Toastmasters International

Thank you for joining us this evening!

We’ve put together this resource page to answer any questions you might have about Toastmasters. If you have other questions, feel free to ask one of our members at the club meeting or connect with us using our online form!

About Toastmasters

Toastmasters International is a nonprofit educational organization that offers a proven education program that helps improve communication and build leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization’s membership exceeds 300,000 in more than 15,800 clubs in 149 countries. Since 1924, Toastmasters International has helped people of all backgrounds build confidence as speakers and leaders.

At Toastmasters, members learn by speaking to groups and working with others in a supportive environment. A typical Toastmasters club is made up of approximately 20 people who meet once a week for about an hour. Each meeting gives members several opportunities:

  • Conduct meetings
    Members learn how to plan and conduct meetings.
  • Give impromptu speeches
    Members present one- to two-minute, impromptu speeches about assigned topics.
  • Present prepared speeches
    Members present speeches based on projects from the Pathways learning experience—Toastmasters’ education program. Projects cover topics such as speech organization, vocal variety, language, gestures and persuasion.
  • Offer constructive evaluation
    Every speaker is assigned an evaluator who points out speech strengths and offers suggestions for improvement.
  • Pathways Learning Experience
    Pathways is Toastmasters’ exciting, interactive and flexible education program. With 11 paths to choose from (and more in development), you have the option to pick which skills you want to focus on.

Brochure: All About Toastmasters [pdf]

Toastmasters allows you to engage with people who share similar interests to you in a supportive and comfortable setting. Here’s just a few of the many benefits you’ll see as a Toastmaster:

  • Improve your public speaking skills

  • Build leadership skills

  • Work on networking in a small and supportive environment

  • Gain self-confidence and self-awareness

  • Receive regular and constructive feedback from peers with similar interests as you

  • Practice writing speeches and presenting in a group setting

  • Access to the Pathways learning experience, which is an education program that allows you to leverage over 300 practical workplace skills, including:

    • Interview preparation

    • Online meeting management

    • Leadership development

    • Project management

    • Conflict resolution

    • Gain a competitive advantage in the workplace

  • Enjoy unlimited personal growth

  • Maximize your potential

Toastmasters International is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills through a worldwide network of clubs. The organization’s membership exceeds 364,000 in more than 16,200 clubs across 145 countries.

*NOTE: Membership includes international dues and club dues, which are used to cover expenses to run club meetings. Please contact us to learn about membership fees.

Brochure: The Benefits of Toastmasters Membership [pdf]

About Metro Speakers

Metro Speakers Toastmasters Club is one of the largest, oldest (40+ years) and most successful Toastmasters clubs in British Columbia. We transform people’s lives by giving members a fun and friendly stage where they can practice looking straight into the audience’s eyes and speaking up.

Led by a group of dedicated volunteers, we’ve continued to provide members a platform to practice public speaking even through the challenges that the pandemic brought us. From shifting the meetings online, to bringing them back to in-person, everyone at Metro Speakers is here to support one another.

To learn more about the leaders of our club, visit the Executive Team page.

  1. Large Club with Diverse Demographic: We have 20-25 regular members. Our ages range from early 20s to 60s. We are not sure how old our most senior member is, but we do know everyone is young at heart and ready to learn!
  2. Weekly 2-Hour Meetings: Some Toastmasters clubs offer one hour meetings, during the lunch hour and sometimes only two times a month. We offer weekly meetings (Thursdays evenings) that last two worthwhile hours. This gives every member a chance to practice public speaking in one form or another.
  3. Professional & Personal Speeches: We welcome members to practice any type of public speaking – business, real-estate, finance, how-to, travel presentations and more. This makes every meeting educational and inspirational!
  4. Fun Roles: In addition to the core roles that all Toastmasters meetings have – Toastmaster, Timer, Grammarian, Speakers and Evaluators– we offer fun roles such as Motivator, Rant Master, App Master, Food Master and Quiz Master. These roles gives members a chance to deliver speeches with different intentions. Members are also encouraged to listen carefully and be an active participant.
  5. Accessible to All: Our in-person meeting is located close to public transit and has ample free parking spaces.

To learn more, visit our About page.

Metro Speakers Toastmasters is a friendly and open club that meets every Thursday, 6-8PM! Anyone is welcome to join as a guest for as many meetings as you would like, no matter where you are located (all for free too)!

To find out the ways you can join our meetings, visit Join A Meeting.
To see when our next meeting is, visit Meeting Schedule.

Please see our Club Fees schedule to learn more.

The Speaker

Learn about club events, find out who is chairing next, and read our member spotlights.

Ready to become a member? Let us know!

T M
T M
2022-12-04
I joined Metro Speakers a year ago and saw results in a matter of a couple months! It helped me gain confidence in public speaking and in myself, but the reason I continue is because of the support I get from the members. The atmosphere is fun, engaging and one where you don't feel judged. Instead, when evaluators give me feedback I feel they truly want to help me grow and get better at speaking. One thing I regret is not joining sooner!
Gutsylady Traveler
Gutsylady Traveler
2022-05-05
A fun environment. Never a dull meeting! Everyone is supportive in a safe setting. I have been to a few Clubs and this one was the friendliest and most supportive. Glad to see hybrid meetings are back! Checkout their website.
Mike Powroznik
Mike Powroznik
2022-05-04
Excellent club. Top notch speakers and very friendly community!!!
Philippe Rochon
Philippe Rochon
2022-02-11
Definitely the best toastmasters club around. Very fun meetings that help you practice/improve public speaking and awesome group of people with great vibes!
Layane Moura
Layane Moura
2021-07-30
Great club! If you are looking for a place to improve your speaking skills, look no further, this is the right place for you! The members are welcoming and make you feel at ease!
Chayanika Awasthi
Chayanika Awasthi
2021-07-27
I joined Metro Speakers during the pandemic, I had attended a few other toastmaster's clubs as well, however, Metro Speakers had such a welcoming and friendly vibe that I decided to become a member. Till this day, all members are so friendly and helpful and that is what encourages me to attend the weekly meetings. I have also grown so much in just a few months, I have improved my public speaking skills and have become more outgoing. Metro Speakers has a lot to offer and I recommend this club if you want to build a community and improve your skills along the way.
Ed Lai
Ed Lai
2021-06-14
I rarely post reviews on google, but I feel that the metrospeakers community is really something special. Public speaking had been an anchor on my mind for decades and it was hard to quantify how big a fear like that affects us. However I knew it was significant and only growing. An online search had brought me to Metrospeakers and its there I stayed for over 3 years. True growth happens in a place that's supportive. The members there truly empathasize with each other and the level of humour in the meetings was absolutely top notch! I can say that my life would be drastically different, if I had chosen not to walk through those doors. My experiences there led me down a path of self exploration and ultimately gave me the courage to act on my passions. I've been fortunate to stay connected with other members in my time and to see their lives prosper both in their careers and family lives. If you ever start to feel the weight of that anchor, don't hesitate - the group here will help you unchain it.
S E
S E
2020-10-26
Celebrated the 40-year anniversary on October 1 with the Metro Speakers. What a fun meeting!
Kevin Chu
Kevin Chu
2020-10-26
This club now takes place on zoom calls, but it remains a fun and motivating environment. I personally have developed my public speaking/communication skills greatly over the past 2 years. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for self-development!
Donald Law
Donald Law
2020-10-23
Meetings have continued on Zoom during COVID, lots of interesting topics and great online speeches. It gives me a place to practise my communication skills as well as get helpful feedback.