3rd update: September 18, 2021, 6:45 P.M.
2nd update: September 18, 2021, 6:35 P.M.
Updated: September 18, 2021,3:00 P.M
Sunshine Coast, B.C.
A chance trip to Canada and the birth of ZOOM magazine
Teodoro Alcuitas
Editor, PhilippineCanadianNews.Com (PCN.Com)
“You don’t have Canadian experience”, an immigrant was told when he was applying for jobs after arriving in Vancouver over 20 years ago.
The 36-year-old Edmund Arceo, an experienced marketing professional from Manila was rejected for jobs because of his perceived ‘lack’ of experience.
That initial shock did not deter Arceo from pursuing other avenues. Aside from his marketing skills he also had some graphic design experience and decided to put that into use. He decided to open up his own graphic design practice – Spiderplus Graphics, sounding off contacts in the U.S. for business. A local company, Webnames noticed his work and offered him a job as in-house graphic designer, while continuing to run his own graphic design business.
He moved to the Sunshine Coast in 1988 settling in the scenic Garden Bay area with his partner of 15 years and two dogs. It was here that he conceived of putting out a magazine that would capture the beauty of the place and share it with people.
The result was ZOOM ( http://zoomsunshinecoast.com ), a quarterly full-colour magazine full of images of the Sunshine Coast taken by mostly local photographers and artists. ZOOM’s focus has always been photography and Arceo says it’s original tagline of “Life on the Coast, in pictures” is still appropriate.
“Words sometimes simply fail when describing the splendours of our Sunshine Coast surroundings but the camera can capture that beauty, giving us pause to reflect and enjoy.”
The magazine, launched in 2010, was a bold and innovative venture in a business where publications have very short shelf lives.
“I honestly didn’t think I will last beyond four issues,” he told PhilippineCanadianNews.Com (PCN.Com) in an interview.
He thought he would be living like a “hermit” when he moved away from urban Vancouver to the pristine and bucolic countryside. “The internet would be my only connection to the outside world”.
“Expecting abundance in the form of trees, nature , and solitude, I have been surprised and delighted again and again to find abundance , also in a vibrant community,” he wrote in thanking supporters of ZOOM in the Ten Year Collector’s Edition.
The edition which only came out this year due to Covid is in someways, his ‘ode’ to life – life in Canada.
And fresh from celebrating 10 years of ZOOM, Arceo is venturing into the palates of Sunshine Coast people with his ‘Flavours’ Food magazine launched in 2018.
“I am passionate about graphic design and food! What better way to combine these two but in a high-quality magazine that will focus on the local Sunshine Coast dining experience. Flavours showcases local restaurants, local food sources, and local people as they share their stories relating to what else but . . . food! ” says the publisher about his new venture.
Flavours, like Zoom is distributed free in select outlets on the Sunshine Coast, including on board B.C. Ferries.
Arceo is not only grateful to the country who has given him an oppourtunity to indulge in his passion but also to be accepted for the person he is.
He says he finally found his “home” in Canada and in the Sunshine Coast of B.C. after initially considering to immigrate to the U.S.
Arceo, who is gay, was originally thinking of moving to the U.S. after making several business-related trips there. He was thinking of a career move to graphics design and applied to enrol at the Academy of Fine Arts of San Francisco. The school told him he doesn’t need to go back to school and he could land a job with his portfolio. But a chance conversation with his immigration lawyer pointed his sights to Canada and apply as an independent immigrant.
LGBT
Arceo spoke about his sexuality without hesitation when we asked him.
While he has been open about it for some time , he told us it was a year after his arrival in Canada in 1988 that he broke the news to his mother. “She was crying for three days,” he confided.
“I would be unhappy if you don’t accept me,” he recalled telling his mom and assuring her that he was still the same person that she knew.
After three days it seems as if a “light bulb” popped up and she told me that as long as I’ll be happy, she will be happy to accept me.
“My sexuality does not define me but if it inspires others I’m happy about that,” he says of his being gay.
He maintains a positive attitude and trust in himself as he navigates his own inner struggle and journey.