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Organization History

Founded in 1953 by three speech therapists, Speech and Hearing BC began as a Speech Therapy Association. Twelve people attended the first meeting, including elocutionists, teachers of the hearing impaired and students.

The Association was registered with the provincial government in 1957. The organization’s primary goals were:

  • Creating standards for membership and possible licensing
  • Increasing the public's awareness of our professions and the extent of our competencies
  • Establishing a training program at the University of British Columbia (UBC) which materialized when John Gilbert, Director of the School of Audiology and Speech Sciences, arrived in 1967

Work on licensing and establishing of a regulating body, or College, began in 1966 and continued over the next 40 years.

When The College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals of British Columbia (CSHBC) was established in 2010 to regulate speech–language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists, Speech and Hearing BC rebranded as a membership association.