Frontenac News Staff | Apr 03, 2014


The Frontenac News has been sold to Jack Benjamin, of Saskatchewan.

Benjamin's wife Jolene Henderson-Benjamin, is a member of the new management team that will be running the Ambassador hotel in Kingston for a company based in Saskatchewan. The couple and their two children, Serena and Jack Jr., will be moving to the area in the coming months.

“I have always had an interest in communications, and before working in the communications department of the hotel company, I worked for the Rosetown Eagle, which served the entire region, including Biggar, Lenty, Hershel and Fiske, so I know a thing or two about the rural lifestyle. We intend for the Frontenac News and its website to be the first in a number of purchases in the region that will establish us as an alternative media company,” said Benjamin, who was in Sharbot Lake on Tuesday, April 1 to finalise the purchase.

“I am more than pleased to have sold the paper to Mr. Benjamin,” said Frontenac News former publisher/editor Jeff Green, “and am happy to say he has committed to keeping the paper in Frontenac County and keeping our staff on for the foreseeable future.”

Jeff Green will stay on as interim editor of the News as Benjamin assumes the publisher’s role once his family has completed its move to the region from Saskatoon.

“I would like to assure loyal readers of the paper that they will see little change in the paper in the coming months,” said Benjamin. “The columns will remain, as will the small town feel. I know from experience how important local support can be. The website will be changing, in line with our corporate look, but the excellent sales and front office staff at the Frontenac News will certainly remain.”

One thing that will change is the dress code among News' staff.

“While we know some of the staff maintain a relaxed country lifestyle, which is part of the charm of the paper, our company's culture is based in the hospitality industry. While we don't expect everyone at the News will be wearing a suit to work every day, we do expect a level of professionalism in terms of clothing, and grooming, among our employees,” he said.

The Frontenac News was founded over 40 years ago, originally as the North Frontenac News – a not-for-profit venture. Its goal at the time was to keep the people in the scattered communities in touch with each other in a time of economic change and to talk about issues of concern to them in the face of economic change and threats to the rural lifestyle as the KP railroad left and farming practices changed.

It was sold in the summer of 2000 and has been in private hands ever since. In 2001 the News added Harrowsmith and Sydenham to its distribution, solidifying its position in South Frontenac.

“We have remain committed to the same goals as those who founded the paper,” said Jeff Green, “and I am confident that Mr. Benjamin shares that commitment and is excited to begin working with our dedicated staff. As far as my role is concerned, we will see over the next few months.”

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