Eganville Leader to continue publishing under new owners

The Eganville Leader has been sold to London Publishing Inc. and the Aylmer Express and will keep publishing after months of uncertainty, its long-time owner Gerald Tracey said.

The Eganville Leader will continue publishing after its owner, Gerald Tracey, found buyers for the weekly community newspaper. Tracey has led the paper for more than 50 years and his family owned it since 1944. He had announced last year the Leader would stop this month unless a buyer was found after he faced medical issues. The paper has been sold to London Publishing Inc. and the Aylmer Express, which will be equal partners. Key facts: - The paper was family-owned since 1944 and Gerald Tracey ran it for over 50 years. - Buyers are London Publishing Inc. and the Aylmer Express, which will be equal partners. - Ray Stanton, owner of London Publishing Inc., said the partners plan to change nothing in the paper's operations. - The Leader has about 3,600 paid subscribers plus several hundred online subscribers, with additional copies sold at newsstands. - Public reaction included calls and emails from as far away as Australia and Ireland, and local officials welcomed the sale. Summary: The sale ends months of uncertainty after earlier potential deals fell through and a public concern the paper might close. The announcement was met with relief among readers and local leaders. Tracey said the immediate work now is to renew and build the Leader's subscriber base.