It is owned by Postmedia following its acquisition of Sun Media,[1] and shares many characteristics typical of Sun tabloids, including an emphasis on local news stories, extensive sports coverage, and a daily Sunshine Girl.
The newspaper, like most of those in the Canadian Sun chain, are known for short, snappy news stories aimed primarily at working class readers. The Sun's layout is based somewhat upon that of British tabloids.
The newspaper is distributed throughout the Winnipeg metro region through retail sales, vending machines and home delivery. According to Canadian Newspaper Association figures, the newspaper's average weekday circulation for the second quarter of 2016 (April–June) is 44,424. This figure was 36,905 on Saturdays, and 38,079 on Sundays.[2]
While planning for the Winnipeg Sun was taking place, another group that was publishing The Downtowner and The Suburban, had publicly stated in their editorial they were strongly considering transforming their weeklies into Winnipeg's next major daily newspaper; this, however, did not happen.
In response to demand for a new newspaper voice in the city, the Winnipeg Sun was announced at a press conference in October 1980,[4] and first published on November 5, 1980. Its founders were Al Davies, Frank Goldberg, William (Bill) A. Everitt and Tom Denton, with Denton being the first publisher. It initially published Monday, Wednesday and Friday editions. Afternoon home delivery began on December 19, 1980. Carriers collected $1.50 every two weeks from subscribers.
It extended its publication cycle to include Tuesday and Thursday editions on April 27, 1981.[5] The paper added a Sunday edition on September 12, 1982.[6] The Sun moved to seven-day publication in 1992.
Starting August 4, 1981, the Sun moved to a morning home-delivery schedule. The newspapers were expected to be done by 6:30 a.m.[7]
On March 10, 1982, the Sun reduced the size of the paper to more closely resemble that of the other tabloid-size newspapers.
The newspaper started publishing Sunday through Friday beginning September 12, 1982, with its largest paper to date at 120 pages.[8][9]
Winnipeg, curiously, is one of the very few cities in Canada or the United States where a new daily newspaper emerged after the death of the No. 2 underdog. Aside from the free Metro daily publications, outside of Toronto, Winnipeg is the only other city in English Canada with two separately owned competing metropolitan daily newspapers.
In its early days, the newspaper's offices were located at 290 Garry Street in downtown Winnipeg, around the corner from the offices that had housed the defunct Winnipeg Tribune. In 1983, the newspaper moved to a building in suburban Inkster Industrial Park,[10] presaging a similar move by the Winnipeg Free Press some years later.
In February 1983, Quebecor invested in the newspaper,[11] at a time when circulation of the Sun had grown to 34,000 daily. Lack of advertisers and not owning its own printing press caused the paper's debts to grow. The new owners reviewed continuing Winnipeg magazine, but by June 1984 the last edition was published.[12]
Winnipeg Sun logo used from 1999 until 2004.
On January 5, 1999, Quebecor acquired the Sun Media chain of newspapers. On May 10, 1999, the newspaper was relaunched, taking on an appearance consistent with the Toronto Sun, the Edmonton Sun, the Calgary Sun and the Ottawa Sun.
As of Monday June 22, 2020, the Sun will no longer publish a printed Monday edition; however, the newspaper will still maintain a Monday edition online.[13]
