It was originally a 28-page newsletter on standard letter-sized paper.
The first carrier was Netelenbos’s 11-year-old son, John.
Today, the Gazette is often 72 pages but has on occasion been more than 90 pages.
It now comes in tabloid format.
A single copy often weighs close to one kilogram if all of the advertising inserts are included.
There are now more than 200 carriers.
The circulation of the Wednesday paper is more than 26,000. That includes free home delivery to 95 per cent of St. Albert’s approximately 60,000 residents and 22,000 residents in Morinville and Legal.
There are more than 4,000 copies that get mailed out to residents in surrounding communities.
The circulation of the Saturday paper is approximately 21,000 and distributed only in St. Albert.
Carriers are paid on a unique scale, based on the weight of the paper, starting at 15 cents per copy and going up to 20 cents per copy.
Our advertising, creative and news teams have collected more than 200 industry honours over the last 20 years.
The Canadian Community Newspapers' Association has named us the best newspaper in the country in 2000, 2001, 2005 and 2008.
The paper used to print the Gazette comes in giant rolls each weighing 400 kg or more.
There are almost 700 rolls in the building at any one time. Together, they total 280,000 kg or more than 617,000 pounds. An adult blue whale, the largest animal that has ever existed, weighs 180,000 kg.
It takes approximately 15 rolls to make one single complete edition of a standard 72-page Gazette.
The printing ink is made up of a combination of petrochemicals, soy oils, pigments and other ingredients such as carbon black.
The Gazette was published every week, usually on Wednesday, until the 1990s when it switched to a semi-weekly format with new issues coming out every Wednesday and Saturday.
There are 71 full-time and 52 part-time employees at the Gazette.
About one-third of all employees of the Great West Newspapers chain work out of the main office where the St. Albert Gazette is published. It’s the largest office in the chain that also publishes in Airdrie, Athabasca, Barrhead, Bonnyville, Carstairs, Didsbury, Elk Point, Calgary, Innisfail, Lac La Biche, Mountain View, Okotoks, Olds, Rocky View, St. Paul, Sundre and Westlock.
There are currently 21 blue Gazette drop boxes located around St. Albert for residents who don’t get home delivery. This includes points in Sturgeon County and Namao.
Carrier routes range in size from 40 papers to 110 papers.
Carriers must be at least 12 years old to have the route in their name. Younger carriers are allowed but the route must be the responsibility of the parent or guardian.
