A brand new national magazine called “Canadian Military Family” was started by W.J. Mouat Secondary school graduate Cyndi Mack Mills.
Cyndi grew up in Chilliwack and Abbotsford. She is a military wife and mother who decided to start a magazine that reflected her life and the lives of those around her.
The magazine has been a family affair. Her husband, Scott Mills is involved with advertising and her mother-in-law is an editor. Her children have contributed too. Cyndi has also included her friends in this endeavour. Cyndi and her family currently live in Petawawa, Ontario.
Cyndi has had a lifelong dream of starting her own magazine. Childhood friend, Suzanne Kingman McKay recalls walking down the road between their houses and talking about what they wanted to do when they grew up.
“Cyndi and I grew up together on Ross Road in West Abbotsford, near Aldergrove,” said McKay. “Cyndi now lives in Petawawa, Ontario with her husband and four kids. I live in the historic community of Mt. Lehman, only 10 minutes from where we grew up. I live with my husband, Dean, and our two daughters.”
Cyndi always said that she wanted her own magazine. After years of hard work and dedication Cyndi has fulfilled her dream. The magazine has a special focus on military life but it is suitable for everyone. The magazine is a compilation of military stories, financial advice, recipes, movie reviews and much more.
Suzanne Kingman McKay was brought in to be the movie reviewer, another dream fulfilled.
The idea for this magazine came to Cyndi in 2007. She was reading a post on the internet written by a distraught sister who wrote about her brother coming home from Afghanistan and within a year killing himself. After reading this post, Cyndi thought there should be a magazine or something for extended families and military spouses where they could find information about topics and where they could find information if their CF member was struggling.
Cyndi also created this magazine to help keep military families connected.
Over the last 20 years, the Canadian Forces have changed. Back in the 1990s there were numerous bases across the country, where the majority of military families lived, however, through the 1990s the government of the day closed the bases and created “super bases” which lead to military families moving off the base.
In leaving the military community, spouses weren’t always receiving information about programs, promotions or new policies. Cyndi hopes that this magazine will help people find the information they seek.
Canadian Military Family magazine is available by subscription at:
www.cmfamilies.ca