Top Canadian Magazines

Despite the heavy competition of magazines from the United States and Europe, Canada has established its own position and reputation in this segment of the media market. Most magazines in the country are published in English, yet there are a few francophone ones as well.

Canadian Business is perhaps the oldest business magazine in Canada, being published since 1928. The periodical was initially written and distributed by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce under the name The Commerce of the Nation. The magazine got its present name in 1933 and broke off from the Chamber of Commerce in 1977. Rogers Communications is the magazine’s current owner. The magazine’s readership is estimated to be at least 1.1 million people, which is the largest among the Canadian business magazines. It is published every second week in January, June, and August, and its issues include special features such as annual rankings of the 100 wealthiest Canadians, 500 top companies, and best executive officers in the country.

Maclean’s is a weekly news magazine, covering topics from current events, politics, and pop culture. It was founded by John Bayne Maclean in 1905 when he bought an advertising house along with its business journal. The magazine began as a digest of selected articles from British, American, and Canadian magazines and was meant for busy people who would otherwise not spend time browsing through journals. At present, the magazine is a major source of news and information in various fields. The magazine is also known for its annual rankings of the top employers and universities in the country.

Flare is a fashion magazine established in 1979 by Donna Scott. This periodical focuses primarily on Canadian content and is aimed at young career women who were, until then, only targeted by American publications. It covers topics related to fashion, art, music, entertainment, health, and beauty. Keitha Maclean, the magazine’s first editor, made Flare Canada’s first successful fashion magazine. Flare often features photo shoots of models such as Heather Marks and Lisa Cant. In 2009, the periodical marked its 30th anniversary, celebrating with a party at Royal Ontario Museum.

Canadian Living is a monthly lifestyle magazine, covering topics such as fashion, health, crafts, food, and family life. The magazine was established in 1975 and was initially distributed in a small circulation at the supermarkets. The magazine was meant to be Canadian-centric and appealing to both female and male audience. To achieve that, Canadian Living also started offering articles in areas such as winery, woodworking, and travel. The magazine is currently owned by Transcontinental Media and has a circulation of more than half a million.

An example of a successful French-language magazine is L'actualité – a news and general interest publication printed in the province of Quebec and with over a million readers. The magazine was created when the defunct Actualité was bought by Maclean Hunter in the 1970’s. The magazine has featured on its cover Jacques Parizeau, a former Premier of Quebec, Pope John Paul II, Jean Chrétien, a former Canadian Prime Minister, and word famous singer Celine Dion, among others.


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