West Coast Editorial Associates at the Editors Canada Conference 2024

All of us at West Coast Editorial Associates (WCEA) are looking forward to the Editors Canada conference “Present Progressive: Passion, Precision and Purpose,” which will be held June 21 to 23, 2024, in Vancouver. The annual conference is always a highlight for editors across the country, but this year, we’re especially happy to have it in our own backyard, and we’ll be there with bells on.

Supporting new editors through the Claudette Upton Scholarship

Every year, Editors Canada awards the Claudette Upton Scholarship to a promising student editor from Editors Canada’s student affiliates. WCEA established the award in 2009 and continues to support it financially each year. The scholarship is named after one of WCEA’s founding partners, Claudette Reed Upton-Keely, a talented editor, instructor, and much-loved mentor to many up-and-coming editors.

Claudette worked both in-house and freelance, specializing in scientific, medical, and historical materials, and she was actively involved in Editors BC and Editors Canada for much of her career, becoming an honorary life member. Claudette is fondly remembered for her great love of words, commitment to environmental and social justice causes, and wonderful sense of humour. We at WCEA appreciate how this award helps Claudette’s generous spirit live on and celebrates our dear colleague and friend, who never hesitated to celebrate others. It’s always wonderful to meet the award recipients and hear how the scholarship is helping them in their studies. We’re looking forward to presenting the award to this year’s recipient at the conference banquet.

Honouring Peter Moskos

This year, we will also remember another giant in the editing world: Peter Moskos, an admired editor, instructor, and writer who passed away in September 2023. Peter volunteered much of his time with Editors Canada, including spearheading the development of the Editors Canada renowned Certification Program. He ran Gordon Group in Ottawa for most of his career before moving to Vancouver, where he became very involved with helping to reinvigorate the struggling Editors BC branch.

When Editors Canada held the national conference at SFU Harbour Centre in 2011, Peter was front and centre in a unique project. Along with WCEA partner Merrie-Ellen Wilcox and Vancouver-based editor Naomi Pauls, Peter helped to organize a tea-tasting session, working with Murchie’s Fine Tea and Coffee to create Editors’ Blend, a special blend of Ceylon, Yunnan, and Keemun teas made to honour editors at the conference. The tea was a great success—so successful that Murchie’s decided to make it one of their regular blends, and it’s still available for order today.

This year, thanks to the work of partners Merrie-Ellen Wilcox and Ruth Wilson, Murchie’s at 815 West Hastings Street in Vancouver is offering a 15% discount on Murchie’s products to all conference attendees. We all plan to take them up on this offer to purchase Editors’ Blend and raise a cup in honour of Peter and his many contributions to the editing profession. We hope to have others join us.

Our commitment to professional development

Lastly, WCEA is a proud sponsor of the Editors Canada conference this year. We wanted to support it because it is such a wonderful opportunity for editors to get together to learn about new trends in editing, brush up on professional development, connect with old friends, meet and support new editors and students, and remember editors who’ve made such a big impact on our profession. We know it’s going to be a great weekend.

To all our editor colleagues, we look forward to seeing you in person in June!