Joseph E. Atkinson Founder of The Toronto Star
Press, Purpose, and Legacy: The Grave of Joseph Atkinson
On my walk through Oakville and St. Mary’s Cemetery in Oakville, Ontario, newspaper in hand, I discovered the grave of one of Canada’s most influential media figures — Joseph E. Atkinson, founder and publisher of The Toronto Star.
Tucked just south of the QEW, this quiet and well-kept Catholic cemetery holds the Atkinson family plot. Despite the steady hum of traffic nearby, there’s a timelessness here — a sense that history rests just beneath the surface.
Atkinson’s story begins in hardship. Orphaned by the age of 13, Joseph began working at the post office to support himself. By 16, he had taken a job at the Port Hope Times, not as a reporter but to help with accounting. Yet this job proved pivotal. It was there that Atkinson learned the inner workings of the newspaper business — knowledge that would later shape his legacy.
Young Atkinson worked at The Port Hope Times at 16 years old.
Years later, Atkinson — a committed Liberal — was approached by supporters of Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier with a bold offer: take over the struggling Toronto Evening Star. He accepted the challenge, and by 1913, under his leadership, the paper had become the largest in Toronto by circulation.
Atkinson wasn’t just a publisher; he was a man of principle. His brand of journalism was deeply rooted in social justice and civic responsibility. Under his stewardship, The Star championed progressive causes — fair wages, workers’ rights, civil liberties — long before they were mainstream.
He remained publisher until his death in 1948, but even in death, his vision endured. Atkinson’s will made it clear: ownership of the paper “shall not fall into private hands.” Control was entrusted to seven foundation trustees, ensuring that The Star would continue to serve the public interest — not private profit.
That vision held for decades — until 2020, when the paper was finally sold into private ownership, marking the end of an era.
Joseph E. Atkinson died in Toronto on May 8, 1948. He was 82.
1865-1948
