The first edition of a new newspaper designed for British expats is hitting newsstands in Vancouver, Victoria and three other Canadian cities.
A Canadian version of the Union Jack, which has been published in the U.S. since 1982, is now available in Canada.
Vancouver's Matthew Millar and Alexandria Mitchell recently bought the Canadian publishing rights to launch the paper north of the 49th parallel. They have been promoting the new publication at a number of high-profile events, including Prince Charles' recent visit to Canada.
The Canadian Union Jack will have a circulation of 100,000 and will be available in Vancouver, Victoria, Toronto, Halifax and Ottawa. Via Rail will also carry the paper.
The print version, which comes out monthly, will features news and sports of interest to British expats and immigrants from Commonwealth countries. The paper's website (www.unionjacknews.com) has a 24-hour news cycle.
The paper will be available in British pubs, specialty stores and tourist shops.
"Right now, we've got the Euro Cup going, so a lot of our pub partners are carrying copies," Millar told Business in Vancouver. "A big focus for us is what we're doing in London for the Olympics."
While some might question the business case for launching a newspaper at a time when newspapers across North America are struggling with falling advertising revenue and circulation, Millar and Mitchell said there is a demand for cultural and ethnic-based newspapers.
"We decided that the type of publication that features British and Commonwealth news is a good fit for Canada," Mitchell said.
Millar added that about 60% of the paper's content will be provided by its editorial staff. The rest will come from wire services.
