Globe and Mail print copies coming back to P.E.I.

Islanders disappointed at the loss of their print Globe and Mail subscription will soononce again get copies on P.E.I.

The Globe announced last August that it was ceasing delivery in the Maritimes as of December. That prompted a Halifax store to arrange with the Globe to fly in about 400 copies of the Saturday edition at a cost of $9.50 per paper.

The Bookmark book store in Charlottetown initiallyworked with theAtlantic News to try to get some copies of the Saturday edition to the Island, but the papers wouldn't arrive until Tuesday. Now, Bookmark said it has come up with a made in P.E.I. solution.

Bookmark owner Dan MacDonaldsaid he found many people were only interested in getting the paper delivered if it was delivered on Saturday. He contacted the Globe and found they needed 50 customers as a minimum to get the Globe to arrange air freight to Charlottetown.

"As of this morning, we're at 51," MacDonald said."We expect by the middle of January, we'll be bringing the newspaper here on Saturdays."

4-week subscriptions available

The papers will arrive on Saturday just before noon and will be in store by 1 p.m., MacDonald said. The cost for each paper will be $9.40, plus tax. The price was set by the Globe, MacDonald said, so that shipping costs could be recouped.

Costs for the papers have to be paid up front since the Globe won't accept back any unsold papers, so MacDonald said the store is offering a four-week subscription so people prepay for four weeks and can pick up the papers on Saturdays.

"What people have told us is, one, the digital format just doesn't work for them, they miss things that if they have the physical paper in front of them, they can lay it out and they see everything," MacDonald said. "Number two, a lot of people have said they view the Globe and Mail as the national newspaper and they want to read it because of that."

MacDonald is hoping to have the first paper copies available by Jan. 13.

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