NORTH BATTLEFORD - It all began in a small community newspaper in bustling Montreal many years ago where Gordon Brewerton got his start in the newspaper world.
Today, the Vice-President and Group Publisher with Prairie Â鶹´«Ã½ Group, including The Battlefords Regional News-Optimist, is announcing his retirement.
"I'm torn. Part of me is really excited and looking forward to the next chapter," he said. "And the other part is saying that I'm going to be very sad. I'm going to miss the people. I'm going to miss the excitement. I'm going to miss the day-to-day interaction with people... And the fact that in this business it changes every day is different. It's never the same thing twice."
Originally from Montreal, Brewerton left home at the age of 17 and first pursued a career as a mechanic.
Then, one day a customer who came into the shop thought he had a lot of potential and lured him into the world of newspaper publishing.
“He became my mentor,” Brewerton said. “He saw something in me and he wanted to give me the chance.”
Brewerton began working as a driver at the News & Chronicle in Montreal in 1980.
He soon moved into the position of graphic artist, designing ads.
“I thought that was really cool,” Brewerton said.
When the day was done at 5 p.m., he looked around the newsroom to see where else he could lend a hand.
Brewerton then started writing stories for the editorial department.
“I said: If I’m going to get ahead I have to know how to do as much as possible,” he said.
From there, Brewerton moved into the sales department selling ads part-time and soon became the sales manager.
He applied himself in the various departments so he really knew the news business.
Eventually Brewerton became a publisher at an Ottawa paper called The Orléans Star, which is still in existence today.
He explains the title of a publisher is just a fancy newspaper word for general manager.
“The buck stops with you,” Brewerton said. “If something is in the paper that people aren’t happy with, you’re responsible for it. If people don’t get delivery, you’re responsible for it. So it’s pretty much just making sure all the pieces of the puzzle run smoothly every week.”
Over the years, Brewerton achieved many national awards, including awards for the Best Â鶹´«Ã½ in Canada, and the Best Special Section in Canada.
He also had the opportunity to meet many well known people, such as Jean Chrétien, Whitney Houston and Tina Turner.
Peter Kvarnstrom, President, Community Media Division, Glacier Media Group, has known Brewerton for more than 20 years.
“He has been a fierce defender of journalism and especially local news throughout his significant career,” Kvarnstrom said. “I am happy for Gordon and [his wife] Joan as they transition to a less stressful post-work plan!”
“Gordon has been a persistent and tenacious leader in the community news business,” Kvarnstrom added. “His genuine commitment to his staff and community is most commendable and appreciated.”
Before moving to the Battlefords Regional News-Optimist, Brewerton served as the Director of Operations and Group Publisher for Transcontinental’s entire Newfoundland and Labrador portfolio.
“At the time, I had two daily newspapers, 12 weeklies, and a distribution network,” he said. “They asked me to go in there and run it. It was the experience of a lifetime.”
Brewerton has been the publisher of the Battlefords Regional News-Optimist since 2017 where he had the task of overseeing 14 different publications in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Now that he is retiring, Brewerton plans to spend more time with family and do a little travelling with his wife in the future.
“I don’t think we’ll be going too far, but we’ll have a chance to do things together,” he said.
For his parting words, Brewerton has some advice to people who hope to get ahead in business.
“I think in any business, if you’re hired 9 to 5, it’s in your best interest at 5 o’clock to look around and see if there’s people working overtime, to be curious about what other people do, to ask to help out,” he said. “I think that’s the best thing you can do for your career, is always show enthusiasm and willingness to participate and learn more. It certainly served me well.”
