 Frise and Clark had grown concerned with the Star 's treatment of its staff and made an agreement in 1946 to leave at the first <unk> . Clark contacted John McConnell , publisher of the Montreal Standard , a newspaper with a smaller circulation than the Star 's that had earlier offered him a position . McConnell offered the pair salaries similar to what they received at the Star , as well as the opportunity for Frise to have his strip syndicated in the United States , which would supplement his income . When they handed in their resignations that Christmas Eve , Hindmarsh asked them , " Aren 't you going to give us a chance to bid ? " Frise told him , " Mr Hindmarsh , you have nothing to bid with . " The last Birdseye Center episode ran on 1 February 1947 . 
