Canadian Oral History Association : The Canadian Oral History Association (COHA) has its roots in the Oral History Committee of the Canadian Historical Association. Those participating in COHA's founding convention held at Simon Fraser University, in October 1974, included: historians Jack Granatstein, Nicole Gagnon, Bruno Jean, David Millar, George Cook and Jean Morrison; authors/broadcasters Elspeth Chisholm, Robin Woods, Anita Gordon, Barry Broadfoot, Peter Stursberg, Imbert Orchard and James Gray; archivists Léo La Clare, Derek Reimer, Allen Specht and Trevor Powell; ethnomusicologist, Dr. Ida Halpern; educators Dr. John Widdowson and Dr. Donald F. Campbell; museum curators Gregg Finley and Jane McCracken; and geographers Gordon Wilson and W.J. (Bill) Langlois. The initial name of the association was the Canadian Aural/Oral History Association. The membership is still multi-disciplinary in nature and includes institutions which preserve oral history materials and make them available to their research public.
This educational non-profit association was formed to: a) encourage and support the creation and preservation of sound recordings which document the history and culture of Canada; b) develop standards of excellence and increase competence in the field of oral history through study, education and research; and c) work with and support any other association or institution whose objectives are consistent with those of the association.
COHA publishes an annual journal entitled 'Oral History FORUM d'histoire orale' (the former 'Journal of the Canadian Oral History Association'). This annual review contains a selection of conference papers or articles submitted by practitioners. A COHA website was established ca. 1997 -- -- in order to disseminate information to the membership, rather than by printed newsletter. The website provides information on membership fees, bibliographic references, such as manuals on 'how to do' oral history, lists of regional contacts, and links with related websites.
COHA members who have served on the national executive include: Léo LaClare, Denis Gagnon, Janet Cauthers, Neil V. Rosenberg, Jane McCracken, Richard Lochead, Dr. Robert Crosby, Gary Hughes, Jim Morrison, Margaret Harry, Chris Gebhard, Robert Morgan, Allen Specht, Ronald Labelle, Wilma MacDonald, Carolyn Vachon, Joan Fairweather, Jan Trimble and Ken Clavette. Ontario branch volunteers have included: Janice Simpson, Diana Fancher, Christine Kates, Mark Rosenfeld and Mark Epp. Regional representatives have included: Shannon Ryan, John Cousins, Bruce Grainger, Mavis Waters, Gilbert Comeault, Gerry Berkowski, Joanna Buhr, David Millar, David Neufeld and Richard Valpy.
In December 1993 COHA published the first nation-wide inventory of oral history collections in Canada, compiled and edited by Normand Fortier, which was launched by the National Archives of Canada on 27 January 1994.
