Black Press
Black Press is a Canadian newspaper publisher and commercial printing company with community-news operations in Canada and the United States.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Black Press is a privately held Canadian media company whose principal activities have been the publication of daily, weekly and specialty newspapers, digital local-news products, magazines, classified services and commercial printing. The company was founded in British Columbia by David Holmes Black, who developed it from a small community-newspaper operation into one of the largest publishers of local and regional newspapers in western Canada. Its portfolio has historically included titles in British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories and Yukon, as well as newspapers and related publications in Washington state, Alaska and Hawaii in the United States. The business traces its roots to the Williams Lake Tribune in British Columbia. In 1969, David Black's father, Alan Black, and publisher Clive Stangoe acquired the paper through Cariboo Press. In 1975, the paper was sold to David Black for $60,000, providing the foundation for the later Black Press group. Black expanded through a series of acquisitions, generally assembling clusters of newspapers serving nearby communities rather than pursuing a single national daily title. Early purchases included the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal, Lakes District News, Houston Today, the Smithers Interior News and several Vancouver Island newspapers. During the 1980s and 1990s, Black Press broadened its Canadian footprint and added printing capacity. It acquired newspaper groups in the Okanagan, Shuswap, Vancouver Island and other regions, and in 1997 purchased 33 western Canadian publications from Trinity International Holdings. That transaction included the Red Deer Advocate and significantly increased the company's scale. Torstar Corporation later acquired a minority interest in Black Press, while David Black retained majority ownership for many years. Black Press also expanded into the United States. Its Washington operations developed into Sound Publishing after acquisitions beginning in 1987, while Oahu Publications was formed in Hawaii after the 2001 purchase of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. The Hawaii business later acquired the Honolulu Advertiser, and the two newspapers were combined in 2010 to form the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Black Press and related investors also became involved in other American newspaper assets, including the Akron Beacon Journal, Seattle Weekly, the Everett Herald and newspapers in Alaska. The company's strategy has emphasized local advertising, community reporting, free and paid-circulation newspapers, regional commercial printing and digital publishing. It has also operated online classified services, including UsedEverywhere.com, later renamed Used.ca. Its properties have included community papers, metropolitan dailies, agricultural publications, government-listing products, business journals and entertainment publications. The portfolio has changed repeatedly through acquisitions, exchanges, closures, mergers and divestitures as print advertising weakened and local media economics deteriorated. In March 2021, Black Press acquired Northern News Services, extending its presence into the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. In 2023, it partnered with Village Media to license the Villager content-management system for the migration of Black Press websites. The company entered creditor protection in Canada in January 2024 and filed a related Chapter 15 proceeding in the United States. A sale agreement was announced at the same time. Carpenter Media Group completed its acquisition of Black Press in March 2024 in a transaction involving Canso Investment Counsel. Black Press therefore remains an active local-media publisher, although ownership, title mix and operating structure have continued to evolve.
History
Black Press developed from a small British Columbia weekly into a cross-border local-media group. Its immediate origins lie in the Williams Lake Tribune. In 1969, Alan Black and Clive Stangoe acquired the paper through Cariboo Press after working in the regional newspaper industry. In 1975, Alan Black sold the Tribune to his son David Holmes Black for $60,000. David Black operated it independently for several years before beginning a steady program of acquisitions. The early expansion was regional and opportunistic. Black purchased the Ashcroft-Cache Creek Journal in 1979 and added publications in northern British Columbia, including Houston Today and the Smithers Interior News. By the mid-1980s he had acquired several Vancouver Island newspapers and printing plants. The Vancouver Island purchases were organized into a larger operating group that included titles such as the Goldstream Gazette, Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle and Parksville-Qualicum News-Advertiser. Further acquisitions in the Shuswap and Cariboo regions followed, including the Salmon Arm Observer group and the 100 Mile House Free Press. A major transformation occurred in 1997, when Black Press acquired 33 western Canadian publications from Trinity International Holdings. The portfolio included the Red Deer Advocate and helped establish Black Press as a substantial western Canadian newspaper publisher. Torstar invested in the company in 2002, taking a minority share, while Black retained control. Black Press subsequently added online classifieds through its 2006 acquisition of UsedEverywhere.com, which was later rebranded as Used.ca. It also pursued larger transactions, including a 2007 offer for Osprey Media, although Quebecor Media ultimately acquired Osprey. The United States became an important part of the group. In Washington, acquisitions beginning in 1987 were consolidated under Sound Publishing, which built a broad network of community newspapers around Puget Sound and elsewhere in the state. The group acquired daily, weekly, business and specialty publications, including the Peninsula Daily News, The Daily World, the Everett Herald and numerous Reporter-branded community papers. Some properties were later closed, exchanged or sold as local print markets weakened. In Hawaii, Black Press purchased the Honolulu Star-Bulletin in 2001 after a proposed closure had been challenged through an antitrust proceeding. It also acquired RFD Publications and the MidWeek publication. In 2010, Black Press purchased the Honolulu Advertiser and merged it with the Star-Bulletin to create the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. The company later acquired additional Hawaiian titles, including West Hawaii Today and Hawaii Tribune-Herald. Black Press also acquired the Akron Beacon Journal in 2006, sold it in 2018, and acquired Alaskan newspapers in the same transaction. The company and its principal owner were also associated with investments in San Francisco Media Co., which owned the San Francisco Examiner, San Francisco Bay Guardian and SF Weekly. Those holdings were separate from some of Black Press's direct corporate newspaper operations and were ultimately sold to Clint Reilly Communications in 2020. In Canada, Black Press exchanged titles with Glacier Media during the 2010s, acquired Yukon News in 2014 and purchased Northern News Services in 2021, adding publications in the northern territories. Like many newspaper groups, Black Press faced declining print advertising, digital disruption and the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several American titles were closed, including the King County Journal, the Honolulu Advertiser as a separate title, and multiple Washington publications. In 2023, the company selected Village Media's Villager platform for a broad website migration. In January 2024, Black Press entered CCAA creditor protection in Canada and sought Chapter 15 recognition in the United States. David Black resigned as president after the restructuring announcements. Carpenter Media Group completed the acquisition in March 2024, with Canso Investment Counsel involved in the transaction. The company continues as an active publisher under new ownership.
- 2024
Carpenter Media Group completes acquisition
[1]Following creditor-protection proceedings, Carpenter Media Group completed the purchase of Black Press.
- 2021
Acquisition of Northern News Services
[1]The company purchased Northern News Services, which publishes titles in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
- 2014
Acquisition of Yukon News
[1]Black Press acquired Yukon News, strengthening its presence in Canada's northern territories.
- 2010
Creation of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser
[1]The Honolulu Advertiser was acquired and merged with the Star-Bulletin.
- 2006
Acquisition of UsedEverywhere.com
[1]Black Press expanded into online classified advertising through the purchase of UsedEverywhere.com.
- 2002
Torstar takes a minority stake
[1]Torstar invested in Black Press and acquired a minority ownership position.
- 2001
Acquisition of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin
[1]Black Press purchased the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and established a major Hawaiian publishing operation.
- 1997
Acquisition of 33 western Canadian publications
[1]The purchase from Trinity International Holdings expanded Black Press's Canadian scale and included the Red Deer Advocate.
- 1987
Expansion into Washington state
[1]Black Press acquired Washington newspapers and began developing the operations later known as Sound Publishing.
- 1975
David Black acquires the Williams Lake Tribune
[1]David Holmes Black purchased the paper from his father and began building the newspaper group.
Products and positioning
A locally focused community-media and newspaper publishing group serving western Canada and selected United States markets through print, digital, specialty and commercial-printing operations.
Newspaper publishing · 1975
Community newspapers
Black Press's core product is a network of local daily and weekly newspapers serving communities in western Canada, Washington, Alaska and Hawaii. These titles typically combine municipal and regional reporting with local sports, opinion, events, classifieds and advertising. The portfolio has been adjusted over time through acquisitions, exchanges, mergers, closures and sales.
Daily newspaper · 2010
Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The Honolulu Star-Advertiser is Hawaii's principal daily newspaper and was created in 2010 through the merger of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and Honolulu Advertiser. It covers state, Honolulu and broader Hawaiian affairs in print and digital formats and is operated through Black Press's Hawaiian publishing business.
United States newspaper group · 1994
Sound Publishing
Sound Publishing is Black Press's Washington and Alaska newspaper subsidiary. Its holdings have included community papers, regional dailies, business publications and specialized government-listing products. The group has historically served Puget Sound, the Washington coast and Alaska through a distributed network of local titles.
Northern Canadian newspaper group · 2021
Northern News Services
Northern News Services publishes newspapers serving northern communities, including titles in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Black Press acquired the company in 2021, extending its Canadian geographic coverage into the territories.
Online classifieds · 2006
Used.ca
Used.ca is the later name of the online classified service acquired by Black Press as UsedEverywhere.com in 2006. The service broadened the group's business beyond print advertising into digital listings and local consumer-to-consumer classifieds.
Printing services
Commercial printing
Alongside publishing, Black Press has operated web-printing plants and commercial printing capabilities. Printing infrastructure supported its own newspaper production and formed part of the company's broader media-services operations.
Brand decisions
2024
Seek creditor protection and pursue a saleStrategyBackground
The company faced financial pressure in a difficult newspaper market and entered proceedings under Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act.
Action taken
Black Press announced a sale agreement, filed for Canadian creditor protection and sought Chapter 15 recognition in the United States.
Aftermath
David Black resigned as president, and Carpenter Media Group completed the acquisition in March 2024 with Canso Investment Counsel involved in the transaction.
2023
Adopt Village Media's Villager content-management systemStrategyBackground
Black Press sought to modernize and consolidate the technology supporting its newspaper websites.
Action taken
The company entered a partnership with Village Media to license the Villager platform and migrate its sites.
Aftermath
The migration was planned for completion in 2024 and represented a digital-infrastructure investment during a restructuring period.
2013
Acquire Seattle WeeklyM&ABackground
Voice Media Group offered the Seattle alternative weekly for sale as the economics of metropolitan print weeklies weakened.
Action taken
Black Press acquired the publication.
Aftermath
Seattle Weekly later discontinued its print edition and became an online-only publication in 2019.
2010
Merge the Honolulu Advertiser with the Honolulu Star-BulletinGeneration changeBackground
Black Press owned the Star-Bulletin and acquired the Honolulu Advertiser, creating an opportunity to consolidate two competing Honolulu daily newspapers.
Action taken
The two publications were combined under the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Aftermath
The merger created a single major daily newspaper brand for Honolulu while ending the two predecessor titles as separate newspapers.
Sources1 sources
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