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Picture courtesy of wikipedia
In the Joseph E. Atkinson Parkette beside the Public Library
Commemoration
One of Canada's leading publishers, Joseph Atkinson was born here in Clarke Township and, at eighteen, began his journalistic career with the Port Hope Times. He subsequently moved to Toronto where he was employed first with the World and later the Globe. Following a period with the Montreal Herald, Atkinson in 1899 became editor and manager of The Toronto Evening Star. He changed the name to The Toronto Daily Star (1900) and published it until his death. In 1910 he founded the Star Weekly, established radio station CFCA in 1922 and built The Star into Canada's largest daily newspaper with a stated policy of supporting the "little man." He died in 1948 leaving most of his considerable wealth to The Atkinson Charitable Foundation.
Background
The “E.” In Joseph E. Atkinson is an affectation. He actually had no middle birth name. His wife, Elmina Ella Susannah Elliott was also in the newspaper business on the Toronto Globe. She published her work under the name “Madge Merton”.
The Toronto World published between 1880 and 1921. It targeted the “working man” of the city.
The Globe was one of two papers that merged into the Globe and Mail which still publishes today. The other was the Mail and Empire.
The Toronto Evening Star is the forerunner of today’s Toronto Star.
CFCA was the first regular radio station in Toronto. It closed in 1933 in the face of competition from the CBC and government legislation that did not favour private broadcasters.
These changes show how, just as transportation changes developed over time to support the growing province, so communications advanced and the business landscape for it evolved. Yet, much of it is still with us today, in one form or another.
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