The Varsity (newspaper)

For other student newspapers, see Varsity (Cambridge) and Varsity (Cape Town).

The Varsity

Front page of the October 22, 2024, edition of The Varsity
Type	Weekly newspaper
Format	Compact
School	University of Toronto
Owner	Varsity Publications Inc.
Editor-in-chief	Medha Surajpal [1]
Founded	1880;146 years ago (1880)
Language	English
Headquarters	21 Sussex Avenue 2nd and 3rd floor Toronto, Ontario M5S 1J6
Country	Canada
Circulation	18,000
ISSN	0042-2789
Website	www.thevarsity.ca
Media of Canada List of newspapers

The Varsity is the official student newspaper of the University of Toronto, located in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada. In publication since 1880 and originally a broadsheet daily, it is now printed in compact form. The paper primarily focuses on tri-campus affairs and local news.

The paper publishes weekly on all three University of Toronto campuses (Mississauga, St. George, and Scarborough) during the fall and winter semesters and online throughout the year, along with two seasonal magazines. The paper is published 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

At the height of debate on coeducation in 1880, The Varsity published an article in its inaugural issue in favour of admitting women. ^[3]

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. ^[4] 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. ^{[5] [6]}

After Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau decriminalized homosexuality in 1969, a medical research assistant placed an advertisement in The Varsity seeking volunteers to establish the first gay and lesbian university association in Canada, the University of Toronto Homophile Association. ^[7]

In 2017, The Varsity began publishing a Chinese-language edition of the newspaper on their website. ^[8]

Notable past staff

• Peter Gzowski, ^[9] broadcaster and reporter, host of CBC's Morningside (1982–1997)
• Michael Ignatieff, ^[10] public intellectual, academic at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Member of Parliament, and former Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
• Michael Kesterton, ^[11] columnist for The Globe and Mail
• William Lyon Mackenzie King, ^[12] 10th Prime Minister of Canada
• Mark Kingwell, ^[13] philosopher, fellow of Trinity College, Toronto
• Naomi Klein, ^[14] journalist, author of No Logo and The Shock Doctrine
• David Megginson, computer software developer
• Jim Proudfoot, ^[15] sports journalist, sports editor for the Toronto Star
• Chandler Levack, ^[16] writer and filmmaker
• Linda McQuaig, ^[14] Toronto Star columnist
• Tom Walkom, Toronto Star columnist
• Bob Rae, ^[14] Rhodes Scholar, 21st Premier of Ontario, Member of Parliament
• Edward Roberts, ^[17] 11th Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Frank Shuster and Johnny Wayne, comedians, best known for their work as comedy duo Wayne and Shuster
• Isabel Vincent, journalist for the National Post , former correspondent for The Globe and Mail
• Clive Thompson, journalist and science and technology writer for Wired (magazine)
• Tanya Talaga, ^[18] journalist, author of Seven Fallen Feathers
• Barbara Amiel, ^[19] journalist, Maclean's columnist
• Jason Szep, Pulitzer Prize winner and International Affairs Editor with Reuters
• James Laxer, ^[20] political economist
• John Lorinc, journalist and author, winner of the Balsillie Prize for Public Policy in 2022 ^[21]

See also

• The Medium (University of Toronto Mississauga)
• The Gargoyle (University College, Toronto)
• List of student newspapers in Canada
• List of newspapers in Canada

References

1. "The Varsity: Masthead". The Varsity. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
2. "Is there a story here?". The Varsity. 2025-03-25. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
3. "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.
4. 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
5. "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.
6. Marshall, David B. (2000). "Dale, William". Dictionary of Canadian Biography . Retrieved 2009-02-28.
7. Bébout, Rick (January 2000). "Conception & birth". On the Origins of the Body Politic. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
8. Shrinkhala Dawadi (12 October 2017). "The Varsity Launches Chinese-language Edition". The Canadian Journalism Project. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
9. "Here's looking at you, Pete". The Varsity. 2002-02-07. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
10. "Q&A: Michael Ignatieff". The Varsity. 2009-10-15. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
11. mickleblog (2019-02-18). "MICHAEL KESTERTON, THE YOUNGER YEARS, AND A BIT MORE. RIP". Mickleblog. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
12. "William Lyon Mackenzie King | University of Toronto Alumni". alumni.utoronto.ca. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
13. "How he got here: Mark Kingwell". The Varsity. 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
14. "About". The Varsity. 2015-03-09. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
15. Blog, Skate Guard. "A Pioneering Sportswriter: The Jim Proudfoot Story" . Retrieved 2025-12-05.
16. "Chandler Levack – The Varsity". The Varsity. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
17. Rowe, Janet (2022-05-16). "Edward M. Roberts leaves legacy for future law students". Defy Gravity. Retrieved 2025-12-05.
18. "20th Annual Kesterton Lecture with Tanya Talaga". School of Journalism and Communication. Retrieved 2025-12-04.
19. University of Toronto (1980). The Varsity, September 2, 1980 - April 8, 1981. University of Toronto Archives & Records Management Services. Toronto : The University.
20. Alma Mater Society (1965). Queen's Journal 1964-1965. Queen's University Archives. Kingston: Queen's University.
21. 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.

External links

• The Varsity