newspaper, and published the Daily
Banner and Journal & Express separately. In 1857, the Reform Party became increasingly
dissatisfied with these papers and sought another publication.THE HEART OF THE CITY
TIMES EDITORIAL
The Reform Banner and Railway Chronicle, a morning paper
published three times a week, was owned by William Nicholson & Company. By August
1854, it had become a daily newspaper and was called the Daily Banner, a reform paper,
financially backed by Sir Isaac Buchanan. Two years later,
Nicholson & Company bought the Journal and Express, also a reform newspaper, and published the Daily
Banner and Journal & Express separately. In 1857, the Reform Party became increasingly
dissatisfied with these papers and sought another publication.
As a result, the Daily Times was published the following year with Thomas Gray as Business Manager and Hugh B. Willson as Editor. The Times became a leading Reform newspaper and was backed by the majority of Hamilton merchants who belonged to the Reform party. The paper was published as a semi-weekly and later as a weekly. Both Wilson and Gray resigned in early 1860.
The paper was then owned by Jones and Holbrook. Six years later, Mr. C.E. Stewart of
Brantford became Owner and Manager with John McLean as Editor. The paper remained under
the direction of Stewart until his death in 1873. It was then bought by the Times Printing
and Publishing Company under the management of John Eastwood, Lyman Moore, and Reginald
Kennedy. Between 1873 and 1920, the editors of the paper were: Christopher Tyner, Robert
Grayson, George Lumsden, and Alexander Thomas.
In 1920, W. Nelson Wilkinson became Managing Editor and in September, the paper was bought by John M. Imrie, Manager of the Canadian Daily Newspapers’ Association of Toronto. The Times was listed for the last time in the Hamilton City Directory for 1920. After that, only John M. Imrie’s name was listed for the year of 1921. He was appointed managing Director of the Edmonton Journal in 1921. Under his direction, only one edition of the morning Times appeared on November 8, 1920.
"The Times was one of the City’s oldest and solidest institutions sharing the fortunes of the people, voicing their opinions, defending their cause, advocating their interests and never losing faith in Hamilton’s future. The content included coverage of local and international news with an unexcelled news service, editorial discussions which showed a broad literality, market and telegraphic reports, literary reading matter and advertisements."
REFERENCES:
Clipping File – Hamilton – Newspapers –
Hamilton Times. Special Collections, HPL.
