Alberta Report
Encyclopedia
Alberta Report was a right-wing
weekly newsmagazine based in Edmonton. It was founded and edited by Ted Byfield
, now the editor and president of the Society to Explore and Record Christian History (SEARCH), and later run by his son, Link Byfield
, and ceased publication in 2003.
The magazine began as St. John's Edmonton Report in 1973. Originally it grew out of the older Byfield's lay religious order
called the Company of the Cross
which operated boarding schools
) in the 1970s, where employees were paid $1.00 per day, and lived in a communal apartment building.
The magazine was published for a time in three separate editions, the Alberta Report, BC Report
, and Western Report. These merged in 1999 into The Report, later known as the Citizens Centre Report in connection with Link Byfield's successor organization, the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy
.
The magazine often struggled financially, with the senior Byfield mortgaging his own house four times to keep it afloat. It ultimately shut down in June 2003. According to the Edmonton Sun
, some employees were still owed back pay nearly six months later, and complained when the Citizens Centre was directing money toward its political agenda.
A number of right-wing journalists/commentators or pundits in Canada who are prominent today began their careers writing for The Report magazines, including Kenneth Whyte
, the editor in chief of Maclean's
; Colby Cosh
of the National Post, Kevin Michael Grace
, Lorne Gunter, Ezra Levant
, and Kevin Steel. Other distinguished alumni include: freelance journalist Ric Dolphin, former National Post writer Dunnery Best, U.S. food writer (and founding editor of Equinox magazine) Barry Estabrook, former PROFIT editor and publisher Rick Spence, author D'Arcy Jenish, and Paul Bunner, who in 2006 became a speechwriter for Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
.
The Western Standard
, launched in 2004 by Levant with the participation of several other Report alumni, aimed to fill the space in the market that had been held by the Report. The Standard became an exclusively online publication in 2007.
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
weekly newsmagazine based in Edmonton. It was founded and edited by Ted Byfield
Ted Byfield
Edward Bartlett "Ted" Byfield is a conservative Canadian journalist, publisher and editor. He founded the Alberta Report and Western Report newsmagazines.Born in Toronto, Byfield moved with his parents to Washington, D.C. at the age of 17...
, now the editor and president of the Society to Explore and Record Christian History (SEARCH), and later run by his son, Link Byfield
Link Byfield
-Columnist and Writer:Byfield was editor and publisher for the now defunct Alberta Report magazine for 18 years. He is the son of conservative columnist Ted Byfield...
, and ceased publication in 2003.
The magazine began as St. John's Edmonton Report in 1973. Originally it grew out of the older Byfield's lay religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
called the Company of the Cross
Company of the Cross
The Company of the Cross was a lay religious order which was affiliated with the Anglican Church of Canada when founded. It operated under the authority of the Anglican bishops in Winnipeg , the diocese of Edmonton and the diocese of Toronto It was founded in 1962 by Frank Weins and Ted Byfield...
which operated boarding schools
Saint John's Cathedral Boys' School
Saint John's Cathedral Boys' School was founded in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada in the early 1960s by Ted Byfield and Frank Wiens, who believed that boys were not challenged by the education system or by society in general. The two started an Anglican lay order called the Company of the Cross,...
) in the 1970s, where employees were paid $1.00 per day, and lived in a communal apartment building.
The magazine was published for a time in three separate editions, the Alberta Report, BC Report
BC Report
BC Report was a newsmagazine published in British Columbia, Canada, that was noted for its right-wing or conservative editorial stance. BC Report was published by the producers of the comparable Alberta Report and Western Report magazines, and its first editor-in-chief was Alberta Report founder...
, and Western Report. These merged in 1999 into The Report, later known as the Citizens Centre Report in connection with Link Byfield's successor organization, the Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy
Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy
The Citizens Centre for Freedom and Democracy is a Canadian non-profit organization based in Edmonton, Alberta, promoting responsible government and advocating provincial rights, Senate reform, and judicial restraint.- History :...
.
The magazine often struggled financially, with the senior Byfield mortgaging his own house four times to keep it afloat. It ultimately shut down in June 2003. According to the Edmonton Sun
Edmonton Sun
The Edmonton Sun is a daily newspaper published in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is a division of Sun Media, a Quebecor company.It began publishing in 1978 and shares many characteristics typical of Sun Media tabloids, including an emphasis on local news stories, its conservative editorial stance,...
, some employees were still owed back pay nearly six months later, and complained when the Citizens Centre was directing money toward its political agenda.
A number of right-wing journalists/commentators or pundits in Canada who are prominent today began their careers writing for The Report magazines, including Kenneth Whyte
Kenneth Whyte
Kenneth Whyte is a Canadian newspaper and magazine editor. He has been publisher of the weekly Maclean's newsmagazine since March 2005. He is also president of Rogers Publishing Limited....
, the editor in chief of Maclean's
Maclean's
Maclean's is a Canadian weekly news magazine, reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events.-History:Founded in 1905 by Toronto journalist/entrepreneur Lt.-Col. John Bayne Maclean, a 43-year-old trade magazine publisher who purchased an advertising agency's in-house...
; Colby Cosh
Colby Cosh
Colby Cosh is a Canadian commentator, writer and editor of non-fiction, and blogger.-Life and career:Cosh was born in Edmonton, Alberta and grew up in Bon Accord, Alberta, north of Edmonton. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 1993, doing further study in European intellectual history...
of the National Post, Kevin Michael Grace
Kevin Michael Grace
Kevin Michael Grace is a Canadian journalist and blogger. Grace worked for Alberta Report, its sister publication Report and the Montreal Gazette. He currently writes for Resource Clips.-External links:* *...
, Lorne Gunter, Ezra Levant
Ezra Levant
Ezra Isaac Levant is a Canadian lawyer, conservative political activist and media figure. He is the founder and former publisher of the Western Standard, hosts The Source daily on Sun News Network, and has written several books on politics....
, and Kevin Steel. Other distinguished alumni include: freelance journalist Ric Dolphin, former National Post writer Dunnery Best, U.S. food writer (and founding editor of Equinox magazine) Barry Estabrook, former PROFIT editor and publisher Rick Spence, author D'Arcy Jenish, and Paul Bunner, who in 2006 became a speechwriter for Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
.
The Western Standard
Western Standard
The Western Standard is a Calgary, Alberta-based libertarian-conservative publication that billed itself as Canada's only conservative national news magazine...
, launched in 2004 by Levant with the participation of several other Report alumni, aimed to fill the space in the market that had been held by the Report. The Standard became an exclusively online publication in 2007.