Black Press Media has announced the acquisition of Northern News Services (NNSL Media), meaning the company now has ownership of seven community newspapers and two news websites in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
NNSL publishes the Kivalliq News, Inuvik Drum, Weekender, Nunavut News, Hay River Hub, Yellowknifer (Wednesday and Friday editions), News/North (Northwest Territories News/North and Nunavut News/North).
Black Press is also buying Canarctic Graphics, a Yellowknife, NWT-based printing operation.
“Our experience with community newspapers in Canada’s North has been very favourable,” said company president Rick O’Connor in a news release. The company purchased the Yukon News in 2013.
“We look forward to supporting these newspapers, their associated digital operations and printing plant as we move forward out of the pandemic,” he said.
NNSL was founded in 1972 by Jack “Sig” Sigvaldason.
Karen Sigvaldason, president of NNSL Media and Canarctic, said she is confident the sale will continue the NNSL’s tradition of “serving the people of the North.”
The deal is set to close on March 31.
Black Press Media owns more than 90 news operations in western Canada and the United States.
Contact Haley Ritchie at haley.ritchie@yukon-news.com