It's Still a Shared Vision

by Rebecca Ephraim

photo by Jaime Kowal

For 22 years SharedVISION Magazine has been a pioneering and often lonely voice for personal and planetary health. It was green back when green was just another colour. It has always viewed ecological consciousness and personal growth as the path toward creating a kinder and gentler Vancouver.

Today, sustainable and healthy lifestyles are embraced widely across B.C.’s Lower Mainland. The mainstream media has finally joined the conversation. SharedVISION’s unique and much-needed role now seems less, well, unique.

Please welcome Today’s Vancouver Woman! Make no mistake: this magazine will remain committed to the values and mission that have been SharedVISION’s hallmark, but we believe it is time to evolve and progress. Most people aren’t aware that SharedVISION’s readership has historically been overwhelmingly female, with 86 per cent of our readers today being women.

One of the most intriguing places to be in the sustainability movement is at the intersection of ecology and feminism. With our new name comes our intention to enrich and expand our dialogue for change by giving women in B.C. their own voice.

Isn’t it puzzling that a city as vibrant as Vancouver does not have a magazine that speaks directly to and for women? We have publications for dog lovers, writers and authors, the GLBT community, immigrants, business people of enterprises of all sizes, rock ’n’ rollers, fashionistas, and glossy magazines for trendsetters and trend chasers. But there is no magazine that speaks to and for women.

With our new tagline, “Savvy, Green, and Soulful,” it is time to embrace the feminine and all that women bring to the world. When we are more present and sensitive to our surroundings, everything improves: our relationships with our families, friends, humankind and, most importantly, ourselves. Under our current title, this concept was too often dismissed as new age-y or even religious.

We will continue to celebrate the accomplishments of women and men, encourage personal growth, honour proud traditions, and spotlight ways to enhance everyday life while living more lightly on the planet. 

Among the first reactions we received to our new title were from our valued clients who purchase ads in our pages. Of our entire clientele, only three balked at the change. But they were upset.

Importantly, these three clients are also avid, long-time readers of SharedVISION and, not incidentally, all three are men.

The discussions I had with each of them touched me deeply. Each said, in so many words, that he—speaking generally on behalf of men—will feel excluded from the pages of the newly titled magazine. Although these words were said in an emphatic tone, the emotion was “hurt” more than anything else.

While two of the three clients have decided to trust our transition (thank you), I think it would be safe to say that most of our readers will likely continue to read the magazine—whatever it’s called.

This was a big decision for the staff at Shared-VISION. We do not enter into this change lightly, and look forward to hearing what you think of our new direction. E-mail us at letters@shared-vision.com.

Ben Banky Will Be Missed
At press time we received heartbreaking news about the death of our dear colleague Ben Banky. Please see page 8.

Here’s to planetary transformation.
In gratitude,