Here's to you, Vic!
BCATW Founder Vic Foster was born in Ireland, which may explain the twinkle in his eye and his dazzling leprechaun-like manners. After he arrived in Canada, he developed a business dealing in antiques. He later established a ski magazine and developed a TV show about skiing. He started his own print publication, the Travel-Wise newspaper. He then began syndicating stories and promoted his unique, ground breaking, online travelzine.
He decided BC writers would benefit most from a local organization. Together with Margaret Deefolts and Jane Cassie, Vic conceived and created BCATW, an organization geared to mentoring and networking for both veteran and aspiring travel journalists. Many BCATW members began their careers in Vic’s travel writing class and had their first print publishing or big editorial assignment because of him.
Vic was also publishing stories right up until his final day. Travel yarns from his cast of well-versed writers were shared regularly with readers of the Van Net paper chain. The same stories were immediately posted online for additional coverage. A quick turnaround time from submission to exposure was always important to Vic, something that is rarely attained in today’s market. He had a consistent style that worked, not only for his writers, but also for his newspaper editors.
In December 2008, Vic passed away in his sleep. Although he had been struggling with a number of health related issues in his last years, his strong will and Irish tenacity had always kept him going. He never missed a deadline, even when in hospital. Nor did he ever turn down the opportunity to share a feisty story with his writers and fellow colleagues. His energy, dedication, professionalism and thoughtfulness made him an inspiration to all who knew him.
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Shocked to find that Vic died just a few months after sending this email to me. I was trying to contact him about doing something else together:
Hi Dave: Thanks for your thoughtful reference to your mate. I have taken this to heart.
My dear wife passed away three years ago this month. After a long and very happy marriage and four great kids, I also lost a business partner. She worked closely with me when we published two national coasts-to-coast publications in Canada. (A travel tabloid and a magazine) In a gift store in a major shopping mall. In the antique trade for 15 years. (I bought goods mostly in London, but also Paris, Spain and New York). The past ten years we partnered in my current media work. She was a great copy editor.
The loss is almost more that I can manage…but when I get a note such as yours I’m encouraged to look at what I’ve been given, currently what I have, and be thankful for both.
It’s sort of a blessing I suppose that I work seven days a week. Five days in my media business (with two deadlines a week). On Sundays and Mondays I put in a full shift at Western Canada’s largest antique centre. I’ll add their website if you’d care to have a look.
Thanks again for sharing the story about your mate. It will continue to be a help to me in coping with life alone.
Cheers, Vic
The Red Barn is at http://www.redbarnantiques.ca