Last issue I wrote about the changes going on with Tonic. This will be the last issue of the magazine as “Tonic Toronto”. The first issue of “The Tonic” magazine drops in January. So you might want to shrink wrap this as a collector’s edition. By the time you read this note, the talk show/podcast website will have been merged with the magazine website as thetonic.ca. You can listen or read all of the great health and wellness content in one place.
While I have written about Tonic as a health and wellness media brand, I haven’t ever written about who is behind the brand. I’m the publisher, editor and chief and producer and host of the talk show/podcast and the OmT.O. events. But, you all know that. Tonic wouldn’t be Tonic without everyone else behind the scenes. I’ve had the privilege of working with some terrific people since 2007, and I think it’s time to acknowledge their efforts and give thanks.
It is rare, in this industry, that you have an ongoing working relationship with one art director for more than five years, let alone ten years…let alone more. Cameron North has been the person responsible for the layout and every design element for Tonic as you see it. He’s not only an extremely talented artist, he’s also business minded and pragmatic. He’s had my complete trust and faith in his work and abilities (which is about the highest praise I can give); and it is no understatement to say that without him, Tonic wouldn’t exist. This will be Cam’s last issue as Art Director -a decision that we came to together. Simply put, Cam, thank you for everything you’ve done.
Not surprisingly, I get (old school) mail and emails and phone calls about the magazine all the time. Sprinkled in amongst the praise, and the snark, I receive valuable constructive criticism. Some years ago I was taken to task by a reader who liked the magazine but was tired of the numerous grammatical, typographical and (gasp) spelling errors. Proofing is not my strong suit. The mistakes were undeniable, embarrassing and entirely fixable. So I hired that reader, Karen Ross, as our proofer. Over time Karen transitioned to become my assistant, and she is instrumental in the timely production and quality of this magazine. Going forward Karen will also be taking on the task of editing and curating The Tonic Newsletter. Thank you, Karen, for the great work that you do.
Lastly, I’d like to thank you, dear readers. Because without you, Cam, Karen and my efforts would be pointless. Thank you for your enthusiastic praise and your constructive criticism. Thank you for your questions and concerns. Thank you for your support and thank you for reading this, and hopefully future issues of the magazine. You might wish to start with Joel Thuna’s suggestions to boost your immunity, Naomi Bussin’s suggestions for holiday cookbook gifts, Sher Bovay’s principles of sustainable weight loss or Jelayna Da Silva’s article on the connection between yoga and science. And I hope you’ll pick up your copy of The Tonic magazine in the new year. As always, if you’d like to discuss this note or anything you’ve read in this issue, feel free to reach out to me.