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SYDNEY — Saltwire Network, the parent company for the Cape Breton Post, announced the closure of its press in Sydney on Thursday.

The printing of the Post will be moved to the company’s world-class press in Halifax, which prints all of the company’s other Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island publications.

A major factor in the decision concerned the aging Cape Breton Post press that would have required costly upgrades in the near future. Saltwire had made significant investments in Sydney to try to maintain its printing in the past year. But the press is old technology and required considerable investment to bring it up to an appropriate quality level.

The Halifax press is amongst the highest quality newspaper presses in the world and has adequate capacity to absorb the extra work.

Readers in Cape Breton will see a more colourful paper with sharper images. In fact, because of some challenges over the fall, Cape Breton Post readers have already had an opportunity to see the enhanced quality as the Post was printed for several weeks in Halifax.

Fourteen full- and part-time employees were affected by this move.

The company is working with the Communication Workers of America union, which represents the workers, to ensure employees' rights and benefits are handled appropriately and according to their contracts.

The printing of the Cape Breton Post in Halifax is effective immediately. For more, see here.