After less than a year on the streets of Montreal, a free glossy city-specific magazine is going national.

Ocean Drive, which was launched back in January as Ocean Drive Montreal ­ and was described at the time by the publisher as a lifestyle fashion magazine containing a blend of English and French articles representing the unique flavour of Montreal ­ will be available in Toronto in the fall and Vancouver by next spring.

Kara Feifer, lifestyle editor and head of the magazine’s pr efforts, says circulation of the magazine, which is distributed free to select restaurants and boutiques in the city, is about 30,000 but will grow four-fold with the added cities. Fifty thousand will be distributed in Toronto ­ 40% through upper-income Toronto Star subscriptions ­ and 40,000 more will go to Vancouver.

Feifer describes the oversized, high-gloss magazine as similar to Toronto Life but ‘more modern and more progressive.’ Although many of the big-name advertisers may remind readers of the Toronto magazine, there isn’t the same emphasis on news. The magazine is heavy on fashion and attitude and also covers city events and people. Its intention is to attract the young urbanites who spend their nights clubbing and their days shopping.

As for the name, the publishers here bought the rights from the original Ocean Drive, launched four-and-a-half years ago out of Miami and now being tested in several cities across the u.s.

‘Our look is more modern (than the original),’ says Feifer, adding that the style of the photography used here is more European in tone.

Although the Canadian magazine was launched in January, its run has not been regular. In fact, only three issues were distributed before the publisher decided to go national. ‘We’re young but we’re getting stronger and stronger,’ says Feifer.

She says she d’esn’t see any problems with taking a city-specific magazine (with some 60% local advertising) national. ‘We’re just going to nurture the best from each city,’ she says, adding that the social circuit and local talent from all three cities will be integrated in the product.

The new magazine is to be launched in time for the Toronto International Film Festival.