Flipster: Canadian eMagazines
You might already be aware that you can read a huge variety of international digital magazines on both OverDrive and PressReader with your library card. But did you know that we have another platform with a collection of specifically Canadian magazines?
It's called Flipster, and you might be surprised by the range of local magazines you can find on it. There's something for everyone — from Black Girl's Magazine (by and for tweens) to Cycle Canada (for motorcycle afficionados) to Majesty (for fans of the Royal Family).
Here's just a sampling of the 52 magazines you have to choose from — or log in with your library card or digital access card to explore them all:
The Vancouver-based magazine that initiated the Occupy Wall Street movement and Buy Nothing Day still feels surprisingly fresh and subversive. A few minutes spent browsing its pages might make you realize how strange it feels to read an entire magazine with no ads anywhere in sight. It may make you wonder why that's such a rare experience.
The Summer 2021 issue is a mix of essays, short fiction, art and poetry. It includes a prose poem by Trickster series author Eden Robinson, pandemic-inspired collages by novelist Camilla Gibb, and a transcript of Eleanor Wachtel's interview with cartoonist Chris Ware, among other delights. Well worth your time.
This venerable (26-year-old!) magazine about zines and independent culture is still going strong. The Summer 2021 issue does a deep dive into UFO and conspiracy zines of yesteryear. Writers Joshua Bell and Donna Kossy lament the way old, fun conspiracy theories have been overtaken by new, toxic, more potent ones. There's also a clever piece on using mail art to prevent illegal rent hikes. Punk's not dead! It's just asleep by 11, because it has an early day tomorrow.
Did you know that Jim Cuddy of Blue Rodeo likes to go biking in Tuscany? Neither did I — but I found out from Canadian Cycling. Features on interesting Canadians (E. R. nurses, in addition to Cuddy) who cycle, recipes by prominent cyclists, tips for beginners and gear reviews round out this issue.
You can browse gardening tips in Better Homes and Gardens all you want, but if the featured plants won't grow north of Zone 6, what's the use? Canada's Local Gardener has the scoop for those of us who have to adapt to shorter growing seasons. In addition to a feature on begonias and a piece on the British Royal Family's favourite plants, this issue offers tips on growing your own wheat and potatoes, and building an earth-sheltered greenhouse.
Quill & Quire has been following — and guiding — the Canadian literary conversation for 80 years. This issue features articles on the new focus on joy in books by equity-seeking authors. There's also a profile of francophone author Marie-Claire Blais, and the usual broad selection of reviews, including a feature on Omar El Akkad's new book, What Strange Paradise. (And for those in need of help, there's even a regular advice column from celebrated author, playwright and TPL staffer Brian Francis.)
Parenting today involves a lot of decision-making: about how to carry your baby, how to furnish your kids' rooms, where and when to play outdoors, what and how to feed your kids, when to have kids, how to deal with their emotions, and how to respond to the inevitable judgment of your fellow parents. But not to worry! Today's Parent has advice for all of it, much of it incorporating recipes, detailed instructions and buying guides.
Toronto Life is a key source of delightful inside dirt on the crimes, scandals and backroom deals that keep our city humming along. And sometimes, like in this month's issue, it's the place you go to find truly useful information, like where to get strawberry mochi ice cream sandwiches this summer.
Conceived as the Harper's Magazine of the North, The Walrus features meaty articles by some of Canada's leading writers. In this issue, Waubgeshig Rice reflects on life as an Indigenous Leafs fan. Sharon Butala writes about the loneliness of ageing, in an essay that will be anthologized in her new book this fall. And there's short fiction about a Sasquatch-like cryptid by Charlotte Gill.
Did we miss your favourite Canadian magazine? Let us know in the comments!
Edit: Corrected "Canadian Cycling" in intro to "Cycle Canada" - Sept. 13, 2021
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