2009 Year in Review

Each year, Canadian Magazines compiles a wholly arbitrary summary of some of the more interesting and occasionally meaningful stories from the industry during the year past. This year is no exception.

We think that we'll all be glad that 2009 is gone and that there is reason to be hopeful for the year to come.

January

Read 'em and weep
Ontario magazine publishers face a whopping 53% increase in the 50% of blue box recycling fees they're held responsible for.  

Money in wrinklies 
Moses Znaimer exercises an option to buy $1 milion in shares of Zoomer Media, the flagship of his burgeoning magazine and website publishing company for older Canadians. 
 
You've got to be flexible
Ascent, the yoga magazine, announced it is closing after 10 years of publication.

Seemed like a good idea at the time
Rogers Publishing announces the launch of EverBetter.ca, a site for the 50+ crowd. Less than a year later, amidst major layoffs, Rogers shuts the site down. 

Open to new opportunities
Esquire magazine debuts "flapvertising" on its cover, a little window that opens to reveal...an ad. 
 
All or nothing contracts I
Quebecor-owned TVA Publications tells freelance writers that they must sign an aggressive new contract or not work for their magazines.
 

My friends, and I think I can call you all my friends... 
Geez magazine runs a "write your own sermon" contest. 
 
We're apparently professional enough...
Magazines Canada cancels its School for Professional Publishing
 
Eat, drink and be digital 
Masthead magazine holds a party to launch its final issue as a print magazine.

February

Those wacky, poverty-striken artists 
Hill Strategies publish data derived from tax returns, that show arts workers' incomes are 37% less than the average worker in the labour force. 

Waste not 
Markets Initiative (now called Canopy) and Dollco Printing are lauded in the annual Print Action Environmental Printing Awards for their venture in producing the June 2008 issue of Canadian Geographic on paper made of wheat straw.  
 
Good news and bad news  
The new Canada Periodical Fund was announced. The good news was $75.5 million. The bad news was that small magazines  -- with less than 5,000 paid issues per year (which includes many of the country's best-known arts and literary quarterlies -- are left out of the program.  

Whatever Lola got... no longer applies  
The Canada Council reverted to its former practice, dropping support for controlled circulation arts and literary magazines -- the result of the so-called "Lola clause", named after the late arts publication. Now, to be eligible, publications need 50%+ paid circulation. 

March

We're mad as hell and we aren't going to take it

A group of small arts and literary magazines start a Facebook group, which quickly grows to more than 2,200 members to try and turn back the Heritage decision that puts a floor on funding under the new Canada Periodical Fund, thereby disqualifying small circulation pubs.

Thanks for the suggestion, but no thanks

In the face of an assertion by Rogers Publishing that it wouldn't sponsor the National Magazine Awards and that the awards should be suspended because of the parlous state of the economy, it was announced the program would go ahead regardless

Not so unlimited, then

Unlimited magazine, a publication from Venture Publishing of Edmonton, announces it is suspending its print edition and going online only. The editor, Kent Bruyneel, had barely started on the magazine, which was started in mid-2007, and he was out of a job. The reason? The economy.

Life's like that

Reader's Digest Canada lets go 15 people, including the English editor-in-chief Peter Stockland.

At least it's warm...

St. Joseph Media, publishers of (among other titles) Toronto Life, Fashion, Canadian Family, announces that there is to be a "short term 5% pay cut" by working a four-day week during July and August

Onwards and upwards

Masthead reports that there was a net gain of 42 titles in Canada during 2008.

Stylishly Into the sunset

The founding editor of Transcon's Style at Home magazine, Gail Johnston Habs, announces her retirement after 12 years at the magazine and 23 with Transcontinental.

Just what we needed

The announced harmonization of the provincial sales tax with the federal goods and services tax means that magazine subscribers will take a whacking come June 2010.

April

Dino-might

The Royal Ontario Museum's quarterly magazine is re-launched with a new look from the design firm Hambly & Woolley Inc.

Suits them

Adbusters magazine won the right to continue its lawsuit against the Global Television network and to add the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a defendant. It was because the networks refused to air the magazine's anti-ad ads.

Green at last, thank goodness we are green at last

Geist magazine, after 19 years thinking about it, announced that the quarterly would be printed on FSC certified stock and in eco-friendly vegetable inks.

14, 15...17

The Financial Post magazine rips a page out of 200,000 copies of its April 2009 issue because of complaints about a story concerning Manulife CEO Domenic D'Allesandro.

Too soon

Derek Weiler, the well-respected editor of Quill & Quire magazine, dies suddenly at the age of 40, the result of a congenital heart defect.

Coverage story

Readers of The Tyee chip in more than $13,000 to help fund election reporting. 

Output

Rogers Publishing fires about 40 people in its consumer and b-to-b publishing operations.

Generous guy 
Patrick Walsh, the editor of Outdoor Canada magazine is named volunteer of the year by Magazines Canada. 

May

Fighting on a new front 
Legion magazine looks to sell single copies on the newsstands for the first time. 
 
A long fight, but a satisfying one
Freelancer Heather Robertson pressed a class action suit against Canada's largest media publishers for the resale of articles without compensation. The suit was settled with payment of $11 million (without admission of wrongdoing) and after the lawyers got their share, it should mean about $6 million in payouts.


Casting a new line 
Eastern Woods & Waters, which closed its print version in fall 2008, announced that it is relaunching as an online publication and uploading 24 years of print content. 

She holds the keys

Marie-José Desmarais moves from acting editor of Châtelaine to become its publisher.

Whose dress did you say it was?

Toronto Life magazine's style blog latched onto a motherlode of reader engagement when it published an innocuous item about a socialite's "vintage dress" which turned out to be a Queen Street designer's work. The comment floodgates opened and the hapless woman was forced to apologize.

June

Stylish landing

Jane Francisco, out of a job when St. Joseph Media closed Wish magazine in November, was appointed editor-in-chief of Transcon's Style at Home.

His other job

Terry Sellwood, the general manager of Quarto Communications (Cottage Life, explore) is elected chair of Magazines Canada.

Mom's the word

Caroline Connell of Today's Parent magazine was named editor of the year by the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors (CSME).

Western pride

Alberta Views named magazine of the year at the National Magazine Awards

The third R

Manitoba announces an 80% blue box levy on magazines.

We're the bosses

Ken Whyte, the publisher and editor of Maclean's and Kerry Mitchell publisher of Chatelaine, are named vice-presidents of Rogers Publishing; he responsible for all news and business titles, she adding the job of publisher of Flare and executive publisher of several trade and consumer titles.

Take it or leave it

Freelancers are dismayed by a new contract to be imposed by Transcontinental Media, essentially making themselves co-owners in perpetuity of any story written for a Transcon mag; and requiring that they sign the master agreement in order to get any assignments.

Still number one 
Chatelaine magazine remains number one in revenue among Canadian magazines, in an annual tally published by Mastheadonline, based in part on ad page data supplied by Leading National Advertisers.

 July

Selling burnout?
Tsang Media, which did national sales for a number of indy titles, announces it is winding up its business in Canada so its principal, Olive Tsang can move back to Hong Kong.

A cultural career
Diane Davy was named executive director of the Cultural Careers Council of Ontario. Davy, well-known in the magazine and book world, had at one time run the Owl Group, Key Porter Books , been active in PEN Canada and chaired the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association.

Not Pages...
One of Canada's relative handful of independent magazine outlets, Pages Books and Magazines, announces that it is to close in August.

Going to the big time
Derek Webster, the founding publisher of Maisonneuve magazine, resigns to become the managing editor of Reader's Digest Canada.


Getting traction
The Canadian Freelance Union, after several years of fitful progress, finally announces that it will hold its inaugural meeting.

Turn back before it's too late
A delegation from the freelance community meets with Transcontintal Media, pressing it to change its policy on requiring freelancers to sign a contentious "master agreement".

We told you publishers were tough guys
The publisher of Naked Eye magazine in Montreal, Burton Rice, is charged with gangsterism and fraud in relation to a raid in June.

Cloudy horizon
Rogers Communications Inc. forecast that its media division, including its consumer and trade magazine properties (plus TV stations and the Toronto Blue Jays) would see a decline in earnings of between 4% and 10%.

August

One thing after another
The decision by the hard-pressed British Columbia government to freeze lottery funds adds one more hardship to magazine publishers in the province, already facing cuts to the BC Arts Council, the harmonized sales tax adding 7% to subs starting next July and the discontinuation of funding for small magazines under the new Canada Periodical Fund.

Marco wished well
Marco Ursi, the editor of Mastheadonline and, before that, of the discontinued print edition of Masthead magazine, resigns to go to teachers' college.

An ex frog
Another of Canada's best independent magazine outlets, Frog Hollow Books in Halifax, announces it is closing.

Well, there's lots of coast
The Nova Scotia Policy Review changes its name and casts it circulation net wider by becoming Coastlands: the Maritime Policy Review.

Major purge
Six Canadian Business staffers and the editor-in-chief of MoneySense magazine are let go.

September

Bigger, better, also contains lanolin
Border Crossings magazine of Winnipeg, launches new, larger format, new typeface.

A partnership in fitness 
Best Health magazine, from Reader's Digest Canada, teams up with web provider Sympatico to provide health and fitness content.

Out of the woodwork
The Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers listserv tops 400 members.

It's a bit easier being green
Green Living magazine launches a digest-sized Green Living Guide in print, with more than 375 stores and services; it complements online guides in Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa and Toronto.

Design supremo
Maclean's art director Christine Dewairy takes over responsibility for the art direction of Canadian Business, MoneySense and Profit magazines, which now share one publisher and one AD.

100% increase in titles
Quarto Communications, the publishers of Cottage Life and explore magazines, buy Outdoor Canada and Canadian Home Workshop from Transcontinental Media.

Sign of the times?
Toronto Life takes its name and logo off Toronto Life Square at Yonge & Dundas.

No more Mr. Nice Freelancer
Freelance writers are urged to boycott Transcontinental Media in protest against its so-called "master agreement" and rights grab.

October

It could be a bigger tent
The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA) says more Alberta magazines should qualify for provincial funding. Right now, only cultural titles qualify.

Acknowledging the obvious
The National Magazine Awards announce several online publishing categories.

The grip tightens
Longtime Today's Parent publisher Ildiko Marshall announces she is retiring at the end of the year.

A promise of spring
Former editor of Canadian Gardening, Beckie Fox, announces that she is starting a new gardening magazine, Garden Making, based in her home in Niagara on the Lake.

November

Print... plus
Strategy magazine publishes the first "augmented reality" cover in Canada with its November issue.

Web of outrage
The boycott of Transcontinental Media by freelancers gets some new profile with the launch of the site "Bad Writing Contracts".

Greatest expectations
The editor of Halifax magazine and a Halifax freelancer compile Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books.

What a reaction!
The editor of Allergic Living magazine slams Chatelaine for an article on the ban in peanut products in schools, calling the article "insensitive", "cynical" and "snide".

Making it right
Muscular TV handyman Mike Holmes launches HOLMES magazine.

Shocker
Maryam Sanati let go as editor of Chatelaine. Unsophisticated observers say it's because of the peanut article. Others say it's just the logical outcome of the total makeover of Rogers management.

Hardly had time to redecorate
Mere months after being named editor-in-chief of Transcon's Style at Home, Jane Francisco jumps to Rogers to become editor-in-chief of Chatelaine.

December

In and out
Charlotte Empey named editor-in-chief of the Metro chain of freesheet newspapers, replacing Diane Rinehart.

Professor Newman
Well known author, magazine and newspaper editor Peter C. Newman appointed visiting
 professor at Ryerson University.

Redwood rebranding
Though it was coy about what it would actually be called, Redwood Custom Communications (now owned by Transcontinental Media), Canada's largest custom publisher, announced that it was going to  take a new name, probably in the spring.

New partnership, new categories
The Kenneth R. Wilson awards for trade publications adds a number of new categories including, for the first time, a "magazine of the year". It's one outcome of an evolving partnership between the Canadian Business Press and Magazines Canada and the management of the trade awards by Barbara Gould, who also runs the National Magazine Awards.

Da-da-da dum, da-dee-da- dum...
Toronto Life launches a wedding annual.

Up, up and away
Spafax, the custom publisher of enRoute magazine for Air Canada, takes over the controls at the custom magazine Experience, published for Bombardier Aerospace.