The Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year Award, established in 2006, honours one person per year who has made an outstanding volunteer contribution to the Canadian magazine industry.
Winners of the 2016 Volunteer Awards
On behalf of Canadian magazines from coast to coast, Magazines Canada thanks these outstanding volunteers for their contributions in 2016.
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year
Robert Goyette
Robert Goyette is Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest Canada. After six years as a newspaper reporter and editor at The Montreal Star, Robert joined Reader’s Digest in the fall of 1979 as an editor for Sélection. He left the company to become Managing Editor at L’actualité from 1987 to 1993 but returned to Sélection in 1994. He was responsible for the creation of the first RD Canada websites in French and English in 1998, and later appointed Editor-in-Chief of Sélection in 1999. He became Vice-President of Reader’s Digest Magazines Ltd the following year. In 2002, he was named Chair of the Reader’s Digest Foundation. Beginning in 2004, Robert also oversaw the creation of Books and Special Publications for Canada in English and French. In 2009, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest Canada, Our Canada and More of Our Canada magazines. In 2014, he relaunched Best Health magazine with new Editor Beth Thompson.
Through the years, Robert has also been active in industry associations. He was a founding member of the Quebec magazine publishers’ association (l’Association québécoise des éditeurs de magazines) more than 25 years ago and was its chair for many years. He has also served on the board of Magazines Canada as well as as its chair, the first from an editorial background and the first ever not from Ontario.
Goyette’s contribution to the industry is also being recognized by the Quebec magazine publishers’ association. He is the recipient of the Magazines du Québec 2016 Volunteer of the Year Award.
Magazines Association of BC Volunteer of the Year
Natasha Sanders-Kay
Natasha Sanders-Kay is Managing Editor at subTerrain Magazine, where she has worked since 2012. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree with Distinction in Women’s Studies from SFU, where she was top of her graduating class. She also holds an Associate of Arts Degree in Women’s Studies with Honours from Langara College. In 2012 Natasha completed an internship with Rebus Creative, the professional team best known for organizing the BC Book Prizes and Word Vancouver festival. She has also worked for Anvil Press. Over the years Natasha has worked, organized and volunteered for feminist organizations with a commitment to ending violence against women and fighting for gender equality. Natasha is passionate about creative writing, with a recent focus on poetry and poetic intersections with social justice.
For MABC, Natasha spent a lot of time finding the right mix and organizing the popular Inclusive Magazine Publishing panel at WORD Vancouver 2016 in September. In addition, she is actively involved with a variety of other stakeholders on planning a small cross-Canada conference within the next year or so focusing on intensive discussions on diversity/inclusivity in publishing with academics and industry leaders. With the help of Dan Post who provided a sponsorship package, Natasha also tackled MABC’s languishing sponsorship program, almost tripling their conference sponsor dollars from 2015 to 2016. And Natasha has always contributed to board discussions both in-person and online, and offered help with administrative tasks. She is a valued member of the MABC team.
Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Volunteer of the Year
Joyce Byrne
Joyce Byrne is the publisher of Avenue Calgary magazine, Calgary’s leading city magazine, published by RedPoint Media and Marketing Solutions. Previously she was Vice President and Associate Publisher with Venture Publishing, and began her career as publisher of This Magazine in Toronto. She is the proofreader for Taddle Creek and was consulting publisher to Eighteen Bridges. She has received the Advertising Club of Edmonton’s Fellowship Award, the National Advertising Benevolent Society Honour Roll, and was Magazines Canada’s Volunteer of the Year in 2011, following a 10-year term as director and chair of professional development. She is past president of the National Magazine Awards Foundation, and currently sits on the boards of Alberta Magazine Publishers Association, International Regional Magazine Association and NABS West.
Magazines Ontario Volunteer of the Year
Todd Latham
Todd is a business media leader, idea generator, business owner, investor and front line communicator in the environment, water and infrastructure sectors where he has twenty-eight years experience. He is Founder and President of Actual Media Inc., a national creative agency which produces ReNew Canada magazine, the Top100 Projects report, Water Canada magazine and a number of events including the Canadian Water Summit, The Top100 Projects Key Player & Owners Dinner and the Brownie Awards. Todd is a cross-industry participant and communicator with broad practical knowledge and an extensive network in the global environment, infrastructure and water sectors. He is also President of Blue Events Inc. and a board member of both the Canadian Network of Asset Managers (CNAM) and the Ontario Public Works Association (OPWA). He is co-founder of the Canadian Brownfields Network, a senior associate of the Canadian Urban Institute and an award-winning member of the University of Toronto Environmental Finance Committee. In March 2011 he travelled to Antarctica with Sir Robert Swan and became an alumnus of 2041—an international group committed the renewable energy and the preservation of the continent.
Magazines du Québec Volunteer of the Year
Robert Goyette
Robert Goyette was a founding member of l’Association québécoise des éditeurs de magazines more than 25 years ago and was its chair for many years. He is currently Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest Canada. After six years as a newspaper reporter and editor at The Montreal Star, Robert joined Reader’s Digest in the fall of 1979 as an editor for Sélection. He left the company to become Managing Editor at L’actualité from 1987 to 1993 but returned to Sélection in 1994. He was responsible for the creation of the first RD Canada websites in French and English in 1998, and later appointed Editor-in-Chief of Sélection in 1999. He became Vice-President of Reader’s Digest Magazines Ltd the following year. In 2002, he was named Chair of the Reader’s Digest Foundation. Beginning in 2004, Robert also oversaw the creation of Books and Special Publications for Canada in English and French. In 2009, he was appointed Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest Canada, Our Canada and More of Our Canada magazines. In 2014, he relaunched Best Health magazine with new editor Beth Thompson.
* The Manitoba Magazine Publishers’ Association and the Atlantic Magazines Association did not announce a Volunteer of the Year for 2015.
Past Volunteer Award Winners
Magazines Canada celebrates magazine volunteers from across the country!
2015
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2015
Chris Purcell, Vice President of Marketing and Circulation, and General Manager, Toronto, TVA Publications.
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Jane Hope, MABC
Brnesh Berhe, AMPA
Patricia Clarke, Magazines Ontario
Jean-François Morin, AQEM
The Manitoba Magazine Publishers’ Association (MMPA) and the Atlantic Magazines Association (AMA) did not announce a Volunteer of the Year for 2015.
2013
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2013
Immee Chee Wah, Vice President, Business Planning, Rogers Publishing
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Darren Bernaerdt, MABC
Emily Ursuliak, AMPA
Deborah Morrison, MMPA
Melony Ward, Magazines Ontario
Thom Knowles, AMA
Magazines du Québec (AQEM) did not announce a Volunteer of the Year for 2013.
2012
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2012
Darlene Storey, Vice President, Consumer Marketing and Production, St. Joseph Media
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Diane Wong, MABC
Brenda Johnstone, MMPA
Alistair Cheng, Magazines Ontario
Alexa Thompson, AMA
The Alberta Magazine Publishers Association (AMPA) and Magazines du Québec (AQEM) did not announce a Volunteer of the Year for 2012.
2011
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2011
Joyce Byrne, Vice President and Associate Publisher, Venture Publishing
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Jenn Farrell, MABC
Bobbi Beatty, AMPA (co-winner)
Kayla Nash, AMPA (co-winner)
Christopher Purcell, Magazines Ontario
Sylvain Bédard, AQEM
Christine Beevis Trickett, AMA
2010
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2010
Jessica Ross, Vice President and Treasurer, the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Clélie Rich, MABC
Claire Lacey, AMPA
Deborah Morrison, MMPA
Eithne McCredie, Magazines Ontario
Catherine Resch, AQEM
Sharon Resky, AMA
2009
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2009
John Milne, Business and Professional Publishing, Rogers Publishing Limited
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Tracy Stefanucci, BCAMP
Rob Tanner, AMPA
Betty Ann Watts, MMPA
Jeff Shearer, Magazines Ontario
Robert Goyette, AQEM
Dawn Chafe, AMA
2008
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2008
Patrick Walsh, Outdoor Canada
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Anicka Quin, BCAMP
Erinne Sevigny, AMPA
Penni Mitchell, MMPA
Hervé Juste, AQEM
Patty Baxter & Sheila Blair-Reid, AMA
2007
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2007
Jim and Linda Gourlay, Saltscapes
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Brian Kaufman, BCAMP
Lynn Fraser, AMPA
Linda Hazelwood, MMPA
Féliz Maltais, AQEM
Shawn Dalton, AMA
2006
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2006
Terry Sellwood, Cottage Life, explore and Magazines Canada
Cross-Country Volunteer Award Winners
Lisa Manfield, BCAMP
Derek Beaulieu, AMPA
Andris Taskans, MMPA
Suzanne Lamouche, AQEM
2005
Magazines Canada Volunteer of the Year 2005
Michael Fox, Rogers and Magazines Canada
Outstanding Volunteers
Melissa Edwards, BCAMP
Tony Fouhse, Burnt Toast
Colin Martin, dANDelion