Businesses and non-profits, sport clubs and staff at The TIMES are all excited about the introduction of augmented reality to the pages of today's newspaper.

Readers are the real winners in this equation, said TIMES editor Bob Groeneveld.

The way photos can come alive on the page is almost Harry Potter magic, he said, describing how this community's newspaper can now link readers almost flawlessly to pertinent websites, videos, and social media venues thanks to an app called Layar.

Describing Layar as the "latest innovation in print advertising," TIMES sales and creative manager Livia Mior explained that the Layar program has been adopted by hundreds of European magazines. But The TIMES' parent company is now the first newspaper chain in the world to embrace this technology.

The possibilities to link customers and businesses are "almost limitless," she said, and Greg Sheppard, a sales consultant with Haney Sewing and Sound, concurs.

"This interactive technology is pretty exciting," Sheppard said.

He believes it will give his long-standing family business more creative control over their messaging, by allowing them to add multiple layers of content and information to their newspaper ads.

On the entertainment front, Sharon Malone of the Emerald Pig Theatrical Society immediately saw a benefit to her group.

Stories about her drama club can now be linked to YouTube trailers for their upcoming shows, the group's website, or even to an online tickets buying option.

Andrew Ilaender, owner of the Ridge Meadows Flames junior hockey team, can't wait to interact more with TIMES readers through this new augmented reality.

For instance, he's anxious to bring readers some of the game highlight on a regular basis, confident that once people see how talented these young athletes are, they'll want to see the games in person Friday nights at Planet Ice.

"You won't be disappointed," he said, noting that they now have a couple hundred people who faithfully attend each home game, and he'd like to at least double that number before the end of the season.

Through The TIMES, and this new technology, the Flames would also like to start profiling players, and specifically the weekly recipients of the Hard Hat Collision Award.

"Anything to have our people watching our junior hockey is a good thing," Ilaender said.

Recognizing that more and more people are now using smartphones and tablets - instead of standard phones and computers - to link to the rest of the world, he welcomes any extra tools available to doing.

Tom Cameron, president of the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Agricultural Association, was quick to laud all that comes with this new and improved version of The TIMES.

".It's now easier than making instant puddin'," for non-profit organizations in town to get information out to a large contingent of locals who faithfully read The TIMES, he said.

And that's important, whether it's a group hosting an event like the summer fair he's currently organizing, or a charity that's in need of funds or volunteers, Cameron said.

"Without question, it will be very beneficial to any not-for-profit association or group.," Cameron said, "You'll have to check it out," he added.

rhooper@mrtimes.com