Source: Winnipeg Free Press

MONTREAL - The Montreal Gazette newspaper has announced it will stop publishing its Sunday print edition in August and instead move to a web-only version on that day.

The newspaper will offer a Sunday digital edition, starting on Aug. 8, that will help cut costs, said publisher and editor-in-chief Alan Allnutt.

The move comes after Montreal's other broadsheet — French-language La Presse — also eliminated its Sunday edition.

Allnutt said the Gazette was looking for ways to cut costs, without diminishing its journalism.

A number of the print features in Sunday's paper, such as columns and comics, will move to the Saturday edition.

Allnutt said any breaking news on Sunday will be covered online.

"In its 22-year existence, the Sunday Gazette has struggled to find significant advertising support to cover the costs of printing and distribution," Allnutt said in a statement on the newspaper's website.

"The Gazette has decided to focus its resources on the six remaining print editions and on the Web."

Allnutt said Sunday's digital edition could bring in more readers to the newspaper's website.

Postmedia Network Canada Corp. is the new owner of the Montreal Gazette after acquiring Canwest's newspaper division for $1.1 billion.

The Postmedia chain includes 11 dailies and 26 community newspapers.

The new company, backed by New York hedge fund Golden Tree Asset Management, now holds some of Canada's largest daily newspapers including the National Post, Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald and Ottawa Citizen.

© Winnipeg Free Press