Toronto Star closes down Desi Life magazine for south Asians

Desi Life, the magazine from the Toronto Star aimed at the south Asian community, has ceased publication, effective with its February-March issue. A letter to contributors from editor Bageshree (Shree) Paradkhar said:

The magazine is not immune to the effects of this terrible recession around us, and it did not get the level of advertising support the company was looking for.

The glossy bi-monthly that launched in March 2007 had a controlled circulation of 70,000 and was focused on the 13.5% of the Greater Toronto Area population who were of South Asian origin. The term "desi" is often used to refer to South Asians who live in English-speaking countries. A full page ad was $6,113.

The magazine gained a fleeting amount of notoriety when a tame lion took a swipe at a model during a cover shoot in March 2008.

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