Fonds 620 Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune collection

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Summary information

Repository: South Peace Regional Archives
Title: Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune collection
Reference code: 0620
Date: 1913-2011, 2018-2021 (date of creation)
Physical description: 185 cm of textual records
Language: English
Dates of creation, revision and deletion: 2019-2021 newspapers were added to this collection by SF in 2022

Administrative history / Biographical sketch

Note

The Herald-Tribune newspaper ran its first edition August 17th, 1939 as an amalgamation between the Northern Tribune and the Grande Prairie Herald. The Herald had burned completely in July of 1938 and it made more economic sense to run only one weekly newspaper rather than invest in rebuilding the Herald. The owners of the Northern Tribune remained as owners: J.B. Yule, Jimmie & George Duncan and Arthur Jackson. Charles W. Frederick, owner of the Herald was in charge of advertising. About 1947, Gertrude Charters took over the paper and became the editor; and in 1950, the newspaper was purchased by Bowes Publishing House. The Herald Tribune became a twice weekly in 1955 and expanded again in 1962. In 1964, it officially became the Daily Herald-Tribune. The early 1980s was a time of change as the paper moved to computers instead of typewriters. In 1981, a second disastrous fire destroyed much of the DHT. Three men were charged with arson, and the newspaper was rebuilt. It expanded again in 1983. In 1990, Sun Media purchased Bowes Publishing and acquired the Daily Herald-Tribune in the process. Sun Media merged with Quebecor in 1998 (http://www.quebecor.com/en/content/history-sun). The Daily Herald-Tribune stopped printing paper copies of the newspaper at the end of April 2021.

Staff: William & James Bowes were co-editors until 1952 when James became the sole editor. In 1956 James English did a short four year stint, after which James Bowes returned as Editor/Publisher until 1966. The Publishers who followed were: Kenneth Kirkpatrick (1966-1967), Gerald A. Duncan (1967-1977), William R. Dempsey (1977-1980), Donald J. Sinclair (1980-1982), James L. Grasswick (1982-?). The Editors have included Philip McLeod (1969-1970); Bill Scott (1970-?); and Fred and Diana Rinne (2015-?).

Custodial history

These issues of the Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune were collected by Isabel Campbell and deposited at the Grande Prairie Public Library some time before her death in 1998. In 2015, the Grande Prairie Public Library passed the records on to the South Peace Regional Archives. Later issues were also donated by the Grande Prairie Public Library in 2019, 2020, and 2021.

Scope and content

This collection consists of issues of the Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune from January 5, 1939 to 1964, when the paper became a daily. We only have sporadic issues from 1960-1979, and only have the front page from 1980-2011. We have full issues starting again on July 3, 2018 until April 30, 2021 when the newspaper ceased printing physical copies.

Notes

Title notes

  • Source of title proper: Title of fonds based on contents

Alternative form available

Digital copies of the Grande Prairie Herald-Tribune are available from the University of Calgary.