Page 13 - 08_Oct-2025

named Edifying Monthly Discussions. From the beginning,
magazines carved out a middle ground between news and
books: deeper than the daily paper, yet more accessible
than a tome. By the early 20th century, titles like Life
and Time made slow, premium journalism the norm.
By the 1960s, city magazines adapted that model locally,
shaping civic identity with the same dedication to fact-
checked reporting, literary journalism and elegant design.
Fewer than 10 city magazines of that standard this still
exist in Canada. Each closure means the loss of a civic
voice. A city magazine can both celebrate and scrutinize a
place. That is the legacy Edify inherited — and the one it
continues to fight for, issue after issue, against odds that
grow steeper by the year.
But most people aren’t in that position, which is why we’re
launching The Edify Readers’ Trust — a fund inviting direct
support from individuals, not corporations. Unlike subscriptions
or memberships, it has no tiers, perks or exclusivity. Contributions
— one-time or monthly, at any level — will go straight to stories
that ad dollars no longer cover: civics and politics, long-form
features, narrative nonfiction. The more we raise, the more of
these stories we can publish.
With the Readers’ Trust, we can pursue this work more
consistently and maybe even return to publishing monthly.
If you believe in the value of independent local journalism — and
the unique role of city magazines as cultural and community
artifacts — I invite you to join us in sustaining it. Because without
readers willing to stand behind it, there’s no guarantee Edify will
see another five years.
Omar Mouallem
[email protected]
This naturally raises the question, what can you
do to sustain Edify?
It’s not my job to sell ads — that’s the publisher’s. She
steers the business so my colleagues and I can serve
readers, undistracted and uninfluenced by our revenue
sources. That said, if you own or manage an organization,
the single most effective thing you can do is take out an
ad or sponsor an event. You may not get a neat chart of
clicks and conversions, but you’ll gain something harder to
measure and more valuable: a relationship with engaged
readers and the pride of standing behind a magazine that
belongs to Edmonton.
Scan to
support our
journalism
SHOP AT THE EPICENTRE of our city
edmontondowntown.com/shop