I recently attended the District 5360 Conference in Canmore, Alberta, Canada, for clubs in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and heard firsthand from the dedicated members in attendance that they enjoy reading The Rotarian , have seen many improvements in the magazine over the last few years, and want to see more about Canadian Rotarians and projects in the magazine.

It’s not unusual for Rotarians outside the United States to want more coverage of their country. However, while more than half the Rotarians worldwide are served by one of the 31 Rotary regional magazines, the nearly 30,000 Canadian Rotarians don’t have their own publication.

With this in mind, and with the approval of the RI Board of Directors, I’d like to announce a new eight-page quarterly supplement, Rotary Canada (mailed along with The Rotarian ), effective this month. Though Rotary Canada will only be mailed to Canadians, all Rotarians can read each issue online.

From early pioneers Big Jim Davidson, the “Marco Polo of Rotary,” featured in this month’s supplement, and Donald A. MacRae, who helped make Rotary a force for peace, to modern-day heroes Wilf Wilkinson and Bob Scott, Canadian Rotarians have made a great impact on the history of Rotary. Additionally, the Rotary spotlight will be shining on Canada during the next year as the country celebrates its centennial in the Rotary world (the Rotary Club of Winnipeg, Man., first started meeting in 1910), and the RI Convention is held in June in Montréal, Que. The pages of Rotary Canada will remind Canadians of their great contributions both past and present, and will address the needs and goals of today’s club members.

The attendance of the district conference in Canmore was up more than 25 percent from the past year and was a great example of the spirit of today’s Canadian Rotarians. Mark Starratt, 2008-09 district governor, put together an impressive meeting highlighting the history of Canadian Rotarians, the accomplishments of current clubs and members, and the challenges of the future. We are sure that our newest RI publication, Rotary Canada, will do the same.