Litmags' stories longlisted for this year's Journey Prize

The longlist has been announced for this year's $10,000 Writers’ Trust of Canada/McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize for best short story by an emerging Canadian writer. (It should be noted how important literary magazines are in bringing these stories to  view.)

• Lisa Alward from Fredericton, NB for "Old Growth" (The New Quarterly: Canadian Writers & Writing) 
• Sharon Bala from St. John's, NL for "Butter Tea At Starbucks" (The New Quarterly) and "Reading Week" (PRISM international)
• Patrick Doerksen from Abbotsford, BC for "Leech" ((parenthetical)) 
• Sarah Kabamba from Ottawa, ON for "They Come Crying" (Room magazine) 
• Richard Kelly Kemick from Calgary, AB for "The Most Human Part Of You" (Maisonneuve) and "The Unitarian Church's Annual Young Writer's Short Story Competition" (The New Quarterly)
• Michael Meagher from Halifax, NS for "Used To It" (PRISM international)
• Darlene Naponse from Naughton, ON for "She Is Water" (The Malahat Review)
• Maria Reva from Vancouver, BC for "Subject Winifred" (The Malahat Review)
• Jack Wang from Vancouver, BC for "The Nature Of Things" (The Malahat Review)
• Kelly Ward from Toronto, ON for "A Girl And A Dog On A Friday Night" (Taddle Creek)

A shortlist will be released on September 13, and the winner on November 14, at the Writers' Trust Awards in Toronto. The winner will receive $10,000; Finalists: $1,000. The publications that first published these stories are also contenders for a $2,000 prize made possible by McClelland & Stewart.

The longlist of 12 stories are to be featured in The Journey Prize Stories 29, available in bookstores September 26. 

"Really cool" art is featured on June cover of OWL magazine

Eleven year old Abigail DiBiase of Wasaga Beach, Ontario  has her artwork featured on the cover of OWL magazine's June issue, in celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary. She won a contest that allowed kids 8 to 14 from across the country to submit artwork that defined what is "cool" about Canada.  

As the grand prize winner, DiBiase will receive an Acer tablet, an Owlkids prize pack and the issue with her artwork will be on newsstands across Canada on June 5.

"We were overwhelmed by the response from our readers. We received over 400 entries and the quality of the artwork was incredible," says Kendra Brown, Editor, OWL Magazine, [in a release.]  "Kids were excited to share with us, through their art, what they loved about Canada, and I was so impressed by both the creativity and thoughtfulness of their submissions. The idea of inclusion, openness and acceptance was a common element expressed through the art of many OWL readers.  Now, more than ever, it is especially reassuring to see such a hopeful and positive message being shared by this younger generation."

 DiBiase herself said

"I love the magazine and had a lot of fun working on my cover. My artwork shows that Canada is full of so many different people and I think it's really cool that we all live together in a happy way."

Kids' history magazine competition looking for illustrated stories from 7 - 14 year olds

Kayak, the history magazine for kids, is looking for illustrated stories about Canadian history  (500-1,200 words; 1 - 3 illustrations or archival photographs) for the 2015 Governor General's History Awards. The competition, in both official languages, is open to kids between 7 and 14 and the deadline is May 1. 

The stories will be evaluated by a panel of judges on the basis of creativity and originality, content and story composition, grammar, spelling and quality of writing and use of illustrations to support the story.

The top two writers, one French and one English, will receive a $1,000 RESP and a trip to Ottawa. The top twenty-five stories will be published on the magazine's website and awarded a complimentary subscription to Kayak: Canada's History Magazine for Kids. All participants will receive a special certificate commending them on their participation.

Controlled magazine The Crossing Guide to circulate in lower BC to lure Canadian shoppers to northwest Washington

A Washington State marketing company is launching a quarterly magazine called The Crossing Guide to lure Canadian customers -- particularly those in southern BC -- to shop across the border. 

The controlled circ magazine will distribute 30,000 copies starting Boxing Day in the Lower Mainland, Victoria, Sidney, Vancouver, on most BC Ferries and the Victoria to U.S. ferry, plus having an online presence. The goal is to expose potential customers to Whatcom, Skagit, Island and Snohomish Counties. The magazine will focus on shopping, recreation and entertainment. 

A full page 4-colour ad in the 100-page magazine is $2,500, according to its online rate card and it is offering half pages for $850 through to the end of November. 

Publisher Marisa Papetti  owns the Bellingham, Washington marketing firm fifthonsixth Inc. and she says that she found it was difficult for local companies -- particularly those in downtowns, rather than at big box malls -- to reach the Canadian market. There is more to Northwest Washington than Costco.

According to a story in the Bellingham Herald, shopping trips by Canadians in Whatcom County have quadrupled since 2007, some 310,000 vehicles passed through the five border crossings this summer. 

The percentage of those interviewed that listed shopping as the primary reason for crossing the border was 45 percent, up from 19 percent in 2007.

Among the attractions for Canadians is that, with the dollar at or near par, they are finding how much they can save. And the increasing popularity of the NEXUS card gets travellers through the border more quickly.