Volume 4, Number 1, March, 1996 - Noise News International

Member Society ProfileThe Canadian Acoustical AssociationThe history ofthe Canadian AcousticalAssociation dates back to a meetingof 18 persons interested in acoustics heldat the National Research Council inOttawa, Ontario on 1962 March 29. Thediscussions indicated that activities inacoustics within Canada should be structured.The following year, a second meetingwas held, and the group adopted thetitle Canadian Committee on Acousticsfor its activities. Tom Northwood wasappointed as Chair, and Tony Embletonwas appointed as Secretary.The year 1972 was a major milestonefor the committee. During a meeting atMcGill University, Montreal, Quebec, in1972, the question was raised: Where dowe go from here? Two items discussedwere the publication of a newsletter, anda change in the name of the organi zation.The first issue of a newsletter was published,and a guest article dealt with thequestion of how the organization shouldbe structured; as a committee, an association,or as a society. Regular annual meetingscontinued, and at the meeting in1974, the name Canadian Acoustical Association/ I'Associa tio n Can adi enn ed'Acoustique was adopted. The CAANewsletter continued to be published,and, in 1975, its circulation exceeded250.The incorporation process was initiatedin 1976 by Hugh Jones, and theorganization was officially incorporatedon 1977 April 22.The Canadian Acoustical Associationbecame a Member Society of InternationalINCE in 1978 with John Hemingway appointedas the CAA representative.Work continued on the improvementand upgrading of the newsletter; its formatwas changed in 1978,and in 1983 itbecamemore of a technical journal with news. Itsname was changed to Canadian Acoustics,This is the thirteenth in a series ofarticleson the history and activities ofthe MemberSocieties of International INCE. - Edand, in 1987, the CAA celebrated 15years of continuous publication.One of the major events in the historyof the Assoc iation was the organization ofth e 12th Int ernati on al Congr ess onAcoustics which was held in Toronto ,Ontari o in 1986 July in conjunction withthe 25th meeting of the CAA. The meetingwas an outstanding success with 954participants from 36 countries.Acoustics Week in Canada is a regulareve nt for the Canadian Aco usticalAss ociation. The meetin gs held duringthat week genera lly draw more than 100participant s. In 1993, the meetin g washeld in Toronto, Ont ario. Trevor Nightingalewa s cha ir of the 1994 eventwhich was held in Ottawa, Ontario in1994 October, and B. Gosselin was thechair of the 1995 Acoustics Week inCanada whic h was held in Quebec City,Qu eb ec in 1995 October. Acou sti csWeek in Canada will be held in 1996October in Calgary, Alberta.The CAA gives several prizes for outstandingwork in acoustics, the Edgar andMillicent Shaw Postdoctoral Prize inAcoustics, the Alexander Graham BellPrize in Speech Communication and BehavioralAcoustics, and the Eckel Prize inNoise Control. The CAA is considering anew prize in memory of 1995 PresidentRaymond Hetu who passed away duringhis term in office.The CAA now has more than 400members, a number which has grownsteadily over the past few years.John Hemingway is the current presidentof the CAA, and Trevor Nightingaleis the Executive Secretary. Murray Hodgsonserves as the Editor-in-Chief of CanadianAcoustics.More information on CAA activitiesmay be obtained by contacting the Associationat the address given in the InternationalINCE directory on page 62 ofthis issue.1996MarchNoiselNews International 7