About Us

In 2007, Columbia Speech and Language Services celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Columbia first opened its doors in 1987 - one of the first private speech therapy clinics in British Columbia. When speech-language pathologist Wendy Duke started the clinic, she offered foreign accent reduction classes that were the first of their kind in Canada. At the time, only a few American clinics offered this service, but in B.C. the majority of speech-language therapists worked in public schools and health care programs. The public system was not in a position to offer programs for people who wanted to speak more clearly in English. Wendy saw this niche, opened a private clinic, and enjoyed the challenge of applying her speech and language knowledge to a new population.

Wendy Duke, founder of Columbia Speech Language Services

Wendy Duke

  • Master of Science, Speech-Language Pathology, University of British Columbia
  • Bachelor of Arts, Linguistics, University of British Columbia

Before Columbia, Wendy worked as a speech-language therapist in the brain injury program at GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre - where she first started as a practicum student in 1980. She remained at GF Strong part-time for Columbia's first two years, and in 1989, left GF Strong to focus on the expansion of Columbia. The Insurance Corporation of B.C. had started referring clients with brain injuries to Columbia and a growing number of people were interested in stuttering treatment. Eventually Wendy contracted the services of seven additional speech-language pathologists with specialized areas of practice.

Each year the Columbia team sees more than 300 people. They offer individual and small group programs at Vancouver's Fairmont Medical Building at 750 West Broadway and also in homes, schools, hospitals, rehabilitation centres, and workplaces.

Wendy is an honourary clinical assistant professor in the Faculty of Medicine's School of Audiology and Speech Sciences at the University of B.C. She also offers her services to lawyers and insurers as a medical-legal witness in court for personal injury and medical malpractice cases. She assesses speech and language problems and describes to the court how people's lives are affected by communication challenges. In the past, speech-language therapists rarely appeared in court; however, since Wendy started offering this service, lawyers and insurers are understanding the importance of communication.

"Communication is what allows us to participate in society on many levels - at work and at play and at school. It's never hard for me to convince people of the value of speech therapy because I really believe in it," Wendy says.

How to find us

Columbia Speech and Language Services is located in Suite 1316 of the Fairmont Medical Building at 750 West Broadway (on the southeast corner of Broadway and Willow).

Parking spots can be scarce in this neighbourhood and it can take up to 20 minutes to park. The Fairmont Building lot (accessible from Willow St.) sometimes has spots available and there is some on-street parking (with two-hour limits).

If your appointment is after 6:00 p.m., ask your therapist about "after hours" access to our office.