Guelph Mercury - History

History

The Wellington Mercury was founded in 1853, and published weekly by owner George Keeling.

A competing paper was started in 1854, named the Guelph Advertiser. It was published weekly as well.

In 1862, Toronto newspaperman and MP James Innes took over the editorship of the Guelph Advertiser and shortly thereafter formed a partnership with John McLagan, owner of the competing weekly newspaper the Guelph Mercury.

The two papers merged to form the Mercury and Advertiser.

The Mercury was expanded into a daily newspaper in 1867. Among its editors was the future best-selling novellist Thomas B. Costain who worked there from 1908 to 1910.

The Guelph Mercury has since had numerous owners. Innes sold his share in the newspaper in 1905 to J. Innes McIntosh, who also bought the Guelph Herald, a competing daily newspaper, in 1924. McIntosh then sold his share in 1929 to James Playfair, who sold the paper in the late 1940s to Thomson Newspapers. Thomson remained owner for half a century, until Hollinger Inc. purchased the paper in 1995. Sun Media purchased the paper in 1998 and then resold it to Torstar Corporation.

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