Three community papers merge in Nova Scotia

In Nova Scotia, Transcontinental has merged three weekly papers – Yarmouth Vanguard, Digby Courier and the Shelburne County Coast Guard – to form the Tri-County Vanguard. The new community newspaper published its first edition on February 2.

Due to the decrease in advertising revenues, operating three separate titles in the region was no longer financially viable according to Jennifer Vardy Little, managing editor of Transcontinental Media’s Nova Scotia Weekly Group of Papers. “We were looking for a way to make a strong, sustainable model — a way to give our readers the best possible product we could — and that seemed like the best solution,” she said. The merged paper covers all three counties in the region, offering greater reach for advertisers.