The Leader is
an independently owned weekly newspaper serving west and
central Renfrew County. Founded in 1902 by Patrick McHugh,
it was one of two newspapers in the community at the time of
the
great 1911 fire which destroyed most of the north side of Eganville and several businesses along the river on the
south side. The village’s two newspapers, the Leader and the
Star Enterprise, were both destroyed in the fire and only
the Leader rose from the ashes.
In its 105 year history, the
Leader has always been located on John Street. Its current
location is its fourth home.
The Leader was purchased in
1944 by Ambrose and Sylvester Tracey. Ambrose became the
sole owner in the early 1960s. Ambrose passed away in 1968.
Son Ronald had been in the business with his father since
1956; another son, Gerald, joined the paper full time in
1972. Ron and Gerald were partners in the business for 34
years. Ron retired in September, 2007 after 51 years in the
business.
The Leader boasts one of the
largest paid circulations of any community newspaper in
Ontario that publishes in a village of 1300. With a weekly
circulation of 6,000, the Leader is the largest paid
circulation community newspaper in Renfrew County.
In the last 25 years, the
Leader has won numerous awards in annual competitions
sponsored by the Ontario and Canadian Community Newspapers
Associations.
The Leader is available by
subscription -- $39.22 inside Renfrew County or $44.52
outside the county -- and at stores throughout the area.
In 2002, the Leader produced
a 945-page book to commemorate its 100th year of
publication. Entitled Reflections of A Century, the book
contains the top news stories in the county over the 100
year period along with hundreds of photographs and images.
More than 8,000 copies of the book were sold and some remain
available for sale. It is fascinating reading, especially
for those who enjoy reflecting back on time. The balance of
the books are being sold for $40.
If you are new to the area,
we invite you to become a subscriber to the Leader to keep
abreast of what is going on in your community. If you are a
long-time resident of the area, or maybe even a native like
us, and have been a regular reader of the Leader, we hope
you will remain among our readership.
The staff at the Leader is
committed to producing a quality and informative newspaper.
We welcome your comments and input,
please contact our office at
613-628-2332 or
leader@nrtco.net.
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