TheSpec.com is the online home of the Hamilton Spectator, which has served the area since 1846. The website and mobile app also contain area community newspaper articles from the Ancaster News, Dundas Star News, Flamborough Review, Grand River Sachem/Glanbrook Gazette, Hamilton Mountain News, and Stoney Creek News.
The Hamilton Spectator and Journal of Commerce was first published July 15, 1846. The paper was founded by Robert Smiley and a partner, and was eventually sold in 1877 to William Southam, founder of the Southam newspaper chain. The Spectator was the first newspaper in the group, which grew from a single property to become a significant media voice in Canada for more than 170 years.
Ownership
In 1998, the Southam newspapers were sold to Conrad Black, and The Spectator was then sold again to Quebecor-owned Sun Media. In 1999, the newspaper was sold for a third time to Torstar Corporation, which also publishes the Toronto Star, the Waterloo Region Record, The St. Catharines Standard, Welland Tribune, Niagara Falls Review, The Peterborough Examiner, Metroland community newspapers and several other media properties.
Torstar is owned by Nordstar Capital, which is owned by Toronto business leader Jordan Bitove.
The Spectator publishes a print publication six days a week, Monday – Saturday, servicing Hamilton and surrounding communities. It also provides an ePaper, an electronic replica of the printed product. In addition, The Spectator publishes ongoing news and information to a global audience on thespec.com and mobile applications.
The Spectator is involved in numerous Community Partnerships with a variety of organizations. A key charitable priority for the newspaper is The Hamilton Spectator Summer Camp Fund, which has been in existence for over 100 years and is managed by the Hamilton Community Foundation. Thanks to generous donations from individuals and organizations, hundreds of disadvantaged children are able to attend summer camp each year. Last year, 504 camperships were awarded to underprivileged children who attended one of 20 area summer camps.
The Spectator Masthead
Neil Oliver
Chief Executive Officer and President, Metroland
Paul Berton
Editor-in-Chief
Len Offless
Regional Director of Advertising
Jim McArthur
Director, Regional Circulation Operations
Our Journalistic Standards
The Torstar Journalistic Standards Guide provides a comprehensive code of journalistic principles and conduct to guide Hamilton Spectator journalists in their mission to responsibly engage and connect our readers on all platforms with trusted news, information and content.
Here are the general editorial principles that provide the foundation for this guide:
RESPONSIBILITY
The Spectator has responsibilities to its customers, its clients, its shareholders and its employees. But the operation of a news organization is, above all, a public trust, no less binding because it is not formally conferred. Our overriding responsibility is to the democratic society.
Freedom of expression and of the press must be defended against encroachment from any quarter, public or private. Journalists must ensure that the public’s business is conducted in public. They must be vigilant against all who would exploit the press for selfish purposes.
Journalists who abuse the power of their professional roles for selfish motives or unworthy purposes are faithless to that public trust.
ACCESS
The Spectator is a forum for the interchange of information and opinion. It should provide for the expression of disparate and conflicting views. It should give expression to the interests of minorities as well as majorities, of the powerless as well as the powerful.
ACCURACY AND TRUTH
Good faith with the reader is the foundation of ethical and excellent journalism. That good faith rests primarily on the reader’s confidence that what we print is correct. Every effort must be made to ensure that everything published in the Spectator is accurate, is presented in context, and that all significant sides are presented fairly.
Journalistic integrity demands that significant errors of fact, as well as errors of omission, should be corrected promptly and as prominently and transparently as warranted.
FAIRNESS
The Spectator should respect the rights of people involved in the news, be transparent and stand accountable to the public for the fairness and reliability of everything it publishes. Fair news reports provide relevant context, do not omit relevant facts and aim to be honest with readers about what we know and what we do not know. Our core fairness standard demands that any subject of potentially harmful allegations must be given opportunity to respond.
INDEPENDENCE
Independence from those we cover is a key principle of journalistic integrity. We avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts. The Spec believes in paying the costs incurred in gathering and publishing news. In circumstances where that may not be possible, we disclose information that could create the perception of a conflict of interest. Transparency with our readers and openness about the potential for conflicts should guide our considerations about real or perceived conflicts.
IMPARTIALITY
To be impartial does not require a news organization to be unquestioning or to refrain from editorial expression. Sound practice, however, demands a clear distinction for readers between news and opinion. All content that contains explicit opinion or personal interpretation should be clearly identified as opinion or analysis, as appropriate.
PRIVACY
Every person has a right to privacy. There are inevitable conflicts between the right to privacy, the public good and the public’s right to be informed about the conduct of public affairs. Each case should be judged in the light of common sense and humanity.
Here are some of the core policies included in our Standards Guide:
Accuracy and Corrections Policy
There can be no compromise with accuracy. Accuracy is our most basic contract with readers and is the responsibility of everyone in our newsrooms. Accuracy is grounded in verification, the essence of journalism. We must check and double-check all the information we publish, including information from all other publications.
Mistakes will happen. When they do, we correct our errors. Corrections serve the reader and they serve the public record. They are essential to building and maintaining trust with our readers. Anyone who becomes aware of a possible error has responsibility for alerting those responsible for corrections in their newsrooms.
Our corrections are guided by the core principles of accountability and transparency. We are accountable to our readers for the accuracy of the information we publish in stories, headlines, photos, cutlines, social media, graphics, data, videos and any other content on all of our platforms. We correct errors of fact in a clear, transparent manner on the platform(s) in which the error was published, as promptly as possible. We make clear to readers the correct information and the context and magnitude of the mistake.
On all of our platforms, it should be clear to readers how to report a possible error. Readers can do so by emailing corrections@thespec.com or, on thespec.com, readers can report possible errors directly on an article page by selecting the “Report an Error” icon.
Diversity Policy
Inclusiveness is at the heart of thinking and acting as journalists. Torstar newsrooms aim to reflect the diversity of our communities and respect the human rights and equal dignity of all. We aim for a variety of voices as sources and contributors in our news and opinion.
We seek to foster greater community understanding about ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status and physical/mental ability and do not perpetuate hurtful stereotypes.
Generally no reference, direct or indirect, should be made to a person’s race, colour or religion unless it is pertinent to the story.
In the case of a missing person or a criminal suspect at large, there may be justification for identifying race or colour as part of a full description that provides as many details as possible. Avoid vague descriptions that serve no purpose. At times, a group may make race a public issue. In such cases, the person’s race becomes relevant to the news.
Religion is important to the lives of many of our readers. We should not hold up one religion or set of beliefs as superior to another. Do not single out a religion or religious practice for ridicule or stereotyping or use profanities considered offensive to any religions.
We treat men and women equally and respect diverse gender identities, including people who identify as neither male nor female.
Torstar is committed to this same inclusivness and diversity reflective of our communities in its hiring, promotion, development and retention of its staff.
Anonymity and Confidential Sources
The public interest is best served when news sources are identified by their full names. Torstar journalists are aggressive in pressing sources to put information on the record and seek independently to corroborate off-the-record information.
We do not provide anonymity to those who attack individuals or organizations or engage in speculation — the unattributed cheap shot. People under attack in our publications have the right to know their accusers.
There are times when reporters need confidential sources to serve readers and democracy. Responsible journalism in the public interest often depends on these confidential sources who give journalists information that powerful people seek to keep secret. There are times also when some sources, such as underage or other vulnerable people, may require anonymity in telling their stories.
Torstar journalists must discuss using confidential sources with their department head, and in some cases the newsroom’s most senior editor. They must always reveal the source’s identity to editors, and provide a compelling argument for why the source will not be named in news reports. Senior editors have responsibility to work with reporters to assess the credibility of all sources including confidential sources.
Once any promise is made to grant anonymity, we protect our source, only revealing their identity with that person’s permission.
Published articles must explain why sources have been granted anonymity and why we consider them authoritative and credible. Confidential sources should have first-hand knowledge of the information and this must be conveyed to the reader. We should publish as much information as possible about the source — including why they sought confidentiality — without revealing identity.
The definitions and ground rules for not naming a source must be discussed with sources. Any further promises made or deals brokered with any source must be discussed in advance with senior editors and are subject to the following:
• Composites, where several sources are compiled into one person, are not used. Pseudonyms are used only rarely, with a senior editor’s permission, and must be declared as such in stories.
• The source and the journalist must be clear on what has been agreed to and that agreement must be shared with the department manager. Torstar journalists keep their promises.
Conflict of Interest
Independence from those we cover is a key principle of journalistic integrity. We avoid conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts. In circumstances where that may not be possible, we disclose information that could create the perception of a conflict of interest. Transparency with our readers and openness about the potential for conflicts should guide our considerations about real or perceived conflicts.
These policies apply to all outside interests that could cause our audiences to question the fairness and independence of our journalism.
We seek primarily to ensure that our reporters’ reputations as fair-minded fact-finders are not compromised by public displays of political or partisan views on public issues, nor influenced by personal involvement or personal axe-grinding on issues we cover.
Opinion journalists have greater leeway on these matters, in line with the latitude to express their own views in their work.
All Torstar editorial staff should inform their immediate supervisors of any outside activity that could result in a conflict of interest, or reasonably perceived conflict of interest, that could cause our audiences to question the integrity of our work.
These policies are not intended to restrict the personal lives, interests or expressions of beliefs of Torstar journalists outside their work lives. Rather, as has been established through various arbitration processes across the company, they seek to ensure that any such personal activities and interests do not come into conflict with the public role of our news organizations in any way that could be seen to compromise our editorial independence and integrity.
News and Opinions
The Spec clearly labels content on all platforms to draw a clear line between news and opinion. This glossary provides definitions for various types of news and opinion we publish.
NEWS
News content is verified information based on the impartial reporting of facts, either observed by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. News reports do not include the opinion of the author.
News Terms
Analysis: A critical or contextual examination of an important and topical issue based on factual reporting. It provides an explanation of the impact or meaning of news events and draws on the authority and expertise of the writer. Analysis articles do not contain the author’s opinions.
Investigation: In-depth reporting in the public interest that reveals wrongdoing and/or systemic problems, holds those in power accountable and promotes positive change.
OPINION
Opinion articles based are based on personal interpretation and judgment of facts. Opinion journalists have wide latitude to express their own views, subject to standards of taste and laws of libel including views directly contrary to the editorial views of the Spec.
Opinion Terms
Editorial: An article that presents a point of view reflecting the news organization’s position on an issue of public interest. Editorials are not meant to be a neutral presentation of the facts. They are written by journalists who are expressing the view of the news organization. As an editorial serves to present the company’s voice, there is no individual byline.
Opinion: Articles based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. Opinion articles include columns written by staff and commentary from non-staff contributors. Opinion journalists have wide latitude to express their own views including views directly contrary to the news organization’s editorial views, as long as they fall within the boundaries of taste and laws of libel. Columnists should not engage in personal axe-grinding or internecine debates with other columnists who write for either their own or other publications.
Advice: An advice article reflects the opinion of the author, who provides guidance or direction on a topic based on their expertise as well as their personal interpretations and judgments of facts.
Blog: An online journal updated regularly by a journalist or editorial department that supplements news coverage. Blogs are usually informal or conversational in style and may reflect a writer’s opinions, subject to the rights and responsibilities of fair comment.
First person: Narratives exploring an author’s insights, observations or thoughts based on that individual’s personal experience and opinions.
Readers’ letters: A selection of letters by readers expressing a point of view, usually concerning a recently published article or current event.
Review: A critical assessment of the merits of a subject, such as art, film, music, television, food or literature. Reviews are based on the writer’s informed/expert opinion.
Community Newspapers
Ancaster News
Ancaster is one of the oldest communities in Ontario, a hearty village that has expanded into a pleasant suburb of Greater Hamilton. It is a rapidly growing town, rich in history, friendly people and lovely parkland. This bedroom community has one of the highest per capita incomes in Canada.
Among the many attractions are the conservation authorities and the Fieldcote Museum. They emphasize the character and beauty of this community’s attachment to the Niagara Escarpment. For a century, Ancaster was a gristmill hamlet and police village. The mill was repeatedly destroyed and rebuilt. It now operates as the Ancaster Old Mill, a restaurant and banquet hall.
Ancaster provides a change of pace from the city, yet gives access to all amenities and retains its small town atmosphere.
Since 1967, the Ancaster News has been a preferred local news source. It is welcomed into area homes every Thrusday and concentrates on the stories and people close to home. From first goals to graduation, athletic achievement to craft expertise, the Ancaster News is where residents read about their friends, neighbours and community.
Dundas Star News
Nobody knows the town of Dundas better than the Dundas Star News, a well respected and well read resource for the Valley Town and adjoining Westdale community. Since 1883, it has provided the residents with everything from local police and political news to lifestyle and features. This award-winning newspaper has it all in a neat, easy to read format.
In 2018, the Dundas Star News celebrated a significant milestone – its 135th anniversary. It is one of the oldest community newspapers in Ontario.
Nestled beneath the Niagara escarpment, there is few more beautiful towns in southern Ontario. Dundas was named by John Graves Simcoe for his friend Henry Dundas, 1st Viscount Melville, a Scottish lawyer and politician who never visited North America.
This community has a unique mix of old and new. The downtown is well known for being a “real downtown” with its boutique-style shops. Dundas hosts a number of annual festivals each year and has a vibrant arts community centralized around the historic Carnegie Gallery and the Dundas Valley School of Art. Its one-of-a-kind character, has made Dundas an ideal location for TV, commercials and movie shoots. In early December 2004, the West Wing shot two episodes using the unique architecture.
Flamborough Review
The Review was acquired by Metroland Media Group Ltd. in June, 2003. The newspaper is delivered to Flamborough homes on Fridays.
Flamborough is one of the fastest-growing communities in Ontario and one of the province’s largest towns, covering an area of 191 square miles.
Grand River Sachem/Glanbrook Gazette
The award winning Sachem is one of the oldest weekly newspapers in Canada, having served Caledonia and surrounding Haldimand County since 1856. The Sachem is the largest distributor of pre-printed advertising flyers in the county and belongs to seven local chambers of commerce.
The Glanbrook Gazette is the only weekly newspaper serving the residents of Mount Hope and Binbrook, home of the Hamilton airport.
Hamilton Mountain News
The Mountain News serves half of the city of Hamilton who work and live atop the Niagara Escarpment. This burgeoning community considers itself autonomous to the lower city and has developed its own lively sports, shopping and cultural identity.
Among its landmarks is Sam Lawrence Park, with its magnificent mountain brow views of Hamilton and a panoramic view of Lake Ontario.
The Concession Street shopping district is a unique area combining old town charm with modern day commerce. The Mountain is also home to the main campus of Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology, a state-of-the-art education facility that draws students from across Ontario and abroad.
The Mountain News, established in 1968, is the voice of the Mountain. Its writers provide extensive coverage of close to home and close to heart news, as well as important stories about city council and school boards. Links to community and business organizations are strong and the Mountain News prides itself on being a preferred source of local information.
The Mountain News celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018.
Stoney Creek News
Stoney Creek has coined the phrase “A Great Place to Live, A Great Place to Grow,” reflecting the rural and urban diversity that defines this historic community. Its strategic location has attracted major employers.
The historic area known as “the old town” exists below the Niagara Escarpment. Attractions include Battlefield Park and its well-known monument. Historic Stoney Creek was settled by loyalists after the American Revolution and was nondescript until it was put on the map by the Battle of Stoney Creek during the war of 1812.
Visitors and residents can enjoy the beaches, marina and acres of parkland along Lake Ontario. The Winona Peach Festival is an annual event that serves up homegrown fruit, crafts and music.
The Stoney Creek News was established in 1948 and has grown along with the community. Journalists write about all types of news, from hard hitting stories to special goings-on in schools, home and churches. It is the only news medium dedicated to covering Stoney Creek. In 2018, the Stoney Creek News celebrated its 70th anniversary.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I subscribe to The Spectator?
Please click HERE to see our Home Delivery and e-Paper subscription page.
Already a subscriber? Click HERE to manage your account or add a Home Delivery vacation stop.
For TheSpec.com Digital Access, click HERE.
Click HERE for Frequently Asked Questions about TheSpec.com Digital Access.
Is my Hamilton Spectator digital subscription eligible for the digital news subscription tax credit?
Yes. Individuals who have a digital subscription to thespec.com or The Hamilton Spectator ePaper can claim the digital news subscription tax credit on their personal income tax return for the years 2020 to 2024. This is a non-refundable tax credit for amounts paid by individuals in the year to a qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO) for an eligible qualifying subscription. Click HERE to find out more about this tax credit and how to claim it.
Question: I am a home-delivery subscriber. Is my subscription eligible for the digital news subscription tax credit?
Yes. Home delivery subscribers can claim the digital news subscription tax credit on their personal income tax return for the years 2020 through 2024 inclusive. Our home delivery subscriptions include digital access to thespec.com and ePaper edition.
The Canada Revenue Agency has indicated that if a subscription provides access to content of the qualified Canadian journalism organization (QCJO) that is not in digital form (i.e. in print), only the cost of a stand-alone subscription to the digital content of the QCJO can be claimed. The Hamilton Spectator’s maximum stand-alone digital subscription rate is $7.99 per month. If this maximum stand-alone rate exceeds the monthly price of your print subscription, see the CRA site for guidance on the amount of the eligible expense where there is no comparable stand alone digital subscription.
To find out more about this tax credit and how to claim it, please visit the Government of Canada website. Please visit the CRA website for a list of qualifying digital news subscriptions. The Hamilton Spectator’s Qualified Canadian Journalism Organization (QCJO) designation number is: Q2438091. To view your subscription payments, visit our Subscriber Login portal and follow the steps below:
1. Login with your email and password (Don’t have an account setup? Create one.)
2. Click on PAYMENTS.
3. Click on ACCOUNT ADJUSTMENTS to view your payment history
If you require assistance, please send us an email or call 1-800-263-8386. Note: Subscribers are responsible for ensuring that the amounts they are reporting are correct. Metroland Media Group Ltd. is not responsible for the amount you claim on your taxes.
Is the news and information in thespec.com exactly the same as in The Hamilton Spectator?
Almost all The Hamilton Spectator editorial content is available online, including photos. In many cases, our digital offerings have a greater depth of content than we have space for in the paper.
We do not offer the comics, crossword or any of the puzzles that appear in our print edition online.
What’s your policy on redistributing content from thespec.com?
You may download and print a limited amount of thespec.com content for your personal, noncommercial use. You also may, on an occasional and irregular basis, include excerpts or limited portions of thespec.com information in printed memos, reports and presentations. You must attribute this information to us by including the statement “Used with permission from The Hamilton Spectator, www.thespec.com Copyright The Hamilton Spectator. All rights reserved.”
Any other reproduction of thespec.com contents requires permission from us, and some forms of reproduction will require you to pay a fee. Please note: If the content you request is the property of a third party, we will not be able to grant permission. In all cases, if permission is granted, articles must be reproduced in their entirety, unedited, and accompanied by the above-listed copyright statement and credit.
You may not post any content from thespec.com to websites, newsgroups, mail lists or electronic bulletin boards, without the prior written consent of The Hamilton Spectator.
To seek permission to reproduce content in a print medium: email Ed Cassavoy.
To seek permission to post content on a website or use in another electronic medium, or for information on licensing thespec.com for commercial purposes, email Ed Cassavoy.
How can I access online advertising or buy an online ad?
You can place an ad that will appear in both the print and online editions by emailing Lesley Fitter.
You can access our classified ads by clicking HERE.
You can access information on local obituaries and memorials by clicking HERE
You can access information on local milestones such as anniversaries, birthdays, births, engagements, graduations and marriages by clicking HERE
Does thespec.com have a privacy policy?
Yes. Please visit click HERE.
How can I buy a back issue of the print newspaper?
The Hamilton Spectator sells newspapers up to 90 days old, subject to availability, at the cover price. They are available to subscribers only by calling 905-522-7732 (toll-free 1-800-263-8386).
How do I submit a letter to the editor?
We welcome letters to the editors. They should be brief and must bear the writer’s name, address, and daytime telephone number for verification. The editor reserves the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution.
Copyright in letters and other materials submitted to the Publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the Publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms
Comments submitted for publication on the print newspaper’s Opinion Page, or comments about the newspaper in general, may be e-mailed to: letters@thespec.com or see our Letters to the Editor page. Note that Letters to the Editor submitted via email must meet the same requirements as those sent by regular mail — they must include the writer’s name, address and daytime telephone number for verification. The editor reserves the right to edit, condense or reject any contribution.
How often is the site updated?
thespec.com is updated throughout the day, seven days a week.
How can I reach a Hamilton Spectator journalist?
Each Hamilton Spectator journalist has a contact page reachable by clicking the name on each story.
How can I become a carrier?
For information on how to become an independent contractor, click HERE.
Directions and Hours
Click HERE for a searchable Google map.
The Hamilton Spectator is located at 8 Spadina Avenue, Suite 10A, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8.
Business Hours
Monday to Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday: closed
Please Note: If you’d like to reach a department or staff member, please use emails or phone numbers listed above.
