Spreading the Community News - Casket Printing

The Casket, Canada’s oldest continuing weekly newspaper, has been informing the residents of Antigonish, Nova Scotia since 1852. And today, the paper with its distinctive treasure chest logo, is not only read in Canada. Copies of the paper have been found in India, South America, and Australia. “Our paper has been taken all around the world. It's amazing," says Publisher and General Manager Ken Sims. “Many community newspapers would die for that kind of loyalty and commitment to readership. We're very proud of that.”

What began as a four-page newspaper is now part of a larger company, Casket Printing. They produce three publications, have a full-line commercial print shop with such major customers as Michelin Canada and St. Francis Xavier University, and employ 32 people.

“As the community of Antigonish has grown, so have we,” says Sims. “We feel very lucky to be situated in an area with such a stable economy and stable industries. We've been successful without the huge chains coming in to compete with our local retailers. All in all, it’s locally owned businesses run by local entrepreneurs.”

Sims came to Casket Printing in January 2001, taking over from Donald Gillis who had been the publisher and general manager for an impressive 50 years. “Donald was a community leader who was incredibly involved in everything – from the Highland Games, to St. Martha's Hospital, to the University. Because of people like him, our business is very solid,” says Sims. “He was a patriarch of our staff and a great leader in our community.”

The company has seen a few changes since Sims came on board. About five years ago, there was a concentrated effort by the Board to reflect the community more accurately. They took the Catholic news that appeared in The Casket and began another separate publication called The Atlantic Catholic. Ranging from 12-20 pages, this bi-weekly tabloid operates out of the same plant and is distributed throughout Atlantic Canada. The space that used to be reserved for this Catholic content was transformed into more of a community religious section in The Casket.

Another publication recently added to the roster came as a result of a partnership with the Halifax Herald. The Quad County Extra is an 8-16 page broadsheet newspaper published by Casket Printing. Printed and distributed by the Herald, it reaches every household in Antigonish and Guysborough counties, and most in Inverness and Richmond.

Most recently, Casket Printing has acquired two more print shops, one in Port Hawkesbury and one in Antigonish. “All three print companies serve the Strait and Antigonish areas,” says Sims. “We're able to keep all that business in the area and hire local people to run the shops.”

Business cards, letterheads, pamphlets, and brochures are just some of Casket Printing’s specialty areas. “The commercial print shop side is not as well known as our newspaper sales,” says Sims. "But we have a loyal base of customers who rely on us to do the smaller works that bigger print shops are unable to do. We do it very well and very economically."

Sims is proud of the company’s growth but isn’t quick to take the credit. “Our revenues have grown exponentially because of the growth and support of our community. We really appreciate our customers and our readers,” he says. “Our goal is to serve our community to make it a better place where people can live and bring up a family and yet keep them informed of things that are going on in the region.”

As president of the Atlantic Community Newspaper Association and someone who has served on the Board of the Canadian Community Newspaper Association, Sims is obviously a great supporter of community news. “We have very strong community newspapers in Atlantic Canada and right across Canada. They are the core of the areas where we live,” he says. “There’s nowhere in the world that you can get information on Antigonish town and county that compares to what we put out in The Casket. And we have numerous newspapers across Atlantic Canada doing exactly the same thing for their communities.”

This year Casket Printing has plans to release an online edition of their newspapers. There aren’t many community newspapers available on the web and the few who do have online editions, don’t offer access to many stories. But Sims has plans to use the website to engage with readers, offering a chance for interaction and input. “I don’t like the idea of having a static website,” he says. “We want more of an interactive web presence where stories and pictures actually appear on the web prior to appearing in the paper.”

A Nova Scotian by birth, Sims has found himself drawn back to his roots, although he’s lived and worked in almost every province of Canada. “We’ve got good people, a great environment, and a solid education base,” says Sims. “The province and this community have been very good to us. We’re proud to be doing business in Nova Scotia.”

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