With a possible recession looming, increasingly fierce competition from digital media and another postal increase on the way, the business of magazine publishing in Canada isn’t getting any easier. None of those dark clouds, though, were dissuasive enough to prevent the launching of at least 42 new magazines in the first two quarters of 2008.

If this pace continues (and fall is often the busiest period for launches), the year-end total for 2008 will exceed last year’s standing count of 74. (So far, we’re aware of three titles set to debut later this year, also listed below.)

It’s probably too early to pick out trends, but magazines explicitly targeting high-end demographics (eight if you include two new swanky shelter mags, Canadian Architecture & Design and International Architecture & Design) do stand out. (Interestingly, three of these magazines are based in Winnipeg.)

Below is the launch tally for 2008 as it stands. Each magazine is listed by title, description (except where the title is explicit), publisher and location.

If you have recently launched or are planning to launch a new magazine, please send an e-mail to Marco Ursi at mursi@masthead.ca.

Already launched

Consumer

• 2point0/university life/Ben McPhee/Ottawa
• Argyle/luxury for men/Bassett Publishing Inc./Toronto
• Á Vos Pinceaux/decorative arts/TVA Publications/Montreal
• Best Health/wellness for women/Reader’s Digest Magazines (Canada) Ltd./Toronto
• Canadian Architecture & Design/Mike Dunphy/Creemore, Ont.
• Canadian Real Estate/Key Media International Publishing/Toronto
• Canadian Running/Gripped Publishing Inc./Toronto
• Canadian Teen Girl/girl power/MIR Communcations/Toronto
• Cottage Central/Renzo Rosati/Haliburton, Ont.
• Cream World/youth culture/TVM Publications/Toronto
• Discovering Family History/genealogy/Moorshead Magazines Ltd./Toronto
• Dressed To Kill Magazine/fashion/Montreal
• Edible Vancouver/local food/Debbra Mikaelsen/Vancouver
• Escarpment Views/Mike Davis and Gloria Hildebrandt/Halton Hills, Ont.
• Fortyfour/for youth by youth/Design44/Vancouver
• Good Life Living Green/luxury environmentalism/Fusion Publishing Inc./Vancouver
• Health, Mind, Body and Soul/holistic health/Winnipeg Free Press/Winnipeg
• Heart Business Journal for Women/EKG Marketing Inc./London, Ont.
• Indulge/luxury/Winnipeg Free Press/Winnipeg
• International Architecture & Design/GLP Group/Toronto
• Inspired Thinking/luxury/Studio Publications/Winnipeg
• iRun/running in Canada/Mark Sutcliffe/Ottawa
• Lake Simcoe Living/Johanna Powell/Barrie, Ont.
• Lifestyle British Columbia/Web Impact/Toronto
• Living Healthy in Atlantic Canada/ Saltscapes/Bedford, N.S.
• Millionaire Blueprints Vancouver/luxury/Terry Nixon/Vancouver
• Nature Sauvage/wilderness/Vélo Québéc Éditions/Montreal
• New Car/Trader Corporation/Toronto
• North of McKnight Community Connection/Marshall Stevenson/Calgary
• Perspectives/free market economics/Fraser Institute/Montreal
• Retreats/cottage shelter/Metroland/Haliburton, Ont.
• Seven/Christian men/Promise Keepers of Canada and Christian Week/Burlington, Ont. and Winnipeg
• Sharp/men’s lifestyle/Contempo Media Inc./Toronto
• Sideroads of Haliburton/Metroland Media/Haliburton, Ont.
• Suburban Life/Formula Media Group/Oakville, Ont.
• Taste/local food/Brandtrust Ltd./Toronto
• Up Here Business/business in northern Canada/Up Here Publishing Ltd./Yellowknife
• Upscale Living/luxury/Trader Corporation/Winnipeg
• Windsor Sports/Dave Hunter/Windsor, Ont.
• Zink Canada/high fashion/Sherrif J. Ishak/Montreal

Association

• Ground: Landscape Architect Quarterly/Ontario Association of Landscape Architects/Toronto

Trade

• Canadian Lawyer Associates/young lawyers/CLB Media Inc./Aurora, Ont.

Scheduled to launch

Consumer

• Zoomer/baby boomer lifesyle/MZMedia/Toronto* (October)

Association

• Dandyhorse/cycling/Toronto Cyclists Union/Toronto (late July)

Trade

• Canadian School Counsellor/high school guidance/Trevor Shirtliff/Winnipeg (September)

Launches we haven't confirmed

• Stemma/green youth lifestyle/Jolene Olive and Nisha Tuli/Winnipeg

*While Zoomer is technically a relaunch of Carp magazine, we expect the revamp is substantial enough to consider it a full-scale launch.

Related links

• American first six months new launches report [Mr. Magazine]