MONTREAL – The parent company of the Ottawa Sun, Quebecor, has slashed 500 jobs from their newspaper division, including a number of positions at their Ottawa publication.

The Montreal-based media company is also closing two production facilities: one of them in Ottawa, the other in Kingston.

Among the Ottawa Sun positions that have been slashed, Editor-in-Chief Mitch Axelrad and manager Jackie Lawrence.  An internal memo obtained by the Citizen said an unspecified number of union employees have also been given eight weeks working notice, reportedly in the layout and copy editing, section editing and arts departments. It’s not known how many positions will be lost in the closure of the company’s Ottawa-based production and printing facility.

Sun Media, a subsidiary of Quebecor Inc., says additional moves will be made in the coming months in a bid to save more than $45-million annually.

There had been earlier reports Quebecor would eliminate the position of publisher at some newspapers but the number of job cuts was bigger than expected.
   
Quebecor’s president and CEO, Pierre Karl Peladeau, says the restructuring is regrettable but warranted by changes in the newspaper industry.
   
He says Sun Media remains committed to its publications, which include the Toronto Sun and other dailies across Canada under the Sun and other banners.