Canadian Yachting and Boating Industry Canada form foundation of new media partnership serving Canada’s national boating market

June 11, 2012 – Vancouver, B.C. and Toronto, Ontario, Canada – Kerrwil Publications Limited announced today that it has formed a new partnership company, Adastra Media Inc., with Mark J. Collett and Brad Marsh, both of British Columbia. The partnership has been formed for the specific purpose of holding and operating Kerrwil’s marine media brands, Canadian Yachting and Boating Industry Canada.  The focus of operations for the new company will be these well established brands, all online platforms and related properties.

“Creating a truly national boating communications platform in print and online is our prime motivator as we build on the successful launch of Canadian Yachting West (CYW) in January 2012,” said Mark Collett. “With the growth in advertising lineage and the overall positive response to CYW, establishing an entity with presence in both Eastern and Western Canada gives us a foundation for business growth not available anywhere else in Canada.

“Our growing distribution and circulation further motivated us to make this happen now as the marine industry demands more effective and efficient communications partnerships moving forward.” 

The new company benefits from the involvement of partner Brad Marsh whose Internet development expertise will lead and augment growth online across all Adastra Media Inc. platforms.

“With the leading print brands now in this space, we are more than confident that we will be able to add tremendous value to our online offerings, both for boating enthusiasts and for marine marketers in Canada,” said Marsh.

“Strong print presence is more and more the rule as evidence proves that print drives searches as much as 50 percent of the time. We intend to lever the largest base of end-user and marine industry subscribers to help us and our clients grow awareness, market share and profits with measurable returns,” added Marsh.

“For Kerrwil, which has published Canadian Yachting since 1985, this is an exciting move,” said John Kerr, new CEO of the partnership. “Not only have we gained national presence, we have added bench strength in many areas and have assembled a team of industry experts who are world-class in their knowledge, contacts and approach.

“We now have the largest marine editorial and online content team in Canada, and we have the leading brands all under one umbrella; the only national marine media vehicles with independently audited circulation.  Boating Industry Canada also benefits greatly because we will have the most comprehensive view of the total industry,” added Kerr.

Moving forward, Adastra Media Inc. has committed itself to growth and service to the boating segment. In 2013 Canadian Yachting will increase its frequency to eight issues per year.  

Concurrent with the formation of Adastra Media Inc., Elizabeth Kerr has resigned as publisher of Canadian Yachting to pursue other avenues. John Kerr will continue as CEO of Kerrwil Publications Limited and Mark Collett will assume the role of Publisher and COO of the new entity. Greg Nicoll, a Canadian Yachting and Boating Industry Canada veteran, will assume the position of Vice President of the new company.               

About Canadian Yachting – Founded in 1971, Canadian Yachting is Canada’s oldest and most established national marine title, with 30,000 paid subscribers. Its readership represents the most experienced and dedicated boaters and boasts one of the most affluent markets in Canada. Canadian Yachting West was established to serve boating enthusiasts in Western Canada in January 2012. Both magazines have related web sites and newsletters, and digital versions are available online.

About Boating Industry Canada – Boating Industry Canada was established in 2005 to address the void in serving the information needs of the marine trade professional. It leads the market with the first digital weekly newsletter, web site and integrated solutions approach for those who need to reach Canada’s marine trade.

About Adastra Media Inc. –  This new entity is a B.C.-incorporated company created to hold and operate both Canadian Yachting and Boating Industry Canada and their related online platforms. It is a partnership corporation between Brad Marsh, Mark Collett and Kerrwil. “Adastra” is a Latin phrase translated as “to the stars” and was chosen to reflect our commitment to help our clients navigate the best route to their clients and to business growth.

About Kerrwil Publications Limited – Founded in 1964, Kerrwil is one of this country’s oldest independent publishing firms. Its solid industry reputation has evolved with its involvement in both the markets it serves and its support of the key groups including Magazines Canada, BPA Worldwide and Canadian Business Press. Kerrwil continues to operate, invest and maintain involvement in several media partnership groups, including Adastra Media Inc.