You’ll find some good reads in this issue, I think it’s fair to say.

For starters, a self-introduction by Meabh Reidy, the Limerick lass who has quickly won respect all-round as the CCCJ’s new office manager. Meanwhile, over at the Canadian Embassy we hear they’re blushing at our praise – well-deserved! – of the way they handled Mark Carney’s meeting with PM Takaichi. Our piece on her birthday cake is a worldwide exclusive!

We have an insightful overview by Winton Spaulding of a recent Energy Committee event that focused on efforts to make Indigenous Canadians equity partners in resource development – a trend that may well unlock huge investment potential.

Andréanne Parent has given us a warm portrait of Susumu Kaminaga, an esteemed member of our Honourary Board of Advisors who established deep personal connections in Mississauga, Ontario and across Canada.

We have an informative comparison of medical education in Japan versus Canada from Dr. Osamu Nomura, a Japanese pediatrician and CCCJ Academic Member currently engaged in research at McGill University in Montreal.

We have a list of new members that is long because we’ve had no room in recent issues. Their short bios are worth a read, especially those who cite heartfelt reasons for joining the CCCJ.

Last but not least, our cover story on OpenText. This Waterloo ON-based corporate data-management and AI specialist has quietly grown – almost under the radar – to become one of the largest Canadian companies in Japan and a major global player with operations in 180 countries. At their recent “Tokyo Summit,” which drew over 500 people, we interviewed both Interim CEO James McGourlay and Denise Miura, CEO of OpenText K.K.

This was an eye-opener for me. Like many writer/editors who are watching AI literally eat our lunch, I recoil at the robotically bland text it spews out. And while providers like ChatGPT are handy research tools, many writers are learning they are not entirely trustworthy. But with OpenText I saw another, more positive side to AI. Read the story to see what I mean.

As always, thanks to the dedicated folks who help make this magazine happen: Andrew Pothecary, our very talented graphic designer; Paul Braganza, our IT ace; Meabh Reidy, whose support is essential; and our guiding light, Kayo Ito, CCCJ Governor and Publications Committee head.

Would you like to get involved? We’re always looking for volunteers with useful skills – especially photographers. But we could also use capable writers and proofreaders. Contact Meabh at the CCCJ office. And please do let us know what you love or hate in these pages.