This issue—Volume 50, Number 1—marks the beginning of the British Columbia Medical Journal’s 50th year. So why should we care that the Journal has reached this milestone? Is longevity an accomplishment worth celebrating?

When the existence of the BCMJ was threatened in late 1998 and early 1999 British Columbia’s physicians leapt to the journal’s defence with remarkable force and passion. Your many letters of support were a vivid and touching vote of confidence in the Journal and its tradition of publishing BC physician-authors writing for the benefit of BC physicians and patients (we’ve kept those letters and refer to them on dark days!). That incident predates me, but I do draw on that reservoir of support and the knowledge that our labors are valued. Since that time we have undertaken two large, statistically valid readership surveys that have confirmed that the BCMJ is on the right track, and that it’s something you appreciate and want to keep. 

So we do think it’s worth marking this milestone. Throughout Volume 50 we’ll treat you to samples of the articles, ads, and editorials from the BCMJ’s past selected by the BCMJ’s Editorial Board—who incidentally had a great time leafing through back issues to find these gems. Some things seem to be from another planet (the ads), while others are a remarkably contiguous continuation of conversations we’re still having today (the editorials).

Our current Editorial Board members will be writing special articles, and we’d like to hear from you too. What does the BCMJ mean to you? Whether you’re a past contributor, avid reader, or even occasional reader, please write and give us your take on the BCMJ. We’ll provide you with a pencil sketch of the Journal’s history, but are counting on you to add the color and shading.