The Beaver named Manitoba magazine of the year

The Beaver: Canada's National History Magazine, was named magazine of the year at the "Maggies", the first annual awards program of the Manitoba Magazine Publishers Association.

The province's oldest magazine (founded in 1920) The Beaver was chosen because it had an extraordinary year: publishing for the first time in French with its Quebec 400th Anniversary Special Issue; clinching a book deal based on their summer issue featuring the 10 Photos That Changed Canada; and posting record-breaking newsstand sales for every issue throughout the calendar year.

Other awards given at the ceremony, held Friday night at the Fairmont Hotel as part of the MMPA's annual Magazine Weekend, were:

• Best Initiative (recognizing ancillary activities that build the magazine's brand): Winnipeg Men for "Test Drive"
• Most Innovative Marketing Initiative (recognizing achievement and creativity in marketing and promotion of a magazine): Kayak: Canada's History Magazine for Kids
• Most Effective Web Activity (for a website, online event, contest, or social networking initiative): Outwords
• Most Effective Use of Words: Prairie Fire for "Animalia"
• Best Regular Column or Feature: The Beaver for Chris Moore's column
• Best Editorial Package: The Beaver for "The Boy in the Picture"
• Best Cover: Prairie Fire for "Atwood"
  

Manitoba Magazines also launched a new award program for Red River Community College students in the Creative Communications program [it said in a release]. Students work on a magazine concept over several weeks developing a business plan as well as a prototype for a new magazine. The Association will contribute $1500 annually in prizing for the top student projects.

This year's student award recipients were:

• Bonnie Seidel; Gina Nasuti; Emily Baron Cardloff; Sean Ledwich for Packrat: A Backpacking Magazine
• Finalists in the category were: Rachel Hawryluk; Shayna Wiweirski; Erica Zawadowski; Matt Prepost;Thor Blondal for Quarkz: a magazine about quirky people and things and Mitchell Clinton; Melanie Fatouros; Rheanne Marcoux; Kalen Qually for Sugarthread: a magazine about candy