The founder of Brabant Newspapers – later renamed Hamilton Community News – has died.
Roger Brabant died on Sunday following a brief illness.
He was 89.
“Roger Brabant and Brabant Newspapers gave me my start in journalism and many other young reporters who were just starting their careers but continue to work in the Hamilton area,” said Debra Downey, senior editor at the Dundas Star News and Ancaster News, who started out as a reporter with the Mountain News 35 years ago. “Roger Brabant was what we would consider these days an old-time newspaper publisher.”
Downey noted there is a famous story about Brabant running through the newsroom yelling "stop the presses" which was considered normal in those days.
Also accepted at the time was that females were paid less than males “because men had families to support,” Downey said.
“Roger Brabant was always patient with his young reporters and extremely dedicated to the community, particularly Stoney Creek, the flagship paper in his chain at the time,” Downey said.
“He was an old-style boss,” said Stephen Beecroft, who worked at Brabant Newspapers for nearly two decades, first as a reporter for and then as editor of the Stoney Creek News.
“He looked upon himself as a father of a family.”
Beecroft said Brabant told him he had a number of offers to purchase the business and chose Southam because he thought they would be good to the employees.
Hamilton Community News office manager Lorna Lester was a new employee working in what was then the typesetting department of the composing room back in 1987.
She recalled Brabant, who had been off sick, had returned to the office and was chatting amicably with the employees.
“He was very personable with everyone and there was sincere affection all around,” Lester recalled.
Brabant had a long and storied carrier in the newspaper business.
Born in Timmins, he began working for the Timmins Daily Press in 1943, working his way up the company ladder to management.
He moved to the London Free Press in 1953 and married his first wife Blanche, who was working in display advertising, the following year.
Blanche died in 1984.
The couple moved to Niagara and on May 30, 1956 they founded the Port Colborne News in their first venture of what was to become Brabant Newspapers.
One year later they purchased the Fonthill Herald and in 1958 acquired the Niagara-on-the-Lake Advance.
Brabant also owned his own printing press and one of his customers was the Stoney Creek News which the couple purchased in 1960.
Brabant saw the potential growth of the Hamilton area market and moved his business to King Street East in 1967 and then following a fire to Queenston Road in Stoney Creek.
He eventually sold off his Niagara papers and in 1967 purchased the Dundas Star News and founded the Ancaster News.
The couple started the Mountain News in 1968 and in the late ‘70s purchased the Dundas Valley Journal which became the West Hamilton Journal in 1982.
They also purchased the Real Estate News in 1977 and in 1981 started the Flamborough News.
Brabant sold his newspaper empire to Southam in 1987.
It was later sold to Torstar, which in June 2006 renamed the company Hamilton Community News.
He is survived by Lois, his wife of 27 years.
Visitation will be held on Saturday (Dec. 2) at Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Rd. E. in Burlington at 9:45 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m.
The founder of Brabant Newspapers – later renamed Hamilton Community News – has died.
Roger Brabant died on Sunday following a brief illness.
He was 89.
“Roger Brabant and Brabant Newspapers gave me my start in journalism and many other young reporters who were just starting their careers but continue to work in the Hamilton area,” said Debra Downey, senior editor at the Dundas Star News and Ancaster News, who started out as a reporter with the Mountain News 35 years ago. “Roger Brabant was what we would consider these days an old-time newspaper publisher.”
Downey noted there is a famous story about Brabant running through the newsroom yelling "stop the presses" which was considered normal in those days.
Also accepted at the time was that females were paid less than males “because men had families to support,” Downey said.
“Roger Brabant was always patient with his young reporters and extremely dedicated to the community, particularly Stoney Creek, the flagship paper in his chain at the time,” Downey said.
“He was an old-style boss,” said Stephen Beecroft, who worked at Brabant Newspapers for nearly two decades, first as a reporter for and then as editor of the Stoney Creek News.
“He looked upon himself as a father of a family.”
Beecroft said Brabant told him he had a number of offers to purchase the business and chose Southam because he thought they would be good to the employees.
Hamilton Community News office manager Lorna Lester was a new employee working in what was then the typesetting department of the composing room back in 1987.
She recalled Brabant, who had been off sick, had returned to the office and was chatting amicably with the employees.
“He was very personable with everyone and there was sincere affection all around,” Lester recalled.
Brabant had a long and storied carrier in the newspaper business.
Born in Timmins, he began working for the Timmins Daily Press in 1943, working his way up the company ladder to management.
He moved to the London Free Press in 1953 and married his first wife Blanche, who was working in display advertising, the following year.
Blanche died in 1984.
The couple moved to Niagara and on May 30, 1956 they founded the Port Colborne News in their first venture of what was to become Brabant Newspapers.
One year later they purchased the Fonthill Herald and in 1958 acquired the Niagara-on-the-Lake Advance.
Brabant also owned his own printing press and one of his customers was the Stoney Creek News which the couple purchased in 1960.
Brabant saw the potential growth of the Hamilton area market and moved his business to King Street East in 1967 and then following a fire to Queenston Road in Stoney Creek.
He eventually sold off his Niagara papers and in 1967 purchased the Dundas Star News and founded the Ancaster News.
The couple started the Mountain News in 1968 and in the late ‘70s purchased the Dundas Valley Journal which became the West Hamilton Journal in 1982.
They also purchased the Real Estate News in 1977 and in 1981 started the Flamborough News.
Brabant sold his newspaper empire to Southam in 1987.
It was later sold to Torstar, which in June 2006 renamed the company Hamilton Community News.
He is survived by Lois, his wife of 27 years.
Visitation will be held on Saturday (Dec. 2) at Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Rd. E. in Burlington at 9:45 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m.
The founder of Brabant Newspapers – later renamed Hamilton Community News – has died.
Roger Brabant died on Sunday following a brief illness.
He was 89.
“Roger Brabant and Brabant Newspapers gave me my start in journalism and many other young reporters who were just starting their careers but continue to work in the Hamilton area,” said Debra Downey, senior editor at the Dundas Star News and Ancaster News, who started out as a reporter with the Mountain News 35 years ago. “Roger Brabant was what we would consider these days an old-time newspaper publisher.”
Downey noted there is a famous story about Brabant running through the newsroom yelling "stop the presses" which was considered normal in those days.
Also accepted at the time was that females were paid less than males “because men had families to support,” Downey said.
“Roger Brabant was always patient with his young reporters and extremely dedicated to the community, particularly Stoney Creek, the flagship paper in his chain at the time,” Downey said.
“He was an old-style boss,” said Stephen Beecroft, who worked at Brabant Newspapers for nearly two decades, first as a reporter for and then as editor of the Stoney Creek News.
“He looked upon himself as a father of a family.”
Beecroft said Brabant told him he had a number of offers to purchase the business and chose Southam because he thought they would be good to the employees.
Hamilton Community News office manager Lorna Lester was a new employee working in what was then the typesetting department of the composing room back in 1987.
She recalled Brabant, who had been off sick, had returned to the office and was chatting amicably with the employees.
“He was very personable with everyone and there was sincere affection all around,” Lester recalled.
Brabant had a long and storied carrier in the newspaper business.
Born in Timmins, he began working for the Timmins Daily Press in 1943, working his way up the company ladder to management.
He moved to the London Free Press in 1953 and married his first wife Blanche, who was working in display advertising, the following year.
Blanche died in 1984.
The couple moved to Niagara and on May 30, 1956 they founded the Port Colborne News in their first venture of what was to become Brabant Newspapers.
One year later they purchased the Fonthill Herald and in 1958 acquired the Niagara-on-the-Lake Advance.
Brabant also owned his own printing press and one of his customers was the Stoney Creek News which the couple purchased in 1960.
Brabant saw the potential growth of the Hamilton area market and moved his business to King Street East in 1967 and then following a fire to Queenston Road in Stoney Creek.
He eventually sold off his Niagara papers and in 1967 purchased the Dundas Star News and founded the Ancaster News.
The couple started the Mountain News in 1968 and in the late ‘70s purchased the Dundas Valley Journal which became the West Hamilton Journal in 1982.
They also purchased the Real Estate News in 1977 and in 1981 started the Flamborough News.
Brabant sold his newspaper empire to Southam in 1987.
It was later sold to Torstar, which in June 2006 renamed the company Hamilton Community News.
He is survived by Lois, his wife of 27 years.
Visitation will be held on Saturday (Dec. 2) at Holy Rosary Church, 287 Plains Rd. E. in Burlington at 9:45 a.m. followed by a funeral mass at 11 a.m.