Five Questions with… Annabel Slaight
Many of you may not know the name Annabel Slaight… yet. But we all have a lot to thank her for. She was one of the two original editors of OWL and helped get the magazine through some tough times. There’d be no OWL blog — let alone OWL mag! — without Annabel.
So, last week when blog reader anonimous (not telling!) asked me, “How did you get the idea for OWL?” I decided to send the question to Annabel herself. I also sent her a few other questions you guys have asked.
Cool, huh? On with the questions!
Q: How did you get the idea for OWL?
Annabel: Back when OWL was started in 1976, many kids in Canada did not know that Canada was a different country from the United States. They drew pictures with American flags in them, and drew U.S. postage stamps on Valentine’s cards. We decided that kids in Canada needed magazines of their own that would connect everyone all over the country. Since then over 10 million kids and families have been connected.
Q: What was the hardest thing about working on OWL? What was the easiest?
Annabel: The hardest thing was getting enough money to make the magazines. One of our directors — directors are people who guide a business — thought we should save money by making all the photos black and white instead of colour. What do you think of that idea?
The easiest thing for the people who started OWL was laughing. We had fun making the magazines every day because we heard from so many kids who loved what we were trying to do. They helped by coming up with great ideas that made us smile too.
Q: What’s your favourite animal?
Annabel: Big guess… the owl, of course. I used to draw owls in my books when I was in school. We called the magazine OWL when I pointed out that it stood for Outdoors and Wild Life — which was mostly what the magazine was about in the early days. Some people thought the magazine should be named HONK — for the sound of a Canada goose. Do you think that would have been a mistake?
Q: Do you like golf?
Annabel: Yup. But I don’t play much. I no longer go to work, but I am working very hard on lots of things — like trying to help save Lake Simcoe from dying as a result of too much careless behaviour by people. We are helping people think a bit more about the environment. It’s working — and it’s fun!
Q: Would you rather travel 50 years into the past or 50 years into the future?
Annabel: The future is the only real choice we have, so of course I would choose that. As you know, things are very difficult in the world right now — this is not great but it is usually the way things are before big changes for the better can be made. I think people in the next few years will be a whole lot wiser about living in harmony with nature. In 50 years, we will have stopped harming the planet, and life will be much better and happier for everyone. We will all have our priorities sorted out better than today as well. But then as now my motto will be, “Be sure to have some fun every day!”
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Inspiring stuff, no? With a founder like Annabel, it’s no wonder OWL is such a cool magazine. Also, isn’t it awesome to think that OWL might have been called HONK? That’s news to me!
Have a great weekend, guys! Talk to you on Monday.
Craig, owlblog@owlkids.com
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December 19th, 2008 at 11:38 am
wow, that is one COOL lady! and that would be funny if OWL was called HONK, that’d be funny. it’s the HONK blog!
December 19th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Yeah,Sinead! HONK magazine!HONK blog! HONK if you like HONK magazine! LOL
December 19th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
LOL the HONK blog! and i totaly HONK!!! that is rerally cool! i saw the older covers for the mazgine and the look really funny and different from what i’m use to seeing!
December 19th, 2008 at 4:15 pm
If it was called HONK, people would think you would be crazy to read it! I’m so glad it’s OWL insead. I also think it’s cool that OWL has a double meaning: favourite animal and acronym!
December 19th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
It would be terrible to have black and white photos. TERRIBLE!
December 19th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Scho-ol ended today, today! Schoo-ol ended today! HA-ha-ha-haha-ha-ha-ha ! Yay, yay, SHOOP-DA-WHOOOOOP !
That’s the song I made up. You sing it like “Jingle Bells”.
December 19th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
And.Annabel,are you on the blog for this post? `Cause if you are,c`mon,sinead,you know what I`m going to say,SHOOP……
(The thing we did with the 111112222222…..continuing)
December 19th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
oh, i said tha’d be funny twice. oops.
December 20th, 2008 at 12:11 am
Yeah, I like OWL better than HONK. IF the magazine was named HONK magazine, I would have never picked it off the newsstand and read it. HONK is a childish, stupid name. It sounds like it’s for kids who misbehave in school.
By the way, I am going to Lake Tahoe (in California) this winter break!!! Woo-hoo!! I have NEVER EVER in my life time experienced snow before, cuz I am from Los Angeles.
December 20th, 2008 at 9:47 am
Cool, Lexi. Sounds fun.
Yesterday, school ended for me too! Wooohoooo! Yaaaayyyy!
December 20th, 2008 at 10:13 am
well, if OWL was called HONK, we might be going ‘what if it was called OWL magazine?’ ‘yeah, that’d be so funny!’ ‘that’s such a silly name!’ right now. i mean, after all, if it was called HONK, it still be the exact same awesome magazine. and (ok, i’m gonna sound like a cheesy teacher or an annoying mom or both, so i apologies in advance.) you can’t judge a book by it’s cover.
December 20th, 2008 at 10:16 am
School ended for CHRISTMAS BREAK! Oh,btw sinead,check the last blog.I posted some french animal names for you.The way to say guina pig is cool!
Content Noel,sinead!
Content Noel mon petite chats,Hershey dedans BC & Cuddles!
Content Noel,Katie!
Content Noel,Lexi!
Content Noel,Hailey!
Content Noel,Mara!
Content Noel,Craig!
Content Noel,Annabel!
CONTENT NOEL!
December 20th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
I saw the first ever OWL - it was pretty funny!
December 20th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Black and White photos… hmmmm, I don’t like that idea
December 20th, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I like colour photos a lot better.
December 20th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
Content Noel, Emily!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Do you go to a french school I do!
December 20th, 2008 at 8:11 pm
Lexi snow is awsome
December 20th, 2008 at 8:38 pm
yeah, all black and white would be odd.
December 21st, 2008 at 11:01 am
In French, it’s Joyeux Noel, not Cotent Noel.
December 21st, 2008 at 11:13 am
Well,je ne sait pas if you would call it a french school,but you do learn french.At the moment,I know how to say numbers up to twenty,my alphabet,je ne sait pas (I do not know,I used it earlier in my post),some pet and bird names,mon nom est (my name is)content noel,of course,joyeux noel (merry christmas),content noel is happy,or satisfied,Christmas.Grades 4 and up learn french.Only two schools in our city have french immersion.
December 21st, 2008 at 11:16 am
Oh,and I know dedans (inside).
December 21st, 2008 at 1:31 pm
It’s not “mon nome est” it’s “je m’appelle”. You know what “a tu souhait” means? “Bless you!” You know, like when you sneeze.
December 21st, 2008 at 2:38 pm
Annabel Slaight is a very amazing person, three cheers for her!
Hey I go to a french school!
Joyeux Noel! Dehors ma maison il y a beacoup de neige… tres belle mais il est tres froid. J’habite au Colombie Brittanique. Pas trop beaucoup de neige. Mais, un peu.
Je suis dans retard Immersion de Francais.
Translation: Merry Christmas! Outside my house there is alot of snow… very beautiful but it is very cold. I live in British Colombia. Not too much snow. But, enough.
I’m in late French Immersion.
December 21st, 2008 at 2:39 pm
I know a girl who goes to my Fench School called Mara.
December 21st, 2008 at 2:42 pm
Emily, I am sad because when you said Content Noel to everyone you forgot to include me! Waaaah.
December 21st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
oh, i love snow! it’s sad that you haven’t seen snow yet, Lexi.
December 21st, 2008 at 9:06 pm
I’ts Joyeyx Noel, not Content Noel. Also, tu habit en Colombie Britanique, not au Colombie Britannique. Enough is “assez”. “Un peu” means a little bit.
December 21st, 2008 at 10:19 pm
Lexi, you’ve never seen snow? Amazing!
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:22 am
Oh,I`m sorry,Mary! I never meant to exclude you! It`s just that you weren`t on at the moment,and I didn`t know you were on! Well,to make you feel better,content,joyeux Noel! And,Katie,je m`appelle is ”my name is”,as well as mon nom est.
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:09 am
WOW but I dont live in british columbia
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Yeah! Thank you so much, Emily! I feel special.
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Oh, and don’t worry about it. I wasn’t that hurt - I was just a little bit sad you forgot to include me… but I’m not now, so once again thanks so much!
PS Who is super excited for Christmas?
(Or Hanakkah)?
PPS I am!
December 22nd, 2008 at 2:56 pm
And, Katie sorry I made those mistakes. I am in Late French Immersion so I just started in September… obviously you’re ALOT smarter then me. Mara- when you said WOW were you being sarcastic?
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:29 pm
I’m SO excited for Christmas! I was in a fencing(you know, that sword-fighting stuff you see in the Olympics) tounement today, and my team won the silver medal!
December 22nd, 2008 at 4:30 pm
The team that won gold beat us by 1 point! Isn’t that amazing?
December 22nd, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Totally! I just meant it as what a coincidence. I tottaly understand why you asked that question it can sound rude. Sorry:p
December 22nd, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I am so pumped for xmas! I`m wishing for the mood lamp that goes with the radio and they interact across the room.I also want,maybe a sketch kit,or the webkinz sea otter! Everything else,SANTA SURPRISE!Only three days…THREE DAYS!
December 22nd, 2008 at 9:30 pm
I’ve been in french since kindygawten and I havent got much heck from teachers for stuff like that aside from “J’ai a” and “J’ai aller ” I don’t think it really matters if you guys who just recently started french make mistakes. Don’t kill yourselves, guys! :o)
It’s a clown!
December 23rd, 2008 at 5:14 pm
Katie, cool fencing thing. my curling team hasn’t lost a game this season!
December 23rd, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Thanks, Mara! (I think you were talking to me)
December 23rd, 2008 at 11:30 pm
Rudolph, the red nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose, and if you ever saw it…
Hailey, thanks for the nice comment!
December 24th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I can tell it’s a clown. It has a big round nose.
December 24th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I tried to learn French once.
Then I did German.
Es ist Kalt und Weinnachts kommt.
(It is cold and Christmas comes. )
December 24th, 2008 at 3:45 pm
i never knew that OWL was an acronym. What is it?????
December 24th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
I mean what is the acronym??????
December 25th, 2008 at 8:54 am
an acronym is like if you say A.S.A.P. instead of As Soon As Possible.
December 25th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Yeah I know what an acronym is but I mean what is the acronym for OWL?
December 27th, 2008 at 10:52 am
Observation Without Limitation. I like that one.
December 27th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
Only
Wacky
Laughs
December 29th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
And,Hailey,what`s ‘kindygawten’? Is it a funny way to say kidnergarten? If so,LOL.If not,WHAT IS IT?
December 30th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Yeah, that’s it. Tawkin’ like I’m a kindygawtenewr.
December 30th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
Sweeeeeetz.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:16 pm
Today’s the last day of 2008! But in places like Australia it’s already 2009!!
January 6th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
I am delighted so many kids are on this blog. Thanks to those of you who said thanks for starting OWL ,Chickadee and Chirp. The first issue of Owl magazine was 33 years ago. It was breakthrough for the times–before there were computers to help with design– but it sure looks old fashioned now! For sure.
January 6th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
A-a-a…ANNABEL SLAIGHT!? Wow.I actually was the one who thought you were gonna post,then doubted it.So,SHOOP-DA-WHOOP! It`s hard to belive that OWL was so old fashioned then,but now It`s like one of the biggest kid magazines in Canada! Happy new year,Annabel!
January 7th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
Wa-wa-wa-wahoo! ( weirdness, in case you havn’t guessed)
June 20th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
hi
October 4th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
ANNABEL SLAIGHT sounds like a really cool person : ) ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !
May 5th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
HONK blog?! sounds like a bike horn!