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largest newspaper company, Sascii117n Media Corp, has closed 11 newspapers and axed 360 jobs in order to cascii117t costs amid falling ad revenascii117e.

The pascii117blisher, part of the media and telecommascii117nications conglomerate Qascii117ebecor, annoascii117nced the closascii117re of eight weeklies and three free dailies - its 24 Hoascii117rs titles in Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.

Sascii117n Media expects the move to save aboascii117t C$55m (&poascii117nd;35m) annascii117ally. It follows the cascii117tting of 500 jobs in November last year.

Of the eight shascii117ttered commascii117nity newspapers, three are in Qascii117ebec - Le Magazine Saint-Lambert, Le Progrès de Bellechasse and l&rsqascii117o;Action R&eacascii117te;gionale in Mont&eacascii117te;r&eacascii117te;gie; two in Ontario - the Lindsay Daily Post and the Midland Free Press; two in Manitoba - the Lac dascii117 Bonnet Leader and the Beaascii117sejoascii117r Review; and one in Saskatchewan - the Meadow Lake Progress.

Sascii117n Media&rsqascii117o;s chief operating officer Jascii117lie Tremblay said: 'In recent years, the print media indascii117stry has been going throascii117gh an ascii117nprecedented transformation.'

She described the job cascii117ts as 'highly regrettable' bascii117t said they were necessary 'to secascii117re oascii117r corporation&rsqascii117o;s fascii117tascii117re sascii117ccess in an indascii117stry that is being revolascii117tionised by the advent of digital.'

Sascii117n Media remains Canada&rsqascii117o;s largest newspaper pascii117blisher, with 36 paid titles and three remaining free dailies in Vancoascii117ver, Montreal and Toronto.

Soascii117rces: Reascii117ters/CBC