Le Soleil
Encyclopedia
Le Soleil is a French-language daily newspaper
in Quebec City
, Quebec
. It was founded on December 28, 1896 and is published in compact
format since April 2006 (it had traditionally been printed in broadsheet
). It is distributed mainly in Quebec City
, however it is also for sale at newsstands in Ottawa
, Montreal
, New Brunswick
and some places in Florida
, where many Quebecers spend the winter. Its main competitor is the tabloid Le Journal de Québec
, which enjoys higher circulation. It is owned by Power Corporation of Canada
.
On weekdays Le Soleil contains four sections : the front section (Actualités), containing local and international news coverage; the Arts
& Life, or "B" section (Arts & Vie); the Business
, or "C" section (Économie); and the Sports, or "S" section. The Saturday edition contains many more special sections.
, which shut down in December 1896. The first edition was published on December 28, 1896. one day after the disappearance of its predecessor, which shut down because the Catholic clergy had forbidden it to parishioners when the newspaper criticized the Church's electoral interference.
In 1957, Le Soleil (then owned by Oscar Gilbert) cut ties to the Liberal Party of Canada
in order to concentrate on news coverage. Daily circulation
rose past 100,000 in the 1960s, and over 150,000 in the 1970s.
Beginning in 1973, many large corporations began to express interest in acquiring Le Soleil. Controversy was stirred when Paul Desmarais
's Power Corporation of Canada
announced its intention to buy the daily. It provoked the intervention of then-Quebec premier Robert Bourassa
because such a transaction would have concentrated 70% of Quebec
francophone
daily newspapers in the hands of a single company. Eventually the paper was bought by Unimédia.
In 1987, Conrad Black
's Hollinger Inc.
acquired the newspaper. It would eventually pass into the hands of Groupe Gesca, which also owns several Quebec newspapers, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada
.
In 2006, the newspaper had switched to a tabloid format at the same time as Sherbrooke's La Tribune and Trois-Rivières
's Le Nouvelliste all owned by Gesca. Recent declines in readership due to competition by Le Journal de Québec
was the main explanation of the switch from a broadsheet
format.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. It was founded on December 28, 1896 and is published in compact
Compact (newspaper)
A compact newspaper is a broadsheet-quality newspaper printed in a tabloid format, especially one in the United Kingdom. The term is used also for this size came into use in its current use when The Independent began producing a smaller format edition for London's commuters, designed to be easier...
format since April 2006 (it had traditionally been printed in broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
). It is distributed mainly in Quebec City
Quebec City
Quebec , also Québec, Quebec City or Québec City is the capital of the Canadian province of Quebec and is located within the Capitale-Nationale region. It is the second most populous city in Quebec after Montreal, which is about to the southwest...
, however it is also for sale at newsstands in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
and some places in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, where many Quebecers spend the winter. Its main competitor is the tabloid Le Journal de Québec
Le Journal de Québec
Le Journal de Québec is a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City, Quebec . The newspaper is printed in tabloid format and has a the highest circulation for a Quebec City newspaper, with its closest competitor being Le Soleil....
, which enjoys higher circulation. It is owned by Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada is a Canadian company with assets in North America and Europe in a number of industries. These industries include media, pulp and paper, and financial services....
.
On weekdays Le Soleil contains four sections : the front section (Actualités), containing local and international news coverage; the Arts
ARts
aRts, which stands for analog Real time synthesizer, is an audio framework that is no longer under development. It is best known for previously being used in KDE to simulate an analog synthesizer....
& Life, or "B" section (Arts & Vie); the Business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
, or "C" section (Économie); and the Sports, or "S" section. The Saturday edition contains many more special sections.
History
Le Soleil rose from the ashes of L'Électeur, the official newspaper of the Liberal Party of CanadaLiberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
, which shut down in December 1896. The first edition was published on December 28, 1896. one day after the disappearance of its predecessor, which shut down because the Catholic clergy had forbidden it to parishioners when the newspaper criticized the Church's electoral interference.
In 1957, Le Soleil (then owned by Oscar Gilbert) cut ties to the Liberal Party of Canada
Liberal Party of Canada
The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
in order to concentrate on news coverage. Daily circulation
Newspaper circulation
A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day. Circulation is one of the principal factors used to set advertising rates. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some newspapers are distributed without cost to the...
rose past 100,000 in the 1960s, and over 150,000 in the 1970s.
Beginning in 1973, many large corporations began to express interest in acquiring Le Soleil. Controversy was stirred when Paul Desmarais
Paul Desmarais
Paul Desmarais, Sr., is a Canadian financier in Montreal. With an estimated net worth of $US 4.5 billion , Desmarais was ranked by Forbes as the 4th wealthiest person in Canada and 235th in the world.Desmarais also owns homes in Palm Beach, Florida and New York.He is CEO of the Power Corporation...
's Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada is a Canadian company with assets in North America and Europe in a number of industries. These industries include media, pulp and paper, and financial services....
announced its intention to buy the daily. It provoked the intervention of then-Quebec premier Robert Bourassa
Robert Bourassa
Jean-Robert Bourassa, was a politician in Quebec, Canada. He served as the 22nd Premier of Quebec in two different mandates, first from May 12, 1970, to November 25, 1976, and then from December 12, 1985, to January 11, 1994, serving a total of just under 15 years as Provincial Premier.-Early...
because such a transaction would have concentrated 70% of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
francophone
Francophone
The adjective francophone means French-speaking, typically as primary language, whether referring to individuals, groups, or places. Often, the word is used as a noun to describe a natively French-speaking person....
daily newspapers in the hands of a single company. Eventually the paper was bought by Unimédia.
In 1987, Conrad Black
Conrad Black
Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour, OC, KCSG, PC is a Canadian-born member of the British House of Lords, and a historian, columnist and publisher, who was for a time the third largest newspaper magnate in the world. Lord Black controlled Hollinger International, Inc...
's Hollinger Inc.
Hollinger Inc.
Hollinger Inc. was a Canadian media company based in Toronto. It was created by the Canadian businessman Conrad Black as a holding company for his media interests after he acquired control of The Daily Telegraph in 1986. It was the parent company of Chicago-based Hollinger International, whose...
acquired the newspaper. It would eventually pass into the hands of Groupe Gesca, which also owns several Quebec newspapers, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada
Power Corporation of Canada is a Canadian company with assets in North America and Europe in a number of industries. These industries include media, pulp and paper, and financial services....
.
In 2006, the newspaper had switched to a tabloid format at the same time as Sherbrooke's La Tribune and Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières
Trois-Rivières means three rivers in French and may refer to:in Canada*Trois-Rivières, the largest city in the Mauricie region of Quebec, Canada*Circuit Trois-Rivières, a racetrack in Trois-Rivières, Quebec...
's Le Nouvelliste all owned by Gesca. Recent declines in readership due to competition by Le Journal de Québec
Le Journal de Québec
Le Journal de Québec is a French-language daily newspaper in Quebec City, Quebec . The newspaper is printed in tabloid format and has a the highest circulation for a Quebec City newspaper, with its closest competitor being Le Soleil....
was the main explanation of the switch from a broadsheet
Broadsheet
Broadsheet is the largest of the various newspaper formats and is characterized by long vertical pages . The term derives from types of popular prints usually just of a single sheet, sold on the streets and containing various types of material, from ballads to political satire. The first broadsheet...
format.
Featured contributors
- Normand Provencher (humorous editorials on a variety of subjects)
- Jean-Marc Salvet (editorialist)
- Julie Lemieux (editorialist)
- André-Philippe Côté (cartoonist)
- Fleg (cartoonist)