Slovene Press in Canada

The present article brings a short survey about Slovene ethnic press in Canada, from the immigrants who arrived in Canada between two Wars and those who immigrated since World War II. The survey below includes Slovene newspapers, magazines and some other publications, published in Canada and written by our immigrants. Publications not mentioned are those issued for special purposes or of local interest only.

Canada has a special place in the framework of overseas migration flows. In contrast to the neighbouring USA, it accepted the first emigrants from Slovenia relatively late. They arrived in larger numbers in first two decades after the Second World War. Before this, emigration to Canada was insignificant compared to emigration flows to the USA. That is the only reason why Slovene press in Canada has appeared so late, mostly in the period since World War II

The first Slovene newspaper in Canada, Edinost (Unity, was related to the leftist Slovene-Canadian Federation and began monthly publication on July 15, 1942, in Toronto. It later became a weekly newspaper with around thousand readers. The newspaper discontinued in 1948. In 1950 Slovene Vincentian fathers in Toronto founded Božja beseda (The Word of God), which is religious monthly magazine with some 2000 readers in Canada and around the World. It has been published without interruption since that time the aim of Božja beseda is to enrich the Catholic faith of Slovenes across Canada. The magazine contains reports of Church events and news from Slovene parishes and other Slovene ethnic communities in Canada. Before moving to Toronto in 1954 in Chicago began publication Slovenska država (Slovenian State) in 1950. It is published as a monthly newspaper by the Slovene National Federation of Canada. The aim and main motto of a newspaper was to encourage Slovene independence and a free Slovene State. It is printed in some two thousand copies. In the first half of sixties in Toronto Društvo Slovencev Baraga was published Slovenska misel (Slovenian Thought), which supported Slovenski dan (Slovenian Day), school, cultural clubs and Slovenian sports organizations across Canada. In late seventies Ivan Dolenc published a news magazine named Dnevnik (Diary). There has been printed forty issues. Previously he edited the monthly magazine Povest in Brandon (Manitoba), which appeared in 1959 in six issues. There is also a large number of other publications, issued for special occasions or of local interest of many Slovene institutions across Canada.