User:Thekidpossum
About me
In 2011, I took my first steps as a self-taught contributor with an article on the opossum Monodelphis domestica - in French (my master's thesis topic in biological sciences!). With my mentor Benoit Rochon, I became a trainer in universities and libraries, notably at the University of Montreal with the physics students' association (WikiPhys) and their library, as well as at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec, for the general public, during the Mardi, c'est Wiki events, in collaboration with Acfas and the Lionel-Groulx Foundation. With Acfas, I organized several themed contribution days for the general public and researchers, such as Femmes de sciences (Women in Science), as well as conferences on misinformation and the role of Wikipedia.
I joined the Board of Directors of Wikimedia Canada in 2016 as an Administrator, then as Executive Secretary, before taking on the role of President in 2022. My colleagues and I organized the international Wikimania conference in Montreal in 2017, with the launch of Wikipedia in Atikamekw as a highlight. I served as spokesperson for several years, giving numerous radio, television, and print interviews on behalf of Wikimedia Canada. I then led the drafting of WMCA's first strategic plan and the hiring of our chapter's first Executive Director, which paved the way for the creation of a permanent team.
Indeed, our commitment to the WMF was to consolidate governance in order to serve Wikimedians across Canada... From Coast to Coast.
The permanent team is now in place, with a professional board of directors, and sound governance (I am a certified chartered director). I have been Past President since May 2024. My role is to ensure a smooth transition and to help with any problems that arise. I have obviously had less time to contribute specifically on Wikimedia projects, as I have devoted all my time to setting up WMCA governance and I am currently a PhD candidate in Management, interested in Degrowth issues.
My work
In addition to my admin work, I participated in managing or supporting various major projects for our chapter, such as the 100 Years of Weather Data project with Environment and Climate Change Canada. I wrote reports, organized meetings with the World Meteorological Organization, supervised students from Polytechnique Montréal and the Université du Québec à Montréal, and gave presentations at scientific conferences and at WCNA Toronto in 2023. There is also the book “The Wikimedia Movement in Canada” in collaboration with my university colleagues, and the launch in 2025 of a structured community of contributors with Acfas (a century-old scientific association that organizes the largest multidisciplinary scientific conference), which will consist mainly of people from colleges and universities (and para-universities, since we work extensively with librarians and archivists across Canada). I also contributed to research on the reliability of Wikipedia guidelines and to a contribution guide (in French) by Acfas.
These projects have been a part of my life for over 10 years now. I hope to continue my involvement, particularly within WikiFranca.
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