The Varsity is the official student newspaper of the University of Toronto, located in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In publication since 1880 and originally a broadsheet daily, it is now printed in compact form. The paper primarily focuses on tri-campus affairs and local news.

The paper publishes weekly on all three University of Toronto campuses (Mississauga, St. George, and Scarborough) during the fall and winter semesters and online throughout the year, along with two seasonal magazines. The paper is published by Varsity Publications Inc., a not-for-profit corporation based on the St. George campus, and is financed by student levies and advertisement revenue.

History

At the height of debate on coeducation in 1880, The Varsity published an article in its inaugural issue in favour of admitting women.

In 1895, the suspension of The Varsitys editor, James Tucker, led Latin Professor Dale to publicly attack the administration in The Globe, which in turn led to his own dismissal. University College students then approved a motion by Varsity editorial staff member William Lyon Mackenzie King and boycotted lectures for a week. King later became Canada's longest-serving prime minister.

After Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau decriminalized homosexuality in 1969, a medical research assistant placed an advertisement in The Varsity seeking volunteers to establish the first gay and lesbian university association in Canada, the University of Toronto Homophile Association.

In 2017, The Varsity began publishing a Chinese-language edition of the newspaper on their website.

Notable past staff

  • Peter Gzowski, broadcaster and reporter, host of CBC's Morningside (1982–1997)
  • Michael Ignatieff, public intellectual, academic at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Member of Parliament, and former Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
  • Michael Kesterton, columnist for The Globe and Mail
  • William Lyon Mackenzie King, 10th Prime Minister of Canada
  • Mark Kingwell, philosopher, fellow of Trinity College, Toronto
  • Naomi Klein, sports journalist, sports editor for the Toronto Star
  • Chandler Levack, writer and filmmaker
  • Linda McQuaig, Rhodes Scholar, 21st Premier of Ontario, Member of Parliament
  • Edward Roberts, 11th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
  • Frank Shuster and Johnny Wayne, comedians, best known for their work as comedy duo Wayne and Shuster
  • Isabel Vincent, journalist for the National Post, former correspondent for The Globe and Mail
  • Clive Thompson, journalist and science and technology writer for Wired (magazine)
  • Tanya Talaga, journalist, author of Seven Fallen Feathers
  • Barbara Amiel, journalist, Maclean's columnist
  • Jason Szep, Pulitzer Prize winner and International Affairs Editor with Reuters
  • James Laxer, political economist
  • John Lorinc, journalist and author, winner of the Balsillie Prize for Public Policy in 2022

See also

  • The Medium (University of Toronto Mississauga)
  • The Gargoyle (University College, Toronto)
  • List of student newspapers in Canada
  • List of newspapers in Canada

References

  • The Varsity