Editor’s Message, October 2024

This will be the last issue of the Bulletin for 2024, and we’ve packed it full of content!

We have several articles reporting on CRPA’s Edmonton conference in May. I have to say, it’s a delight to regularly publish post-conference material again, first after the Halifax conference and again this year.

We also have a “back-to-school” theme for the issue. As everyone returns to work or school after the summer, we’re highlighting the radiation safety programs at Loyalist College and Algonquin College of Applied Arts and Technology. We are also telling you about a unique student outreach program at the Canadian Light Source. And if you want to test your exam skills, be sure to check out the latest Health Physics Corner article.

This will also be my last editorial for the CRPA Bulletin as I have decided to step down as chief editor at the end of this year.

Moving the Bulletin online back in 2018 was a big change, but one I believed in as much then as I do now. This move made the Bulletin available to everyone—not just members—in an easily accessible and shareable format. Through the online Bulletin, we’ve expanded CRPA’s reach several times over. This benefits not only CRPA but also every author who contributes to the Bulletin.

When we made the shift to online distribution, we anticipated a decline in advertising revenue; despite our best efforts, this continues to be a hurdle. Declining advertising revenue is a problem for all sorts of publications, not just our Bulletin. And it’s not just online publications that have been affected; print media is struggling with this as well. I believe in the current direction of the Bulletin, and I believe some things are worth subsidizing. I would, however, love to see more effort put into new and novel ways to monetize the Bulletin in its current form.

The CRPA board is clear about wanting change, which is primarily focussed on cost. Several ideas have been proposed, including some that would reverse the move to the online platform. This is something I am not interested in as chief editor—reverting to old ideas without any evidence to back up the decision merely perpetuates the cyclical path of our association instead of promoting real innovation.

I acknowledge that, as I am attached to the current format, I may be somewhat biased. Or I might just be getting a bit jaded—seven years as chief editor is longer than I’ve stayed at any paid position, after all! I hope that someone with fresh eyes, new ideas, and perhaps a bit more time and energy than I have, will have what it takes to guide the next evolution of the Bulletin. I hope whoever follows me has nothing but success, and I look forward to seeing how the next chapter unfolds.

Of course I can’t end my last editorial without thanking several people. Michelle Boulton has been our production manager for far longer than I’ve been involved with the Bulletin, and I hope CRPA’s relationship with her continues for a long time to come. The quality of the Bulletin would not be even a shadow of what it is without her, and it’s been a pleasure to work with her.

I’ve worked with Grant Cubbon on the editorial team since 2018, when we moved to the online platform. His contributions, advice, and steadfastness have made my job much easier, and I’m grateful for his support.

Sue Singer, our secretariat, has also provided ongoing and amazing support over the years. And Alicia Douglas, our new student and young professional advisor, has already demonstrated great initiative and new ideas to support this publication.

And lastly, thank you to everyone who has and who continues to submit articles to the Bulletin. Ultimately, this is your publication—without you, there would be no Bulletin. Your contributions are an integral part of our radiation safety network and strengthen the heart of our CRPA family. Keep that heart beating.