Mags I Love - Our Canada

I guess, by definition, I’m a Nationalist … a person devoted to the interests or culture of one’s nation. That's not to say I think Canada is necessarily the best place in the world to live, or that being Canadian is somehow better than being Swiss or Maori or whatever. But it is where I choose to live and where my roots are.

It's because of this perspective that I was initially attracted to Our Canada magazine. Created by Reader’s Digest and launched in 2004, simply put, Our Canada is a forum for people wishing to share photos and stories of Canada with those interested in Canadian life.

My first issue was September/October 2004 and I’ve pretty much read all 66 pages of each issue since. Much of the content is nostalgic with heart-felt tales of reunions and quaint memories grandma’s cookies, all of which works for me. But the real star of this publication is the undeniable, unarguable natural beauty of Canada captured by amateur photographers. This is particularly evident in the department called Coast to Coast. Here, in each issue, you’ll find photos submitted by readers, one from each province and territory; a kind of day-in-the-life of Canada, from coast to coast to coast. These few pages in each issue make my subscription worthwhile.


There is very little obvious advertising, except for a strange, full page promo, apparently paid for by the Dairy Farmers of Canada, which first appeared in the March/April 2005 issue and has run in every issue since. Placed immediately following the “A Taste of Canada” recipe section it features the profile of a Canadian dairy farmer, always a woman, and includes a photo, typically “women with cow”. I don’t drink milk and I’m not a fan of conventional dairy farming procedures, but I continue to read these bios each month in the hopes I might better appreciate an industry so strongly associated with Canada.

The charm of this full-colour, glossy bi-monthly magazine seems to lie in it’s “small town” feel; the historical “then and now” pictures, the spot-the-loonie and “what is it” challenges, and lots of stories of how life goes on across this huge country.

However, using “Our” in the title gives hint at what might be a slightly narrow perspective that this magazine, or its editors, have of Canada. In spite of the name, it’s not really about our fellow Canadians, but rather about just a few Canadians, which brings me to my really big question; is everyone in Canada white? In the 21 issues that I have, I could hardly find one face that wasn’t.

Now, I realize that some folks think a Nation should be stagnant, frozen in time amidst the romance and tragedy of post-war 1950’s. On the other hand, many think a Nation’s strength lies in its ability to evolve, as people move around the world exploring and connecting. Clearly the editors, and possibly many of the readers, are of the frozen variety which conspires to present a very flat, one-dimensional presentation of our vibrant, incredibly complex nation.

So, although I caution readers to view this magazine with a critical eye, if you can look past the white-bread stories you’ll see what we can all agree on – Canada is truly a beautiful country and for that reason alone, I think we’re lucky to live here.