Send a letter to the editor of your local newspaper
Pen an op-ed or
Phone a radio call-in show
Send a letter to the Editor
These short submissions are generally in response to a previous item in the newspaper, but can be related to other business, social or political developments.
Read the tips below on effective letter writing or skip to Canadian newspaper email links and send a letter right now.
Tips for writing letters to the editor
- Try to link your letter to the date and title of a story previously appearing in the paper.
- Deal with one topic and have one major message.
- Put the main point at the beginning and progressively less important details towards the end.
- Be brief (350 words max) and specific.
- Use a straightforward, factual approach - not sarcasm.
- Include your name, address and day phone number - staff may call if they're interested.
- Try to submit within 48 hours (for dailies) of the article you're responding to.
- Get your mother (or anyone who cares about your reputation) to check the letter.
Click the email links below and send a letter to your local newspaper.
NATIONAL
Globe and Mail
National Post
Financial Post
ATLANTIC PROVINCES
Amherst Daily News/The Citizen
Cape Breton Post
Charlottetown Guardian
Coast, Halifax
Fredericton Daily Gleaner
Halifax Daily News
New Glasgow Evening News
Summerside Journal Pioneer
Saint John Telegraph
St. John’s Telegram
Moncton Times and Transcript
QUEBEC
Granby La Voix de l'Est
La Presse, Montréal
Le Journal de Montréal
Le Journal de Québec
Le Nouvelliste, Trois Rivières
Le Quotidien de Chicoutimi
LeSoleil Quebec City
Montreal Gazette
Sherbrooke Record
Sherbrooke Tribune
ONTARIO
Barrie Examiner
Beacon Herald
Brantford Expositor
Brockville Recorder and Times
Cambridge Times
Northumberland Today
Coburg Daily Star
Guelph Mercury
Hamilton Spectator
Kenora Daily Miner and News
Kingston Whig-Standard
Kitchener-Waterloo Record
London Free Press
Mississauga News
Niagara Falls Review
North Bay Nugget
The Hill Times, Ottawa
Le Droit, Ottawa
Ottawa Sun
Ottawa Citizen
Owen Sound Sun-Times
Sarnia Observer
Sault Star
Simcoe Reformer
St. Catharine’s Standard
Sudbury Star
Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal
Timmins Press
Toronto Star
Toronto Sun
Windsor Star
Woodstock Sentinel
MANITOBA
Brandon Sun
Portage La Prairie Daily Graphic
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Sun
SASKATCHEWAN
Moose Jaw Times-Herald
Prince Albert Daily Herald
Regina Leader-Post
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
ALBERTA
Calgary Herald
Calgary Sun
Edmonton Journal
Edmonton Sun
Fort McMurray Today
Lethbridge Herald
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Alberni Valley Times
Cranbrook Daily Townsman
Kamloops Daily News
Kelowna Capital News
Prince George Citizen
Vancouver Sun
Vancouver Province
Victoria Times-Colonist
TERRITORIES
Newsnorth, Iqaluit
Nunatsiaq News (English/Inuktitut/Nunavik/French)
Yukon News
Whitehorse Star
Yellowknifer
Kivalliq News (Inuktitut/English)
Pen an Op-Ed
Opinion editorialsKnown as op-eds, these short, persuasive essays generally examine
timely or topical issues. Although more challenging to get published,
they can have a powerful impact. Contact information and writing
guidelines are usually available on newspaper websites.
Writing tips Narrow your topic and be brief (700 words
maximum). - Support your position with references to expert studies and
reports. - Make sure your submission is relevant to the readers. - Try
an unusual angle or localize the issue. - You can contact your paper
first to see if they like your angle. - Include your name, address and
day phone number - staff will likely call you if they're interested. -
Newspapers prefer to feature prominent people or experts in the
community - approach someone like this to see if they would like to
co-author or even write a submission.
Phone a Radio Call-in Show
Call in radio and TV shows are growing in popularity, and while they
tend to be conservative, their following comes from their
often-confrontational dynamic. Callers who contribute to this fiery
flavour in a substantive, not personal, way can make an important
contribution to these debates. Keep tabs on these shows and look for
opportunities to make contributions, often recasting the simple
questions that are asked. For example, the main question could be:
"Should the government compensate prairie farmers for a natural
disaster as serious as the Quebec ice storm or Red River flood?" You
could say: "While this is an important question, an even bigger one is:
Why is the Canadian government not doing anything to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions which are contributing to climate change and increasing
the intensity of these costly weather events?" Phone the producer of
these shows to suggest good topics and potential guests.
Other media opportunities
Don't underestimate other media in your area: community papers, arts
& entertainment weeklies, various magazines, professional or trade
papers, church and union newsletters, club and organizational
bulletins, student radio and newspapers, cultural papers, community
cable and alternative media. Phoning a journalist, editor or producer
can also be useful. Suggest different angles for covering a story,
provide meaningful information they may not have, encourage them to
make connections to climate change and commend them for good coverage.
Sometimes they will then encourage YOU to submit a guest editorial,
write a letter or even make an appearance.