Key Takeaways
- Ming Pao Daily News, the only Chinese-language daily newspaper in Canada, is set to close on January 16, with its newsrooms and offices shutting down on January 31.
- The closure will result in the loss of 60 staff jobs in British Columbia and an unknown number in Toronto.
- The newspaper’s parent company in Hong Kong cited financial reasons for the closure, despite receiving over $1.1 million in funding from the Canadian Journalism Collective in 2025.
- The closure of Ming Pao will leave a significant gap in the Chinese-language media sector in Canada, with many fearing it will lead to a lack of representation and accountability for Chinese-speaking communities.
- The closure is seen as a significant loss for the Chinese-Canadian community, with many regarding the newspaper as a lifeline for news, guidance, and cultural integration.
Introduction to Ming Pao Daily News
Ming Pao Daily News, a Canadian institution for over two decades, is set to close its doors, leaving many in the Chinese-Canadian community reeling. The newspaper, which was launched in 1993, has been a staple for Chinese-speaking immigrants, providing news, guidance, and cultural integration. British Columbia legislator Teresa Wat, who worked as an assignment editor at Ming Pao’s Richmond newsroom in 1996, expressed her sadness and concern over the closure, stating that the newspaper was more than just a publication – it was a lifeline for the Chinese-Canadian community.
The Impact of the Closure
The closure of Ming Pao Daily News will have a significant impact on the Chinese-Canadian community, with many fearing it will lead to a lack of representation and accountability. Wat stated that the newspaper provided practical guidance on housing, employment, language barriers, and cultural integration, and that its absence will leave some feeling isolated. The closure will also result in the loss of 60 staff jobs in British Columbia and an unknown number in Toronto, adding to the economic concerns of the community. Vancouver-based Austin Feng, who worked at Ming Pao as a daily news reporter from 2005 to 2017, said that the closure marked the end of an era for Chinese-language media in Canada.
The Reasons Behind the Closure
The parent company of Ming Pao Daily News, based in Hong Kong, cited financial reasons for the closure, despite receiving over $1.1 million in funding from the Canadian Journalism Collective in 2025. The newspaper had launched a petition in 2024 to ask for government subsidies from the Canada Periodical Fund, but no funding was ever received. The Canadian Journalism Collective did not respond to questions about what would happen to the funding after Ming Pao’s closure. The closure of Ming Pao is not an isolated incident, with the Chinese media sector struggling alongside English-language media. Last month, Fairchild Radio received approval from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission to shutter its dedicated Chinese-language talk-radio AM 1470 station.
The Golden Age of Chinese-Language Media
Feng reflected on the "golden age" of Chinese-language media in Canada, when multiple Chinese-language newspapers and TV stations thrived in British Columbia. He stated that there was stiff competition among local Chinese-language reporters and journalists sent out from Hong Kong, particularly on big show business and celebrity stories. Many Hong Kong entertainers maintained homes in Vancouver or Toronto, and Ming Pao’s Canadian stories were often published both locally and in the parent publication. Wat also reminisced about her time as an assignment editor, saying that her day usually began with her editor placing copies of Sing Tao and Ming Pao in front of her, and that if the rival paper had beaten Ming Pao to a story, he would ask: "How could you miss this?"
The Future of Storytelling
Despite the closure of Ming Pao Daily News, Feng remains optimistic about the future of storytelling. He stated that "storytelling never dies," and that the digital era has brought new opportunities for journalists and writers to share their stories. However, the closure of Ming Pao will leave a significant gap in the Chinese-language media sector in Canada, and many are concerned about the lack of representation and accountability for Chinese-speaking communities. As the Canadian media landscape continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how the closure of Ming Pao Daily News will impact the Chinese-Canadian community and the broader media sector.