Today I bid farewell to an old friend. Well, we have only known each other for roughly eight weeks -- but it feels like its been much longer.

Of course, I'm referring to the latest issue of the magazine! It was sent to the printer this morning -- and, as usually, I have mixed feelings.

I'm proud of our latest issue; it has great feature articles, including a rollicking tale of piracy on the East Coast, as well as great departments (hockey fans will especially like Brushstrokes, which examines the famous goalie painting, At the Crease).

However, the mixed feelings come in because it is sometimes tough to let go of an issue. Every eight weeks, we are forced to literally "turn the page" and move on to the next issue in the lineup.

To be honest, it's been a whirlwind of activity here at Canada's History over the past year. In the past 12 months, we redesigned and relaunched the magazine, complete with a new name; we did the same to our websites; we published a nationally best-selling book, 100 Photos that Changed Canada, as well as a special edition of a new magazine, called Teaching Canada's History.

When you work on an issue, you can immerse yourself in the daily rhythms of publishing. The first few weeks are all about editing, editing, editing. Then comes the search for images -- art and photos and illustrations that will help make the stories come alive.

Then it's time to ship the stories to our talented art director, Michel Groleau, who works in our Montreal bureau.

Suddenly, I arrive at work to find his designs in my inbox -- signalling the start of the back-and-forth creative process of transforming designs into finished layouts.

One of the last things we do here is pick a cover -- which can be a unique challenge, when we do this by committee, and everyone has their own preferences and personal aesthetic!

The last week or so is all about the details - checking spellings, fixing captions, correction errors, hoping that we caught them all.

And then.... poof.... the magazine is gone, and all you're left with is a cluttered desk piled with papers that need sorting, and the incessant hammering of the roadworks jackhammer crew outside your Winnipeg office window!

In a way, it feels a bit like being in a time machine. As you, the reader receives your copy of the June-July issue, we have just sent the August-September edition to the printer, and are about to start the eight-week journey toward October-November!

Anyhow, they say its not the destination, but the journey that matters -- and here at Canada's History, we believe our magazine is a journey worth taking. 
Thanks for listening...

Mark