Guest Author - M. E. Wood

Reader’s Digest premiered its new magazine, “Our Canada,” this month. It’s an economically priced magazine in today’s cutthroat industry. You can pick up the beautiful, full-colour glossy magazine for $3.99 (Canadian).

The concept of “Our Canada” was originally meant to be an article spread in Reader’s Digest. They received such a positive response of stories and photos from people across Canada that they decided to take it one step further and produce a magazine.

“Our Canada” will be delivered via subscription and newsstand six times per year. A charter subscription is now available for $14.97 (CAN) and $4.99 for postage, handling and taxes.

On almost every page, they ask readers to send in their own contributions, be it story or photo. They want real Canadians to contribute to the success and content of the magazine.

Here are some of their regular features:

•“The Nicest Thing Anyone’s Ever Done For Me.”
•“What is it?” (You can send in a picture of an object that you want to know something about.)
•“Canadians Abroad.”
•“Paws for Thought” (Share a photo or interesting story about your pet.)
•“My Home Town”
•“Can You Beat That?” (Readers share amazing stories.)
•“My Back Yard” (Gives readers a chance to share the view out their window, again either with a picture, a story or both.)
•“This Old Car”
•“Brush With Fame”
•“A Taste of Canada”
•“Coming to Canada” (Stories about or by people who have immigrated to Canada.)
•“Funny Stuff”
•“The Way It Was”
•“It’s Traditions”
•“Crafty Canadians”
•“Our Kids”
•“Special People”

Every month, there will also be a feature that will take “you to a different part of the country” where a “local photographer” will “show you around.” In the premiere issue there was a ten page spread of gorgeous photos of Prince Edward Island taken by Anne MacKay and Wayne Barrett. This is sure to be a favourite feature.

“Our Canada” is sure to be a great success if future issue follow this calibre. Even though I am Canadian, circumstance hasn’t allowed me to travel across this beautiful country. I’m looking forward to traveling vicariously through the future issue of “Our Canada”.

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Copyright © 2004 M. E. Wood