Canpages directory should be bigger
The Canpages directory should make a louder thump when it hits Central Alberta doorsteps this year.
Canpages recently purchased SaskTel subsidiary DirectWest Corp.’s Alberta assets, which include the EZ Finder Phonebooks in Red Deer, Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Medicine Hat.
Canpages was already in all of those markets, except Medicine Hat, and will incorporate EZ Finder’s advertisements into its own publications.
“It’s about 3,000 extra advertisers across the province, and so I think every book is going to appear richer in terms of advertising content,” said Canpages CEO Olivier Vincent on Thursday.
The additional information should make Canpages more functional in the hands of users, he added.
All five EZ Finder markets are also served by the Yellow Pages, which is published by the Yellow Pages Group. Larger cities like Edmonton and Calgary might be able to support three directories, said Vincent, but it’s tough in smaller centres.
He thinks two telephone books will be less confusing for users and should make it easier for businesses to decide on advertising.
The EZ Finder Phonebook grew out of The Phone Book, which originated in Red Deer. Sandy Usselman started The Phone Book Company in 1993, and after publishing a successful Central Alberta directory for a number of years expanded into Grande Prairie.
Usselman and her husband Randy eventually sold the business to DirectWest. Directories were added in Edmonton and Medicine Hat before they left, with Calgary joining after.
Vincent praised the quality of the DirectWest products, and said Canpages offered jobs to all affected employees. Approximately 33, or all but one, accepted, he said.
Although the distribution date of some Canpages products are being affected as a result of the purchase this year, Vincent doesn’t think the directory in Central Alberta will be delayed.
Last year, the first that Canpages produced a directory for Central Alberta, the books went out in June.
Headquartered in Vancouver, Canpages publishes more than 80 print directories. It also operates a national online directory.
hrichards@reddeeradvocate.com
