Newspaper veteran and CCNA Honorary Life Member Merv Farmer passed away on July 24 at age 74.

Farmer began his publishing career in 1955 at the Stonewall Argus print shop. He went on to purchase the weekly paper and in 1967 he founded Interlake Publishing, which operated the Stonewall Argus and Teulon Times and the print shop. Farmer launched the Interlake Spectator in 1973 and the Selkirk Journal in 1985.

In June 1992, he sold his newspapers to Quebecor Inc. and was hired on by Quebecor to oversee operations at seven Manitoba weeklies. Farmer eventually retired in December 1999.

During his years in the community newspaper industry, he took an active role within the Manitoba Community Newspapers Association (MCNA), serving for many years on the MCNA Board and as president in 1978 and 1979. He received a MCNA life membership April 16, 1994.

At a national level, Famer served as a Canadian Community Newspapers Association (CCNA) director and on Manitoba’s Postal Services Review Committee.

In July 1998, he was presented with Honorary Life Membership to the CCNA in recognition of his years of service to the industry. His CCNA Honorary Life Membership citation was read by his daughter, Lana Meier, who is also a former CCNA and MCNA board member.