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Ken Alexander, the colourful, chain-smoking and tempestuous co-founder and editor of award-bedecked Walrus Magazine, resigned Tuesday.
In an e-mail to staff, Alexander, in his late 40s, said he had decided “to move on to new challenges” and would leave the magazine July 4, after the September issue closed.
He said he had submitted a formal letter of resignation June 5, and “it has just been accepted by the board of The Walrus Foundation and by Shelley” (Ambrose, the magazine's publisher).
In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Alexander said he'd been thinking about leaving for some time, in part to spend more time with his family. He declined to specify exactly what new ventures lay ahead.
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In a press release issued Tuesday, the Toronto-based magazine – published 10 times a year – said that a search committee would soon be organized to search for a new editor.
Alexander and David Berlin, now a contributing editor, established the magazine five years ago, initially funded in part by a trust fund managed by Alexander's family.
Through the early lean years, Alexander spent $2.7-million of his own savings to keep the periodical afloat, awaiting charitable tax-eligible status from Ottawa. Initially its publisher, Alexander's early tenure was rocky, marked by a series of high-level firings and resignations. He assumed the title of editor in 2004 and relinquished publisher to Ambrose.
The magazine still subsists in part on money from the Chawkers Foundation, run by the Alexander family. “Those things are all still in play,” he said. “I would not do anything to jeopardize the magazine. I am totally behind it.”
He said the revolving door of editors had been grossly exaggerated and said that things had been much quieter. In recent years, the publication has been lavished with national magazine awards, winning six golds and four silver medals only last week.
Denying that his resignation was in any way solicited by the board, Alexander called the Walrus, “the best game in town, a tremendous amount of work as long as you keep in mind that the readers own the magazine. We are very fortunate to have an incredibly sophisticated and engaged readership.”
In his e-mail to staff, Alexander added, “It has been a terrific ride, and it will continue.”
Publisher Ambrose was not immediately available for comment, but said in the press release: “The mandate of the Walrus Foundation is to extend public discourse on matters vital to Canadians. As editor, Ken succeeded in doing exactly that – and more. He will be an extremely hard act to follow.”
