Métro (Montreal newspaper)

Métro (also called Métro Montréal or Journal Métro) was a French-language free daily newspaper published in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The paper is wholly owned by local businessman Michael Raffoul who owns print media distribution company Transmet. Journal Metro is part of the Metro Media group which owns several local newspapers in Montreal. Journal Métro Montréal was formerly part of the international group of newspapers Metro International.

History
The paper was founded in 2001, by Montreal-based Transcontinental which licensed the brand from Metro International, itself founded in 1995. It was part of several Metro free papers across Canada under various licensees. From its inception in 2001, it held a franchise as the sole French-language free daily newspaper to be distributed inside the Montreal Metro system and STM bus terminals

In 2010, Journal Metro lost its franchise as the provider of the sole French-language free daily newspaper across the Montreal transit system to Québecor Média's 24 Heures (24 Hours; originally founded as Metropolitain).

In January 2016, the Réseau de transport métropolitain concluded a five-year agreement with TC Transcontinental making Métro the only free newspaper to be distributed within the Montreal Metro system. This shut out 24 Hours.

In May 2018, TC Media sold the Montreal edition of Metro, along with several other papers, to Michael Raffoul, who in turn contracted TC Media to print the newspapers. These papers became part of the Metro Media group.

In 2018, all the Metro licensees in Canada apart from Montreal were acquired by Torstar Group, publishers of the Toronto Star, and rebranded as StarMetro, though still in collaboration with the Swedish Metro International media group. This left the Montreal paper the only one with the Metro branding in Canada.

In 2019, Torstar announced that all StarMetro papers would cease publication of paper editions, leaving only an online presence, and some employees would be transitioned to the Toronto Star network to handle the remaining online newspaper publication duties. This leaves the Montreal edition of Metro as the only remaining paper presences of Metro International in Canada.

While considered a daily newspaper, the weekend edition often covers the days Friday to Monday inclusive, especially during the summer months.

In 2020, amid the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, Métro laid off 40% of its employees and reduced its print edition to Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In addition, the paper suspended physical distribution from 10–31 August 2020. In 2021, Métro underwent a relaunch, adopting a more magazine-like style with local content relating to culture and diversity, entrepreneurship, the environment, and social issues, and a redesigned website and mobile app designed to highlight content from its localized editions. The paper also changed its logo, dropping the Metro International-derived branding to reflect a goal of "bringing Montreal to Montrealers".

On 11 August 2023, general manager Andrew Mulé announced that Métro would suspend all activities effective immediately, citing in particular that Transcontinental's replacement of the Publisac flyer bundle with a smaller booklet (due to a Montreal bylaw prohibiting the door-to-door delivery of flyers in plastic bags) and a lack of support from investors was detrimental to its finances. In September, Métro Média, the paper's publisher, declared bankruptcy.