Newsletters and guides
Community newsletters and practical local guides, written in plain language for the people who live here, including our Welcome to Fort McMurray newcomer guide.
See our projects →Fort McMurray, Alberta · Serving communities across Canada
Local media that keeps communities connected.
Northern Compass Media publishes community newsletters and local guides, connects businesses with the readers around them, and helps families across Canada preserve their memories for the next generation.
Built in Wood Buffalo, made for Canada:
Fort McMurrayAlbertaPrairiesCommunities across Canada
About us
Local media and family services, built in Fort McMurray.
Northern Compass Media is an independent publisher based in Fort McMurray, Alberta. We publish community newsletters and practical local guides, help businesses reach the people around them, and help families across Canada preserve their memories.
Everything we do comes back to one idea: people deserve clear, useful information about the place they live, and a way to keep what matters to them. Our newsletters keep residents informed, our guides answer everyday questions in plain language, and our digital legacy service makes sure family stories aren't lost.
We're building in Wood Buffalo first, and we plan to bring our newsletters, guides and digital legacy service to communities across Alberta and the rest of Canada.
I believe every community deserves clear information and every family deserves to keep its story. Here in Fort McMurray, I saw how hard it was to find simple answers about local services, events and resources, with information scattered across websites, offices and word of mouth. When I saw how much was missing, I decided to build it myself. Northern Compass Media exists to help people find their way, help local businesses grow, and help families preserve the memories that matter most.
Local firstWritten for the people who live here, about the place they live.
Checked against official sourcesAccurate, plain-language information you can act on.
Newsletters that keep people informedRegular local news and updates for residents and businesses.
Family memories that lastDigital legacy for every family in Canada, wherever their story began.
A practical newcomer guideWelcome to Fort McMurray, available through bulk and partner orders.
Services
Publishing, advertising and family services for communities across Canada.
Advertising and sponsorship
Put your business in front of local readers. Ad spaces, cover sponsorships and newsletter sponsorships are available.
Request an ad space →Subscriptions
Get our newsletters and every new guide, as an individual reader or as an organization ordering copies.
Compare plans →Digital legacy
Preserve your family's photos, stories and memories in one organized, private record for the generations to come.
Learn about digital legacy →Advertise with us
Reach local readers where they look for information.
People keep our guides and read our newsletters when they're deciding where to shop, eat, bank and find services. Your business is there when they make those choices.
Presenting sponsor"Presented by" your name on the front cover
Full pageInside the guide, next to related topics
Half pageShared page in the relevant section
Quarter pageA low-cost way to be in the guide
Newsletter sponsorYour business featured in our email newsletter
Request an ad space
Tell us about your business and we'll send available spaces, rates and deadlines.
Subscriptions
Choose how you'd like to receive our guides.
For individuals
Supporter subscription
[$00] / year
- Each new guide mailed to you
- Every newsletter and guide update
- Supports independent local publishing
For organizations
Bulk guide copies
Pilot pack, 25 copies$200
50–99 copies$9 each
100–249 copies$8 each
250+ copies$7 each
- Partner edition with your logo: $7 per copy + $350
- Delivered within 5 business days
Prices in Canadian dollars, before applicable taxes, for the 2026–2027 English edition. Translated editions are priced separately.
Digital legacy
Keep your family's story safe and easy to find.
Every family's history ends up scattered across photo albums, old phones, hard drives and the memories of the people who lived it. We help you gather it into one place, so your children and grandchildren can find it, enjoy it and pass it on.
Photos and documents
We help you sort, label and digitize what matters most.
Recorded stories
Capture the voices and stories of parents and grandparents while you can.
Private and organized
One organized record your family can find when they need it.
Work · Local projects
Projects built for the communities we live in.
Featured project · 2026–2027 edition
Welcome to Fort McMurray newcomer guide
A 16-page guide written for life in Fort McMurray, not Canada in general. A QR code links to an online page with updates and links to official sources, so the guide stays current between editions.
Settling in
- First 30 days checklist
- Alberta health care
- Your first winter
- Driving, transit and waste
Money and benefits
- Credit scores
- TFSAs, RRSPs and FHSAs
- Taxes and benefits
- Groceries and saving money
Community
- Local resources
- Mental health support
- Etiquette and scent awareness
- Schools and snow days
Coming next
Translated editions in eight languages
Wood Buffalo has 12,030 residents whose first language is neither English nor French. Translated editions are planned in the languages local families speak most.
Tagalog (Filipino)ArabicFrenchGujaratiMandarinPunjabiSpanishUrdu
Partner editions
Your organization's name on the cover
Settlement agencies, employers and community groups can order a partner edition with their logo on the cover and a full page about their programs.
Settlement agenciesEmployersCommunity groups
How it works
Four simple steps from first call to finished.
You tell us what you need: an ad space, a guide order, a subscription or a digital legacy project.
We confirm the details and send a quote or invoice.
We get to work. Guide orders are delivered within 5 business days.
You see the results: your ad in front of readers, guides in hand, or your family's story preserved.
Our clients
Organizations and businesses we work with.
[Client logo]
[Client logo]
[Client logo]
[Client logo]
[Client logo]
[Client logo]
[Review from a client or partner organization]
[Reviewer name][Role, organization]
[Review from a local business that advertised in the guide]
[Reviewer name][Business name, city]
[Review from a family who used the guide or the digital legacy service]
[Reviewer name][City, province]
Common questions
Answers before you ask.
Do you publish a newsletter?
Yes. Our newsletter is included with a supporter subscription. See the Subscriptions section for details.
Who is the digital legacy service for?
Anyone in Canada who wants to preserve family photos, documents and stories in one organized, private place.
How much does a bulk guide order cost?
It depends on the number of copies: the 25-copy pilot pack is $200 ($8 per copy), 50–99 copies are $9 each, 100–249 copies are $8 each, and 250 or more are $7 each. A partner edition with your logo on the cover is $7 per copy plus a one-time $350. Prices are in Canadian dollars, before applicable taxes.
Who writes the content, and how is it kept accurate?
Our team writes our guides and newsletters and checks them against official sources. Each guide has a QR code linking to an online page with updates.
Can my business advertise with you?
Yes, in our guides or our newsletter. Use the advertising request form above and we'll send available spaces, rates and deadlines.
Will you make a guide for my community?
We're planning guides for other communities in Alberta and across Canada. Contact us to tell us about yours.
Did you find this information helpful?
Thanks for your feedback.
Contact
Let's talk about your project.
Fungai Tapfumanei-Huntley
Northern Compass Media
Phone587-487-8397
Email[your email address]
Based inFort McMurray, Alberta, Canada
Send us a message
Questions about newsletters, subscriptions, advertising, guide orders or digital legacy.