Focus Publishing fonds. — 1972-1988. — 160 cm of textual records.
Agency History
In 1972, Meridian Printing from Lloydminster started an independent community weekly newspaper in Grande Prairie. They named it “The Booster” and Brian Keebaugh, from Meridian Printing, was the first publisher. For a short time in 1975 the paper was printed by Keeprint, operated by Charlie Kee. In January 1976, the Booster was taken over by a local Grande Prairie company, Focus Publishing Ltd., owned by Brian Wilson and Bob McFarlane. From 1976 to 1984, Wilson and McFarlene added additional papers into Focus Publishing’s production, including Grande Prairie This Week, Focus, and South Peace Farm Week.
Focus Publishing Ltd. ceased to publish in the summer of 1988.
Custodial History
The records were donated to the Grande Prairie Museum in 1989 by Brian Wilson, publisher of the paper. In 2000, they were transferred to Grande Prairie Regional Archives.
Scope and Content
The fonds consists of staple-bound issues of Grande Prairie newspapers published by Focus Publishing including The Booster, Focus, Grande Prairie This Week, and South Peace Farm Week.
Notes
Table of Contents
| Series 148.01 | The Booster |
| Series 148.02 | Focus |
| Series 148.03 | Grande Prairie This Week |
| Series 148.04 | South Peace Farm Week |
| Series 148.01 | The Booster. — 1972-1981. — 53 cm of textual records.
This series consists of staple-bound issues of The Booster from April 1972 to March 1981. The Booster paper was first published in 1972 by Meridian Printing before being taken over briefly by Keeprint in 1975, and finally Focus Publishing in January 1976. The Booster was distributed free of charge on Wednesdays to every home in Grande Prairie, and through the Post Office to 27 other communities in the South Peace every Thursday morning. It consisted of local and national news, photographs, upcoming events, and classified advertising. The Booster name was changed to Grande Prairie This Week in June 1981. |
| Series 148.02 | Focus. — 1977-1982. — 23 cm of textual records.
This series consists of staple-bound issues of Focus from January 1977 to March 1982. Focus was printed by Focus Publishing as an accompaniment to The Booster paper. Focus was an arts and entertainment guide that featured news relating to arts and entertainment including TV schedules, film and book reviews, and weekly highlights of local radio programing. In March 1982 Focus was discontinued and replaced with an addition to the regular paper called This Week Leisure. |
| Series 148.03 | Grande Prairie This Week. — 1981-1988. — 60 cm of textual records.
This series consists of staple-bound issues of Grande Prairie This Week from June 1981 to April 1988. On June 3, 1981 the name of The Booster paper was changed to Grande Prairie this Week. Grande Prairie This Week continued to feature local and global news, photographs, upcoming events, and classified advertising, in September 1983 it went to the half-size format. Grande Prairie This Week was published until April 1988, shortly before Focus Publishing ended operations. |
| Series 148.04 | South Peace Farm Week. — 1984-1988. — 23 cm of textual records.
This series consists of staple-bound issues of South Peace Farm Week from January 1984 to April 1988. The South Peace Farm Week paper was devoted to serving the agricultural community of the South Peace. It was started in February 1983 under publisher George Lanctot and editor Christina Grant. Later, Brian Wilson of Focus Publishing became publisher for South Peace Farm Week. |