun Publishing were consolidated to form Sun Publishing (later renamed Sun Media Corporation). Sun Publishing went on to form similar tabloids to the Toronto Sun in other Canadian cities during the late 1970s and 1980s. The Sun was acquired by Postmedia Network in 2015, as a part of the sale of the Sun's parent company, Sun Media.
History[edit] 20th century[edit]In 1971, the Toronto Sun Publishing was created and purchased the syndication operations and newspaper vending boxes from the Toronto Telegram, which ceased operations in the same year. The Toronto Sun also recruited staff from the former Telegram conservative broadsheet newspaper, and published its first edition on 1 November 1971.[3][4]
Publisher Doug Creighton was originally going to name the new newspaper the Toronto News but Andy Donato, who was asked to design the paper's first front page and decided to call the paper the Toronto Sun instead. Creighton decided it was too late to change it and renamed the paper.[5]
The former Toronto Sun building at 333 King Street East in 2007, as seen looking north from Front Street EastThe Toronto Sun was originally published out of leased space at the Eclipse White Wear Company Building at 322 King Street West.[6] In 1975, the newspaper moved into the Toronto Sun Building at 333 King Street East which was eventually expanded to six storeys to house all of the newspaper's operations. In 2010, the building was sold to property development company First Gulf, and the Sun consolidated its operations onto the second floor.[7] It remained in the building until it relocated offices in 2016.
In 1978, Toronto Sun Holdings and Toronto Sun Publishing were consolidated to form Sun Publishing. The corporation expanded its tabloid footprint, hing established its second tabloid, the Edmonton Sun through a partnership agreement with Edmonton Sun Publishing in 1978. The Albertan was acquired in 1980 and made into the company's third tabloid, the Calgary Sun in 1980.[3]
In 1988, The Washington Post described the Sun as an example of tabloid journalism.[8]
21st century[edit]In 2004, the Sun began its annual George Gross/Toronto Sun Sportsperson of the Year award.[9] By the mid-2000s, the word "The" was dropped from the paper's name and the newspaper adopted its current logo.
The paper acquired a television station from Craig Media in 2005, which was renamed SUN TV.[10] It was later transformed into the Sun News Network until its demise in 2015.[11]
As of the end of 2007, the Sun had a Monday through Saturday circulation of approximately 180,000 papers and Sunday circulation of 310,000.
The Sun was acquired by Postmedia in 2015, with its purchase of Sun Media from Quebecor. Following the acquisition the Toronto Sun staff and operations moved to 365 Bloor Street East, the same building that houses the National Post, in March 2016. However, the two newspapers maintain separate newsrooms.[12]
Circulation[edit] A Toronto Sun newspaper vending machine in 2015The Toronto Sun has seen—like most Canadian daily newspapers—a decline in circulation. Its total circulation dropped by 36 percent to 121,304 copies daily from 2009 to 2015.[13]
Daily erage[14] 50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Notable staff[edit] Editors-in-chief[edit]The Toronto Sun originally had several editors with various responsibilities, none with the title "editor-in-chief"; however, from 1971 to 1976, Peter Worthington was listed on the newspaper's masthead immediately under the publisher, Doug Creighton.
Peter Worthington (1976–1982) Barbara Amiel (1983–1985) John Downing editor (1985–1997), not editor-in-chief until 1995 Peter O'Sullivan (1995–1999) Mike Strobel (1999–2001) Mike Therien (2001–2004) Jim Jennings (2004–2006) Glenn Garnett (2007) Lou Clancy (2007–2009) James Wallace (2009–2013) Wendy Metcalfe (2013–2015) Adrienne Batra (2015–present) Current staff[edit] Adrienne Batra, editor-in-chief, former comment editor and municipal affairs columnist Andy Donato, editorial cartoonist Warren Kinsella, political columnist Brian Lilley, provincial, national affairs columnist Steve Simmons, sports columnist Former staff[edit] Charles Adler, QMI columnist Did Akin, columnist Barbara Amiel, editor and columnist Joan Barfoot, reporter Stan Behal, photojournalist Christie Blatchford, columnist Mark Bonokoski, columnist, editorial writer Mark Bourrie, reporter Jim Brown, manager Scott Burnside, crime reporter[15] Dalton Camp, columnist Gordon Chong, columnist Sheila Copps, columnist Michael Coren, QMI columnist Danielle Crittenden, reporter, columnist John Downing, city hall columnist, editor-in-chief Tarek Fatah, columnist Mike Filey, Toronto history columnist Doug Fisher, Parliament Hill columnist Allan Fotheringham, national affairs columnist Did Frum, columnist W. Gifford-Jones, M.D. (pseudonym for Ken Walker), medical columnist[16] Edward Greenspan, lawyer, columnist George Gross, corporate sports editor, columnist Max Haines, "Crime Flashback" feature Paul Hellyer, columnist and founding investor Jim Hunt, sports writer Ajit Jain, columnist George Jonas, columnist Linda Leatherdale, business editor, columnist Ezra Levant, QMI columnist Sue-Ann Levy, political columnist, former municipal affairs columnist Bob MacDonald, columnist Heather Mallick, columnist Salim Mansur, columnist Eric Margolis, international affairs columnist, contributing editor Rachel Marsden, columnist Lois Maxwell (Moneypenney), columnist Judi McLeod, education reporter Ben Mulroney, columnist Ted Reeve, sports columnist Sid Ryan, columnist Paul Rimstead, columnist Laura Sabia, columnist Morton Shulman, columnist Joey Slinger, columnist Walter Stewart, columnist John Tory, mayor of Toronto, former Rogers executive Garth Turner, business editor Sherri Wood, columnist Peter Worthington, columnist, former editor Lubor J. Zink, columnist See also[edit] Media in Canada List of media outlets in Toronto List of newspapers in Canada List of the largest Canadian newspapers by circulation References[edit] ^ "2015 Daily Newspaper Circulation Spreadsheet (Excel)". News Media Canada. Retrieved December 16, 2017. Numbers are based on the total circulation (print plus digital editions). ^ "From 1971: When the Toronto Sun rose after the Telegram fell". CBC News. November 1, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2019. ^ a b "Sun Media Corportaion". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Historica Canada. October 20, 2014. Retrieved August 30, 2022. ^ "From 1971: When the Toronto Sun rose after the Telegram fell". CBC News. November 1, 2018. ^ Blizzard, Christina (November 1, 2021). "'BEST JOB I'VE EVER HAD': Paul Godfrey says Sun is truly one-of-a-kind". Toronto Sun. Retrieved November 2, 2021. ^ Ballingal, Alex (October 1, 2012). "Historic King Street buildings face demolition if Mirvish-Gehry project gets green light". Toronto Star. ^ Skira, Edward (November 9, 2010). "First Gulf Converting Toronto Sun's Former Printing Plant And Shipping Area To A No Frills Grocery Store". urbantoronto.ca. ^ Farhi, Paul (August 15, 1988). "SEX! CRIME! VIOLENCE!". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 25, 2020. ^ Elliott, Bob (December 14, 2008). "Doc delivers as role model: Our Sportsperson of the Year a champion on and off the pitching mound". Toronto Sun. Archived from the original on December 14, 2008. Retrieved January 8, 2011. ^ Blackwell, Richard (August 17, 2005). "Toronto 1 changing name to SUN-TV". The Globe and Mail. ^ "Sun News Network shuts down after buyer fails to materialize". Toronto Star. Canadian Press. February 13, 2015. ^ "Sun brand will remain strong in Postmedia: Godfrey". Woodstock Sentinel-Review. April 14, 2015. ^ "Daily Newspaper Circulation Data". News Media Canada. Retrieved December 16, 2017. ^ "Daily Newspaper Circulation Data". News Media Canada. Retrieved December 16, 2017. Figures refer to the total circulation (print and digital combined) which includes paid and unpaid copies. ^ Zeisberger, Mike (November 8, 2024). "Burnside 'covered League with integrity and passion' en route to Hall of Fame". National Hockey League. Retrieved May 8, 2025. ^ "GIFFORD-JONES: Farewell Sun readers". Toronto Sun. Further reading[edit] Sonmor, Jean (1993). The little paper that grew: Inside the Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation. Toronto Sun Publishing Corporation. ISBN 0919233392. External links[edit] Wikimedia Commons has media related to Toronto Sun. Official website "Toronto Sun Family". "Into the Sunset Day Oners (pt. 1)". YouTube. July 25, 2021. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. 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