Sun chain dumps 170 jobs

Sun Media Corporation announced layoffs of 170 people today -- apparently most of the people involved in library and research across the country were included. The press release spun it as a $7 million investment in new technologies and to "streamline production of newsgathering" (whatever that means). The savings from the firings is about $4.6 million.

The daily Sun papers seem to be bearing the brunt and, if recent embarrassing hijinks at Sun TV are any indication, there is to be a further merging of news and information resources. (If you're wondering why this is posted on this site, it's because anything that affects the Sun's owners, Quebecor, affects everyone in the Canadian magazine industry.)

Down a ways in the release is the following statement:

The company also plans to expand Sun Media's network of free circulation newspapers, which currently includes 24 hours in Toronto and Vancouver and 24 heures in Montreal.

Could it be that the Toronto Sun (and perhaps the other Sun papers) will sooner or later be converted into freebies? Maybe even folding 24 hours and the Sun together?