Alan Capon reading Sir Sam Hughes feature. Courtesy of Susan Capon.
Past the Post
By 1970, Alan had moved to the Peterborough Examiner newspaper as a bureau reporter, and then to the Kingston Whig-Standard in 1971. He continued with the Whig for 20 years, with the exception of a three year period in which he became the managing editor of the Picton Gazette, during its ownership by Joe Cembal.
“We did clash, but had some great times as well,”
—said a fellow colleague referring to the Gazette days.
of the Gazette, replacing notable member Phil Dodds in the early 70’s. This publication was established in the 1830s by S.M Conger. It was commonplace for the journalists to work until 3 a.m. in the days of “paste-up,” the term used to describe the process of putting together a layout for the newspaper. The Picton Gazette was published three days a week, so whether the reporters were well rested or not, featured articles and stories were required to be in the next issue.
Alan had become editor and publisher
Alan Capon as Managing Editor of the Picton Gazette. 1974. Courtesy of Margaret Haylock-Capon.
Alan was described as hard-working, gregarious, and meticulous; characteristics that are necessary for the field he worked in. Those traits also translated into the fierce way he approached journalism in contrast with those around him, at times.
The Kingston Whig-Standard envelope.
Rewriting stories assigned to other reporters that he was partial to was an initiative demonstrated since the Post days. Alan would often take it upon himself to finish tasks that met his own high standards, or prefer to work on projects he believed himself to be the most suited to accomplish. This would create friction between colleagues in an already intense work environment, where product is continually being released.
The Kingston Whig-Standard. January 12, 1971.
Signature of Alan Capon from his book, His Faults Lie Gently: The Incredible Sam Hughes. 2023.96.1
Those traits also led to great achievements. Alan would completely redesign the Gazette, redirecting the publication to focus primarily on community members and their stories.
Though Alan would hand out the assignments to reporters, it was only on a few occasions that he would edit their work. A great deal of trust was essential to the success of the rapid production that was the Gazette, and he knew this to be true.
Alan R. Capon. County Live. June 28, 2015.
His wife, Margaret Haylock-Capon, reiterated Alan’s dedication to his work: “He was very much a people person and greeted every assignment with enthusiasm. He never left a meeting early or thought of a story too inconsequential to be of interest. He could get the story when most of us would have given up.”
When the Whig closed its county bureau office circa 1991, Alan transferred to its Napanee bureau where he worked for three years prior to retirement in 1994. He was also involved in groups such as the Picton Rotary Club, and the Picton Kiwanis Club, where he served two terms as president.
“Al leaned us toward large feature stories, lots of photos and interviews with interesting locals. We were the perfect team for this, and I feel these were the Gazette's strongest years,”
—recalls Capon’s previous colleague.
Alan Capon and James Plomer. The Kingston-Whig Standard. November 10, 1979.
Article by Alan Capon on Picton Gazette legacy. The Kingston Whig-Standard. July 28, 1971.
Article from the County Weekly News by Alan Capon. April 21, 2011.
In publications such as the Weekly County News, Alan would dedicate columns to residents of his area that were deceased but had substantially contributed to the community. He felt it was important to remember people despite the rapid cycle of current events, for the actions of people before us have shaped the way we live today.
Published by the Belleville Intelligencer, he and his wife, Margaret, would contribute columns relating to their own respective interests.
“Funny, when I flash back I remember the arguments, but we really were a tight team.”
—said a fellow colleague referring to the Gazette days.
The veteran journalist and author developed pneumonia following a second heart surgical procedure in the summer of 2014. Alan Roy Capon passed away on November 16th, 2014, at Prince Edward County Memorial Hospital, surrounded by his family.
He was 82 years old.
Original negative from editor Alan Capon’s personal collection from his career with the Post. ca. 1960s.
Our History Through the Lindsay Post
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