Metroland Media Group announced Friday that it is seeking bankruptcy protection. The Bracebridge Examiner, Gravenhurst Banner, Huntsville Forester and The Muskokan will no longer be available in print.

605 Metroland staff across the province were also laid off.

“Metroland has faced substantial declines in both print advertising and the flyer business over the past several years, to the point where the community newspaper business is no longer viable in printed form,” read a statement prepared by the company. “We simply don’t have the financial resources required to fund large, sustained operating losses indefinitely.”

The newspaper industry has been in sharp decline over the past years, as consumers opt to get their news digitally. Publications including Metroland – a division of the Torstar Corporation, who also owns the Toronto Star – have incurred significant operating losses. According to court documents, Metroland owes creditors $74.2 million.

“The Company has determined that in order to survive […] it must end its weekly paper and flyer businesses and convert to a digital strategy,” said the statement.

Metroland and Unifor – the union representing 104 of Metroland’s laid off workers – have vocally advocated for the controversial Online News Act (Bill C-18), legislation intended to force tech companies to pay Canadian publishers for content shared on their platforms.

Tech companies have strongly opposed the Bill. As well as many digital-first news outlets who rely on social media networks to share and amplify their content.

Meta – the parent company of Facebook and Instagram – estimates it has generated upwards of $230 million in free marketing for publishers in one year, by driving traffic to their websites.

“The traditional news industry faces profound challenges. New technology has emerged, consumer behaviour has changed, and old business models don’t work anymore,” said a statement prepared by Meta’s President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg. “Of course, everyone wants quality journalism to thrive. But it makes no more sense to claim social media companies are taking money from publishers than to say car companies stole from the horse and cart industry.”

Bill C-18 received royal assent in June, and Meta has since ended news availability for Canadians on its platforms. Google has confirmed it intends to do the same.

Muskoka411 followers may have noticed they have been unable to view our content on Facebook and Instagram, which is the result of this Bill.

As the leading digital-first news source in the region, we will continue to keep the community informed on breaking news, weather and traffic updates via our website, e-newsletter and Twitter channel.

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A strong, independent, and free press is fundamental to our democracy. The Online News Act, passed into law this spring, help newsrooms across Canada negotiate fair compensation when their work appears on the dominant digital platforms.

Today the Honorable Pascale St. Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced proposed regulations to implement the Online News Act.

The proposed regulations provide clarity on which platforms are subject to the Act and greater certainty on what they need to do to obtain an exemption from the mandatory bargaining process. To obtain an exemption, platforms must enter into agreements supporting the diverse production of Canadian news in communities across Canada. The total value of agreements must meet a certain threshold in order to qualify for an exemption.

The regulations and accompanying Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part I for a 30-day public consultation period beginning on Saturday, September 2, 2023. The government welcomes the participation of businesses, academics, civil society and all Canadians. Following the public consultation, the final regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette, Part II. Once finalized, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) will be bound by the regulations.

This process of consultation will further allow respondents to provide their views on the proposed regulations that lay out the thresholds for who the regulations will apply to, the contribution formula to be considered as part of granting exemptions from mandatory bargaining, and how such platforms will contribute fairly to a diversity of news organizations in their contributions.

The CRTC will further define the mandatory bargaining process, the code of conduct to support fairness and transparency, the rules on undue preference or discrimination, and the eligibility of news businesses through their own separate regulatory process. The CRTC recently published details on how it will consult on the implementation of the Online News Act. Information about how to participate is available on the CRTC website.

“Canadians rely on digital platforms to access their news and information, but these tech platforms have to act responsibly and support the news sharing they and Canadians both benefit from. The Online News Act requires these dominant platforms to bargain fairly with news businesses—both big and small. The consultation on the proposed regulations today helps to provide clarity for platforms and news organizations while opening a dialogue toward real results. I look forward to engaging with platforms in a constructive way. I believe we share the goal of ensuring quality access to information and news for Canadians. Tech giants can and must contribute their fair share—nothing more. Canadians expect a vibrant news landscape where we can get the facts when we need them.”

—The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

No News Is Bad News For Canada: CAJ Urges Meta, Google, Government, And News Organizations To Uphold The Public’s Right To Know

Informing Canadians About Changes To Local News

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