Carter v. B.C. Federation of Foster Parents Assn. Page 2 Reasons for Judgment of the Honourable Mr. Justice Hall: This is an appeal from the order of Mr. Justice Taylor pronounced 2 February 2004 dismissing the defamation action of the plaintiff appellant against one of the defendants, the B.C. Federation of Foster Parents Association (the "Federation"). The respondent Federation is a society registered under the Society Act, R.S.B.C. 1996, c. 433. Its purpose is to bring together foster parents, social workers and other interested people to improve the standard of care for foster children in B.C. The appellant Liza Carter has been involved with the Federation since the early 1990s. Initially, she was elected as a regional representative for the Prince George region. For a short time in early 1998 she held the office of president of the Federation and from May 1998 to May 2000 she remained on the board of directors as past president. In May of 2000 the appellant ran for the office of and was elected president of the Federation and she held this position until May 2002. [2] A group of individual defendants including the defendant Kim Dupont comprises the B.C. Foster Care Support Network (the "Network"). This Network was apparently created in early 1996 by the defendant Dupont. [3] Central to this appeal are two internet "forums" or "chat rooms". The parties used the terms interchangeably to refer to internet locations where electronic discussions take place. What I shall term the "Federation Forum" was set up in 2000 to provide foster parents with an opportunity to discuss foster parenting issues. That same year another forum, referred to as the "Bopeep Forum", was created. That forum appears to have some links to the Network aforesaid. Both of these 2005 BCCA 398 (CanLII) [1]