From the Editor Suzanne Boyd
AS WE CONTINUE to mark Canada’s 150th with curated commemorative content in this issue and those for the remainder of 2017 and, while our special celebratory issue remains available on newsstands until the year’s end, we pause to acknowledge an occasion just as momentous – at least to us – as Zoomer begins its 10th anniversary year.
You may or may not recall our firstever cover, but I will never forget the shiver of gratitude and relief I felt when, after weeks of trying through his management for confirmation as our deadline loomed, I received the call from Bryan Adams letting me know that Wayne Gretzky had agreed to be photographed by him for it. Gretzky was our first choice, not simply because of his iconic status as a national treasure but because he represented an increasing aspect of booming or, if I may, zooming – reinventing himself as a businessman and lifestyle brand while living the sandwich generation life with a father who was soldiering on with the after-effects of a stroke – go, Walter! – while raising his then mostly teenaged brood with his long-time wife, Janet. The issue was mostly well received except for the hue and cry over one story, “Take Your Position” that recommended – in descriptive detail – sex positions crafted to accommodate the various physical limitations from tennis elbow to bum backs and knees that can come with age. The story lives on in infamy online in case you’d like the info – for a friend, of course.
Eighty-two covers and countless stories later, our mission to promote a positive vision of aging remains the same: to guide you through this ever-changing, ever-fascinating, sometimes heartbreaking but ultimately rewarding stage of life. Aging is what you make of it, how you respond to it, how to regroup through it and how to learn to love it for the long haul. We are aiming for longevity, too. The economy was in recession, and the disruption in the media industry was just beginning to hit print hard when we launched those 10 years ago but, with your support, we survived and are thriving. We will be thanking you thoughout this, our 10th anniversary year, with more of the content, more of the contests and more of the Zoomer philosophy you’ve comeme toto knowknow and love. Stay tuned!ed!