About Pioneer
The Pioneer began publication in Alberton on July 5, 1876. It was a politically nonpartisan newspaper, promoting agriculture and social reform. In it, short international and local news stories, fiction, anecdotes and advertisements appeared alongside numerous articles on agriculture. Editorials offered opinions on many topics including fisheries, education, the treatment of debtors, and the promotion of Alberton. On September 13, 1879, owing to an outbreak of smallpox in Alberton, the Pioneer moved to Montague where it was published until May 29, 1880. From September 22, 1880 onwards, the Pioneer was published in Summerside.
During the 1880s, the Pioneer, which remained politically nonpartisan, supported reciprocity, temperance and the improvement of steamship service between P.E.I, and the mainland. Editorials commented on a wide range of topics, including social issues such as the emigration of Islanders, a
woman's right to sign a deed by herself and agricultural instruction in the schools.
The 1890s saw the Pioneer develop an alliance with the Liberal party; its editorials frequently denounced Conservative overspending and duplicity. Other editorial topics included tariffs, the promotion of temperance and the advocacy of improvements to roads, schools and ferry service.
Agricultural articles ceased to be printed during this decade.
The first decades of the twentieth century saw the Pioneer's editorials continuing to promote the Liberal party and improved steam and rail service for Summerside. Tariffs, education, and the prevention of tuberculosis were all discussed as well. During World War I, the Union Government's
Conservative partisanship was decried.
Photographs began to appear very occasionally during the 1920s. Editorials discussed Conservative overspending, taxes, tariffs, trade and the P.E.I, railroad. Bennett's Conservative government was severely criticized for failing to alleviate the Depression during the early 1930s. High tariffs were also opposed at this time.
During the latter half of the 1930s, the Pioneer's editorials became less political and less critical. From this time until it ceased publication in 1951 its editorials commented chiefly on local current events. Photographs appeared regularly from the late 1930s onwards. During the 1940s,
comic strips, syndicated columns, a women's page, a sports page and, after 1947, an agricultural page, all appeared regularly in every issue. On October 3, 1951, the Pioneer merged with the Summerside Journal to form the Journal-Pioneer.
