Torstar announced earlier this week that it will cease publication of its five Star Metro newspapers. The last day of publication will be December 20.
The company did announce, however, that digital content will be offered in markets outside Ontario under the Toronto Star brand.
“We are going digital-only outside of Ontario as more and more of our commuter readers are using their smartphones, laptops and tablets to access their news on their way to and from work,” wrote CEO John Boynton in a memo. This trend, coupled with a corresponding decline in print advertising volumes, has decreased the need for a free daily commuter newspaper in these cities.”
Torstar stated it will be opening new city bureaus for its flagship Star newspaper in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary and Halifax, and that it would be expanding digitally through new, as-yet-unspecified initiatives.