Annual General Meeting 2021/Minutes

Meeting information

• Date: 28 May 2021
• Location: Online.

Minutes

1. The meeting is opened at 7pm by the Acting President, Michael David Miller.
2. With 15 members present, the quorum is met.
3. The Acting President addresses the members.
4. The members of Wikimedia Canada move to accept the agenda.
   • Motion adopted.
5. The members of Wikimedia Canada move to accept the minutes of the Annual General Meeting 2020.
   • Motion adopted.
6. The Acting President thanks all the contributors from Canada, and gives the highlights of 2020: charity status, increase of donations, and better governance. He also mentions that Wikimedia Canada is in the process to obtain insurances for the Board of Directors, and exploring to have a hours bank for a Wikipedian without residence and a technopedagogue. The Acting President also thanks the contractuals Jean-Philippe Béland and Pierre Choffet as well as the volunteer director Ha-Loan Phan for the success of the ECCC Project. He also thanks the contractual Pierre Choffet for his IT support, and the volunteer director Benoit Rochon for the new website. He also thanks the volunteer director Jean-Michel Lapointe for leading the Programs Committee and the book project. He also thanks the contractuals Jean-Philippe Béland for his work to support Wikimedia Canada. He mentions that the pandemic was very difficult for the activities of Wikimedia Canada. He highlights the #1Lib1Ref campaign, as well as the 9 WikiClubs and the intent to create new ones. He also mentions that the English-speaking side is less involved in the Programs Committee than the French-speaking and Atikamekw-speaking sides. Jean-Michel Lapointe invites the English-speaking members and volunteers to join the Programs Committee. The members were informed that the format of the wiki activities of BAnQ were changed, and we will assess how it goes in 2022. Finally, the members were informed that Wikimedia Canada is supporting a the publication of a book in English and French with two university presses.
7. The Secretary presents the 2020 Financial Report to the members.
8. The members of Wikimedia Canada move to accept the 2020 Financial Report.
   • Motion adopted.
9. The members of Wikimedia Canada move to elect by acclamation the following four people as directors of Wikimedia Canada for 2-year terms:
   1. Ha-Loan Phan
   2. Lëa-Kim Châteauneuf
   3. Jean-Michel Lapointe
   4. Sarah Severson
   • Motion adopted.

Announcements and questions

1. A director mentioned that during the Arctic Knot Conference on 25 June, there will be a presentation about the Atikamekw Project. We are also planning to make a documentary about the Wikipedia in Atikamekw.
2. A member asked how the Wikimedia 2030 Strategy will affect Wikimedia Canada, and how the goals of the strategy will be achieved in Canada. The Board of Directors answered that Wikimedia Canada will look at the Wikimedia 2030 Strategy more closely in 2022. Amber Berson was the link for Wikimedia Canada with the Wikimedia 2030 Strategy Process in 2021.
3. A member mentioned the WikiConference North America, and specifically invited people who speak French of Spanish to help in organizing it. The conference will be online this year.
4. A member asked what will be the main projects of Wikimedia Canada for the upcoming year. The Board of Directors answered that Wikimedia Canada is developing a growth plan with the consultant Vincent Chapdelaine, that Wikimedia Canada is hosting two interns this summer for the ECCC Project, but that funding is not renewed by the federal government for this project, and that Wikimedia Canada is planning to continue to develop the WikiClubs Acadia and Croissant boréal. The Board of Directors also hopes that Wikimedia Canada will be able to organize more in-person meetings if the situation allows it.
5. A member asked for an update about the partnership with BAnQ. A director answered that the agreement will officially end on December 2021, but there is a plan to renew it for another 5 years. BAnQ continues to organize workshops, but is changing the format of the "Mardi, c'est Wiki" to "BAnQ est Wiki" because monthly workshops were too demanding, and is now organizing four (at least) thematic activities per year instead. BAnQ is also launching other wiki initiatives targeted to professionals (professors and researchers) instead of the larger public, specifically about the use of Wikimedia projects in the classroom. Also, a project with Wikidata and ISNI is being developed. BAnQ continues to be interested to upload archives in Wikimedia Commons.
6. An administrator thanks Michael David Miller for presiding the Annual General Meeting.

Closing of the meeting

1. The members of Wikimedia Canada move to close the Annual General Meeting at 8:12pm.
   • Motion adopted.

Notes

1. Minutes written and translated by Jean-Philippe Béland.