Toronto-based Canadianparents.com has launched a free family blogging centre with the aim of engaging parents (especially the all-important mommy demo) with user-generated content. More than 50 people have already signed up so far, from a new mother battling breast cancer to another who shares the daily ups and downs of life with five children.

The new feature gives users a customizable space that includes updates for family and friends, pictures, the capability to upload video, Smilebox scrapbooks and the ability to comment on others’ writing. The blogs can be published privately (only invited users can read) or open to the general public. For advertisers, sponsorship opps are available, from the site’s regular inventory of banners and boxes to more customized initiatives such as contesting.

‘Canadianparents.com is a grassroots website that has been meeting the peer-to-peer needs of Canadian families for more than a decade,’ says founder and editorial director Tracy Keleher. ‘Open blogging is a natural extension of our lively and vibrant message boards and really speaks to the way people are sharing online today. We’re so excited about providing this platform for parents to tell their stories. After all, what mom or dad doesn’t have a ton to say about raising a family? There’s no better reason to blog than being a parent.’

Last month, comScore recorded 114,000 unique visitors for the site. Canadianparents.com has been online since June 1996 and was acquired by Rogers Publishing in 2006. The community also features podcasts and message boards, among other UGC-friendly content features.