After 60 years, The Suburban is ending door-to-door delivery

It's the end of an era for The Suburban, a weekly newspaper serving Montreal's English-speaking community since 1963.

On Wednesday, the paper announced it would no longer be delivered door-to-door. Instead, readers will pick up their copies at local spots like public buildings, grocery stores and coffee shops.

"This is the last issue of The Suburban that will be delivered door-to-door. Starting next week, April 19th, this newspaper will be available in depots throughout the island," reads a note from editor Beryl Wajsman in this week's paper.

Wajsman said the decision to end the service was "forced upon" The Suburban thanks to upcoming changes in municipal bylaws.

Last Spring, the Valerie Plante administration announced it would create an opt-in system for the reception of public flyers to reduce waste. 

Many flyers are administered through the company Publisac, which is also used to deliver various weekly newspapers -- including The Suburban.

"Mayor Plante's bylaw forbidding door-to-door delivery in the Ville de Montreal without specific individual door stickers, makes current home

delivery logistically unsustainable," Wajsman continued.

The new rule comes into effect in May of this year.

Plante's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Wajsman said the paper is establishing more depots where readers can pick up hard copies, adding that online readership has increased in the past few years.

"We'll be spreading the news in more places than ever," he wrote.

The Suburban's news is the latest in the saga of changes within Quebec's newspaper industry.

In September, English daily the Montreal Gazette announced it would no longer produce a Monday print edition.

Then, in March, Coops de l'information (CN2i) said would stop printing weekly editions of six papers: Le Droit, Le Soleil, La Tribune, Le Nouvelliste, La Voix de l'Est and Le Quotidien.