Matthew Holmes leaving as president and CEO of Magazines Canada

Matthew Holmes, the president and CEO of Magazines Canada, a role he has held since January 2016, is leaving by the end of August. Holmes will be returning to work in post-secondary education heading up government and industrial relations at Queen's University. A search is underway for his replacement, led by Scott Jamieson, the chair of Magazines Canada and the hiring committee plans to fill the position by fall 2018. 

Helen Walsh no longer publisher of LRC Literary Review of Canada

Helen Walsh

Helen Walsh is no longer the publisher of LRC, Literary Review of Canada. A story in the Toronto Star reports that she has been replaced on an interim basis by LRC board member Mark Lovewell. Supporters received a terse email from editor Sarmishta Subramanian that said only that the magazine "is launching a comprehensive strategic review and fundraising campaign to chart a course for the long-term."

Jaime Watt, head of Navigator PR and the chair of the LRC’s board of directors, did not provide any further comment but reiterated in a statement that the magazine is launching a strategic review.

The LRC was launched in 1991 by Patrice Dutil. Walsh took over as publisher of LRC in 1998 and introduced a series of public readings and talks. In 2005 she founded Diaspora Dialogues, an arts organization promoting the work of culturally diverse writers. More recently, she piloted Spur, a national festival of politics, arts and ideas. 

Ruth Kelly being remembered for her generosity and energy

Friends and colleagues of Ruth Kelly, the president of Venture Publishing Inc. are reportedly gathering this afternoon in Edmonton to mark the passing of this dynamic woman. She was one of the best people in the magazine business and gave generously of herself both through Magazines Canada and the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association. In 2013, AMPA awarded her the Lifetime Achievement Awards in Publishing.

According to a story in the Edmonton Journal, she died of suicide at the age of 60.

The last time I spoke with Ruth was at the Business Media Summit in King City in February and the subject was not magazines, but barbecues and wood smokers, about which I know little or nothing (she, on the other hand, was a foodie of the first rank). Other times, she and I tangled (disagreed)  about more magazine-related issues. She was a woman of strong, and generally well-earned, opinions and her views reflected years of striving, leadership and learning about the business. Among the many things that friends have said about her was what a generous mentor she was.

"In the last few years, Venture Publishing struggled," said the Journal story by Liane Faulder, "and Kelly along with it. In November 2016, the Canadian Media Guild sent a demand letter to Kelly, asking that 13 contractors be paid nearly $40,000 they were owed. Max Fawcett, former managing editor of Alberta Venture and former editor of Alberta Oil, said things at the magazine were “difficult.” 

"He said Kelly paid top dollar for Alberta Oil in 2008 but the recession, followed by the collapse of the price of oil in 2015, took a toll. Fawcett, who left Venture in 2015 for another magazine, said Kelly could be “incredibly intimidating because she was so smart, and so in command of what she was doing.” "

Jonathan Kay has resigned as EIC of The Walrus

Late Saturday, Jonathan Kay resigned as editor-in-chief of The Walrus magazine, according to a post from Canadaland. 

His departure is attributed to the recent storm in the Twitterverse over "cultural appropriation". Kay was one of a dozen senior people from the media establishment who were -- in jest or in mischief -- attaching their name to the creation of an "appropriation prize". (It was the result of a furor over a column written by Hal Niedzviecki in the magazine of the Writers Union of Canada magazine; he resigned his position as editor. [See earlier post.])

In a pair of clipped tweets Sunday morning Kay said:

"I've done something that's going to make the twitterverse *very* pleased...." and "And if anyone needs me today, I will be in the cheap seats, watching the Jays. Phone blissfully off."

Lloyd Hodgkinson, who championed Canadian magazine publishing, dies at the age of 96

Time was, Maclean Hunter was the core of Canadian consumer and business to business magazine publishing. And presiding over that for close to 40 years was Lloyd Hodgkinson, who died on April 8 at the age of 96. As his death notice in the Globe and Mail reports, 

"During his career, he published and founded many of the country's most influential magazines including Chatelaine, Châtelaine, Miss Chatelaine/Flare, Saturday Night, Canadian Home Journal, Canadian Art, L'Actualité and his pride and joy, Maclean's, Canada's first newsweekly magazine....During his tenure as head of the Magazine Publishing division of Maclean Hunter, he also championed women's magazines: from Chatelaine with fabled Doris Anderson at the helm, to FLARE (formerly Miss Chatelaine), which he founded for the growing female workforce by appointing Donna Scott as publisher and Keitha Maclean as editor."

Perhaps his most signal accomplishment was the rebirth of Maclean's, one of Canada's oldest periodicals, repositioned to become a newsweekly under the editorship of Peter C. Newman. It's rare these days to find publishers who are both business leaders and nationalists, but Hodgkinson was one. 

He served as director and vice chair of the Audit Bureau of Circulation International board of directors (1968 to 1985), chairman of the Magazine Publishers Association of Canada, president of the Periodical Press Association. He retired as group vice-president of Maclean Hunter Limited in November 1985. The company that he had built was acquired by Rogers in 1994. 

Ken Whyte resigns from Rogers Media after 12 years

After 12 years, Ken Whyte, the senior vice-president of public policy for Rogers Media and,before that president of Next Issue Canada (now Texture) and president of Rogers Publishing and publisher and editor of Maclean's magazine, is leaving the company, effective April 28. 

He joined Rogers in 2005 and became the first joint editor-in-chief and publisher of Maclean’s. He served as executive publisher of Chatelaine, Canadian Business, before being appointed to President of Rogers Publishing in 2011, responsible for all consumer and b2b titles.  Later, his principal focus was the launch of Texture in Canada before moving again to take on responsibility for public policy. Whyte will not be replaced; public policy will become part of the Rogers regulatory team.

Neville Gilfoy of Progress Media Group has died

Neville Gilfoy

[This post has been updated] Neville Gilfoy, the founder, president and CEO of Progress Media Group of Halifax and publisher of Progress Magazine, died on Tuesday after a short illness. (Funeral will probably be Saturday; more when known.) [Update: see below]

Gilfoy received the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2006, the highest honour that can be bestowed by the National Magazine Awards Foundation.

Progress magazine was founded in 1993 to promote the creation of wealth in the region through profitable business growth and Gilfoy made no secret of it, indeed it was one of his passions. He developed events with the magazine group that celebrated achievement, such as the Fastest Growing Companies, Best Places to Work and the Progress 101 about the biggest and best companies in the region

Gilfoy was well known as a publisher, writer, publishing mentor and consultant and general friend of the industry, both in the Atlantic Canada and across the country. He usually pronounced himself ready when called on by Magazines Canada or other industry organizations to teach, present or talk about publishing.

He was a partner with Jim Gourlay, now co-publisher of Saltscapes Magazine, in a publication called Eastern Woods & Waters before leaving to start up Progress.

As a veteran of the industry he was a passionate advocate for the revitalization of Atlantic Canada's economy. He spoke frequently about it and wrote about it in his own and other publications. He was Chair of the Atlantic Provinces Chambers of Commerce, the Greater Halifax Partnership, the Atlantic council, and the Dartmouth General Hospital’s Capital Campaign and was awarded an honourary degree as doctor of civil law from Saint Mary's University. He was the Honourary Consul of France for Nova Scotia, where he works closely with senior officials of the French government in Canada. 

He was named a 2008 Rotary International Paul Harris fellow for his humanitarian work in West Africa where he was actively involved in building schools, wells and health clinics in Burkina Faso and Niger.

[Update: Visitation at St Peters Church, 10 Maple Street Dartmouth, from 2:00-4:00 and 7:00-9:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22. Funeral at St. Peters church as well, on Saturday, July 23 at 10 am with reception to follow in the church hall. In lieu of flowers, donations in Neville’s memory may be made to Dartmouth General Hospital Foundation. Online condolences by visiting www.dartmouthfuneralhome.ca.]

Death notice, Dartmouth Funeral Home

Jacqueline Loch to lead St. Joseph women's group; Lilia Lozinski leaving company

St. Joseph Media is consolidating the management of its women's group, appointing Jacqueline Loch as vice-president and group publisher overseeing FASHION, Men’s FASHION,  Weddingbells, Mariage Québec, GLOW, Pure and Canadian Family. 

As a result of the decision it was announced that Lilia Lozinski will be leaving the company, stepping down from her role as senior vice-president women’s group since 2008, responsible for all of SJM's women's magazines. 

Duncan Clark, vice president strategic development, will assume responsibility for the women’s group branded and custom events.

Loch has been vice president content solutions for the past 11 months, where she worked closely with Strategic Content Labs and St. Joseph’s portfolio of cross platform media brands. 

Founder of St. Joseph Communications dies at age of 98

The founder and honorary chairman of St. Joseph Communications, Gaetano Gagliano, died last Thursday at the age of 98 and his funeral has been held. In his career, he started a small printing business in his Toronto basement and grew St. Joseph Printing into one of the largest privately held printers in the country.  With the purchase of Key Media in 2002 St. Joe's became a publisher of some of Canada's best known magazines, including Toronto Life, Fashion, Canadian Family and Quill and Quire.The company now produces print and online marketing materials for many large Canadian retailers, including Walmart Canada and Sears Canada.

Mitch Dent leaving Rogers Media after 15 years

Mitch Dent, the VP of client solutions at Rogers Media for 15 years is leaving the company. He was instrumental in Rogers's acquisition of the Today's Parent Group in 2000 and became senior vice-president sales for all consumer publications, then executive vice-president sales at Rogers TV before heading up the company's custom publishing division, the position he is leaving. Client solutions publishes a number of customer magazines including Walmart Live Better.

Vancouver magazine now searching to replace two top editors

Michael White

Vancouver magazine is now looking to replace both of its top full-time editors.There remains a continuing online posting for the job of editor-in-chief, to replace John Burns who left July 24. And now the only other full-time editor at the magazine, senior editor Michael White, has also resigned. In a memo to staff, Tom Gierasimczuk , the publisher & general manager, said

I am saddened to announce the resignation of Michael White as senior editor of Vancouver. 

His last day will be October 23, which will allow us to produce the Nov. and December issues and the Eating and Drinking Guide without too much drama.  

During his 16 months...Michael has elevated Vancouver's food coverage and has stepped into the void of overseeing the magazine as we search for an editor-in-chief. He is here for another seven weeks, so you'll all have plenty of opportunities to say your goodbyes.

Please join me in thanking Michael for his dedication to making Vancouver the authority on all things culinary and unmissable in our city.  

White had been managing editor of Glow magazine and  before that FASHION when he left St. Joseph Media in Toronto to join Vancouver. 

Gierasimczuk says that the there are plans to launch a redesign of Vancouver with its March 2016 issue "in the same considered, keepable, high-quality large format that we just rolled out for its sister publication Western Living this month." 

Related post:
Western Living magazine unveiling redesign in a wider format

Richard Rhodes stepping down from editorship of Canadian Art magazine

Richard Rhodes

The editor of Canadian Art magazine, Richard Rhodes, is winding up his role after a 20-year career at the magazine, though he will be carrying on as editor emeritus. He is stepping down December 31, 2015 and the Canadian Art Foundation is commencing a search for his replacement immediately. 

Rhodes's departure is one of several staffing changes at the magazine. David Balzer, former associate editor, will be returning next week as deputy editor. Nicholas Brown has been named manager of programming and education.

Terry Sellwood retiring from Cottage Life Media; Penny Caldwell named publisher, Michelle Kelly, editor

[This post has been updated] Terry Sellwood, who has been for many years a lynchpin in many of the most important magazine organizations in Canada, including being president of the National Magazine Awards Foundation and chair of Magazines Canada, is retiring. 

He is currently president and chief operating officer of Cottage Life Media, one of the country's most important and innovative independent publishers.

[Update: Penny Caldwell, the editor of Cottage Life magazine has been appointed publisher and Michelle Kelly, current executive editor, assumes the role of editor.] 

His career started in circulation (about which he became expert) and now he is concluding a run of 15 years working in increasingly important roles at Cottage Life (now a division of Blue Ant Media). Come the end of August, he will be making his 10th trip to the Nevada desert and the Burning Man festival  (which he adores, not just as a guitar player). Only this time he won't be coming back to work. 

[Press release.] 

Vancouver magazine editor-in-chief John Burns is leaving

John Burns, the editor-in-chief of Vancouver magazine, has resigned and will be leaving the the Western Media Group on July 24, after closing the September issue. Burns, known for his publishing passion and award-winning ways and for his relaunch of VanMag.com this spring, has been with Vancouver for seven years, first as executive editor, than becoming EIC in May 2012.  

In a memo to staff today, publisher Tom Gierasimczuk said

"His seven years with Western Media Group have positioned the Vancouver brand to be the envy of city magazines across the country." 

The Western Media Magazine Group was recently acquired from TC Media by Yellow Pages Homes Inc. in a transaction that encompassed Vancouver and its sister publication, Western Living. 

Related post:

• Why Yellow Pages bought Vancouver and Western Living

Fired EIC of The Tyee suing the magazine for wrongful dismissal

Armstrong

Appointed just nine months ago as editor-in-chief of the online magazine The Tyee, which she described as having "the best newsroom in British Columbia", Jane Armstrong was fired May 28 and is now suing the publication's owner, Countercurrent Media Ltd., for wrongful dismissal. She has been replaced by longtime managing editor Robyn Smith. 

Armstrong's suit described the company's actions as “high-handed, malicious, arbitrary, or highly reprehensible.”

Armstrong was a former editor with Open File and with the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail and moved to Vancouver from Halifax to take the job. A story in the Vancouver Province reported

In a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Armstrong says the special circumstances which are of import in determining damages include the fact she is 55 years old and was induced to come to Vancouver for a specialized position.

She also alleges there was “bad faith” in terminating her without a positive, or any, letter of recommendation and in her being replaced by a “much younger” employee. 

“That left the plaintiff unemployed in an extremely difficult job market for journalists. She is 55 years old, in a specialized and difficult employment market. She has no realistic chance of obtaining comparable employment.”

In announcing the changes in editorial leadership last Friday (June 5), The Tyee expressed gratitude for Armstrong's professionalism.

"Jane's vast reporting experience, professional integrity, and passion for journalistic excellence were much appreciated by everyone at The Tyee," said Tyee co-founder Michelle Hoar.

Rogers Media president Keith Pelley leaving to run worldwide golf tour organization

It was announced today that Keith Pelley, the President of Rogers Media, is leaving the company this summer to become the Commissioner and CEO of The European Tour -- a huge, international golf tour featuring 48 events in 26 countries. A company release said:

During his tenure, Pelley repositioned the media business to address the changing media landscape. He reorganized the media division, breaking down silos to function in an integrated manner across the diverse portfolio of assets; he led the push to digital across the publishing brands; launched shomi and Next Issue in Canada; launched Sportsnet magazine to make Sportsnet the only five-platform sports media brand in the country; and expanded the reach of the company's TV assets to deliver world-class content to more Canadians. He joined the company in August 2010. 

Guy Laurence, the president and CEO of Rogers said:

"Keith has done a tremendous job for the company over the past five years and I'm delighted for him and his family. He's been a key player on the NHL file and has done a terrific job of reinventing the way Canadians experience the NHL. Under his leadership, Sportsnet is on the cusp of becoming the number one sports media brand in Canada." 

Descant magazine is to be discontinued after 44 years

The penultimate
Descant, no. 166

Karen Mulhallen, the longtime editor-in-chief of the respected literary magazine Descant has announced on its website that the next issue of the quarterly -- number 167 -- will be its last. Part of the reason is financial and part of it is about an unsuccessful attempt to find a successor for Mulhallen.

"This has been a very hard decision to make. For the last three years Descant has been in a deficit position, and as head of the Descant foundation and Editor in Chief of the magazine, I carry all the debts. 

"Our vigorous fund-raising campaign this fall was very successful and I want to thank all of you who donated to the magazine. Unfortunately, we did not raise enough money to offset the shortfall. Grants have been in decline for more than five years,

Karen Mulhallen

although other revenues such as sales and subscriptions have held steady or increased. We have cut costs everywhere we could, but many expenses over which we have no control have continued to spiral up. 

"I have personally searched for a solution, but have been unable to find either a patronage base or an editor (or editorial collective) to replace myself and take over the magazine, and be responsible for its publication and its foundation."

Descant started in 1970 mimeographed and is now in its fifth decade as a very handsome bound journal, with an international following for its mix of emerging and established writers. Mulhallen has been with Descant almost from the beginning and has been its editor since 1973. 

Through its Descant Arts & Letters Foundation, an incorporated non-profit charity since 1988, it has been running literary workshops, reading series and publication projects for youth since 2005. Among other things, Descant has offered the Winston Collins/Descant prize for best Canadian Poem, won in  2014 by Andy Verboom. 

Descant had total 2013 revenues of $113,276 and total expenses of $153,928, for a deficit of more than $40,000, according to Descant's latest filing (2013) with the Canada Revenue Agency.  About 73% of its revenues were government support (principally Canada Council and Ontario Arts Council), but this is declined more than 58% since 2011.

Major changes as TC Media flagship as Canadian Living editor and art director let go

More major changes at TC Media, with the abrupt departure of the senior editorial team at Canadian Living -- editor-in-chief Jennifer Reynolds and art director Stephanie White. And the retirement of Susan Antonacci as associate publisher of the company's English consumer brands, including such flagship titles as Canadian Living, Style at Home and ELLE Canada. Antonacci has been at TC Media for 38 years and is moving to Johnston's River, PEI to work on a variety of personal projects.

There have been no reasons given for the departure of the CL editorial team, and no public announcement, but it may not be entirely coincidental that the most recent newsstand sales numbers declined by 13.9%, something vitally important for a title which places such emphasis on the checkout. (During the same period competitor Chatelaine saw single copy sales increase 17.6%.)

John Macfarlane tells The Globe he found The Walrus teetering, but now it is on solid ground

John Macfarlane

It's a natural story for the Saturday Globe and Mail: a retrospective look at the career of John Macfarlane as he comes to the recently-announced resignation of his editorship of The Walrus. The story in tomorrow's Globe by James Adams asks Macfarlane to select examples from his career and comment on favourite or significant issues.

Among the most interesting, though not surprising, is the choice of The Walrus's October 2013, its 10th anniversary issue, which he said was emblematic of the more secure circumstances of the magazine he's helped to turn around as co-publisher and editor (with co-publisher Shelley Ambrose) and why they can pursue a successor with confidence.

"We’ve established a business model that works. We’ve demonstrated that if you want to do a magazine like The Walrus in this country, you can’t make it viable with just circulation and advertising. The third leg of the stool is philanthropy and events: fundraising. 

"Five or six years ago, if Shelley had gone to somebody else and said, “We’d like you to edit the magazine,” that somebody likely already had a job, maybe a mortgage, maybe kids to educate, and he or she would have asked, “Will The Walrus be around in a year?” and Shelley couldn’t have looked that person in the eye and said, “Yes.” Now we can. Five or six years ago, we were pretty close to shutting the place down. Today we can look for an editor who has skills I don’t have and we’ll be able to say to that person, 'The Walrus will be here 10 years from now and we’ll be able to pay you what you’re worth.' ”

John Macfarlane stepping down as editor of The Walrus

John Macfarlane, the editor and co-publisher of The Walrus magazine since July 2008 is to retire at the end of the year. The search is on to replace him in a newly named position: editor-in-chief, content platforms.

“More than five years ago, I came on board as interim editor for six months, and suddenly it’s five years later,” said Macfarlane [in a release]. “The world of journalism has changed in the last five years, and although I’ve enjoyed every minute here the time has come, as the Walrus said, for a new kind of editor—an editor of all Walrus platforms. I’ve been thinking about this for a while, and decided the timing is right—for me and for the organization.”

Macfarlane has been an important player in the Canadian magazine industry since he was associate editor of Maclean's magazine 1970-72. Since then he has been editor of Toronto Life twice (72 - 74 and 92 - 2007). He was managing director of news, features, and information programming at CTV (1991-92); publisher and editor-in-chief of the Financial Times of Canada (1987-90); publisher of Saturday Night magazine (1980-87); editor of Weekend Magazine (1976-80); executive editor of Maclean’s (1975-76); president of Analytical Communications Incorporated, a public relations company owned by Vickers & Benson (1974-75); and associate editor of Maclean’s (1970-72). He was also entertainment editor of the Toronto Star (1968-70); entertainment editor of the Globe and Mail (1967-68); and editorial writer at the Globe and Mail (1965-67).

In 2007, he received the Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement from the National Magazine Awards Foundation.

Read more »