Missing the Rumble of the Printing Press: My 27-Year Journey at the Guelph Mercury
If you had told me on October 1st, 1989, as I was selling stereos at the Eaton Centre (now the beautiful Old Quebec Street Shops at 55 Wyndham), that I was about to embark on a nearly three-decade career in one building, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.
But the next day, everything changed. I met Pat Fitzgerald, the Advertising Manager at the Guelph Mercury. Pat saw potential in me, but at 18, he reckoned I was a bit too green to be hitting the pavement as a full-fledged salesperson. Instead, he offered me a role as the “Office Boy”—a title that’s rightfully been retired in favour of “Sales Assistant,” but one that served as my masterclass in the world of media.
Starting on October 2nd, I had no idea that a job meant to fill a temporary need would become a career spanning 27 years—one that would come to define the values I hold today as a Guelph Real Estate Professional.
Learning to Love the Ink and the “Goss Urbanite”
There is a specific atmosphere in a traditional newspaper office that you just don’t find anymore. It’s a mix of the sharp scent of newsprint ink and the fine dust that seems to dance in the light. In the beginning, I was captivated by the complexities of turning a client’s rough idea into a proof, and finally into a physical advertisement delivered to thousands of Guelph doorsteps.
For most of my career, our building at 8-14 Macdonell Street had a literal heartbeat. When the Goss Urbanite Press was running, you didn’t just hear the news; you felt it vibrating through the floorboards.
However, the building changed dramatically on February 7, 2014. That was the day our own press was scuttled in favour of printing at the Hamilton Spectator. I watched the very last edition roll off the old Goss Urbanite, and the silence that followed was deafening. We went from a living, breathing manufacturing hub to a quiet office space almost overnight. It lost some of its industrial soul that day, but the dedication of the team never wavered.
Finding My Niche in Guelph Real Estate
Eventually, I moved out of the “Office Boy” chair and into various sales roles, but I truly found my calling when I became the Sales Representative for Guelph and District Homes.
At its peak, I was responsible for producing as many as 64 pages of advertising every single week. Working with local homebuilders and Realtors wasn’t just about sales; it was about helping people find their place in the community I loved. Even when the Mercury’s doors sadly closed on January 29, 2016, as Metroland attempted to transition our successful real estate products over to the Guelph Tribune, I stayed on to ensure our local partners were taken care of.
The Little Paper That Could
The team at the Mercury were a special breed. We were “newspaper people” through and through. We didn’t just work there; we bled ink. One of my proudest moments was August 15, 2003. The day after the Great Blackout, while most of the province was scrambling, we were the only paper we knew of that delivered a full, unabbreviated edition. It was a testament to the grit of “the little paper that could.”
Lessons Carried Forward
While the presses have stopped, the values I learned remain the foundation of my work today. I still love the streets, and shopkeepers of Downtown Guelph, advocating for housing supply with the GHHBA, or sharing travel adventures via postcards with my clients, I carry that Mercury work ethic with me.
I may have swapped the agate line guage for a lockbox, but I’m still that same local guy who believes in the power of community and a job well done.
Michael Bennett – Guelph Real Estate Professional Royal LePage Royal City Realty
