The Varsity (newspaper)

The Varsity
Front page of The Varsity Vol. CXLV, No. 7
TypeWeekly student newspaper
FormatCompact
SchoolUniversity of Toronto
OwnerVarsity Publications Inc.
Editor-in-chief
Junia Alsinawi[1]
Founded1880 (1880)
LanguageEnglish
Headquarters
CountryCanada
Circulation18,000
ISSN0042-2789
Websitewww.thevarsity.ca

The Varsity is the independent student newspaper of the University of Toronto, located in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In publication since 1880, it is the university's official newspaper of record and the only student-run paper that publishes weekly on all three campuses: Mississauga, St. George, and Scarborough.

Founded as a broadsheet daily, it is now printed in compact form, and publishes print editions during the fall and winter semesters and online throughout the year, along with two seasonal magazines. It primarily focuses on tri-campus affairs and local news. The paper is owned and operated by Varsity Publications Inc., a not-for-profit corporation based on the St. George campus, and is financed by student levies and advertisement revenue.[2]

History

The Varsity began as an independent student newspaper in 1880, with its inaugural issue published on October 7th of that year.[3] It was likely inspired by a now-defunct student newspaper called The White and Blue, founded in 1879.[4]

…Our intentions are very demure: not a guiding star, not an interpreter, but a register of opinion in and out of the University in matters of education; an [unbiased] annalist of University life; and, in this last [connection], a strenuous advocate of what constitutes individual well-being.

— The Varsity, Vol. I, No. 1[5]

At the height of debate on coeducation, the first issue of The Varsity ran an article in favour of admitting women to the University of Toronto.[6] Women were later permitted to join men in lectures in 1884 after years of self-advocacy.[5]

In 1895, the suspension of The Varsity's editor, James Tucker, led Latin Professor Dale to publicly attack the administration in The Globe, which in turn led to his own dismissal.[7] 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.[8][9]

After Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau decriminalized homosexuality in 1969, a medical research assistant placed an advertisement in the paper seeking volunteers to establish the first gay and lesbian university association in Canada, the University of Toronto Homophile Association.[10]

By the late 19th century, The Varsity was owned and published by the Students' Administrative Council (SAC; known today as the University of Toronto Students' Union), which determined the paper's annual budget although it had no formal editorial control. The Varsity nonetheless pushed for independence citing concerns of editorial influence due to its financial dependence on the SAC. It had previously been suspended temporarily by the SAC in 1952 over publishing a speech by university president Sidney Smith in which it substituted "English" with "sex" throughout the text.[3]

The SAC endorsed the idea of separation to avoid the burden of covering the paper's budget deficits and legal liability for its publications. The SAC ran a Varsity advertisement in 1979 urging students to vote in a referendum, writing that "a student government cannot actively participate in a newspaper's decisions before its freedom to criticize is jeopardized."[2] A successful referendum was held that year and The Varsity incorporated as a separate entity from the SAC in 1980.[2]

In 2017, The Varsity began publishing a Chinese-language edition of the newspaper on their website.[11]

Notable past staff

The Varsity staff in 1882–1883

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Varsity: Masthead". The Varsity. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 MacCormack, Ella (March 25, 2025). "Is there a story here?". The Varsity.
  3. 1 2 Easton, Megan (December 20, 2005). "Yesterday's News". University of Toronto Magazine.
  4. ↑ Savage, Luke (October 18, 2010). "Archive: In retrospect". The Varsity.
  5. 1 2 Chow, Jasmine (February 27, 2025). "U of T's Student Newspapers: A History". Trinity Times.
  6. ↑ "What was front page news in the inaugural issue of the student paper The Varsity in 1880?". History Q & A. University of Toronto Department of Public Affairs. 2002. Archived from the original on 2020-05-27. Retrieved 2007-07-19.
  7. ↑ Q&A: What made the "blood fairly boil" in U of T student and future prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in 1895? Archived 2007-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ "What made the "blood fairly boil" in U of T student and future prime minister William Lyon Mackenzie King in 1895?". History Q & A. University of Toronto Department of Public Affairs. 2002. Archived from the original on 2020-03-24. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  9. ↑ Marshall, David B. (2000). "Dale, William". Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  10. ↑ Bébout, Rick (January 2000). "Conception & birth". On the Origins of the Body Politic. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
  11. ↑ Shrinkhala Dawadi (12 October 2017). "The Varsity Launches Chinese-language Edition". The Canadian Journalism Project. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
  12. ↑ "Here's looking at you, Pete". The Varsity. 2002-02-07. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  13. ↑ "Q&A: Michael Ignatieff". The Varsity. 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  14. ↑ mickleblog (2019-02-18). "MICHAEL KESTERTON, THE YOUNGER YEARS, AND A BIT MORE. RIP". Mickleblog. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  15. ↑ "William Lyon Mackenzie King | University of Toronto Alumni". alumni.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  16. ↑ "How he got here: Mark Kingwell". The Varsity. 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  17. 1 2 3 "About". The Varsity. 2015-03-09. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  18. ↑ Blog, Skate Guard. "A Pioneering Sportswriter: The Jim Proudfoot Story". Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  19. ↑ "Chandler Levack – The Varsity". The Varsity. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  20. ↑ Rowe, Janet (2022-05-16). "Edward M. Roberts leaves legacy for future law students". Defy Gravity. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
  21. ↑ "20th Annual Kesterton Lecture with Tanya Talaga". School of Journalism and Communication. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
  22. ↑ University of Toronto (1980). The Varsity, September 2, 1980 - April 8, 1981. University of Toronto Archives & Records Management Services. Toronto : The University.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
  23. ↑ Alma Mater Society (1965). Queen's Journal 1964-1965. Queen's University Archives. Kingston: Queen's University.
  24. ↑ Boisseau, Peter (June 7, 2023). "A&S alum John Lorinc has built a stellar writing career on a foundation of math and logic". University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science.
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