Dennis Fentie is the premier of the Yukon and watches over an annual budget of $550 million … but I don’t care about that.
I do care that he likes to play Bridge and, before he lost most of his free time to that
government job thingy of his, he played hockey and coached a minor team.
You see, I am the new editor of a new magazine that is devoted to fun – not politics … fun. We write about fun things in a fun way. A bridge in Dawson City is not fun so I don’t care about it. Likewise, vet colleges are not fun. I do care, however, that our children have a quality education system … but I will worry about that on my own time because forty hours a week it is my job to show Northerners how to have fun.
So, what do we have to offer the North? Well, for one thing, we are publishing bi-weekly (for now). That means we can put everything that is happening within the next couple of weeks into one magazine. Handy, eh?
And we have a core of columnists who are enthusiastic and well placed and anxious to show off their own corners of fun.
The first person I hired was Bill Polonsky. He has seen and written about the concert scene in Vancouver, but he loves the small venues of the north. He will be sharing his insights in Next Stage.
Everybody knows James Cackette from his CBC Radio work. He brings his enthusiasm for astronomy to our pages in his Yukon Night Lights.
David Gilmour is hard-working musician. So he is perfect to cover the Northern recording industry in Audio Borealis.
Covering the film industry will be Rod Jacob, who has been involved with the Yukon Film Society for years. Watch for his column, Reel Yukon.
And, because the idea behind What’s Up, Yukon? is fun, Chris McNutt will offer up a rant or two in Attention Span.
A third of this magazine is devoted to sports, so we are glad to have George Maratos writing Play Makers. Each column will feature someone behind the scenes who allow others to reach for glory … or just for a good time.
Chris Wheeler loves the North because he loves to hike and bike and ski. We are all invited to join him in Wheeler’s Walkabout.
We found the perfect person to cover the performing arts: Jude Wong is a dancer and has performed in many local theatre productions. Stage In Motion will keep an eye on what is happening in this increasingly dynamic field.
Keeping an eye on the visual arts will be one its most-involved members, Nicole Bauberger. She reports in From the Art.
Leisa Gattie-Thurmer will be representing the Yukon Apparel and Design Association with features on Yukon fashions in Cool Threads.
Representing the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community will be Vanessa Willett. Her column, Yukon Rainbow, will keep everyone up to date on activities.
Robin Anderson’s job, as co-owner of Latitude, is to create mind-blowing activities for visitors to the North. He will be featuring these hidden jewels of the tourism industry in Destinations With Latitude.
And, me? I’m good at eating, so I will be reviewing a different restaurant in each issue and tell you what to expect on your next visit. Dining Fine will also feature a recipe from the restaurant’s chef.
All of these departments are focussed on the North. The only exception will be Justin Lemphers’ column, Yukon Wild Gamer. The gaming industry is huge and no one else is covering it. So, he will.
As this magazine grows, we will be able to offer you more and more surprises. We will have more room to spread out and tell your stories of fun.
Until the next time, thank you for reading our magazine. It is a labour of love and we take your trust – and your fun — very seriously.
