Grant Haven Media owner shares newspaper journey with Tavistock Men's Club

Grant Haven Media owner and publisher Stewart Grant speaks to members of the Tavistock Men's Club during a recent monthly dinner meeting in Tavistock. Grant shared the story of his career and the growth of his community newspaper and publishing business. Gary West photo

By Gary West

The Tavistock Men's Club is well known in the community not only for its homemade sauerkraut, annual fish fry and popular sauerkraut supper, but also for the interesting guest speakers it welcomes to its monthly dinner meetings.

At a recent gathering, club members heard from Stewart Grant, owner and publisher of Grant Haven Media, who shared the story of his career and the growth of his newspaper publishing business.

Grant, owner of the Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette, the St. Marys Independent, the Stratford Times and many other community newspapers across southern Ontario, spoke about his path into the media industry.

With a smile, Grant joked that perhaps his future career was destined from the beginning.

"Since I was the first baby born in 1974 and had my picture splashed all over the front pages of local newspapers, maybe that's why I ended up in the newspaper business," he told the audience.

After graduating from high school, Grant attended the Ivey Business School at Western University and became a chartered accountant. He later accepted a position with a successful company in Bermuda.

By the age of 30, however, Grant decided it was time to return home to St. Marys where he and his wife, Laurie, wanted to raise a family. By that time, his parents, June and Murray Grant, had sold their Master Breeder Holstein dairy herd and farm on the Mitchell Road and had also relocated to St. Marys.

In 2014, Grant purchased the St. Marys Independent from longtime owner Frank Doyle, who remained as editor during the transition. Grant said the newspaper focused heavily on local news and community coverage, believing readers wanted information they could not find in national newspapers or online.

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived, Grant learned the Tavistock Gazette was available for purchase from Bill and Sherry Gladding. He acquired the publication, with Bill Gladding remaining involved for another year.

Grant later launched the New Hamburg Post to serve the Wilmot area. Staffing challenges eventually led to the merger of the Post and the Gazette, creating the Wilmot-Tavistock Gazette.

Beyond publishing, Grant also founded Stonetown Travel, opening agencies in both St. Marys and New Hamburg.

His media ventures continued to expand with the launch of the Stratford Times and the acquisition or creation of additional community newspapers, including the Woodstock-Ingersoll Echo, Goderich Sun, Tillsonburg Post, Simcoe Advocate, Paris Independent and Exeter Examiner.

Grant also acquired two agricultural publications serving Norfolk and Brant counties and retained members of their existing staff.

Looking ahead, Grant told the audience he hopes to expand into eastern Ontario with the acquisition of a newspaper in Cobourg, which would become the first Grant Haven Media publication east of Toronto.

Club members enjoyed learning about the growth of one of Ontario's largest independently owned community newspaper groups and the entrepreneurial spirit behind its success.