About Us

The Burlington Gazette is an online newspaper. It is written to serve the interests and needs of the people of Burlington, Ontario.

The people who write this newspaper bring more than 40 years of editorial experience that includes books, magazines and newspaper. Pepper Parr is the president of the corporation. He has more than 35 years’ experience as a publisher starting with his work on the student’s newspaper at Queen’s University and then an internship at the Globe and Mail followed by work with newspapers in Barrie and Bradford, Ontario

Parr went on to publish books as well as an educational magazine and won the Canadian Book Centre award for the best juvenile science book: Canada in Space.

He was also the publisher of the first magazine intended for teachers who were using computers in the classroom for the first time; “back in the days when a Commodore 64 was as good as it got”.

Parr was later the founding publisher of a community newspaper that went on to become one of the largest and most profitable in Canada – known today as the Metro Beach News.

There are a number of columnists who write for the paper regularly as well as several people who write on a part time basis.

We don’t have printing presses. Our platform is the internet which gives us a number of significant advantages over print, radio or television. We can be instant – as fast as radio, and we can provide an unlimited number of pictures.

Unlike newsprint – we are around for a long, long time; everything we’ve ever written is still up on the web site – more than 2000 stories.

We are a private corporation that has been funded by the founders. Until very recently we have not accepted advertising. We are now accepting advertising.

Corporately we are known as Burlington Gazette 2015 Inc.

We were accepted (unanimously) as members the Ontario Press Council, an organization that is dedicated to upholding acceptable journalistic and ethical standards on behalf of the public and press alike while defending the democratic rights of free speech and freedom of the press.  The Ontario Press Council was reorganized and is now the National Newsmedia Council

In 2010 Burlington was one of the few cities in Ontario that has an online newspaper published regularly by established journalists. The Mayor of the city used to think we do a great job.

We cover city council better than any other media in the city; we cover the arts in considerable depth. We take on major issues in the city and see the role of media as one that informs, keeps people accountable and places what is happening in context. We do not limit ourselves to just reporting – life is too complex for that outdated approach.

We see the electronic media as significantly different than print. We both report , comment and analyze and link stories together so that readers can see both a bigger picture and put what they read today in a frame that includes what happened and was said in the past.

We believe fervently that an informed population can make informed decisions.

From time to time the federal government shows its support for what we do.  In 2021-22 the Gazette was the recipient of a grant to hire a reporter under the Local Journalism Initiative program.  We are grateful for the support.

 

 

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