Our History
The chapter’s history dates to 1979, before some of our current members were born!
Some highlights:
| 1979 |
Technical writer Jon Nightingale, sifting through the 1979 STC international membership directory, contacts the nine members living in Vancouver and two living in Victoria to propose that they establish a local group. Encouraged by their enthusiastic response, Jon corresponds with STC headquarters in Washington, D.C. and in August, the group, too small to be called a chapter, officially becomes a “branch.” |
| 1983 | Thanks to the combined efforts of founding members Diane Forsyth, Pat Lawson, John Sprung, Kathy Sayers, Will Wheeler, Duncan Kent, Jon Nightingale, and Lorraine Metcalf, membership grows to 17. |
| 1984 |
The group is granted chapter status. Our newsletter, edited by Angela Runnals and Trish MacVey, wins an Award of Achievement in the international competition. |
| 1985 | At the time, one of the high points of our chapter’s history — we receive the STC’s Chapter Achievement Award, one of many awards for our services to the local and international technical writing community. |
| 1991 | The chapter name is changed from Canadian Pacific chapter to Canada West Coast chapter. |
| 2001 | Vancouver scientist, broadcaster, and activist David Suzuki is made an Honorary Fellow of STC. The rank of Honorary Fellow is conferred on someone who is not a Society member but has achieved eminence in the field of technical communication or has performed a significant service for the Society. Other Honorary Fellows include Alan Alda, Edward Tufte, Vinton Cerf, and Stephen Jay Gould. |
| 2001 | The chapter hosts a career night for technical writers. Attendees “table-hopped” between moderated discussion groups on topics such as “What are employers looking for?” |
| 2002 | The chapter organizes and hosts the STC Region 7 conference, with attendees and speakers from the western United States and Canada. |
| 2005 | The chapter’s Consultants and Independent Contractors Group hosts a lively panel discussion on creating and presenting portfolio samples, and evaluates and critiques portfolio pieces brought by the audience, all at no cost. |
| 2009 | The chapter organizes a pecha kucha event, in which speakers present 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds. It’s a great way for multiple speakers to share information about a current project, technique, dilemma, or idea, and to stimulate lively informal discussion. |
| 2011 | The chapter introduces an information interview service that matches people who want to learn more about a career in technical writing with senior writers who can answer their questions. Other chapters liked the idea and adopted it. |
| 2012 | The chapter wins a Community Pacesetter Award for its information interview service. |
| 2017 | Several members of the chapter executive are invited to speak at a BC Institute of Technology event about the challenges of communicating in a complex world. |
| 2017 | The chapter collaborates with the Toronto chapter to create and distribute a 10-question salary survey that goes out to all members in mid-November. More than half of the Canada West Coast chapter members respond. |
| 2017 | The chapter elects its first president who lives outside the Lower Mainland, putting a greater focus on access to chapter services for all members and adding a record number of online board meetings and webinars to our usual face-to-face meetings. |
See In the beginning for more on the early history of the chapter. Our 40th anniversary celebrations also highlighted the chapter’s history and current activities.
Past Chapter Presidents
STC CWC would like to thank all Past Presidents for their service to the chapter’s members and contribution to the advancement of technical communication.
| 2018/19: Serena Beck 2017/18: Serena Beck 2016/17: Stephen Gauer 2015/16: Mala Rupnarain 2014/15: Autumn Jonssen 2013/14: Aaron Fultz 2012/13: Mellissa Ruryk 2011/12: Pam Drucker 2010/11: Catherine Kerr 2009/10: Eagranie Yuh 2008/09: Karen Rempel 2007/08: Theresa Putkey 2006/07: Odile Morrison |
2005/06: Tamara Chapman 2004/05: Susan Patch 2003/04: Sharon Twiss 2002/03: Anne Odell 2001/02: Jerome Ryckborst 2000/01: Chris Rose 1999/00: Lara Spence 1998/99: Heather Sommerville 1997/98: Rahel Bailie 1996/97: Rahel Bailie 1995/96: Sheila Jones |
1994/95: Michele Jeannotte 1993/94: Michele Jeannotte 1992/93: Diane Forsyth 1991/92: Debra Hamilton 1990/91: Roberta Sheng-Taylor 1989/90: Roberta Sheng-Taylor 1988/89: John Sprung 1987/88: Dixie Stockmayer 1986/87: Duncan Kent 1985/86: Pat Lawson 1984/85: Lorraine Metcalf |
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