In the latest realignment of the post-digital Canadian media landscape, Postmedia has announced that it is merging the newsrooms of the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Sun and cutting 90 jobs chain-wide.

Amid a flurry of Twitter traffic this morning from stricken Postmedia journalists and editors, the Communications Workers of America union said on its Twitter feed that the Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun newsrooms — longtime national capital rivals — would be merged.

#Postmedia is merging the Ottawa Citizen and Sun newsrooms. Details ASAP. #journalism — CWA Canada (@cwacanada1) January 19, 2016

The union further posted a memo that was sent out to staff on its Facebook account outlining further resource sharing across newsrooms and a buyout program in Vancouver and Ottawa newsrooms.

“Effective immediately, in Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, we will be sharing most of our newsroom resources. Each city will have one newsroom,” the post read.

Phyllise Gelfand, the company’s vice-president of communications, said the announcement was made at town halls held in newsrooms across the country, and that most of the layoffs will come from Edmonton and Calgary.

“Across media what we know to be true is the revenue model is changing and the cost structure has to change as well,” she said, adding that the company is “trying to reduce the duplication that just doesn’t make sense.”

Postmedia also announced a national sports writing team to be headed up by one editor: Bev Wake, Senior Executive Producer of Sports.

CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon called the layoffs a “bloodbath,” and criticized the government for allowing Postmedia to buy up the Sun media chain, a deal which closed last year.

“It’s a horrible day in Canadian journalism. One of the worst,” he said, and placed blame for today’s layoffs on the company having to pay a “massive debt-load” to hedge-fund managers in New York.

“This has been a trajectory we’ve been on for a long time. How the government even allowed them to take on the Sun chain is unfathomable.”

The union is now calling on the federal government to look at implementing regulations that wouldn’t allow companies to consolidate that much control in the marketplace and “outlaw destructive debt-leveraged takeovers of important national companies.”

“If that means breaking up Postmedia, so be it,” O’Hanlon said.

Two editors at the Edmonton Journal were let go this morning and National Post columnist Chris Selley announced on Twitter about 90 jobs are being cut.

The Edmonton Journal’s managing editor Stephanie Coombs tweeted earlier today she was being let go.

Super sad to say that as of today, I'm no longer with the @edmontonjournal. It's been a privilege to work there and tell Edmonton's stories. — Stephanie Coombs (@stephcoombs) January 19, 2016

Employees like Jana Pruden, a crime reporter at the Edmonton Journal, have taken to social media in an outpouring of emotion reacting to the cuts.

This country is losing a lot of reporters today. One of them may be me. But beyond the personal, there is something far bigger at stake. — Jana G. Pruden (@jana_pruden) January 19, 2016

Canada, and every democracy, needs strong media. It is crucial. Never more so than in a changing, evolving, challenging world. — Jana G. Pruden (@jana_pruden) January 19, 2016

An Edmonton Journal features writer heard she lost her job while on her honeymoon.

The Journal has extended my honeymoon indefinitely. I'll miss you, wonderful EJ staff. On to the next. — Julia Lipscombe (@JuliaLipscombe) January 19, 2016

So, after 34 years covering sports in Calgary, it's over. Am I sad? No. Bitter? Yes. Very. Condolences to all others affected by the carnage — George Johnson (@GJohnsonFlames) January 19, 2016

Onward and upward. Looking forward to new adventures. It has been a great 16 years though. Sad to go. #yyc #calgary — Lorraine Hjalte (@LorraineHjalte) January 19, 2016

Others also jointed in to lament.

When Postmedia bought Sun Media, Paul Godfrey came to the newsroom and gave us all champagne and promised the brands would remain separate. — Sheena Goodyear (@SheenaGoodyear) January 19, 2016

Imagine the Canadian newsroom you could build with those who have left journalism in the last year or two. — Steve Ladurantaye (@ladurantaye) January 19, 2016

If daily reporters write about 150 stories/year, and let's say 40 of the 90 layoffs are reporters, that's 6,000 fewer stories per year. — Selena Ross (@seleross) January 19, 2016

The company reported poor results last week, and stated it is seeking to cut another $30-million in yearly expenses end of August, 2017.

A heads-up some news was coming came after Buzzfeed had accidentally received an email addressed to Ottawa’s Mayor Jim Watson saying that Postmedia President and CEO Paul Godfrey was arranging to talk to the mayor.

With files from Canadian Press.