A French edition premieres in March 2009.

A Toronto-based guide for pregnant women that was first launched in Dec. 2005 will be expanding into French Canada in March 2009. About 40,000 copies of Oh Baby! Quebec will be freely distributed at over 30 Sears Canada locations, at pediatricians’ and doctors’ offices, maternity stores, toy stores and at baby shows and events, according to publisher Nick Eliades.

The French version is being created due to demand from Sears shoppers, website visitors and a perceived need for more parenting magazines in Quebec. Although Oh Baby! was originally intended to be a national magazine, Sears locations in Quebec would not distribute the English version. “We decided that now is the time to do it,” says Eliades. “English speaking Canada has so many magazines whereas Quebec doesn’t have many avenues to reach parents.”

The Francophone edition of Oh Baby! will be published four times a year, the same frequency as the English version, which has a circulation of 175,000. “Except [for] a bit of a different perspective because of French writers, everything else will be pretty much the same,” says Eliades.

Sandy Pedrogao is the editor of both editions. Eliades will be flying to Montreal this week in order to determine the rest of the editorial team.

The magazine will be printed by Quebecor World in Montreal is being funded through Hestia International. “It’s coming out of my pocket,” laughs Eliades, who created the company and the digest-size magazine after working for a company that sold outdoor media and published a similar sized magazine.

Oh Baby! Magazine will be promoted at the Parents and Kids Fair at Place Bonaventure in Montreal from April 2 to 5.

The rate for a one-time, full page, colour ad in the French edition of the magazine is $2,500.

Related links:

• Oh Baby! Magazine due in Quebec market [Media in Canada]