THE suburban free Canberra paper “The Chronicle” appears to have suspended publication – at least in print – from yesterday (April 8).

Contract drivers have been told the suspension was until April 28, though they say, there was “no guarantee of resumption”.

The paper has been delivering local and community news to Canberra and Queanbeyan for more than 30 years. It is a sister publication of “The Canberra Times” and shares its printing facility in Fyshwick.

Former “Canberra Times” managing director (and “CityNews” owner and editor) Ian Meikle says: “Its heydays were the late ’80s and early ’90s when it was divided into geographic editions and provided unsurpassed and shamelessly parochial news and photographs like no one else in Canberra could.

“It was a cracking little paper, but it failed to move with the times, failed to respond to its delivery shortcomings by effectively littering people’s lawns and ultimately failed because it looked and read like a whipping boy for cost cutting in Fyshwick.

“Maybe they’re all having a long Easter-Anzac Day break, but given where it sits in the media marketplace, I wouldn’t be rushing to resurrect it.”