The Department of Canadian Heritage cut funding to independent labour magazine Our Times by 65 per cent, claiming the magazine failed to meet eligible circulation requirements, although it offered no details.
Heritage Canada subsidizes Canadian print media through grants from the Canada Periodical Fund, to help small circulation publications “overcome market disadvantages.”
After receiving $29,790 in 2007, Our Times had its funding eliminated in 2008, then partially restored in subsequent grant periods to $10,505 last year.
“They turned us down although we met all criteria,” said Our Times business manager Liz Ukrainetz. “We’ve been told it ‘was not in the best interest of Canadians.’”
The fund gave Sun Media more than $800,000 over the same period for a chain of its company weeklies.