Former publisher John Weimer is seen in this News photo in about 1990. Weimer, who spent 33 years with the Medicine Hat News, passed away recently at 86 years of age.--NEWS FILE PHOTO
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John Weimer, who became the business manager of the News at age 24 in the mid-1960s and retired decades later as publisher, has died.
An obituary in today’s edition states he was 86
The native of Leader, Sask., was an active in the community and business community, and oversaw two major modernization projects at the News.
The company switched from letter-press production in the 1970s to offset printing, then moved offices from the News’ Sixth Avenue facilities downtown to a new production plant and office on Dunmore Road. That opened up land for the new city hall to be built in the early 1980s.
Neither event led to a missed publishing day, he stated in a 2010 interview.
He retired at age 57 in 1996 after spending the previous six years as publisher.
“My goal now is to do what John Weimer wants to do,” he said in April 1996.
“I will miss the people. I will miss the Medicine Hat News.”
Long-time city editor Pete Mosey declared him to be “the best publisher I ever had.”
After first joining the News at age 22, he was made business manager at age 24 in 1965 at then Southam Newspapers.
Weimer also sat on the board of directors of the Medicine Hat Stampede company, the Medicine Hat News Santa Claus Fund, the Cypress Club and the St. Patrick’s Parish Council.
He was an active golfer and member of the Lions Club.
The funeral will be held on Monday, June 23 at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church beginning at 2 p.m.
