SolaraLife celebrates a year of Canadian Rockies revelations!
Happy birthday SolaraLife!
The Canadian Rockies' one and only on-line visitor and lifestyle magazine celebrates a year of publishing with this combined January-February edition.
The idea for SolaraLife was born in December of 2003. I had just made a pivotal decision to leave behind a 15-year career in community newspaper publishing, and I was ripe for a new challenge. In about a heartbeat I agreed to take on the role of Communications Manager for K2 Developments, a job that has involved not only SolaraLife, but also the marketing and public relations duties for K2's exciting Solara Canmore resort and spa development.
As I sat down with a coffee to chat about the job, K2's President, Rob Adelson, told me of his idea to launch a digital magazine that would stand alone as the best source of information for visitors on activities, events, arts and culture, lifestyle and recreation, and the people and places of the Canadian Rockies. The first edition of SolaraLife was born about two months later, and has published monthly ever since.
There are a lot of unique things about SolaraLife that I think are worth noting. Canmore and Banff are served by some very handy, professionally printed visitor guides, as well as many commercial web sites geared towards our visitors. SolaraLife is different in that it publishes monthly with all new material - that's a dozen new stories, plus updated arts and community events calendars. At this point, SolaraLife has archived 144 stories on everything there is to do year-round in the Rockies, in the three sections titled Do It, See It and Live It. That's about 126,000 words and 225 photos illustrating a huge range of things to see and do in this spectacular region of the world.
SolaraLife, like any dynamic publication, will see some changes in the coming months. We'll work to improve on its design, we'll strive to add a few new features, and, of course, we'll constantly be on the lookout for new and different ideas to explore in future stories.
SolaraLife is the work of many fine and talented writers and photographers, all of whom call the Bow Valley their home. A special thanks goes out to Amanda Follett, who stepped in during some particularly busy times for me at K2 to assist with editing, assignments and a great deal of fine writing. Amanda has accepted a job as assistant editor at the Canmore Leader, but will continue to contribute in the months ahead.
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SolaraLife would also not be possible if even one-tenth of its "techie" components were left up to me. K2 is fortunate to have a talented young graphic designer on our team, who is responsible for the design and updating of SolaraLife each month. Thank you to Thomas J. Mathers for putting up with the odd low tech question and sharing with me his passion for words, slightly zany ideas and the beauty of this area.
The biggest thank you of all, of course, is due our readers. Our subscribers hail from all over the world, from the UK, many spots across Canada, Hong Kong and several locations in Europe. A growing number of our readers call Canmore home - either part-time or full-time. We're glad you all continue to receive SolaraLife, and we welcome your feedback in particular, including any ideas for features you would like to share with us.
One thing that has not changed in the year of publishing SolaraLife is our commitment to sharing the real, unadulterated, 100%, essential Canadian Rockies experience. This can be as big as a story on hikes to the most famous peaks of the Rockies, or as small and intimate as an interview with a long-time resident who can share what the town of Canmore was like during its mining days.
We're looking forward to another great year of SolaraLife, and bringing the "Essential Canadian Rockies" directly to you.
- Shari Bishop Bowes, Editor, SolaraLife
We welcome your comments and suggestions, as well as submissions from freelance writers who have a passion for the Canadian Rockies. Contact us at contact@solaralife.com
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