News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
1. IN MEMORIAM: Graham Young
2. 40th ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE: Thank you, Halifax!
3. CONFERENCE 2020: Montreal is the home of our second international conference
4. FRANCOPHONE CONFERENCE: S’inscrire dans le changement : une profession en prise sur son temps
5. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Robin Larin
6. MEMBER SERVICES: Editors Canada videos updated
7. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Update your certifications in the ODE
8. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
9. EXTERNAL CONFERENCE: Call for ACES conference proposals
10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. IN MEMORIAM: Graham Young
Graham Young, Ottawa-based writer, editor and instructor, passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, May 11, 2019, after a brief illness. He had turned 61 two days earlier. His death has shocked and saddened the Editors Canada members who knew him, many of whom met Graham at the seminars on plain language and other topics that he taught for the Ottawa-Gatineau and Québec branches. Graham’s high-energy, hilarious teaching style made him a popular instructor not only for Editors Canada but for the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute.
Graham’s obituary in the Ottawa Citizen, which includes a book of condolences that members are welcome to sign, beautifully captures his charisma, high-watt personality and zest for life. In a fitting tribute to a man who asked not to be mourned, his friends, family and band mates gathered for a rock ‘n’ roll celebration of Graham’s life on May 31 in Ottawa. The music was live and loud, all the better to drown out the many tears shed by those who knew and respected and liked and loved Graham R. Young.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to MusiCounts in Graham’s name.
2. 40th ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE: Thank you, Halifax!
Editors from across Canada and around the world gathered in Halifax for our 2019 national conference. From the informal dinner on Thursday night, to the welcome reception and the closing keynote address, attendees took every opportunity to connect, celebrate, learn and share their knowledge.
We’d like to thank the conference committee members (with special thanks to our chair, Breanne MacDonald), presenters, volunteers, exhibitors and sponsors. Your hard work, enthusiasm and patience were essential to our success.
Highlights
- Rhonda Kronyk shared some touching words about the late Greg Younging and the importance of Canadian editors being allies to Indigenous writers and editors.
- James Harbeck performed a sea shanty about editing written by Marie-Lynn Hammond, with lyrics by Marie-Lynn and James.
- We had a surprise performance by viral sensation Maritime Bhangra.
- Editors with Axes! Friday night was the sharp-edged experience we won’t soon forget.
- Linden MacIntyre spoke about the importance of truth in his riveting opening keynote address.
- Sheree Fitch gave a delightful closing keynote address that included a poem she had written honouring editors.
The 40th anniversary conference in pictures
Photo: Mark Strowbridge
Photo: Virginia St-Denis
Photos: Mark Strowbridge
Want to see more from the conference weekend? Check out the Editors Canada Flickr page.
3. CONFERENCE 2020: Montreal is the home of our second international conference
Next year we’ll host Editors Canada’s second international conference. That means we’ll be extending our discounted conference rates to members of international organizations, and we’ll have a whole extra day of conference programming. Enjoy networking with editors from around the world! Join us at Le Centre Sheraton Montreal, June 19–21. Booking information to come.
Interested in volunteering for the conference? Contact conferencevolunteers@editors.ca.
4. FRANCOPHONE CONFERENCE: S’inscrire dans le changement : une profession en prise sur son temps
One-day conference
S’inscrire dans le changement : une profession en prise sur son temps
Quebec City, Laval University
Saturday, September 28, 2019
On Saturday, September 28, we’re hosting a day of training and development in French for language professionals in Canada. We’ll discuss the digital reality as well as approaches to refine our working methods.
This conference aims to
- examine the various professional realities for language professionals in 2019,
- help language professionals to promote their role to hirers,
- offer activities and workshops on topics to help language professionals develop their careers,
- bring industry professionals together with student leaders, and
- emphasize the importance of deepening knowledge, skills and networking.
Registration is open until Wednesday, September 18. Sign up now!
For more information, contact the organizing committee.
5. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Robin Larin
Robin Larin has a background in creative writing, academia and teaching—giving her experience in editing student work—and has volunteered in various capacities as an editor. Currently, she is completing the Editing Certificate through Simon Fraser University and is starting her own freelance business with a focus on fiction. She enjoys editing because it lets her tackle a project from the big picture to the picky details of proofreading. “I’m a grammar geek and logophile who especially enjoys copy editing,” she says.
Robin joined Editors Canada as a student affiliate in July 2018 and is now the co-chair of the national student relations committee. In this role, she helped create an in-class PowerPoint presentation for courses on editing and related subjects. She also worked with the committee to reinvigorate the student affiliate Facebook page, which involved creating new content with questions, ideas and updates related to Editors Canada and editing in general. Robin attends the monthly meetings of her local twig, Editors Hamilton-Halton, and is responsible for keeping the membership lists organized for them.
When we asked her why she wanted to volunteer for Editors Canada, she told us that volunteering is a wonderful way to develop editing and people skills, and she appreciates the opportunity to meet and learn from others interested in editing. “Editors are diverse, creative and very funny people!” she says.
The volunteer of the month highlights the dedicated people who keep Editors Canada going. Volunteers are the backbone of the association. We are grateful for the many members and affiliates who answer the call when help is needed.
6. MEMBER SERVICES: Editors Canada videos updated
You can now watch and LISTEN to videos on the Editors Canada YouTube Channel and on our website, too!
Short videos on proofreading, substantive and stylistic editing, and Professional Editorial Standards are now available in English with audio narration courtesy of Alana Chalmers.
Professional Editorial Standards
Substantive and Stylistic Editing
Proofreading
7. PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION: Update your certifications in the ODE
For all certified editors who have a profile on the online directory of editors (ODE):
The way certifications are listed on the ODE has recently changed. You now need to input your certifications manually. To do so, log in to editors.ca and click on “Update my ODE profile.” At the bottom, you will see a section for Certifications. Choose your certification type and the year. If you have more than one certification, click on the lowest “Add another item” button to add the extra certifications. When you are finished, click on “Save,” and you will see your certifications listed on the right-hand side of your profile.
For questions or further information, email certification@editors.ca.
Time to hit the books!
Registration for the 2019 Copy Editing certification exam will open in July. While you’re waiting, visit the Preparing for Certification page, which contains numerous resources to help you study for the exam.
One option is to set up a study group; connect with other exam candidates by
- attending branch or twig networking events;
- taking a professional development seminar this fall;
- posting a message to editors’ groups on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter; or
- sending out a message on the email forum.
If you’d like a member of the certification steering committee to visit your branch or twig meeting, email certification@editors.ca.
8. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
Editors Toronto member Diya Lim is the author of La marchande, la sorcière, la lune et moi, a finalist for the 2019 Trillium Book Award for Children’s Literature.
Editors Kitchener-Waterloo-Guelph member Carolyn R. Wilker has released another book titled Piece by Piece: A Narrative from Home, published by Angel Hope Press in Drayton, Ontario. In Piece by Piece, Carolyn (who is also an editor and storyteller) writes about the world around her, to bring hope and of course to share stories. She launched her book in her home town of Tavistock, Ontario, the community that was her family’s business and church centre. Visit Carolyn’s website to learn more.
Editors Edmonton member Talena Winters recently published The Undine’s Tear, the first book in her Rise of the Grigori trilogy. In this young adult science fantasy, join merfolk, sphinxes, dragons and humans as their lives become entwined on the search for the true meaning of redemption. Visit Talena’s website for more information.
Do you have an achievement you’d like to share? Are you excited about a new project or opportunity that has come your way? We’d love to hear from you! Please send your stories to the member news coordinator. Each item will be posted on our website and will be included in the Editors Canada e-news updates.
9. EXTERNAL CONFERENCE: Call for ACES conference proposals
The Society for Editing (ACES) is now accepting proposals for the national #ACES2020 conference in Salt Lake City, April 30 to May 2, 2020.
ACES is looking for sessions that focus on all aspects of editing, including but not limited to:
- Book editing
- News editing
- Freelance editing
- Academic editing
- Corporate editing
ACES encourages diversity in panels regardless of topic.
The deadline to submit is Friday, October 4, but don’t wait until then if you have a great idea! Submit proposals here.
10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
By the time you read this, the 40th anniversary conference and annual general meeting (AGM) will be over. I have sent a separate report to members on the AGM.
I hope you all had a chance to look back on our 40 years, via the social media posts, the timeline, and notes in the e-news update. You can also see a short history of the association on our History of Editors Canada page.
The 40th anniversary task force will continue posting as the year goes on, so I encourage you to keep reading those posts.
I’ve recently been reformatting a list of all the national executive positions since 1979. As I do that, it’s been great to see so many familiar names on the list, in so many different positions. Our colleagues have contributed a lot of time and work to creating, building and maintaining our association. I’m grateful for all of that work and I’m honoured to have been able to contribute to it, too.
In order to keep that work going, we need to reimagine, reassess and rethink. The NEC has been collecting comments on the rethink exercise, which members can look at now (it might spark some more thinking; thanks to Sasha Saint-Aubin for that idea). We also held some roundtables at the conference on the six main themes, to generate more ideas.
Send an email to rethink@editors.ca if you want to
- add more comments
- volunteer to move one of the projects along (if we select any of them)
- join a production team
Gael Spivak, president
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.