Whitehorse Star cancels free newspapers for seniors

An afternoon at Whitehorse's Golden Age Society would typically find a bunch of people leafing through the latest edition of the Whitehorse Star, the city's only daily newspaper.

But no more. The seniors' drop in centre has stopped handing out the Star, because the paper put a cap on the number of free copies available for seniors.

Deborah Bastine of the Golden Age Society said having a limited number of papers was bound to cause problems.

"With only 30 or 40 newspapers, we would have a free-for-all in our parking lot out here. People trying to get here as fast as they can to try and get the newspapers before they're all gone," Bastine said.

"We have a volunteer that is over 80 years old and she sits and she hands out the newspapers. And we didn't want her to be verbally abused. Because I myself have been verbally abused, my mother has been, and she's also had newspapers thrown in her face."

Yukon's other main newspaper, the Yukon News, still provides 150 free copies to the Golden Age Society when it publishes on Wednesdays and Fridays.

'Sounds miniscule, but to a senior it's not'

Besides the Golden Age Society, the Whitehorse Star used to deliver free papers to seniors' homes, and hand them out from their downtown office.

Now, seniors will pay a dollar per copy, just like everybody else.

"That's an expense," said senior Eva Gratz, who says she's bothered by the decision to scrap the free papers. "It sounds miniscule but to a senior it's not, because some of them don't make that much money."

Neither does the paper, according to publisher Jackie Pierce.

"The last year or so there has been sort of a downturn in the economy, and when that happens we have to make changes," Pierce said.