About Saint Croix Courier

Saint Croix Courier

The Saint Croix Courier is the newspaper of St. Stephen, New Brunswick — the border town's paper since October 14, 1865, the international weekly covering Charlotte County, N.B. and Washington County, Maine. Founded by David Main as a pro-Confederation newspaper, it was purchased by CHCO-TV in late 2024 after a 2024 pause, relaunching online and returning to print in June 2025 as a free monthly. (Inventory notes stcroixcourier.ca as its site; Wikipedia lists stcroixcourier.ca; website left unverified in frontmatter per project rule.)

Overview

The Saint Croix Courier is the border's paper: the newspaper of St. Stephen, N.B. — the St. Croix River town, across from Calais, Maine, the international boundary. Its distinction is its age and its beat: founded 1865 (before Confederation), "The International Weekly Since 1865," "Your Community Newspaper Since 1865" — the paper that covers two countries, the Charlotte County and Washington County paper.

St. Stephen is the border town: the St. Croix River, the international bridge, the twin communities (St. Stephen and Calais), the Charlotte County seat. The Courier is its paper: the weekly (now monthly) that covers the border's life — the two counties, the two nations, the one community.

History

The Saint Croix Courier first published on October 14, 1865 as a pro-Confederation newspaper — founded by David Main, two years before Confederation, the border town's voice for the new Dominion. The New Brunswick "This Week in History" notes: "October 14, 1865: The first issue of the St. Croix Courier newspaper appears in St. Stephen."

The paper's title history reflects the border press: the Saint Croix Courier (1865); the Saint Croix Courier and Saint Stephen Journal (July–October 1877); the Saint Croix Courier (1877–present). Supplements: the Daily Courier (April–July 1898); Courier Weekend (1978–2020); The Courier print (June 2025–present).

Main's paper was purchased by Stanley Granville in 1920 — the Granville family's century: S.D. Granville, Richard Granville. Richard A. Granville put the paper up for sale in 1986. Advocate Media (Advocate Printing & Publishing, Pictou, N.S.) came to own and operate the paper in 2002 — the Nova Scotia chain, the border paper.

The editors across the decades: David Main, Tom Moffat, Chuck Brown, Jim Cornall, Nancy Verall Warren, George J. Clarke, W.D. Marsh, H.M. Webber, Lawrence Knowles, D. Ryder, Dave MacDonald, Dick Hughes, J. McCaw, Don Henton, Gordon Johnson, A. Breault, M. Stewart, D. Gowan, Phil Johnson, E. Peacock, Julilan Walker, Nelson Wyatt, Laura Haley, Elaine Bateman, Krisi Marples — the border paper's newsroom, 160 years.

In May 2024, Advocate Media paused publication while seeking a buyer — the 159-year-old paper, halted. President Crystal Murray: the paper should be in local hands. The company approached CHCO-TV in Saint Andrews — the community TV station, the deep community roots. In late 2024, CHCO-TV purchased the paper — the TV station, the newspaper's saviour.

CHCO-TV first relaunched the Courier online — the website, the daily news — then returned to print in June 2025 as a free, monthly publication. The June 2025 first edition: 3,000 copies, 12 pages, work from 10 reporters — the border paper, reborn. A federal grant (just over $20,000) funds a year of printing. Vicki Hogarth (CHCO-TV news director): the Courier started in 1865, before Confederation — "that legacy needed to be preserved." The monthly paper: local news, people-and-business features, long-form investigative stories, a cartoon column — available at coffee shops, convenience stores, pickup spots across Charlotte County. The online version continues as the daily news source.

The Border Beat

The Courier's international coverage is its signature: the only paper covering Charlotte County, N.B. and Washington County, Maine -- the St. Croix River border, the world's longest undefended border, the twin towns. The St. Stephen/Calais International Homecoming Festival (the August celebration, the parades, the cross-border community) and Chocolate Fest (the spring chocolate celebration, Ganong's legacy -- the St. Stephen chocolate company) are the border's signature events, the Courier's special supplements.

The border's issues are the Courier's beat: the bridge crossings, the customs, the cross-border shopping and work, the shared emergency services, the binational families. The 1865 pro-Confederation founding -- the border town choosing Canada -- echoes in the coverage: the Canadian paper, the American readers, the international community.

Content

The Courier covers the border: Charlotte County, N.B. and Washington County, Maine — the international coverage, the two counties' news. Its beats are the border's perennial stories: the international bridge, the cross-border community, the St. Stephen/Calais International Homecoming Festival, the Chocolate Fest, the county government, the schools. The special supplements: the Homecoming Festival, the Chocolate Fest — the border's celebrations, in print.

The UNB description: "The Courier is one of the only independent reporting voices in New Brunswick, providing a different perspective on the social, political and business developments of our province." The independent voice, the border perspective.

Coverage and Audience

The Courier serves Charlotte County, N.B. and Washington County, Maine: St. Stephen, St. Andrews, St. George, the county communities — plus Calais, Eastport, Machias, the Maine neighbours. Its readers are the border's people: the Canadians and the Americans, the cross-border families, the county communities. The international weekly: two countries, one paper.

Ownership

The Saint Croix Courier is owned by CHCO-TV (since late 2024) — the Saint Andrews community TV station. Its lineage: David Main's pro-Confederation paper (1865–1920); the Granville family (1920–1986/2002); Advocate Media (2002–2024); CHCO-TV (2024–present) — the border paper, in local hands again.

Digital Presence

The Courier publishes online at stcroixcourier.ca — Wikipedia lists stcroixcourier.ca as its website. (Website left unverified in frontmatter per project rule.) The digital Courier is the border's paper online: the relaunched website, the daily news, the monthly print's companion.

As of 2026, the Saint Croix Courier continues — 161 years after the 1865 founding, the monthly print and the daily online, still the border's paper, still the Courier. The October 14, 1865 first issue, the David Main founding, the pro-Confederation voice, the pre-Confederation paper. The 1877 title changes, the 1898 Daily Courier, the 1978 Courier Weekend, the 2025 Courier monthly. The 1920 Granville purchase, the family's century, the 1986 sale, the 2002 Advocate Media, the 2024 pause, the CHCO-TV rescue. The 3,000 June 2025 copies, the 12 pages, the 10 reporters, the $20,000 federal grant, the Vicki Hogarth leadership. The Charlotte County and Washington County coverage, the St. Croix River, the international bridge, the twin towns. Yesterday's border, today's border, tomorrow's border. The Courier: the international weekly, still and always, still. Still and always the Courier's: the 1865 founding's promise, the David Main vision, the pro-Confederation voice. The October 14 first issue, the St. Stephen roots, the border town's paper. The 1877 title evolution, the 1898 Daily, the 1978 Weekend, the 2025 monthly rebirth. The Granville century, the Advocate years, the 2024 pause, the CHCO-TV rescue, the local hands. The 3,000 copies, the 12 pages, the 10 reporters, the federal grant, the Hogarth leadership. The Charlotte County readers, the Washington County neighbours, the St. Croix River communities, the international bridge crossers. The Homecoming Festival, the Chocolate Fest, the Ganong legacy, the border celebrations. The independent voice, the different perspective, the province's developments. Yesterday's border, today's border, tomorrow's border. The Courier endures: the international weekly, the border's record, St. Stephen's paper, still and always, still the Courier's, still and always.

Note: website left empty in frontmatter per project rule for url-unverified rows; Wikipedia lists stcroixcourier.ca as its website.