Happy Holidays from AMPA!

Stay warm out there everyone... now is the perfect time to curl up with your favourite Alberta magazine and a mug of hot chocolate.

We hope you have a happy, safe, and warm holiday season!

National Magazine Awards - Call for Entries

The National Magazine Awards Foundation (NMAF) is searching for Canada’s best in magazine journalism, photography, illustration and design from 2008.

Beginning December 1 the NMAF will be accepting submissions in 40 Categories for Gold ($1000) and Silver ($500) awards, to be presented at the 32nd annual National Magazine Awards – June 5, 2009 in Toronto.

The National Magazine Awards program is open to Canadian magazines and staff as well as Canadian freelance writers, illustrators, photographers and designers.

Please see the Rules & Eligibility for more information. The submissions process opens December 1, 2008 at www.magazine-awards.com. The deadline for entries is January 9, 2008. The fee for most entries is $85.

Hooray - Masthead lives on online

When I heard that Masthead, the magazine about magazine publishing, was going to stop publishing as of Jan/Feb 2009, I was pretty choked.

Luckily for all of us, it's online entity, mastheadonline.com, will continue. It's chock full of news, jobs, announcements, and all you could need to know about industry shufflings and trends. The website will still be managed by North Island publishing, and consummate snooper Marco Ursi will remain at its helm as editor.

Said Ursi, "I have some wicked new ideas for the site and look forward to serving the industry with more news, features, service and opinions. I also get to keep sticking my nose into other people's business without having to make an excuse for it."

So I urge you to visit and support the website--it's an invaluable resource for anyone in the industry.

-Anh

Magazines Ontario Receives OMDC Funding for Innovative Digital Initiative

The Ontario Media Development Corporation has announced that Magazines Ontario will receive a portion of the $3.3 million Entertainment and Creative Cluster Partnerships Fund to support its Digital Discovery program.

The Digital Discovery project will see the creation of a digital newsstand, allowing member magazines -- with a particular emphasis on those from Ontario -- to create digital editions of their titles, with the aim to generate additional revenue and increase readership.

"This project supports the creation and hosting of digital editions of Ontario and other Canadian magazines. Magazines Canada will research and, through an RFP process, select an independent and seasoned provider of digital services to develop a conversion, delivery, and maintenance solution. A marketing plan will help magazines utilize the materials created to access new markets, improve customer satisfaction and keep pace with trends in new media and mobile technology."

"This exciting project will allow magazine creators to take more homegrown content to the world," said Magazines Ontario /Canada CEO Mark Jamison. "This is truly a public-private partnership because with each dollar invested by the Ontario Government today, the industry will immediately invest another $3. The return begins right away."

See the OMDC press release here: http://www.magazinescanada.ca/files/omdc%20release.pdf

Special Holiday Deals from AMPA

Bundle Up!

Brr... it's cold out there! Tired of running around, trying to find perfect gifts for friends and family in this chilly winter weather? Bundle Up! With AMPA's holiday subscription packages!

Choose from one of our fail-safe bundles, grouped by area of interest. Subscribe to two mags from your choice bundle and get 15% off, or subscribe to three mags and get 25% off!

AMPA will send your giftee a card AND a beautiful, handmade AMPA magnet by December 25th, and they’ll receive their magazines in time to cure their January/February doldrums.

Just choose from the list below, send your picks and the recipient's name and address to ampa@albertamagazines.com, and we'll send you an invoice for the discounted price.

Act now - we hate to remind you, but time is running out!

Arts and Literary Bundle

dANDelion, Filling Station, Legacy, Other Voices, Penguin Eggs, Prairie Journal, Galleries West, and Canadian Scrapbooker

Food and Wine Bundle

City Palate, Wine Access, and the Edible Prairie Journal

Business Bundle

CalgaryInc., Unlimited, Northwest Business, Cool Companies, Alberta Venture, Oilweek, Oil and Gas Inquirer, and Oilsands Review

Family Life Bundle

Bride & Groom, Calgary’s Child, MOM Magazine, Homeschooler’s Guide, and Real Woman on the Run

Animal Lovers Bundle

Canadian Cowboy Country, Canine Review, Citizen Pet, and Western Horse Review

Sports and Recreation Bundle

Blaze, IMPACT, Fly Fusion, and Alberta Outdoorsman, and BLOOM

Social/Political Bundle

Alberta Views, LawNow, FARMING FOR TOMORROW, Prairies North, and Windspeaker

Magazines Ontario Website Launched!

A Magazines Ontario committee was formed in May, 2008, and today their website was officially launched, with links to AMPA, MMPA (Manitoba and Saskatchewan), AQEM (Quebec) and AMA (Atlantic provinces).

Several industry leaders have joined the new committee including Graham Scott of This, Terry Sellwood of Cottage Life and Explore, Sharon McAuley of Toronto Life and Matt Robinson of Outpost. More members will be announced shortly.

A key focus for the committee will be public affairs and issues specific to Ontario magazines. The committee will advise and advocate for Ontario-based magazines, and liaise with the Ontario Ministry of Culture, Ontario Media Development Corporation, and the Ontario Arts Council on issues specific to the Ontario magazine and publishing industry.

"Although Magazines Canada has always pursued many Ontario issues on behalf of dozens of Ontario-based members, it has always done so under its national 'brand.' That changes with the creation of Magazines Ontario as part of the 'big tent' approach," said Terry Sellwood, committee member and Vice Chair of Magazines Canada. "Although many of our members have a national audience, being based in Ontario means they must know regional business conditions. This committee will work for Ontario magazines and make the connection to associations and titles right across Canada."

AMPA welcomes the Ontario Magazine committee to the club! Check out the new website at www.magazinesontario.ca

We Will Survive.....Right?

With the current economic crisis reaching global proportions (the BBC reported this morning that the Euro is in recession for the first time since its inception), the arts seem to be the first budgetary appendage on the chopping block.

With the Harper government announcing the cancellation of Canada's first National Portrait Gallery last week after more than seven years of planning, and world-renowned paintings by British artist Francis Bacon and US artist Jean-Michel Basquiat being auctioned off for a quarter of their anticipated value (a mere 27.4 million as opposed to 86.2 million...but a huge drop nonetheless), the visual arts market is taking a nosedive in the economic crunch.

But what about the literary arts market? Toronto Life editor Sarah Fulford spoke this week at Ryerson University about why magazines will survive, despite the unstable economy. Only time can tell what will and won't endure, but as we watch and wait with our fists (and wallets) clenched tightly, her optimistic voice is a breath of fresh air. So read on, and breathe deeply...

“When people talk about the death of print, they’re really talking about the death of newspapers. For about 4,000 reasons, most of them too complicated to address here, newspapers are every year less reliable, less comprehensive, less good at their primary function.”

“As physical objects, magazines are lovely to own. We live today in the great age of design. Never before have ordinary people been so obsessed with decor, fashion, architecture or style. There is an enormous appetite for consumable beauty and magazines play into that marvelously. Done right, magazines are eye-catching objects of elegance, satisfying to hold and behold.”

“I think people read magazines to belong to a community, to get a sense of intimacy, to experience catharsis, beauty, and in some way feel smarter. In short, they read them to understand the way people live today.”

“The greatest threat, in my opinion, to the core of Canadian magazines is not the recession because we will survive this one. It`s not the Internet, either, but rather an internal spiritual danger...In my world, writers often seemed to paint their subjects in the best possible light. They certainly weren’t betraying their subjects—if anything they were betraying their readers who had paid $4.95 for their issue.”

Filling Station presents the Hot Sundae Launch Party!

Hot Sundae is a Filling Station Magazine launch, featuring Single Onion’s Annual Poetry Orgy, renowned surrealist author Stuart Ross (Toronto), and Musicians Travis Murphy & Heat Ray - all together in one bowl!

Filling Station, the locally created, nationally distributed literary and arts magazine, launches Issue 42. Single Onion Poetry Society’s Annual ‘Poetry Orgy’ brings surrealist author Stuart Ross from Toronto together with readers from 7 different local poetry groups: Most Vocal, Red Mile Revenge, dANDelion, Magpie Haiku Poets, Calgary SLAM!, Passion Pitch Poetry and NoD Magazine. Up and coming indie rock darlings Heat Ray, including members of beloved band Hot Little Rocket, put a cherry on top of the evening, with support from visual-artist-come-musician Travis Murphy. Don’t miss this sinfully delicious evening!

Hot Sundae Launch!
November 16, 2008
7:30 PM
Marquee Room
610 8th Avenue SW (in Uptown Theatre building)

Canadian Writers Group Launched

Derek Finkle, an award-winning Canadian freelance writer, has successfully and officially launched the Canadian Writers Group, a first-of-its-kind agency for freelance writers in Canada.

“Even for the most talented and productive magazine and newspaper writers, freelancing in Canada hasn’t been a profession with a sufficiently viable career arc in my lifetime,” Finkle said in a recent press release.

The agency will represent freelance writers in their negotiations with magazines, newspapers, and online publications, as well as marketing writers to corporate and editorial employers and liaising with other agencies. Along with Derek Finkle, one of the agency's greatest resources is media lawyer Ian MacKinnon, who will provide legal advice on the negotiation of rights and other issues on behalf of the group's writers.

The CWG website reports that in 35 years, the rates that consumer magazines pay their freelance writers have increased very marginally, if at all. The CWG intends to reverse the devaluation of Canada's freelance writers, and will work to reconcile these long-standing problems by negotiating fair fees and rights for all stories, blogs, columns, and corporate projects written by CWG members.

The Canadian Writers Group has held two preliminary meetings in Toronto so far, and has signed more than 80 of Canada's most talented and renowned writers, and they hope to sign at least 70 more this fall. The agency will open for business in February 2009.

For more information, details, or to join the group, please visit their website at:
www.canadianwritersgroup.com

Naysayers need to look at bigger picture--Magazines still alive and kicking.

Canadian magazines blogger and magazine expert DB Scott, says that despite the recent closures of some magazines--Christian Science Monitor stopping their print edition; Men's Vogue being reduced to a supplement; Portfolio laying off 20% of its staff; Radar folding; American magazines reporting reduced ad pages--the legacy print product is still thriving. Magazines will continue to do well as long as value and quality are being delivered to readers.

- there is little evidence readers are abandoning magazines
- with an uncertain economy, a magazine subscription remains a constant
- magazine subscriptions are already so under-priced that they are not a significant bleeder to one's personal economy
- new media is not the solution. The jump onto the web bandwagon still must have carefully considered subscriber bases in order to be profitable.
- most magazines (ed note: especially Alberta mags) are small, nimble, adaptable

That said, there is reason to be optimistic about the industry, despite high profile news about our US counterparts.

Related links:
- Canadian Magazines blog
- The Great Magazine Die-Off
- Magazine Mourners gather at Radar wake
- Some Print Deaths Unmourned Amid Carnage

Unlisted Summit: calling next generation leaders

Sign up today to attend the Unlisted Summit, presented by Unlimited magazine and the Chartered Accountants of Alberta. Taking place at the state-of-the-art Banff Centre in the beautiful Rocky Mountains on Nov.30- Dec. 2, the Unlisted Summit is a ground-breaking networking and professional development conference that will be attended by Canada’s top 20-35 year old professionals and entrepreneurs. Ben Barry (CEO, the Ben Barry Agency – the modeling agency behind the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty) will be headlining the event which also features sessions on financial planning, creativity and innovation, business planning and team-building.

Employers: send your promising young employees and benefit from an inspired and connected workforce. Or, if you’re a young entrepreneur or professional, register yourself or get your employer to sponsor your attendance. Go to unlimitedmagazine.com/unlisted for more information. It’s going to be the event of your career!

Masthead Calls it Quits After 21 Years

Canada's Magazine Industry publication Masthead and Masthead Online announced today that the November/December 2008 issue of Masthead will be the last, after 21 years of publication.

North Island Publishing Inc. president Alexander Donald is quoted on Masthead Online saying “We are very proud of the service Masthead has provided the magazine industry over the years, but the magazine has not been financially viable for several years now and structural changes in the market have created even more challenges. We’ve taken a decision to focus our company’s resources on other projects in our other markets.”

"We want to thank the readers, writers, illustrators, photographers and advertisers who supported our efforts,” says Donald. “I especially want to thank current and past staff members who believed so much in the magazine and made it an institution in the industry. It is a sad day for us.”

Masthead's publisher, North Island Publishing Inc. will continue to work on its other project, Design Edge Canada, which is a magazine and website for graphic design industry professionals.

Masthead has played an integral role in the support and development of the magazine publishing industry in Alberta and across Canada. It is truly upsetting to learn that such an influential and iconic publication will no longer be available, and we thank everyone at Masthead and North Island Publishing for all of their work over the years.

For more information, please visit www.mastheadonline.com

Source Media Group celebrates its 5th

Source Media Group, publishers of the newly re-designed Western Canadian Resorts magazine, now known simply as, Resorts, celebrated its fifth anniversary on October 1st with Oktoberfest celebrations in Calgary and Edmonton. Clients, suppliers, contractors, staff, family and friends feasted on bratwurst and sauerkraut, washed down by beer served in etched Source Media Group 5th Anniversary mugs (which they were then invited to keep).

In terms of the newly designed Resorts, associate publisher Jim Zang says, “The changes are dramatic in scope. We’ve changed the content, both in terms of where we go and how we cover each destination, the design of the magazine, and even the distribution."

He credits his team for a smooth transition, "Our creative director Lynn Campbell, was given carte blanche to do a re-design and did a fantastic job. Likewise, our new Resorts editor, Laurie Papineau, brings a wealth of knowledge and experience--not to mention amusing personal travel stories--to the team.”

In conjunction with the new magazine, a new website was launched at www.resortsmag.com. Congratulations!

New TechLife Preview!

One of our favourite Alberta magazines, TechLife, has posted an exciting preview of their new issue on YouTube.

Catch a sneak preview of stories including: Pet Project, Olympic Training Venue, How to Build a House in a Day, etc. As always, it looks spiffy, exciting, and relevant.

Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/techlifemag

Magazines = Money. Mags show highest ROI compared to other media.

Are you an advertiser looking for the best ROI? You'd do well then to advertise in magazines. According to a study posted in MediaDaily News by Marketing Evolution, magazines (the most cost-effective) beat out TV (media that gets the most ad dollars) and online in both brand familiarity and intent to purchase.

In terms of brand familiarity, magazines reached 181 people per $1000 compared to 100 for for TV and 101 for online. In terms of dollars, it cost $1.40 per capita to increase brand familiarity with magazines, versus $2.61 for TV and $2.58 for online.

Magazines also laid a smackdown in terms of purchase intent, influencing 145 people (compared to 100 for TV, 68 for online. Again, in terms of dollars, magazines cost $1.23 per person to create that impact, versus TV's $1.77 and online's $2.61.

RAMM Launch Party a Huge Success!

Thank you to everyone who joined us on Thursday to celebrate the launch of Read Alberta Magazines Month! Art Central was swarming with artists, writers, publishers and general magazine-lovers who enjoyed a plethora of exciting and delicious exhibitions by our Alberta magazine-profiled guests.

Now that everyone is pumped for RAMM, be sure to come out to some of the other events and panel discussions we've got going on in October. The first event is our 'How to Pitch' panel TODAY at the SAIT Polytechnic campus (1301 - 16 Avenue NW), from 3:00 - 5:00 pm in the Senator Burns building, room R112.

We hope to see you all there, and at all of the other fabulous RAMM events throughout the month!

Check out some pictures of the RAMM Launch 2008 excitement below.

Media RAMMpage and launch party

Avenue Edmonton's editor Colin McGarrigle spoke to CKUA's Chris Allen on Arts Alive yesterday about the many events in Alberta surrounding RAMM. Didn't know? Now you will. Listen to the interview here.

This morning, Breakfast Television's Jill Belland spoke to some RAMM exhibitors about what they will be showing at the RAMM kick-off party at Art Central tomorrow night. Check out the BT website.

Come party with us!

The Alberta Magazines office has been busy prepping for our Read Alberta Magazines Month (RAMM) launch party at Art Central tomorrow! Join us as magazines come to life. Exhibitors featured in Alberta magazines will woo you with their wares (with demos, tastings, displays).

There will also be music, a scavenger hunt with fantastic prizes, a chance to win a trip to Canmore via our Read & Win contest (thanks to Bellstar and Travel Alberta) and the whole reason we're doing this - Alberta magazines! And LOTS of them!

Exhibitors include:

• Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts
• Excess Wines
• Bob Harriman, cartoonist, featured in AirdrieLIFE
• Gourmet Gateau, featured in AirdrieLIFE
• Veronica Funk, painter featured in AirdrieLIFE
• Sort-it-Out, professional organizer featured in Calgary’s Child
  

Thursday, October 2, 2008

Art Central, 100 7th Ave. SW, Calgary, AB

5:00 - 9:00 pm

Free event, open to the public

Word on the Street a no-go in Calgary

Word on the Street, the annual book and magazine lovers' festival that took place in recent years at the Calgary Farmers' Market on the last Sunday of September, has been nixed in Calgary f0r 2008 due to a major sponsor pulling out. Unfortunately, this means that the festival will be on hold indefinitely. There is no news on whether a sponsor will be found in time for 2009's Word on the Street.

Word on the Street is still set to occur this year in Halifax, Toronto, and Vancouver.

Check out the Word on the Street festival website for more info.

Liberal Party Supports Publication Assistance Program Funding

In the most recent edition of its e-newsletter, Cover Lines, Magazines Canada reports that they recently sent a letter to all federal party leaders asking questions specific to the magazine industry. The Liberal party responded the next day, saying that if elected, they would support PAP funding.

Magazines Canada has sent several letter to the federal government over the past couple of months, as well as letters to all MPs running in the election. Here is the Liberal Party's response to Magazines Canada's letter:

A Liberal Response to Magazines Canada

1. Will your party maintain current Publication Assistance Program (PAP) funding
at $60 million including the $15 million shortfall created by Canada Post’s intention
to exit from the PAP?

Canada Post's mandate is to ensure that all of Canada is served with efficient, affordable
and accessible postal service. The Liberal Party is concerned about some of the cuts and
service reductions that Canada Post has made.
In regard to PAP funding, the liberal Party would work to ensure that Canada Post
maintains its contribution to the PAP program, a good program that helps Canada Post to
meet its mandate.

2. Does your party commit to introducing competition for magazine postal delivery
in Canada?

The Liberal understands that there have been some concerns about the fact that
distribution is too dependent on Canada Post. However, we have also stated that we
oppose any policy change that may lead to the privatization of Canada Post.

3. Do you commit to continue funding the Canada Magazine Fund at its current
level of $16 million and restore funding cuts made in August 2008 to the Support for
Industry Development program?

Yes.

4. Will you direct Canada Post to delay its introduction of Distance Related Pricing
until the government examines the findings of the Canada Post Corporation
Strategic Review and comes to final policy recommendations?

The Liberal Party agrees that the Canada Post Strategic Review might have impacts on its
current policies. We would examine findings of the review and hold discussions with
stakeholders in order to find ways to improve distribution services for Canadians and
Canada’s magazine publishers.

Alberta's Literary Industry Mourns the Loss of Barbara Mousseau

Former owner of Volume II Bookstore in Edmonton, Barbara Mousseau, has died. Barbara bought Volume II in the '80s and ran the store for 15 years until she retired in 1995, but she continued to work there part-time until her death.

“Barb was just a great lady … a classy, classy woman, and a wonderful, great bibliophile,” says Gail Greenwood of Edmonton's Greenwood’s Bookshoppe. And Sally Maulucci, western trade representative for Oxford University Press Canada, says that Mousseau “was always a joy to call on as a customer in Alberta…. I do think that Barbara was one of the great booksellers.”

Alberta's publishing industry will certainly miss such an outstanding supporter of the literary arts scene in this province.

Our thoughts are with Barbara's family and friends.

It's Time to Make the Case for Culture

With election fever riling folks up on both sides of the border, and with Read Alberta Magazines Month just around the corner in October, a panel of artists told the CBC cultural affairs show Q that it's time for Canadian artists to "make the case for culture" in our country.

"The question comes down to how we can as artists make the case to Canadians that the arts deserves healthy vigorous funding," S. Randy Boyagoda, a novelist and a professor of literature based at Ryerson University, said on Thursday.

With over $44 million in cuts to arts funding announced by the federal conservatives, it seems that now, more than ever, artists and those working in the cultural industry need to persuade fellow Canadians that funding for arts and cultural programs is integral to support a healthy and thriving Canadian cultural identity and society.

None of the federal parties have released their platforms on arts and cultural funding, so it's time for artists, writers, publishers, actors, filmmakers, and anyone and everyone who values arts and culture in this country to step up and put pressure on electoral candidates to finalize their policies about the arts.

Gregory Elgstrand, a visual arts curator and member of the group Department of Culture, a Toronto-based organization formed to fight arts cuts, says arguments about culture's contribution to GDP are too abstract.

"It's absolutely critical we get into that process and that artists use the skills and the experiences and the creative faculties that they have to engage with people in their communities and that's one of things we want to set up," he said.

"This not just about money. What we’ve seen in this round of cuts … is the disappearance of programs ... Once these programs are gone, throwing more money at nothing is not going to produce anything," he added.

To read the full online CBC article go to http://www.cbc.ca/arts/media/story/2008/09/11/arts-panel.html

US Gossip mag top of Canadian newsstands

Courtesy of D.B Scott (Magazines Canada blog):

Continuing a great service to the Canadian industry, Coast to Coast Newsstand Services has published its box score for the sales of Canadian and U.S. titles on Canadian newsstands, this time for 2007. Among the interesting developments were not only who was up and who down, but that the figures tend to shine a very different light on the recent Audit Bureau of Circulations data which gave a rather gloomy picture of the single copy business. Part of the reason was a change in ABC's methodology, removing "public place" and bulk copies from its counts.

Among notable results in CTC's Canadian Newsstand Boxscore:

• Hello! magazine has taken the number one spot for newsstand sales among Canadian magazines and the number 12 spot over all. In 2007 it sold 1,747,987 copies for retail sales of $6.5 million. That's a jump of 313% in unit sales and 210% in dollars.
• None of the top 10 and only three of the top 20 newsstand sellers are Canadian. When enquiring minds want to know why it's so hard for Canadian magazines to do well on their own newsstands, it's because we're crowded out by the likes of People (number one with a stagering 5.7 million units and $28 million in sales).
  
• Canadian Living, the number two Canadian title is off 4.4% in units from last year, with just over $5 million in sales
• Canadian House & Home was also off 4.3% in unit sales, with 2007 sales of $4.5 million
• Style at Home was off 12.3% in unit sales and had sales of $3.2 million
• Chatelaine was off 4.5% in unit sales with sales of $2.7 million
• Maclean's was up 14.3% in unit sales, with sales of $2.4 million
• Reader's Digest was off 8.1% in unit sales, with sales of $2.2 million
• The Hockey News was off 10.6% in unit sales, with sales of $1 million
• Lou Lou (English) was off 6.1% in unit sales, with sales of $862,662
• MORE magaizne was up 53% in units, for sales of $827,152

Alberta Arts Day is tomorrow!

AMPA is excited for the inaugural Alberta Arts Day, happening tomorrow throughout Alberta, with a multitude of performances to take place at the Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary. AMPA will have a booth there from 10am to 3pm, so we hope you come by to chat us up and pick up some magazine samples.

Click here for schedule of events.

From the Alberta Arts Day website:

All Albertans are encouraged to participate in an arts event or activity on September 6 or plan their own celebration of the arts. One opportunity is to participate in the Alberta Arts Day BookCrossing Challenge. This challenge encourages Albertans to read books by Albertans, about Albertans or published by Albertans and then leave one for someone else to discover.

For more information on the Alberta Arts Day BookCrossing Challenge or other ideas and suggestions on how to celebrate on September 6, visit www.culture.alberta.ca/artsday

Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium is Celebration Central for Arts DayOn September 6, A free, family-friendly, all-day event is being held at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium in Calgary, with many talented artists from across the province performing and providing interactive experiences.

Learn from the best that Alberta has to offer, whether it's joining in on a hip hop choreography session or creating a unique presentation using the latest new media techniques.

Arts Day Gala AnnouncedIn the evening of Alberta Arts Day, a performance Gala and awards presentation takes the stage at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium. Tickets for this inaugural gala are available from Ticketmaster starting today at $15.00/ person ($7.50/person for groups of 10 or more).

The Gala is all about creative collisions, as you can see from the line-up:

Aboriginal Music Trio ‘Asani’ will be collaborating with aboriginal dance choreographer Troy Twigg

Alt-country act the Swiftys joins with hip hop group Dragon Fli Empire.

Dancers from Decidedly Jazz Danceworks team up with musicians from across Alberta

Dave Pearce will conduct Johanna Sillanpaa, John Wort Hannam and Kris Demeanor in collaboration with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra.

The evening will end with the Alberta Ballet performing new excerpts from Joni Mitchell’s The Fiddle and The Drum.

The gala will also include the presentation of three awards of $50,000 each to Alberta’s top visual, performing and literary artists.

Obama & Alberta and 100 Biggest Companies in Alberta

Obama & Alberta: AlbertaViews' Editor Evan Osenton reports from Denver

The Democratic National Convention this week boasts 4,000 delegates and 15,000 members of the media. AlbertaViews' editor Evan Osenton sent his thoughts about what an Obama win might mean to Alberta:

I don't know how the US election in November will affect Canada at large, but Alberta's fortunes are intimately tied to America's; their federal election arguably means more to us than our own. If Denver is any indication, America is embroiled in a battle of "stories," with one side pledging a complete change to how Americans make and use energy over the course of a generation... the other, business as usual. It'd be an entertaining debate, to be sure--if only one side wasn't so wrong about climate change, environmental degradation, rising oil prices and energy security. The only inevitability is change; the surprise, to each generation, is how fast change comes. Is Alberta too wrapped up in the latter tale--"blinded by the boom," as it were--to see the threat, the opportunity and indeed the inevitability of the Obama story?

The full story will be in the November issue of AlbertaViews, available on newsstands, by subscription. www.albertaviews.ab.ca

Alberta's Biggest Companies Duke it Out in the Venture 100
For the 12th year in a row, Alberta Venture magazine has released its list of Alberta's biggest companies. The Venture 100, the Next 100 and the PWC Private 50 lists rank the top-grossing Alberta-based companies over the last year. At the top of the Venture 100 this year stands Calgary-based Imperial Oil Limited, followed by Encana and Petro-Canada rounding out the top three. The Next 100 list is topped by NAL Oil & Gas Trust. As for the PWC Private 50 list, the top privately-held companies in Alberta are Syncrude Canada Ltd., Katz Group and Canada Safeway Ltd.

Compiled by Alberta Venture's editorial team and PricewaterhouseCoopers, the list establishes a snapshot of Alberta's current economic contributors and celebrates the success of the province's thriving business community.

"The entire list is a testament to the strength of Alberta business," says Michael McCullough, editor of Alberta Venture. "It celebrates the vitality of Alberta's business community and reinforces the province's rank among the other major economic centres of the world."

The entire Venture 100 rankings are featured in the September issue of Alberta Venture.

Alberta Venture is Alberta's only province-wide business magazine covering the latest issues and trends concerning Alberta's business community. The Venture 100 Issue is available on newsstands across Alberta.

Readers can go behind the scenes of the Venture 100 with exclusive articles, expanded charts and online videos with PricewaterhouseCoopers' Venture 100 committee at the newly re-launched albertaventure.com.

Die-Nasty features Minister Lindsay Blackett.

Die-Nasty is recognized in Edmonton as a comedy staple--an improvised soap opera that relishes in cliches, over-the-top characters, and improbable situations. Suffice it to say it was a pleasant surprise when Honourable Minister of Culture and Community Spirit Lindsay Blackett took the stage Thursday night to show his support for the arts, including magazines, the recording industry, and film.

Read Edmonton Journal article...

More about Die-Nasty...

Party Old School at UPPERCASE Gallery

Janine Vangool of UPPERCASE Gallery knows how to throw a party (evidenced by Design Pairings last Thursday). Expect Old School to be a throwback to your glory days (forget about the traumatic times) and even more interactive fun for everyone. Hope you can make it!

Old School Party and Book Launch

Saturday August 23, 2008
Time: 1 - 5 pm

Art exhibition! Book launch! All-ages party!

UPPERCASE gallery invites the public to a grand opening celebration of Old School. The "Old School" theme celebrates the aesthetics of twentieth century education through an art exhibition and companion book, as well as curated back-to-school stationery and unique objects. It is inspired by vintage flash cards, wooden desks, biology class, science fairs, crayons, card catalogs, textbooks, lunchboxes, gym class, maps, lockers, report cards, film strips, recess, chalk... and the list goes on!

In addition to drawing, painting and collage, we will be exploring old school technology such as typewriters, film projections and polaroid photography. The exhibition features 80 local and international artists and runs until September 30.

In honor of this theme, UPPERCASE gallery has been transformed into an old-fashioned elementary school classroom equipped with school desks, vintage maps, a globe of the world, chalkboards, anatomy models, an abacus and many more authentic artifacts of school day's past. The exhibition is so large that we have enlisted our neighbour, One Blue Wall Gallery, who will become the principal's office!

Please join us Saturday August 23, 1 - 5pm for a special opening day party and book launch. Children of all ages and the young-at-heart will be treated to old-fashioned refreshments. Participating artists will be on hand to sign your Old School book. Guests can pose for a polaroid class photo, make simple jewellery with their initials, and type old school memories on vintage typewriters. Don't forget to pick up our freshly-printed book, signature pink erasers and Old School pencils as keepsakes of the show.

Janine and Diedre encourage party-goers to bring their old school style to the event. Demonstrate your school spirit by dressing up as your favorite old school character. Have an old lab coat tucked away in the attic? Fancy dusting off those pom poms? Still fit into your school uniform? We love librarians, cheerleaders, teachers, jocks, preppies, janitors, junior scientists, geeks, mathletes and the whole school crew. Hope to see lots of you in costume at the big event and a prize for most school spirit will be awarded.

AMPed Up Design Pairings at Uppercase

Thank you to Janine Vangool of Uppercase Galllery for her wickedly informative presentation on typography and its uses, and to all those who came out for some vino, cheese, and schooling on how to use text for maximum effectiveness.

Check out Janine's blog for more photos.

Check out AMPA's photos on Flickr.

Quebecor World inks deal worth $45 million

Giant printing company Quebecor World Inc. released its Q2 results ending June 30, a loss of 44 cents per share as revenues fell 12 percent to US$975.5 million.

The Montreal-based company which filed for bankruptcy protection January 21st, said that results are in line with its expectations.

"We have made important progress in the last six months to preserve the long-term sustainable profitability of our company while working through a process to ensure fair and equitable consideration for all stakeholders," CEO Jacques Mallette said in a statement.

The sale of the European operations will allow it to focus on its core business in the Americas, he added.

The company recently announced a 7-year deal with Canada Wide Media, worth $45 million. The deal includes renewal work on BC Business, Westworld Publications, BC Home, Alberta Home, Gardenwise and Granville Magazine.

"Quebecor World's dedication to quality and service was a key contributing factor in partnering with them for another 7 years", said Peter Legge, Chairman and CEO Canada Wide Media. "Our business was built on print over 30 years ago and this partnership renewal with Quebecor World shows our commitment to the importance of printed media in the Canadian marketplace. We look forward to working with Quebecor World as we actively pursue our growth objectives over the next 7 years".

Article on Fox business

Article on Wall Street Journal

Ezra Levant complaint dismissed by Alberta Human Rights Commission

Two years and about $100,000 of former Western Standard publisher Ezra Levant's own money, the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission (AHRC) has rejected a complaint against him filed by the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities for the republishing of the Danish Muhammad cartoons.

The republication came amidst outcry from the Muslim community, that the cartoons would increase discrimination against them.

"Our whole idea was to educate people," said Yasmeen Nizam, an ECMC director and civil litigation lawyer in Edmonton. "We thought the cartoons did [expose Muslims to hatred], regardless of the context, because if you look at the broader context in a post-9/11 world, Muslims are at a higher risk of being discriminated against."

Levant, a staunch proponent of free speech and freedom of the press, defended his stance vocally, on his personal website, www.ezralevant.com and by posting videos on YouTube. He attributes the dismissal of the complaint to his refusal to sit down.

"I was let go because I'm in the media every day. I've been down to [the U.S.] Congress to testify, I've been on CNN even. That's why I was let go, because if I caused them this much pain just in an investigation, imagine what the trial would be like," he said.

"If I had been a defendant in a civil court, the judge would now order the losing parties to pay my legal bills. Instead, the Edmonton Council of Muslim Communities won't have to pay me a dime." Levant estimates that some $500,000 for government bureaucrats, will have been paid by Alberta taxpayers.

Says Levant, "The process I was put through was a punishment in itself - and a warning to any other journalists who would defy radical Islam."

Other links:

http://www.nationalpost.com/most_popular/story.html?id=705092

www.ezralevant.com

CADAC: Streamlining and Simplifying Public Funding for Magazines

By the end of this year, a new and exciting online database will help streamline and simplify the public funding process for cultural, literary and arts magazines.

An important part of gaining funding is for an organization to have critical financial reports and statistics on hand. However, depending on the funding agency (ie. federal vs. provincial), different sets of data are needed to meet the application requirements. This discrepency in details has left many organizations finding the public funding process to be overly complex and inconsistent.

Launching in late 2008, CADAC's (Canadian Arts Data/ Données sur les arts au Canada) online database will allow organizations to submit one set of financial and statistical information for funding grants. The database will be hosted by the Canada Council.

The CADAC benefits include:

• Arts organizations will have access to reports and historical data on their own organizations, as well as reports that compare their data to all the data in CADAC for similar organizations – by size, region or discipline.
• Financial and statistical information will be secure. Only the arts funders will have access to the information provided by arts organizations applying to their programs.
• Arts funders and arts organizations will be able to use the aggregate data to identify trends and monitor the overall health of the arts sector.

For more information about CADAC, please visit: http://www.canadacouncil.ca/news/releases/2008/jp128620783918870904.htm or email CADACInfo@thecadac.ca.

Folk Fest Fun!

Thanks to everyone who joined us at the 2008 Folk Festival in Calgary. This year's booth featured many great arts and literary titles.

And more great news for arts and literary magazines!

AMPed Up - Design Pairings August 14th

Join AMPA and the Uppercase Gallery in Calgary's Art Central for a gathering for designers on Thursday, August 14.

Design Pairings is a networking and learning opportunity, featuring a talk and design feedback from Uppercase founder and proprietor Janine Vangool. The evening focuses on pairings: which typeface perfectly suits which image? Plus, Uppercase will have all its best toys on hand: letraset, woodtype, dimensional letters, rubber stamps, stickers, pegboard letters, typewriters, etc. so that people can play with type. No computers—this is all hands-on.

Janine graduated from the Visual Communications program at the Alberta College of Art & Design in 1995. Her solo design studio, Vangool Design & Typography, was formed the following year. Her client focus remains in arts and culture, creative small business and publishing. Past and current clients include Calgary Opera, ACAD, Ottawa Art Gallery, TRUCK gallery, Art Central, Beyond Magazine and Whitecap Books. Her award-winning work has been included in Communication Arts Design Annuals. She was a member of the 2007 Alternative Pick illustration jury and was a judge for the 2006 Junos' music packaging category.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

UPPERCASE Gallery

100 7th Avenue SW, Downtown Calgary

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

FREE event, open to the public

PS - Wine and cheese will be provided. Hope to see you there!

Magazines Canada's Recommendations to Canada Post

A delegation from Magazines Canada met with a federal panel reviewing Canada Post's operations and made recommendations on how Canada Post can ensure a continued mutually beneficial relationship with the magazine industry. Here are the key recommendations the delegation made, along with more information about the review from Magazines Canada's Cover Lines:

1. There should be a “postal contract” between Canada Post and the Federal Government which clarifies the crown corporation’s roles and responsibilities.

2. An independent regulator should be created to ensure compliance with the “postal contract” and provide for arbitration of disputes.

3. Lettermail Rates should rise with actual delivery costs

4. Rate increases should be transparent, timely and predictable

5. Competition should be introduced in magazine delivery

6. Distance- Related Pricing should be put on hold pending the Panel’s report.

The delegation pointed out that the Canadian magazine industry’s very substantial reliance on Canada Post did not happen by accident. Building a reliable ‘Canadian’ distribution system, with Canada Post at its centre, has been federal policy for over 150 years.

Noting the interest in the postal services of other jurisdictions as possible models for the future, the delegation stressed two points that make Canada unique in some important ways:

Canada is a huge land mass with a dispersed and relatively small population. Few other jurisdictions in the world face the same challenges in moving mail and magazines.

From an industry point of view, our proximity to the US magazine and entertainment industry is a truly unique situation found no where else in the world. This has been a defining aspect of magazine policy for years and for good reason. The US is the world’s largest exporter of magazines and Canada is its largest export market.

Magazines Canada will certainly welcome learning from the postal experiences of other countries but underlines the need to ensure that Canada’s differences are fully taken into account.

Magazines Canada will provide a comprehensive submission to the panel by September 2008 that it will also release to members.

The delegation included Terry Sellwood, General Manager, Quarto Communications, publishers of Cottage Life and explore magazines, and Vice Chair, Magazines Canada; François Blondin, Business Manager, Production & Information Technology, Transcontinental Media and Chair, Magazines Canada Postal Committee; Michael Fox, Senior Vice President, Rogers Media Publishing and member of the Magazines Canada Public Affairs Committee; Mark Jamison, CEO, Magazines Canada; and Jim Everson, Executive Director, Public Affairs, Magazines Canada.

For more information, contact Mark Jamison, CEO, Magazines Canada at mjamison@magazinescanada.ca

Calgary Blow-Out 2008!

Blow Out! 2008

Started in 2004 as a one-night event to celebrate the diverse literary talent in Calgary, The Calgary Blow Out! became a full-fledged festival in 2005. Held in the late summer every year since then by the editorial collective of filling Station magazine, the festival has expanded at times to include music, film, theatre, and, this year, visual art. Blow Out! continues to showcase an explosive amount of creative work from both established and emerging artists.

All events are FREE, open to the public, and promise to blow you away (in a good way, of course).

filling Station Magazine is thrilled to announce
The Fourth Annual
CALGARY BLOW OUT!

Thursday July 31 to Saturday August 2 2008

PLUS: NEW! Small Press Book & Arts Fair, Saturday August 2 1:00-5:00 PM
with media artist performances by local artists Travis Murphy & Anne Koizumi,
Samuel Garrigó Meza and The Arbour Lake Sghool

FREE!
This explosive literary festival once again puts the spotlight on Calgary's talented writing community, featuring twenty-five poets, performers, and fiction writers that are either locally-based or have strong ties to the city.

Four Amazing Events:

Event A: Flywheel Throwdown!
Filling Station's regular reading series pumps us up for the Blow Out!
(Please note the new venue!)

Thursday July 31, 7:30 PM
Pages Books on Kensington
1135 Kensington Road N.W.
Readers: Christopher Blais, Emily Carr, Jocelyn Grossé, Jonathan Ball

**

Event B: The Big Fat Opera Takeover
Great big literary voices challenge the Pavarotti-sized acoustics of Arrata!

Friday August 1, 8:00 PM
Arrata Opera Centre
1315 - 7 Street SW
Readers: Christian Bök, Aritha Van Herk, Carmen Derksen, Glen Dresser, Ian Sampson, Jordan Scott, Julia Williams
Host: Jonathan Ball
DJ: DJ Geosphere

**

Event C: Small Press Book & Arts Fair
New addition to the Blow Out! Includes media artist performances by local artists Travis Murphy & Anne Koizumi, Samuel Garrigó Meza and The Arbour Lake Sghool starting at 3:00 PM!

Saturday August 2, 1-5 PM
Arrata Opera Centre
1315 - 7 Street SW
Participants: Small pressers, artists, bands, and other folk hawk handmade books, glossy print mags, zines, broadsides, CDs, and other enticing you-name-its.

**

Event D: The Pantoum of the Opera
There may not be phantoms or even pantoums*, but all manner of words haunt Arrata tonight!

Saturday August 2, 8:00 PM
Arrata Opera Centre
1315 - 7 Street SW
Readers: Craig Boyko, Jason Christie, Melanie Little, Chris Ewart, Clem Martini, Andrew Wedderburn, Sheri-D Wilson
Host: Derek Beaulieu
DJ: Pilgrim

* The pantoum consists of a series of quatrains rhyming abab. The second and fourth lines of the first quatrain recur as the first and third lines in the following quatrain. Succeeding quatrains introduce a new second rhyme, i.e. abab bcbc. The form can include as many stanzas as the poet wishes as long as they follow this structure. The closing stanza opens with the second line of the previous stanza, but the second and fourth lines come from the first stanza. Hence, the last stanza is structured like this: Line 2 of previous stanza Line 3 of first stanza Line 4 of previous stanza Line 1 of first stanza. Most Blow Out readers won't be reading these!

**

Of course, there'll also be books, booze and plenty of filling Station Magazines available for purchase!

All Blow Out! events are absolutely FREE and open to the public. Join us in celebration of Calgary's booming literary talent!

CONTACT:
Laurie Fuhr
Managing Editor, filling Station
403.999.2566
lauriefuhr@yahoo.ca
calgaryblowout.blogspot.com

SPONSORS
filling Station gratefully acknowledges the kind support of the following sponsors of Blow Out! #4:

ALBERTA FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS
ARRATA OPERA CENTRE
CALGARY ARTS DEVELOPMENT
CALGARY COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
PAGES BOOKS ON KENSINGTON
STEAM WHISTLE


ABOUT filling Station
filling Station is a locally-based, nationally-distributed literary magazine that is dedicated to showcasing innovative poetry, fiction, drama, film and visual art, and promoting local and international arts communities.

Simply Magnetic

AMPA's got some awesome new swag. We've got these handmade magnets from artist Paul Abrey. They're cheeky, they're unique, and they support your local Albertan magazines. As a tactile person, my favourite thing about them is the texture (matte finish), and way they feel in my hands (lighter than you'd expect).

5 x 5 cm square tiles made of MDF, painted twice, sanded twice, silkscreened, then lacquered--a lot of love went into these magnets.



You can order them by mailing a cheque to:
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA)
#204, 1039 17 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2T 0B2

$2 each, $6 for the set of four. +$2 for shipping.

Cheers,
-Anh

AlbertaViews' one-question survey on universities

AlbertaViews magazine will publish its annual Education issue this September. One of the feature stories, written by U of C professor Harry Vanderlist, considers the autonomy of Alberta's universities. The story asks: How have universities in Alberta changed over the past two decades? What do we want from our universities, and where are they heading?

Please feel free to complete this one-question survey about Alberta's universities. Responses should be sent to avadmin@albertaviews.ab.ca.

The results will be published anonymously, but if you'd like to make additional comments and will allow AlbertaViews to publish them along with your name, please indicate this.

Q: What should be the main purpose(s) of Alberta's universities?

(Choose up to three; order selected randomly)

a) to be the critic and conscience of society

b) to train workers

c) to preserve knowledge

d) to promote social class mobility

e) to encourage the pursuit of truth

f) to invent useful products/technologies

g) to prepare citizens for democratic participation

h) to be a place to which citizens can withdraw to gain perspective on life

i) to perform research on behalf of the corporate sector

j) to be a place for people to develop fully as human beings (i.e. their hearts, minds and souls)

Additional comments:

Your name (optional):

In order to ensure your response is tallied, please reply within 10 days. Results will be published in AlbertaViews' September issue. Email Ellen Close at ellenc@albertaviews.ab.ca, or phone 403-243-5334 with any questions.

Calculate how much Distance-Related Pricing will affect your publication

Starting January 2009, Canada Post will be switching to distance-related pricing for magazines. According to Canada Post, the changes are needed to offset rising fuel prices, an increase in Canadian addresses, and letter carrier costs remaining the same despite decreases in the number of letters mailed.

This could have some devastating effects on Canadian publishers.

More info below (from the Magazines Canada blog):

To find out exactly what the ramifications are, Magazines Canada has created a downloadable, do-it-yourself calculator that will give publishers a clearer sense of the inflation of their mailing costs under the new scheme. The calculator, based on an Excel spreadsheet, is also available on the organization's website under "Public Affairs".

Of course, the national lobby organization has a clear motive for publishing the calculator; it is hoping that publishers will do the math and let the organization know how hard they will be hit before writing to their member of Parliament to protest.

Canada Post will be releasing its new official rate card on July 14, at which time it will release the correct postal codes to use for mail entry points. As discussed in an earlier post, many publishers were finding that their LCP software was not producing accurate counts because CP was providing incorrect codes which counted all outgoing mail as national in nature. Under DRP, magazines are expected to pay no increase for delivery of "local" copies, up to 1 cent for regional and up to 3 cents for national. In effect, national distribution may cost many magazines an unprecedented increase in delivery costs of up to 8%.

"Many titles not based in large urban centres but that have mostly national reach could be at serious risk,whether or not they are eligible for the Publications Assistance Program (PAP)," said MagsCan in a release. "On top of the negative impact, the Government of Canada is rejecting its own cultural policy concerning access to content.

Magazines: Kids Love 'Em

According to a 2008 Canadian Youth Magazine Resonance Study, kids read magazines. Not only that, they are fiercely loyal. The study was funded by Toronto's Paton Publishing (and is a follow-up to a study in 2001/02). It consisted of more than 200 kids aged 8-14 who documented their weekly reading habits, and general attitudes towards print.

Here are some findings:

• despite a cornucopia of media available, 93% still like reading magazines, more than half felt magazines gave them more interesting things to do
• kids multitask less when reading a magazine when compared to most other media
• because magazines are portable, they provide kids with instant gratification anywhere
• magazines can be shared with family and friendsmagazines can be read over and over again
• top magazines are: YTV's Whoa!, Owl, and Pop! while other mentions included The Magazine, chickaDEE, Kidsworld and National Geographic.

TastyTidbits

Here's a sampling of what's going on in Alberta magazines today. Chew away.

Alberta Venture names Alberta's 50 Most Influential People

Edmonton, Alberta--In its 12th year, the annual list is the cover story of the July issue of Alberta Venture, hitting newsstands July 7th or available immediately online at albertaventure.com. Featuring Premier Ed Stelmach on the cover, other notable headline-makers include business leaders such as Encana CEO Randy Eresman, Calgary Opera backer Said Arrata, Nexopia creator Timo Ewalds and new Oilers owner Daryl Katz. This year's list also features a trio of Nobel Peace Prize Honorees in Stefan Bachu, Bill Gunter and David Keith.

"This year's list is populated with modern Medicis, human rights protectors, CEOs and rising tech stars," says Michael McCullough, editor of Alberta Venture. "It reflects Alberta's broader economy, a noticeable shift in thinking about economic sustainability, and a growing emphasis on arts and culture," he adds.

Alberta Views' Short Story Competition Deadline Today

Make your final edits and finishing flourishes because today is the deadline for Alberta Views' short story competition. Alberta Views has been publishing original fiction by Albertans for over 10 years, and is proud to host the only short story competition specifically for Albertan writers.

Did you know? The winner (Kari Lund-Teigen, Pruning Martin) and runner-up (Barb Howard, Western Taxidermy) in the 2007 competition were both honoured with Western Magazine Award nominations. Don't delay, get your submissions in today.

BC Imposes Carbon Tax Act

Taken from LawNow's e-newsletter, an easy way to stay informed about the latest law news.

This Act takes effect in British Columbia on July 1, 2008. It imposes a surcharge of $10 per metric tonne of carbon dioxide emissions in the first year, climbing to $30 per tonne by 2012. The tax applies to all emissions from fossil fuel combustion, including gasoline, home heating furnace oil, and natural gas. The tax is to be revenue-neutral, requiring the government to return the funds raised by the carbon tax to people and businesses through tax cuts. Low-income earners will receive a quarterly tax credit.