About
West End Phoenix

Now in its unprecedented 7th year, West End Phoenix is a local periodical community newspaper for Toronto’s West End whose readership stretches across the city and the country. Dreamed up by musician (Rheostatics), writer and publisher Dave Bidini, WEP launched in October 2017 after a door-to-door campaign yielded 800 pre-publication subscriptions. It is now a home-delivered broadsheet with thousands of readers, devoted to telling the stories of diverse, compelling and quickly evolving neighbourhoods, from the Humber River to Spadina and beyond. WEP also mails hundreds of copies across the country and around the world.

WEP is a reimagining of the community newspaper with some of the country’s greatest writers and photographers articulating their experiences throughout their neighbourhoods. 100% of the money raised through subscriptions and donations goes to paying the staff and contributors (WEP has a limited ad and marketing budget) at industry standard rates. Our contributors reflect the broadest range in both experience and perspective, from young writers to established voices like Chief Ladybird, Margaret Atwood, Michael Winter, Michie Mee, Claudia Dey, Eternity Martis and many others. WEP has published 100s of contributors in its first six years. We are based out of 3 Bartlett Avenue, a storefront office opened in March, 2023.

Bidini is joined by executive editor Melanie Morassutti, formerly of The Globe and Mail, managing editor Janet Morassutti, associate editor Kunal Chaudhary, art director Alicia Kowalewski, photo editor Jalani Morgan, events and communications manager Niko Stratis, Instagram manager Mike Gabel, distribution manager Tim Vesely and sales manager Mike Mayberry. WEP allies include former Gladstone Hotel president Christina Zeidler, media strategist Ali Rahnema, city planner Jennifer Keesmaat, guitarist Alex Lifeson of RUSH and filmmakers Nicholas de Pencier and Jennifer Baichwal. In January 2019, WEP was visited by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who recognized the paper as a model for independent newspapers everywhere.

Ideas for stories?

Have a tip or a story idea that you’d like to read about, write, shoot or illustrate? Send it to stories@westendphoenix.com

For three years our home was here: