News, events, tips and updates from Editors Canada
In this issue:
1. WEBINARS: Train online with Editors Canada
2. UPDATED WEBSITE: What’s next?
3. PROGRAMME D’AGRÉMENT EN RÉVISION LINGUISTIQUE: Examen en révision comparative
4. CERTIFICATION: Thank you!
5. CONFERENCE 2017: Volunteers and session ideas still needed!
6. MEMBER SERVICES: PerfectIt discount
7. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Joanne Haskins
8. GET INVOLVED: Volunteer opportunities to boost your resumé
9. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
1. WEBINARS: Train online with Editors Canada
For more than 35 years we’ve delivered high-quality, local training for editors at every stage of their careers. Are you looking for training opportunities online? Check out our 2016–17 webinar season.
Choose from sessions in English and French on topics as varied as developmental editing, creating and maintaining in-house style guides, language theory and networking. Each session is presented by a topnotch instructor. Visit our webinars page to learn more about each session and to meet the instructors. Don’t forget: Editors Canada members and student affiliates register at discounted rates.
Catch up on demand: Webinar recordings are available
Did you miss an Editors Canada webinar? Several of our webinars have been recorded and are now available for purchase. When you buy a webinar recording, you’ll receive a video file to watch at your leisure on your computer or mobile device. The file is yours to keep, so you can watch it again and again.
Visit our webinar recordings page to see what’s available now. We’re adding new recordings regularly and some are available for a limited time only, so be sure to check often.
2. UPDATED WEBSITE: What’s next?
In case you missed it, last month we launched the updated editors.ca! Read our launch announcement to find out what’s new on our updated home on the web.
Thanks to everyone who has submitted comments about the website via the bug report form since the updated site launched. The website team and the developer are working away at the reports. They can’t respond to each report personally, but they’re addressing major functionality issues in order of priority with the resources available. More finessing will happen in the coming weeks and months.
One important change the team made in the days following the launch was to replace the pale grey text on a white background with a much darker type to increase contrast. When the updated site was designed in 2014, it was compliant with accessibility requirements, but now, two years later, these requirements have changed. We know we have improvements to make in this area; they are on our to-do list, so thanks for your patience. Accessibility is something we’ll be looking at regularly to ensure we respect the current standards.
3. PROGRAMME D’AGRÉMENT EN RÉVISION LINGUISTIQUE: Examen en révision comparative
2017 will start off with a bang with the second test of the Programme d’agrément en révision linguistique (PARL): the examen en révision comparative.
Please note that only réviseurs agréés are eligible to write this test, which will be held on Saturday, January 28, at Université Laval in Quebec City.
Dreaming of becoming a réviseur agréé? Preparation for the next examen d’agrément en révision linguistique générale is under way. This test is scheduled for fall 2017. Start studying now!
To register or for the examen en révision comparative or for more details about the program, visit the PARL website.
4. CERTIFICATION: Thank you!
This month marks the tenth anniversary of the first administration of the Editors Canada certification exams. The certification steering committee is grateful for all the volunteers—test setters and shepherds, external reviewers and proofreaders, pilot testers, invigilators, markers and the marking analyst—who make it possible to offer the exams each year, as well as all the volunteers who set the Professional Editorial Standards evaluated in the certification program.
Since the program’s inception, Editors Canada has awarded 245 certifications to 111 editors, 29 of whom have earned the full CPE credential. We wish the best of luck to this year’s candidates working toward joining the growing roster of certified editors.
Next steps
As the certification program moves into its second decade, we look forward to more exciting milestones, including the launch of computer testing in 2017.
5. CONFERENCE 2017: Volunteers and session ideas still needed!
The 2017 Editors Canada conference committee is still searching for a few more key volunteers to help us put on an awesome conference in Ottawa-Gatineau next June. If you would like the chance to put your skills and talents to use, please check out the available positions and let us know if you’d like to pitch in. Please note you don’t need to be based in Ottawa–Gatineau to volunteer because several jobs can be done remotely. Conference volunteers get a great resumé boost and the chance to network with editors from across the country.
Interested in volunteering but not sure which position is right for you? We can help you find the right fit! Please email Nicole at 2017conferencevolunteers@editors.ca and let us know how you’d like to get involved.
The committee also wants to hear from members about the speakers and sessions you’d like to see at the conference. Send your suggestions to 2017conferencespeakers@editors.ca or swing by our Facebook or Twitter and share your ideas there.
6. MEMBER SERVICES: PerfectIt discount
Did you know that your membership in Editors Canada entitles you to a 15% discount on PerfectIt software?
PerfectIt runs inside of Microsoft Word and helps you identify the mistakes in spelling and grammar that checkers fail to find. Used by over 1,000 editors around the world, PerfectIt improves consistency, ensures quality and helps deliver error-free documents.
PerfectIt checks for:
- Consistent hyphenation and capitalization
- Abbreviation definitions
- Capitalization of headings
- List/bullet capitalization and punctuation
- International spelling variations
Want to know more? Visit our PerfectIt page to find out how to get your free trial and the 15% discount for members.
Looking for more discounts and other benefits of membership? Check out the Editors Canada member services page.
7. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH: Joanne Haskins
Joanne Haskins joined Editors Canada in 1997 and has volunteered her time generously. She cold-read the Editors Toronto newsletter, Edition, in 2001; wrote copy for Active Voice to promote the 2001 annual conference; designed, laid out and produced Edition from 2002 to 2003; proofread the 2003–2004 members’ print directory; helped compile a reference list for members in 2007; and monitored the Interactive Voice forum from 2009 to April 2016. She currently volunteers as the Editors Canada members-only Facebook group moderator. Her duties include ensuring conversations are running smoothly, re-routing questions to the national office and making sure heated discussions are conducted with courtesy. It can sometimes be difficult to keep up with the volume of posts, but Joanne generally finds members to be generous and encouraging toward each other.
Joanne views membership as an active rather than a passive relationship; participating is a crucial part of being a member, especially if she can find ways to make the association stronger. In return, her volunteer experiences with Editors Canada have shown clients her commitment to the industry and her desire to develop new and existing skills. She also finds her fellow members, who are equally passionate about language and the association, inspiring.
An editor since 1988, Joanne began her career as an editorial assistant and then as a managing editor for a national trade magazine publisher. She learned every facet of the editorial and publishing processes from these positions, and she carries this versatility to her freelance business.
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. Visit the Members’ Area for more information about actively participating in the association.
8. GET INVOLVED: Volunteer opportunities to boost your resumé
Are you looking for valuable experience and accomplishments to highlight on your CV? Here are some Editors Canada opportunities that are available today.
Co-chair, Communications and Marketing Committee
We have a lot to be proud of. We’re the only national association focused solely on editors and the editing profession. We literally set the standards for professional editing in Canada and offer national training through our popular annual conference and our brand new webinars. We continue to show our commitment to editing excellence through our national awards, publications and certification programs. And we are the hub for editors in Canada, linking a community of about 1,500 members and affiliates nationwide.
More people should know what we do! So we’re looking for a co-chair for our dedicated communications and marketing committee to help us promote the association and raise the profile of the editing profession in Canada.
We’re looking for a promotional whiz with experience in marketing and who uses social media. Are you the go-getter we’re looking for? Contact Michelle van der Merwe.
Continuity Officer
An exciting opportunity exists to build your management experience! Recognizing the importance of managing our corporate memory, the national executive council is looking for a continuity officer to lead a team to work on several tasks. We have a very capable indexer in place and some of the work has already begun. There are other components to this complex project and you and your team will be tasked with helping us make informed decisions about how we proceed. If you are interested in volunteering to manage this project or want to find out more about this opportunity, we’d love to hear from you. Please send an email to director_publications@editors.ca.
Members, Francophone Affairs Committee
The francophone affairs committee is calling all francophone and bilingual members who want to create promotional material in French to promote our services and get recognition for editing. Want to help promote our association to editors and employers who work in French? The committee needs you! Interested? Please contact Marie-Christine Payette.
Call for articles, Language Portal of Canada
Would you like to see your byline on the Language Portal of Canada? Do you have a topic on editing or writing to share with a national audience? We are looking for short articles of around 500 words.
Since 2011 Editors Canada has contributed four articles a year to the Language Portal of Canada, a federal government website that showcases Canadian expertise in the area of language. Articles submitted have included a wide variety of topics such as the role of the editor, editing, translating and bilingualism. Visit the Language Portal to see the Editors Canada submissions to date.
We work around four submission deadlines during the year: January, April, July and October. If you have an idea for a Language Portal article, please contact Lisa Ng.
Members, Training and Development Committee
Editors Canada has already held eight successful webinars this year! Recordings of some of these webinars are now available for purchase.
Want to help deliver quality professional development for editors? The training and development committee needs more members to assist with Editors Canada webinars and to investigate other professional development opportunities. Are you interested in joining the committee? Please email Director_Training@editors.ca.
9. MEMBER NEWS: A round of applause!
Editors British Columbia member Lana Okerlund has joined West Coast Editorial Associates, LLP.
For nearly 25 years, West Coast Editorial Associates has been providing editorial, writing and training services to a wide range of corporate, government and publishing clients across Canada and internationally. Five of the partners are located in Victoria and now three in Vancouver.
Lana has more than a decade of experience as a freelance editor, writer, indexer and trainer. She is a Certified Copy Editor and Certified Proofreader and holds an Editing Certificate from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Manitoba.
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.
10. NEC: Notes from your national executive council
November meeting: Your national executive council will hold its fourth-quarter meeting on November 19–20 in Toronto. At the meeting, we will approve the 2017 budget, which is drafted by the treasurer and the executive director based on requests for funds from committees, task forces, branches and twigs.
As always, we will try to be responsible stewards of the association’s funds as we find ways to support our many initiatives and promote the benefits of the association to editors and students in related programs across the country.
New! Thanks to a request from a member, we will post the agenda and directors’ reports before the meeting for those who would like to see what’s up for discussion and what has been happening since our last meeting. You can find these documents on our national meetings and minutes page as of November 14.
Report on the Translation Bureau: In July, I sent a letter to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, Judy Foote, outlining our response to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Official Languages’ report on the Translation Bureau. In short, Editors Canada supports the efforts to put the report recommendations into practice. Minister Foote’s office has acknowledged receipt of our letter, saying, “I assure you that the Government shares the same goals as Editors Canada, and we appreciate the important role played by all language professionals in helping our government properly carry out its responsibilities.”
Anne Louise Mahoney
President, Editors Canada
Welcome to Editors Canada!
British Columbia
Joel Bain, Daniel Kane, Jolene Pollard, Dascha Saville, Katie Sweeney
Calgary
Leah Purdy
Edmonton
Dawn Curtis
Toronto
Kathy Anderson, Samantha Lapierre, Katie Lynes, Jaye Marsh, Ryan Perks, Adrianna Stipanovich, James Zhan
Kingston
Janice McNally
Ottawa–Gatineau
Gheed Al Nassan, Lee Chamney, Martine Joly
Quebec/Atlantic Canada
France Fortin, Milène Poirier
Nova Scotia
Heather White
Newfoundland and Labrador
Diana Newton
The national e-news update is produced on behalf of the national executive council by the national office.