HuffPost Canada Shut Down

Workers at HuffPost Canada had recently filed for union certification.

Not long after filing for union certification, HuffPost Canada has been shut down.

“As of March 9, HuffPost Canada will no longer be publishing content. Existing content will be maintained as an online archive,” said the website.

Not long ago, HuffPost Canada staff had filed for union certification.

Here’s what the HuffPost Canada Union Twitter account said:

“Today is a sad day. This morning, we found out that BuzzFeed will be shutting down operations of HuffPost Canada and Quebec next week.

All of our staff are now out of a job.”

“We have been told this decision was made before our organizing effort and is not linked to our unionizing.

Still, it is even more devastating in the wake of the hope and optimism we had following a strong union drive.”

“HuffPost Canada consistently punched above our weight and did vital, important journalism in Canada. We stand in solidarity with our colleagues in the U.S. and the U.K. who are experiencing layoffs of their own. It is a sad day for journalism.”

While not in agreement with the political perspective of HuffPost Canada most of the time, it is sad to hear of journalists losing their jobs and of a political voice being silent in Canada.

Matt Wolf – the Executive Director of Issues Management for Jason Kenney – summed things up well:

“Having been part of a news network that was shut down, I take no joy in this. More voices = better. At the same time, while not the only cause, gotta say that taxpayers subsidizing a State Broadcaster with over $1B/year to build a digital news empire isn’t helping. #cdnpoli

Spencer Fernando