The Sun is a strange beast. I've been reading it (and the other Toronto papers) since about 1990, and my memories of the Sun up until perhaps the turn of the last century is of a paper that, yes, is right-wing, but it seems to me it used to be something more. I recall columnists such as Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny), Doug Fisher, Barbara Amiel, William Stevenson (A Man Called Intrepid), and even on occasion Eric Margolis being very erudite and entertaining to read. I may be wrong but I also think they used to publish Allan Fotheringham, so at least it had a sense of humour. Of course, you had your Lubor Zinks, but then you had Heather Mallick, of all people, who used to be the editor of the (surprisingly good) book section of the Sunday Sun. You read that right, the Sun used to have a standalone book section (along with a great funny paper). The paper under the Creighton-Worthington-Hunt years was reliably right-of-centre, but keep in mind right-of-centre in 1991 Canada does not mean what it means today. It did have a snappy, populist punch, but it was never patronizing. It had some good, long-form reportage from time-to-time, excellent crime writing (which on occasion it still does today), and of course its sports section (although, man oh man do I miss Milt Dunnell at the Star). Christie Blatchford also seemed more tolerable back then, but that may be nostalgia, who knows. And the Sunshine girls...more "natural" girls, not the overly inked and pierced stripper try-outs of today. Above all, the paper back then was *entertaining*, not maudlin or craven as it is now (as most media is now, to be frank).
It truly was the paper you saw rolled up in front of the steering wheel of TTC buses, left behind at Tim Hortons, or the paper of choice when you sat down at a bar for a drink. I'm not so sure what it is now, it definitely has a nastier tone than it used to. I think when Quebecor took it over that was when it went off the rails. I'll flip through it if I come across a copy, but I certainly won't go out of my way to get one. The Post, actually, seems to maintain the spirit of the Sun of about 25-30 years ago, albeit with a dash of intellectual pretension thrown in. And fewer girls.