Bayard Presse Canada buys out religious partner

Bayard Presse Canada , better known in the magazine field as the publishers of Owl, Chickadee and Chirp, has concluded a long-time partnership with a religious order, buying out the order's share in the religious publishing house Novalis.

Novalis, launched in 1935, has been run ever since as part of Saint Paul University, run by the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a teaching order that at one time founded the University of Ottawa. Novalis publishes liturgical periodicals in both English and French (including Catholic Digest), prayer aids, daily devotionals and missals aimed largely at the Catholic religious public. The unusual partnership saw Saint Paul University responsible for content and Bayard providing administration, production, marketing and sales.

Bayard Presse Canada sells on behalf of over 40 French, U.S., British and Australian Publishers. Among its periodicals in Canada are Owl, Chickadee and Chirp as well as Pomme d'Api Quebec, Les Debrouillards, J'aime Lire Quebec, Good Times and Le Bel Age. (In the latter two, it is a partner with Transcontinental Media.)

The company It is part of Bayard a relatively low-profile yet substantial ($400 million) international publishing operation with 1,500 employees in 41 countries and 110 periodicals. It has been built by concentrating on publishing for Catholics, children and teens and seniors.