Arleen Paré was born and raised in Montreal, PQ. After completing a BA in Sociology and History and a BA and MA in Social Work, all at McGill University, she moved to Vancouver where she worked in bureaucratic environments for two decades. During this time Paré received her MA in Adult Education at the University of British Columbia. Paré is currently working towards a BA in Fine Arts at the University of Victoria. Paré has published work in several publications, including Geist, CV II, and This Side of West. She co-edited Portfolio Milieu in 2004. She currently lives in Victoria, BC.