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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
A second national conference took place in Yellowknife last week and it involved a whole lot of typing.

Thirty-eight delegates from around Canada and the United Kingdom were in Yellowknife last week for the Hansard Association of Canada's 39th annual conference. - photo courtesy of the Hansard Association of Canada

Close to 40 members of the Hansard Association of Canada came to Yellowknife for their annual conference at the same time as the higher profile Canadian Medical Association annual general meeting, which brought about 300 medical professionals to the city.

"I guess it would be a little unusual that there would be two large conferences at the same time in Yellowknife," said Linda Fahey, president of the Hansard Association of Canada. "Every jurisdiction takes its turn (to host the Hansard conference) and it was Yellowknife's turn. They graciously welcomed us and we accepted their invitation to come."

Hansard is the official transcript from provincial and territorial government sessions held in legislatures across the country. Transcribers and editors record, type, edit and publish transcripts from the legislative sittings.

Hotel rooms and activities were booked a year in advance so none of the delegates had any trouble finding accommodation.

The Hansard association delegates, most of whom are expected to be able to type 80 words per minute, toured the city when they weren't busy with their conference agenda, which ran from Aug. 13 to 17. They also managed to squeeze in a visit with a dog sled team, Northern quilting workshops, a fish fry and a canoe trip on the Yellowknife River.

The conference is intended to keep members up to date on current practices and technological advances.

"We have some colleagues from the UK that come every year - from Wales, Scotland and England and sometimes (representatives from) Ireland come - it's a wonderful opportunity," Fahey said of the conference.

"We do have some differences in style in how we produce our reports. In the United Kingdom we edit a little bit more heavily than in some of your provinces," said Lorraine Sutherland, who works at the House of Commons in London, England. "In Manitoba they aren't allowed to edit anything, they have to leave in all the repetitions ... in the end we all do the exact same job."

While there are subtle differences in approach, Canada and England stay true to the Westminster system, which was developed for Commonwealth countries.

Welcoming her international counterparts to Yellowknife was a proud moment for NWT Hansard editor Michelle Melanson.

"It's wonderful. It was very busy," she said. "(I'm) very proud to showcase our city, and everyone has been raving about it."

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