Mary Metzger
Technical writing in Metro Vancouver comes in many varieties. Projects are completed for private companies and public agencies, including municipal departments that require up-to-date procedures manuals. Coquitlam-based writer and editor Margaret Shaw has just completed such a manual for the Pitt Meadows Public Works Department. Margaret brought a suite of skills to the project, many learned while earning her diploma in the Douglas College Print Futures program.
The Pitt Meadows Public Works Department is responsible for many types of work, including street sweeping and maintenance of streets, water mains, and sewer pipes. Margaret met often with the staff as they described processes, defined terms, and clarified policies. Margaret made full use of Excel to manage completion of the individual manual sections and as a tool to measure progress. The Department did not have a document template. Accordingly, Margaret created one and as she wrote, she kept in mind the needs of both current and future Public Works staff and other city officials. The completed manual is another example of a successful collaboration between subject matter experts and a thoughtful technical writer.
Margaret is a member of the British Columbia Branch of the Editors’ Association of Canada (EAC).