The Class of 2005
Editor’s Note
It has come to my attention that we haven’t been formally introduced. Seems I just appeared in these pages nearly one year ago with little fanfare except for a rollicking party in Toronto held in part to bid farewell to former editor Julie Crysler, who edited these pages for three fabulous years.
Julie, like many former staff members, has been retired to the ranks of contributing editor on our masthead. She remains an active member of the This Magazine community, sending us the occasional story idea, posting to our blog and buying us drinks or lunch whenever she sees that we need a break.
You can catch her behind-the-scenes work on CBC Radio, where she often works the early morning shift for the world news desk. She’s graduated to a living wage, a chair that doesn’t squeak and a staff of CBC techies whom she can call upon when something breaks. What more can a girl want?
Now it’s transition time again. Publisher Joyce Byrne has moved on and far, far from Toronto to take up the post of associate publisher of Alberta Venture magazine in Edmonton. Joyce is only the third person to hold the publisher’s post in This Magazine’s 39-year history, and she leaves to establish the unofficial offices of our Western Canada bureau.
Joyce was one of the brilliant minds behind the launch of This Magazine’s bigger, better online edition, and you might know her as a sexy, single Canadian looking to liberate an American democrat from four more years of cowboy conservatism. As the face of This Magazine’s Marry An American website, Joyce rocketed to international stardom, with stints on Japanese television, a memorable Toronto 1 television appearance mocking anti-Canadian former Crossfire co-host Tucker Carlson and her picture in the the pages of the New York Post.
Though we’re certainly sad to see her leave, we’re also very happy for her. And we’re happier still to welcome Lisa Whittington-Hill as our new publisher. Lisa has a long history with This Magazine. She took a turn as circulation manager, held the post of arts editor for three years and began writing regular music reviews with our redesign in January 2004. In this issue, however, she ends her job as reviewer so she can comfortably wear her new hat as ad rep. She’s always willing to dish on indie bands, so drop her a line if you’re curious about what she has to say.
With this issue, we also say goodbye to our current circulation manager, Annette Bourdeau. Annette has worked at This Magazine in various capacities since 2002. She leaves to take on the world of advertising and marketing as a reporter for Strategy magazine. But I’m sure you’ll see her in one of This Magazine’s top jobs before long.
Despite all this coming and going, a few things at the This Magazine office remain comfortingly stable. Stephen Gregory, our art director for seven years, shows no sign of slowing down.
As for me, many of you might already know that I’m a refugee from the Canadian North, that I’ve also done my time at major business magazines and that I don’t believe the world begins and ends in Toronto. Beyond that, well, what do you really want to know? Whatever it is, feel free to ask me yourself.
Patricia D’Souza editor@thismagazine.ca
