Sale could bring Times Colonist, Western Canada’s oldest daily, ‘home’ to Victoria

VICTORIA — Talks are underway to bring ownership of the oldest daily newspaper in Western Canada home to Victoria.

Ed Kennedy, advertising director with the Times Colonist, says the paper’s parent company has agreed to sell the masthead, and is working with a group of local investors to buy it.

The paper is owned by Lodestar Media, the media division of Glacier Media, which purchased it in 2011.

Kennedy says in a message to readers that a lot of work remains ahead, but there is now a chance to return the paper to local ownership after it has been owned by companies outside the provincial capital for more than 75 years.

He says the Times Colonist “has been part of Vancouver Island for almost 168 years,” describing it as the oldest operational business in B.C.

The Times Colonist was created in 1980 through the merger of the British Colonist, founded in 1858 by Amor De Cosmos, who became British Columbia’s second premier, and the Victoria Daily Times, which started publishing in 1884.

The newspaper, which is a client of The Canadian Press, says it reaches a quarter of a million households every week.

“There are still many details to work through before the sale can be completed, and we will keep you informed as things progress,” Kennedy says.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2026.

Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press