Canadian magazine media gathered November 27, 2018 for a “Magazines on the Hill” reception in Ottawa organized by Magazines Canada and hosted by Julie Dabrusin, MP for Toronto—Danforth and Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage.

Part of the annual Ottawa meeting of the association’s Board of Directors, the reception was a sociable evening with senior leaders from across the Canadian magazine media sector gathering with Members of Parliament, Senators, Department of Canadian Heritage officials and influential Ottawa decision-makers who are responsible for Canada’s cultural policy and programs. A number of Magazines Canada’s key sponsors were also in attendance.

Magazines Canada was delighted to welcome Andy Fillmore, MP for Halifax and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Multiculturalism, who addressed guests on the importance of Canadian magazines to the country’s media and cultural landscape. Canadian magazines promote social cohesion, and are an important economic sector that contributes to Canada’s competitiveness.

In his remarks, Parliamentary Secretary Fillmore affirmed the federal government’s commitment to supporting Canada’s dynamic magazine sector, and that the Canada Periodical Fund, administered by the Department of Canadian Heritage, remains the most important tool to support Canadian magazines in publishing Canadian content, and ensuring the discovery of this content by readers across all platforms. The Canada Periodical Fund ensures that Canadians have access to the content that they want to read, and also supports programs like Magazines Canada’s national paid internship initiative and national marketing campaigns that directly serve Canada’s magazine industry.

Canadian Heritage officials are pursuing their work to review and modernize the Canada Periodical Fund while continuing to support the Canadian magazine sector, recognizing the important role Canadian magazines play, both culturally and economically.

Magazines Canada is pleased to work with Canadian Heritage on this important endeavour. In his remarks, Scott Jamieson, Group Publisher and Director of Engagement at Annex Business Media, and Chair of Magazines Canada’s Board of Directors, also affirmed the Canada Periodical Fund’s essential support for Canadian magazines, which is crucial to producing, creating and selling magazines in Canada and abroad.

Canada’s magazine sector continues to grow, launch new brands, and hire skilled workers. The industry’s nearly 2,700 business-to-business, consumer and cultural magazines contribute approximately $1.7 billion to Canada’s GDP, are produced in every province and territory across the country, and are published in 34 different languages.

Reception guests were invited to browse magazine newsstands set up especially for the event and to take home the very best in Canadian magazine content, each issue filled with original and impactful contributions of Canadian creators to our national conversation.

The reception was followed by a meeting of Magazines Canada’s Board of Directors on November 28, 2018. Board members met with senior officials from Canadian Heritage for a fruitful conversation on the modernization of the Canada Periodical Fund, and discussed priorities for Magazines Canada as an association within the framework of its 2018–2023 strategic plan.

For more information:

Brianne DiAngelo
Director, Communications
Magazines Canada
bdiangelo@magazinescanada.ca