Canadian Symposium X

History of the Canadian Symposium

The following history was appended to the registration form for Symposium VIII, which was held in Halifax April, 2005.  Symposium IX was held in Toronto, April, 2007.  Symposium X will be held in Saskatoon, March, 2009.

(Summarized from Colleen Grover, HEJE News, June, 1997, p.2)

The impetus for the Canadian Symposium began in the spring of 1990 when Dr. Linda Peterat invited me to come to the University of British Columbia and share what was happening in home economics education in Alberta with home economics educators in Vancouver. Feedback from those in attendance was very positive and they recommended that we meet on a yearly basis and invite other home economics educators to join us. Both Linda and I liked the suggestion and began to formulate plans for the next meeting. We decided on the symposium format because we believed that if we were to meet again that we needed some guiding questions for the talks and that we should provide an opportunity for others by making available proceedings after the Symposium.

We decided that we should invite to our next meeting home economics educators from the universities, the ministries of education, school system supervisors, and presidents of home economics councils of teachers associations. While discussing our plans, we decided that in addition to British Columbia and Alberta, perhaps Manitoba and Saskatchewan would like to join us, and then, we got the idea that if we held the Symposium in Manitoba we could invite all the people we had targeted from every province. Linda then contacted Joyce McMartin in Winnipeg to see what she thought of our plan and to see if she would be willing to assist by looking after the arrangements for the meeting rooms, hotel, and food. Joyce agreed and the first Canadian Symposium.

Issues and Directions for Home Economics/Family Studies Education was held in March, 1991 in Winnipeg with approximately 40 home economists in attendance. Several beliefs guided this symposium from the beginning:

1. that all in positions of leadership, including teachers, should be invited to attend;
2. that most attending will also present so the symposium will consist of talking and listening to each other, not outside experts;
3. that the cost of attending and registration be kept minimal by seeking sponsors for the Symposium and using medium priced accommodation;
4. while the numbers of those in attendance may be low, proceedings should be published soon after the Symposium and made available to all for discussion;
5. that action planning to address issues be part of the Symposium so there is some follow through from the discussions.

The following Symposia were held:

• Symposium I March 1991, Winnipeg;
• Symposium II March 1993, Calgary;
• Symposium III March 1995, Toronto;
• Symposium IV March 1997, Edmonton;
• Symposium V March 1999, Ottawa;
• Symposium VI February 2001, Winnipeg;
• Symposium VII March 2003, Vancouver.
• Symposium VIII March 2005 Dartmouth
• Symposium IX, 2007, Toronto.
 

Following each Symposium, each registrant has received a copy of the Proceedings and additional copies have been available for sale through the Canadian Home Economics Association. The symposia continue to be organized as long as people feel the need to meet and believe that good things happen as a result of the meetings.