Introduction: Presents a personal account of the transfer to open access of the leading Canadian journal of sociology. Background: The Canadian Journal of Sociology had established a strong position, internationally, among sociology journals. However, subscriptions were falling as readers increasingly accessed the resource through libraries and a transfer of editorship occasioned an opportunity for a radical re-assessment. Rationale for open access: Following something of a personal struggle on the part of the Editor, the rationale for open access, that is, increasing the visibility and use of the journal, was accepted. Support from the Canadian Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council becomes more central to economic viability. Conclusion: Converting a scholarly print journal from toll-based to open access cannot be undertaken without serious consideration of all elements of the publishing and editing processes, but the benefits to scholarship are expected to be real. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)