Northern Light

The Northern Light Building is a modern brick one-storey commercial building on King Street, in the City of Bathurst.

The heritage value of the Northern Light Building resides in the fact that it is home of The Northern Light newspaper, an important communication tool for the people of Bathurst and the surrounding areas for almost a century. Published weekly since 1913, the paper informs readers in the Chaleur region about local news and regional events.

The Northern Light Building can also be assigned heritage value because of the important role the Mersereau family has played in the establishment and continuity of the newspaper. In 1913, Bridget and Charles Mersereau began publishing the paper from the basement of their home on Douglas Avenue under the name The Gloucester Northern Light. The five sons of the Mersereau family became involved in different aspects of the publication of the paper. The Mersereau family owned the paper until it was sold to the Thomson Corporation in 1965, and Frank Mersereau continued to play an important role in the paper after that. The Northern Light has been published on King Street since 1930. In 1965, the Thomson Corporation built this new building to house the paper at 355 King Street.

Because of its publishing history, the Northern Light Building is a landmark for the people of Bathurst.

Source: Bathurst Heritage Trust Commission, “Northern Light” file

The character defining elements of The Northern Light Building include:

- location on King Street;

- modern one-storey rectangular massing;

- brick construction;

- flat roof;

- original façade.