Kevin Stobbe, owner of Hooked Media, has acquired Convenience & Carwash Canada Magazine – Canada’s most read Canadian owned and operated convenience, retail petroleum, and carwash publication – from Brenda Johnstone, owner of Johnstone Media, who published 108 editions over 18 years. Stobbe has worked in publishing for over 25 years and will assume ownership with the publishing of the July/August edition. He also plans to expand the magazine’s digital presence with an enhanced website and new e-newsletter, bringing industry news and updates to readers between issues for the first time.

 

The Toronto Review, launched in April 2026 by six University of Toronto (U. of T.) students, showcases established and emerging Canadian talent from Toronto’s literary community. The online magazine will publish essays, fiction, book reviews, and other art forms every week. “We’re curating a platform that showcases Canadian literature internationally while amplifying a writing community already abundant with local talent,” said Adrianna Michell, one of the Review’s co-founders and editors.

 A new study from FT Strategies has revealed that newsrooms worldwide are rapidly restructuring around AI, audience engagement, and community-driven journalism, as publishers confront growing commercial pressures and changing audience behaviour. With responses from 448 newsroom leaders across 86 countries, The Future Newsrooms Study 2026 explores how publishers are adapting workflows, strategies, talent development, and audience engagement models because of a more fragmented and AI-enabled media environment.

 

The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) has announced that Jack David, Founder and Publisher at ECW Press, is the recipient of this year’s President’s Award. The awards were presented at ACP’s Spring Conference May 26 – 27, 2026 in Victoria, British Columbia. In 1974, David founded Essays on Canadian Writing, a scholarly journal. In 1979, he and Robert Lecker began publishing books as ECW Press. ECW has since become one of the largest and most acclaimed trade publishers in Canada.

 

Journalist Neville Nankivell, Editor, Publisher and Columnist for the Financial Post, died on May 3, 2026, at his home in Ottawa. He was 91. For more than 40 years, Nankivell helped shape Canadian business journalism. Colleagues remembered him as an incisive editor, accomplished writer, and kind mentor whose intellect left a lasting impression on generations of reporters and editors. Born December 8, 1934, in Cottesloe, Western Australia, Nankivell studied economics at the University of Western Australia before emigrating to Canada in 1956.

 Following “a comprehensive review of its flyer distribution operations across Canada,” Postmedia Network, a Canadian news media company representing more than 110 brands, has made the strategic decision to exit the flyer distribution business. Operations will end on a phased basis starting June 8, 2026, and should be completed in full by August 31. The decision will impact about 50 full-time and 200 part-time workers.

 

TC Transcontinental has expanded its partnership with Postmedia Network through to 2030, and signed a three year agreement with Glacier Media to print the Victoria Times Colonist. Under the expanded Postmedia agreement, additional print volumes will be outsourced to Transcontinental in Vaughan, ON, including the National Post and the Toronto Sun, and to TC Transcontinental in Halifax, NS. The transition deadline is early August 2026.

 Pet Valu has launched a New Pet Parent Guide that integrates digital, print, and retail media. The guide combines print materials with digital components to create a cohesive, omnichannel experience. Pet Valu is leveraging Flipp to reach consumers early while driving engagement at the point of sale. “The new guide provides essential information and resources to new pet parents, strengthening our position as a trusted partner,” the company added.