Sun Media Corporation, the largest newspaper publisher in Canada, announced plans to cut about 600 full-time positions as part of a restructuring of its operations in Western Canada, Ontario and Quebec, the company announced in a press release Tuesday.

The positions eliminated accounts for about 10 percent of the company's workforce, excluding mail room operations. Most of the staff reductions will occur by the end of the year, the company said.

This initiative is to deal with the drastic changes in the publishing industry, including rising costs, dropping ad revenues, print audience shifting online as well as the economic slowdown. It is expected to result in about C$14 million in restructuring costs, according to the release, posted by MarketWatch.

"The speed at which the current economic environment is deteriorating forces us to make difficult decisions at this time of the year," according to Pierre Karl Peladeau, president and chief executive officer of Quebecor.

"The news industry is being revolutionised and we have to adapt if we want to remain an industry leader. We need to build a presence and build our brand in the digital universe and we need to do it as quickly as possible. We have to let customers get the information they want on the platform of their choice," Peladeau stated in the release.