Welcome to Urbanicity

The paper you are holding is the first issue of Hamilton’s newest monthly journal – a journal of the ideas, issues and experiences of the bay city.

Yes, we’re actually starting a brand new broadsheet paper in 2011. Does this surprise you? After all, aren’t newspapers everywhere gasping desperately for their for last, weary breaths of life? Yes. They are. It’s my belief, however, that the newspaper industry is a complacent victim of its own lassitude and indolent indifference. After all, our mass publications have continually increased their advertising content while decreasing their local reporting. Instead of printing local content by local writers, their pages are filled with poorly written stories of little relevance taken from the wire services. The once-proud daily papers have reduced themselves to the role of clumsy reprinting services; publishing content that anyone with a smart phone has already forgotten about.

I would argue that in an increasingly globalized world, the value of local content is now greater than ever. Never has it been more important to provide a forum for the exchange of local ideas, issues, and experiences. Yet sadly, never has there been such a tremendous lack of such a forum. This is precisely the role into which urbanicity is intended to fit. Each month our pages will feature content written by some of the most influential and engaged citizens in Hamilton. Our advertising ratio will remain low, and our large broadsheet pages will remain in classic black and white – serving as an homage to the newspaper culture of years past, while boldly engaging our future with a clean, contemporary aesthetic.

The title of this publication may strike some readers as familiar. This is because this title once represented a quarterly tabloid that covered life and culture in the lower city of Hamilton. Reg Beaudry, the layout artist for the current incarnation of urbanicity, was the man behind the paper. When Reg and his sister Deb opened Three16 Lounge, a chic little spot in the International Village, he had planned to eventually operate urbanicity from the lounge. Unfortunately, when Three16 closed, so did his publishing aspirations. However, after a series of conversations about reviving the urbanicity brand with a new mission and format, Reg has once again found himself as the layout artist of this cutting-edge publication. Reg’s resilient nature and passionate love for Hamilton are reflective of the ever-hopeful spirit that continually fuels the revival of our city’s downtown.

Like Hamilton itself, perhaps, urbanicity is grounded in history, but finds great hope in embracing the future. I thank you for reading.

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