Carole Charette
Carole was born in 1963 in Valleyfield, near Montréal. Her father was a specialized high pressure welder whose career got him to work notably at the building of the Cornwall dam, Olympic Stadium, Mirabel Airport. Her family settled in St-Jerome, north of Montréal, where Carole divided her time between skiing and school. She obtained her collegial certificate in display design in 1984. She continued her education at Laval University in Quebec City where she obtained her baccalaureate in 1989 and a multimedia certificate in 1991 at Sheridan college. She is currently finishing her master’s degree in Laval University.

Carole Charette began her professional career as display designer for the University Laval communication department. She was appointed to design three important exhibitions: Sciences and technology at the Olympic Stadium (Montréal), Science stories, a travelling exhibit for Faculty of Science and Tundra-Taïga, an exhibit organized in join venture with the USSR Nordic department. In 1991, she founded Trio communication-marketing with her husband Bernard Houde. Over the years she worked for clients such Radio Canada, RDI, Domtar, Canadian Wood Council, Caisses Desjardins, ING, etc.

Carole Charette has been at the head of the Société des Designers graphiques du Québec for the past ten years. During her mandate, she organized Graphisme Québec 1992/1996 and Grafika with Info Presse since 1998. She also created and lead with great success the presentation of the International Graphic Design Biennial in 1998 and 2000. These editions welcomed famous designers as Gert Dumbar, Adrian Frutiger, Roger Pfund, Anthon Beeke, Armand Mevis and J. Abbott Miller. In spite of the fact that she has little spare time, she is teaching part time at Chicoutimi University.

Carole has been sitting on the IDM (Institut de Design Montréal) board of directors since 1999. She was nominated to represent the SDGQ at Canadian Alliance for Design. Her initiative and devoted spirit gave opportunities to SDGQ and GDC to establish active and profitable networks.

Carole earned many prizes along her career such the Loto-Québec Bursary for engraving, the Bursary for Engramme Workshop, the FCAR bursary for PHD, the Québec City bursary for scholastic excellency, the Prize for excellency from Graphisme Québec 96, the Bronze Medal, Guttenberg Prize. She was also invited as speaker at 1999 Icograda Symposium in Sydney and at Interuniversitary Colloquium and Group exhibit in 1999.

Individual exhibits: Sixx styles, Laval University 2001
Mots à maux, Engramme Gallery 2000. Group exhibit: Qui proquo in honour of the 50th anniversary of Refus global in 1998.

Finally, Carole Charette is a true sportswoman (1988 Quebec mountain bike champion, Canadian Ski Alliance Instructor Level 3, scuba diving, trekking) she appreciates walking peacefully along the Nova Scotia beaches.

Additional Nominating Remarks:
Many of us first met Carole in 1997 at the ACD Planning meeting in Windsor. Since then, we have grown to appreciate her infectious enthusiasm and boundless energy for design not only for Québec designers, but designers across Canada. She has almost singlehandedly revived the SDGQ and kept it growing for the past ten years. Her continual communication and collaboration with the GDC have helped to recreate a truly national design community. The ripples from her contributions have been felt around the world, and for that we submit her name for the honour of Fellowship in the GDC.


Linda Coe
Linda Coe has been an active member of the GDC ever since attending the first meeting of the Visual Communication Society of BC while a student in May 1975. Her contributions at the committee and executive level over the years, including Chapter President 1989–1991, have helped to maintain continuity from one executive to another, as well as empowering many of the members of the BC design community through professional workshops, award shows and inspirational speaker events.

Since 1997 Linda has served as the Chapter’s Ethics & Professional Practices Chairperson, compiling a comprehensive set of letters and responses to various queries from the business community and from designers on issues such as RFP processes, copyright issues, taxation concerns and much more. The responses and gratitude of these businesses is testament to the professional and accommodating manner in which Linda has dealt with the often tricky situation or being an arbitrator in the design world. Many of these templates have been made available to Chapters across Canada to use in their own communities.

Linda is a “collector” by nature and has compiled a meticulously organized archive of GDC materials received in BC since 1976, an invaluable resource for those of us who wish to learn from the past.

It was also through Linda that we met and hired our National Executive Assistant Sheryl MacDonald, the denmother of the GDC’s Ottawa secretariat since 1996.

Linda’s efforts in education over the years have not gone unnoticed by her students, both at ECIAD and at UBC, as well as working professionals and the business community who have benefitted from her professional workshops and presentations made to various groups and committees (IABC, Vancouver Board of  Trade, etc.).

In summation, Linda has been a stalwart supporter of the GDC and designers in Canada, especially in BC for over 25 years, giving those of us who have gone onto the national scene the tools and knowledge to contribute in an effectual manner. It is for these contributions to design in Canada that we submit Linda’s name as worthy recipient of a Fellowship in the GDC.


Annie Re
Annie’s contribution to designers and the design profession began as soon as she came to Canada more than twenty-five years ago. Since then she has held numerous GDC positions, promoted fair business practices for designers and has advocated for international design standards.

Over the years Annie Re has served GDC as Alberta Chapter President in 1984–1985, the National Secretary in 1985–1987, and Alberta North Secretary 1998–2002.

From 1985–87 Annie was Director of Graphic Design for the University of Alberta Hospitals. While there she won a Design Canada Award for her implementation of the Hospitals’ signage system. In May of 1991 she became Director of Print & Graphic Design Services for the Government of Alberta. In this position she developed the Visual Identity System, which included a comprehensive manual and standardization of all Government Design and Print standards. In addition, she determined the correct process and application for the Government’s Coat of Arms.

Currently she is the Director of Publications Services for the Queen’s Printer, where she has been instrumental in developing consistency and accessibility to Government Publications. She helped develop the first e-commerce Government web site in Canada, and continues to work with designers and Government departments throughout North America to encourage accessibility to information.

Annie’s lifetime contributions to design provincially, nationally and internationally have been and continue to be significant. She is currently helping to determine the feasibility of accreditation in Alberta.

“We’re honoured to know her and indebted to her for all that she has done for our profession,” says Sylvia Rigakis, past-president of the Alberta North Chapter of GDC. “She has set a standard of commitment, involvement and dedication that will inspire other graphic designers for many years to come.”