2020 AGM Minutes

Click here to download the minutes from the 2020 virtual meeting.

2021 AGM Agenda

2021 AGENDA:  

Call to order: Sunday April 11th, 2021

1. Housekeeping
2. Review/amend/adopt Agenda
3. Review/amend/adopt Minutes of virtual AGM – July 2020
4. Business arising from the Minutes
5. Board reports (as written)
6. Audited financial statements
7. Bylaw amendments and motions
8. Report of the nominating committee
9. Date of next meeting: Regina - April 2022

 

**Zoom meeting link will be sent out by March 29th. Registration is required and will open on March 29th and remain open until 4:00 pm April 11th.

 

POST AGM: Following the AGM the Public Relations Committee would like to invite you and your family to a LIVE VIRTUAL MAGIC SHOW! INTERACTIVE & FUN.

 

 

2020 Attendance List

Click here to download the attendance list from the 2020 virtual meeting.

Board of Directors' and Administration Reports

PRESIDENT - CAMILLE LAPIERRE

Hello fellow members!  I hope this report finds you all in good health!

Yes, health has been at the forefront this past year and reasonably so. The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown us all for a loop and has required all of us to pivot on many occasions. Our first major pivot was the forced lockdown from March 18th/’20 to May 19th/’20. Amidst the unknown, the office continued to be available to all of us to answer any questions and weather this storm. No words can express the gratitude we have for Lori Green and Jayne Little’s dedication to all of us.

The MTAS strategic plan was still in place and the Board continued to keep the ball rolling.  Our main goal was to ensure that the organization was a well-oiled machine going into legislation.  Knowing that certain chairs would be obsolete once regulation is in place, the Board agreed on restructuring and only keeping the portfolios relevant to a member-focused organization. The Board now has 9 members down from 11. 

The learning curve truly began when we were authorized to return to work on May 19th.  Thank you all for your patience as we all navigated these stormy waters.  Your patience was also very much appreciated as we hosted our very first virtual AGM on July 8th.

As tumultuous as 2020 was, it did end on a high note for MTAS with the 1st reading of the Massage Therapy Act Bill on December 6th!  20 + years in the making and we are finally seeing the fruits of our labor.  Thank you to all past and present Board members and colleagues for your hard work in reaching this momentous step. As a good friend stated: “Regulatory timelines are slightly faster than geological timelines, but not by much!”

As we forge ahead with legislation, MTAS remains dedicated to upholding our high standards of education, maintaining our professionalism, and achieving the ultimate goal of protecting the people of Saskatchewan.

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PAST PRESIDENT - MARLES KERNS-DYCK

This wraps up my tenth year on your Board of Directors.  I am so honored to have had the opportunity to represent our organization and profession in this capacity.  I have learned so much, gained experiences and was part of things that I never would have imagined.  I have so much pride to have been part of the team that brought to fruition the first reading of regulation.  It has been a long time coming, it has been over two decades of persistence driven by passion and consistency!  We all deserve recognition and a pat on the back for this great moment in our history.  To be a member of the MTAS means we all chose to be part of an organization that never waivered, we always upheld and will uphold the standards of our profession.  Congratulations to us!

This last year was very different, it was abundant with challenges, but we all found our way through it.  Covid-19 changed everything.  When the lockdown happened last March we all found ourselves in the great unknown.  Your Board of Directors and staff were on call every day, all day, as we were very aware that our livelihoods as massage therapists were going to be directly affected.  This was a time of debate, confusion, uneasiness, and high emotion.  I want to thank our staff Lori Green and Jayne Little for all the hard work that they did during this time.  They took the brunt of it being on the frontline answering hundreds of phone calls and emails, and at times I am sad to say that they were treated very poorly.  Abusive behavior in our organization is not OK and is not tolerated.  I wish to strongly assure each one of you that our staff and Board put our members first, none of our decisions came lightly or from a place of malice. 

I am very excited to see what happens next.  I am anticipating that we will get our second and third reading by the end of this year, to follow will be the development of the College.  Your MTAS will need your continued support, maybe it is a letter campaign, a petition, or committee work.  Contact the office to find out where you can help.

I want to thank all the past and current board members that I have had the opportunity to work with.  I have learned from each one of you, and I value you and your contributions to our organization and profession.  I thank and appreciate our staff members Lori and Jayne, they are a powerhouse team that keeps everything moving forward with steadfast dedication and grace.  I also thank our members, I have made some great friendships throughout my career thus far, we are an amazing group of people.  I am so proud to be a massage therapist and a member of the MTAS.       

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TREASURER - CECILIA MRYGLOD

It was an unprecedented year across the board and on the finance side of it we had many unexpected changes throughout the year. Hosting events (such as our AGM) and our exams had to be cancelled and or done differently. Overall, we dealt with things as they came and we have made a budget for the upcoming year assuming things will be the same for the majority, if not all, of this current fiscal year.

It also brought the opportunity to have online and free or low-cost professional development. Making it more cost effective, convenient, and accessible.

We have completed our yearly audit with Stewart, Gee and Murray on the financial side of things, it went well.

We ran a slight deficit again this year but much less than last year. Having a slight surplus or deficit is quite typical of a non-profit organization.  Membership fees were up slightly, which is great! Individually for both revenues and expenses there are no large changes to make note of.

In closing, this has been my last year on the board. I was elected in on town council so have decided to dedicate my time solely to that position. It is important for me to note that working on the MTAS Board has been such a great experience and I have learned so much. There is a lot of work behind the scenes and it is never easy to make decisions for over 800 members. So, to all the Board members, past and present, thank you for your commitment. As well to Lori and Jayne who work tirelessly for the membership.

The audited financial statements will be sent to you by email, in due course.

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COMPLAINTS AND INVESTIGATION - ERIN SOBKOW

Hi to Everyone!

This year, MTAS had a fewer number of filed complaints.  I am guessing that this had to do with COVID and the fact that a lot of us have been extra diligent in protecting ourselves and the public.  Our MTAS therapists have had to step up and I am so proud of us and the excellence we are showing in being the health care professionals we are trained to be during this exceptional year. Great job MTAS therapists! 

This fiscal year November 1, 2019 to October  31, 2020, MTAS fielded a total of 6 inquiries about complaints: 2 complaints were officially filed, 2complaints were not registered as they would not sign a complaint form or they were over 24 months old, and 2 were not MTAS members, so therefore we had no authority to act.  Written complaints are officially filed, investigated and actions are then recommended by the Investigation Committee or referred to the Discipline committee.  This year we had zero (0) complaints that moved into a discipline file.   

There were investigations into modalities, particularly a cupping complaint.  The Board has had much discussion around cupping, and what is considered in scope and what is out of scope.  I imagine there will be further investigation into this modality as we proceed into regulation.

I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone when treating first time clients to always refer back to what we learn in school, “Start slow and gentle and ease into treatments. Continue to have dialogue with your patient until you are both comfortable with the pressure and procedures.  We need to learn everyone’s pain tolerance and pressure.”  A reminder that fire cupping is not in the scope of practice as recognized by MTAS.

Lori continues to answer questions from the public and our therapists, regarding breach of the MTAS bylaws.  This year was an extraordinary year in dealing with all the regulations brought on by COVID.  Lori and Jayne worked diligently to inform our therapists, and this was tricky, as sometimes regulations were changing weekly, or monthly.  The office did field many questions about masking, cleaning massage rooms/equipment and keeping extra COVID intake forms.  Some therapists had to be reminded of the new protocols and most were excellent in making changes when asked.  Mostly, complaints of this nature were that the therapists were just not aware.  Lori and Jayne have been excellent with sending out emails and reminders about these changes.  As health care professionals, we will all have to continue to be diligent over the next months, reading about and implementing the changes as requested by Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) and the Provincial Government. 

Also, a huge thank-you goes out to Tammy Tincher who is on my committee, she is valued and is a wealth of knowledge.  If anyone else is interested in helping on the Investigation Committee, please forward your contact information onto me.  We would love to have you.  This is one way to get more involved as a member and learn some of the workings of your Board.

I would also like to recognize and thank the Discipline committee, Kendi Shewchuk, Shannon Neubauer, and Sherry Strachan.

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CONTINUING EDUCATION/COMPETENCY - COREY SCHULTZ

Hello MTAS members,

We have been hard at work on the Con-Ed committee this year, trying to find things that will work in this age of Covid. It has been a little harder to get credits in this past year due to much of our field being hands on. That being said we have allowed for a huge amount of free online credits from the San Diego Pain Conference who offered over 60 hours of free continuing education. As well course providers are learning how to teach online to make it plausible to help massage therapists everywhere continue to learn.

This year has been a slower year for the Continuing Education Committee, only going over 66 courses over 2019-2020. Which, given Covid is not much of a surprise. Though we have many more coming through the committee soon, which a large amount of them are online and members will be able to participate from the comfort and safety of your home.

We also have prepared a survey that should be ready soon to send out to you all. This survey is to determine your comfort level with different methods of continuing education, and what methods you prefer. We want to make sure that we are bringing in things that are of interest to you all.

As COVID has shown us, the only constant is change; We as a profession are not immune to this and must continue to change and grow.   Whether it be how we treat, what we are forced to wear, or how much extra cleaning we have to do. Manual therapy evidence is changing quite a bit as well. More and more evidence and research is pointing to a biopsychosocial approach to pain, and that it is not just physical structures that matter.  Keeping up with what is current will only lend us credibility and improve our standing with other health professionals. I highly encourage all of you to look at something you never thought you would before, expand your horizons, and see what may inspire you that you thought would have been useless.  Who knows, it may change your entire outlook and massage therapy!

I would as always like to thank my fellow board members for sometimes dealing with my newbie questions on the board. The past members of the board who helped forge the way for where we are now and get us closer and closer to legislation. (Fingers crossed!)

Huge thanks to Jayne and Lori, who work tirelessly to make sure everything behind the scenes is done. The amount of work that we don’t see that they do is extraordinary.  Even though they get a lot of credit, it is never enough!

And last, but not least, thank you to my committee members, Jordan Smith, Dr. Bob Lidington and Lara Brierley. It seems no matter how much work we do, there is always so much more to do. Thank you all very much!

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PUBLIC RELATIONS - TIM RUTLEY

Good morning to my fellow Board members and fellow MTAS members!
It is hard to believe but we made it 2020. I know for a lot of us Covid19 has been very difficult and frustrating.

Near the middle of 2020 my committee and I decided to take a break and pause working on the affinity program. We didn’t want to add an extra stress to businesses that were going through as much stress that we all probably experienced most of 2020. With that in mind I didn’t stop listening and looking for other opportunities for businesses to add to our affinity program. One of my main focuses has be on providing perks and benefits to our members through this program. This isn’t an easy task! I would love if we could have a member on the affinity committee from each community.  As a member in your community you know what is there plus you have connections with local businesses and can advocate for your practice. We have identified that there is still a lot to be done in getting more provincially diverse sponsors. I to want to encourage all of us during this pandemic to be more focused on supporting local. Saskatchewan Massage Therapists supporting Saskatchewan Businesses!

We are growing this program gradually and I am proud of our work in this area so far we have:

• Harden and Huyse Chocolates - starting at 10% off chocolates (the more we use the more our discount goes up)
• GoodLife Fitness
• Perkopolis - which gives access to 50+ other deals
• Nina Lane Wellness - 15% off first consultation and 10% off products
• Popeyes Supplements - all Saskatoon locations - 10% off plus phone orders and now online orders code MTAS
• Jenn Vibert- 15% off comprehensive online coaching, 15% off one time program design and 10% additional services (marco calc, meal plan counselling, and nutrition boot-camps)
• Body-fuel Organics (Regina) - 10% off In store/online (MTAS10)
• Core Pro 8 - 10% off services
• Dusyk & Barlow Insurance Brokers
• MindZplay Solutions - website development/charting
• Complete Purchasing Services (CPS)
• OneLocal (marketing solutions) - 15% off for members
• Penncorp and SunLife - health and dental group benefit plans
• Highland Sports and Med Supply (verbal at cost, tier system)
• PACE Training 10% off of 24.7 gym $55/month, 24.7 gym + Program $85/month, unlimited small groups $165/month
• Sport Chek with their annual coupon code for MTAS members.
• Even though they are not a partner I still want to mention Saje - 20% off bring in your business license/membership card

Jordan Fiala had to step down from the committee as she returned to Ontario. My committee currently consists of Aileen Tran Mapletoft and myself.  Please join our committee! Currently we are working on getting 5 more partners added to the program from the areas of Regina, PA, Saskatoon. In the area of supplements, printing companies, branding and marketing, and massage supplies companies. Thank-you for being so patient with us as we work hard for you!

Sadly we had a couple of business drop off the affinity program due to permanent closure of their business, and some felt it wasn’t the right timing, we will have to re-visit it. I encourage you to extend your support of this program and MTAS continues to welcome new suggestions to make this list grow. They are all listed in the members-only section on our website. This committee is all about public relations and creating an atmosphere of community within the MTAS membership. Do not hesitate to contact me with your ideas and support for the committee.

One huge thing that has changed because of Covid-19 is that we are unable to visit the massage schools and do presentation. With that in mind, Lori and I have worked hard on making an advocacy presentation that we are able to send to the schools, or present via Zoom.  Despite that, we still welcomed many new graduates to MTAS this year. 

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RESEARCH - DONELDA GOWAN, PhD

Dear fellow MTAS members,

It is my sincerest hope that this annual report finds each of you safe and well.

The extraordinary public health threat of a novel virus amidst the global population in this last year necessitated change in the way scholarly work, collaboration and knowledge transfer is conducted. Indeed, this pandemic has pushed innovation and novel approaches to the creation and consolidation of knowledge.

Your MTAS Board of Directors and staff has worked hard in the past year to do as many of you have to - ‘pivot’ in order to continue to do good work. I offer heartfelt thanks to each of my fellow board members for their perseverance in the face of a pandemic and to our staff who showed their talent and stamina in handling the unprecedented challenges of this past year. I also offer genuine respect to our entire MTAS membership and to our broader MT community who collectively showed the resilience to keep going and achieving goals in a year characterized by both upheaval and growth through adversity.

MTAS’s research-related goals continued to stress the importance and value of developing our capacity to be a vital part of the healthcare system in Saskatchewan.

Part of that capacity-building in the past year included embracing the virtual world for knowledge translation and transfer. This has included participating in numerous podcasts, presentations and webinar discussions about MT and research. It has also included supporting and participating in planning virtual research dissemination events such as virtual research symposia, pan-Canadian and international MT-research special interest group projects and committee meeting internationally through virtual meeting platforms.

Many of these projects serve both profession-focused capacity building and the promotion of academic and MT profession participation and collaboration. MTAS members are increasingly selectively invited to participate in collaborative evidence-base learning opportunities alongside other healthcare professions in this province. Provincial level examples are Project ECHO, chiropractic grand rounds, and SK Pain initiatives where the known commitment of the MTAS organization and its members inspire our inclusion.

Some of these virtual shared learning initiatives have included opportunities for MTAS members to contribute knowledge to specific topics to promote awareness of massage therapy as an important component of care.  Thank you to those of you who, in the past year, have contributed formally and thank you also to the valued engagement of members with questions and ideas and suggestions about MT and research.

The MTAS organizational and membership support and participation in these novel ways of both understanding and using research builds our practices to be inclusive of research knowledge as well as practitioner expertise and what our clients value – these are the highest standards in massage therapy and in healthcare.

I wish each of you continued good health and well-being.

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EDUCATION/CHIEF EXAMINER - MIEKA DUECKMAN

Congratulations and welcome to all the new members of MTAS.  We wish you well as you start this new chapter in your career.

It has been one crazy year as you are all well aware!  As with everything else, COVID played a huge role in how we were able to function with our exams in 2020.  We rolled with the hand we were dealt and were able to successfully proceed with our exams, despite some of the dates changing to accommodate health regulations and the overall complications of COVID.

In review, 40 candidates participated in the member qualifying exam in 2020, with 32 receiving a mastered result, which equals an 80% success rate.  We held a total of 5 sittings, with 2 of them being written only.  It was a difficult situation in early summer as we could not safely administer the practical portion of our exam, yet graduates needed to become members to be able to work.  Those candidates who were only able to initially complete and pass the written exam and had committed to the practical once it was safe to do so, were granted conditional memberships.  We therefore added a couple more sittings to accommodate these unforeseen circumstances.

Our exam content is constantly evolving to meet the requirements of the national standards.  We also make changes based on suggestions from our examination team, which has resulted in a simpler marking format.  These changes have been appreciated by our examiners as well as candidates taking the exam.  Our proprietary, custom-written database software program was finalized last year, and we have enjoyed using it to make further improvements to our written exam.  It has been great to see the finalized project while appreciating all the hard work that was put into it. 

We have successfully been able to administer COVID-friendly exams multiple times and are confident that 2021 won’t be such a difficult year.  This exam process would not be possible if it were not for Jayne and her expertise and thoroughness.  Thank you for making this process easy even when we could not see through the fog!

I would like to take a final moment to thank all examiners for their continued hard work and dedication to the exam process.  Our examiner team has contributed to making this work enjoyable and calm during a time of unpredictable chaos.  Specific thanks to Todd Rintoul who has volunteered many hours of his time, his education and energy to review the entire written exam database to help ensure our questions are in line with the national standards for competency.  Thank you, Todd, for your expertise and time!  

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MEMBERSHIP - JAYNE L. LITTLE  

Membership composition for year November 1, 2019 - October 31, 2020:

Student members	6
Honourary members	6
Auxiliary members	5
Non-practicing members	35
Non-resident practicing members	22
Practicing members	789
TOTAL MEMBERSHIP AT YEAR END	863

Therapists removed as members on Oct 31, 2020:  35.

• 20 therapists retired from the profession, most identified as in response to COVID-19.
• 6 moved to another province or country.
• 2 deceased.
• Remainder – unidentified reason.

New members added between Nov 1, 2019 to Oct 31, 2020:  29.
Current members: 833

Member Services:
This past year has undeniably been an extraordinary challenge, and we have all been forced to rapidly adjust, rethink, and familiarize ourselves with new ways of working and learning.  We are fortunate that the MTAS Board has been supportive of Lori and I working from home.  To that end, we installed a virtual private network (VPN) to provide complete and uninterrupted access to our office computer files while working remotely.  Combined with cell phone and e-mail communications, this has allowed us to continue to keep regular office hours and to provide the level of service our members have come to expect, with as little disruption as possible.  We expect this arrangement to continue for the foreseeable future.  Please be assured that we will remain flexible, and should you need to meet with Lori or I in person, we are happy to make the necessary arrangements for that to happen.

Between November 2019 and the beginning of March 2020, it was business as usual for the office.  We hosted a fully booked cadaver lab in November 2019, and unbeknownst to us at that time, it was the only workshop with which we were able to continue as planned in 2020.  Throughout the year I have remained in communication with Dr. Mohamed at the University of Saskatchewan Department of Anatomy.  Unfortunately for our members, the University’s COVID-19 policies prevent them from holding labs for anyone except those who require these classes to graduate.  We continue to remain hopeful that we may be able to proceed in late summer/autumn this year and will keep you updated as we know more.

We were so excited this past year that we had finally managed to confirm Diane Jacobs, PT to instruct her DermoNeuroModulation workshop in late March 2020, after waiting 7 years for an opening in her schedule.  The class filled up in record time and we had a long waiting list of participants from across Canada and from other countries.  Sadly, we were forced to postpone this workshop on relatively short notice and were looking forward to the new date in April this year.  Unfortunately, this too was postponed and is now awaiting rescheduling, again due to COVID-19.  We are optimistic that the third time will be our charm, and we are investigating new dates for spring 2022.  Thank you for your continued patience and understanding to everyone who registered for these events.

In the absence of in-person workshops, roughly 40% of my time between March and October 2020 was spent searching for and making available to members a variety of online continuing education opportunities with the various groups with which we have formed relationships over the years, as well as new course providers.  We offered over 550 hours of options, including 38 webinars for business credits, several primary credit courses converted from in-person, 15 COVID-specific webinars and 10 mental health webinars to help members understand how to safely re-open their practices and deal with the stress and uncertainty.  Of note was the San Diego Pain Summit.  This group graciously offered their entire online conference at no charge – 60 hours of primary credit material.  Other online primary credit offerings: a shoulder/breast cancer rehab course from DeSouza Institute – 10 hours; the INCAM symposium – 12 hours; University of Calgary concussion MOOC – 19.5 hours; Thai massage – 42 hours; RockTape – 48 hours; Human Kinetics – 150 hours; and Seminars for Health – 162 hours.  Much of this high-quality educational material was either free of charge or provided with specially discounted rates thanks to the generosity of course providers and information brokers around the world.  An enormous number of our members eagerly embraced this new way of learning and collectively have earned many hundreds of credits towards this window’s requirements.

Most of the remainder of my time from March to October was consumed with responding to the thousands of member questions and concerns about COVID-19.  To be more efficient in our responses, we created a dedicated COVID-19 page on our website, and we continue to post relevant information as the situation evolves.  In conjunction with Lori’s Chiropractic and Physiotherapy Association contacts, Lori and I produced the guidelines for return to practice that were adopted by other massage therapy jurisdictions across Canada, as Saskatchewan was the first province to permit RMTs to return to work.  This was a significant accomplishment as MTAS is usually the beneficiary of information shared by the regulated provinces.  We constantly researched the latest news from the Saskatchewan Government and provided our members with timely updates on the many frequent changes as they occurred, including benefits and loan programs to assist small businesses, as well as practice and safety updates.  I am proud that we have come through this trial with our sanity intact and having absorbed a significant amount of information in a condensed timeframe about a subject that, at this time last year, we did not know would become the focus of all our lives.  I would like to officially record my profound gratitude to all those members who took the time to inquire about my mental health and send many thoughtful and encouraging messages of support and appreciation for the office during what was unquestionably the most gruelling and disturbing period to date in my 15 years with MTAS. 

Website:
The upgrade was completed in early autumn 2020, in time for membership renewal.  The major change was improving the functionality for online renewal and payment, to allow members to select the membership category in which they want to renew.  The addition of the online payment option has been extremely popular and much appreciated by those who used it.  Following member suggestions, we will continue to evaluate this system and adjust as needed.

Thank you for your continued confidence in our ability to provide you with value for your membership dollars.  As always, we appreciate your constructive comments and suggestions and use them to enhance the way we conduct business and interact with our members and other stakeholders.  I look forward to a less frenzied year in 2021 and wish you all much success as we continue to rebuild, grow, and evolve.

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CMTA REPORT - LORI GREEN

The CMTA continues to be a very helpful resource and partner with MTAS and all CMTA members. The membership consists of Massage Therapy Associations whose ONLY focus is that of Massage.  MTAS is the only Saskatchewan Association that can be a member of the CMTA as we qualify under the membership eligibility. We have representatives from Coast to Coast except from Quebec. We share our resources and work together on common goals to move forward Canadian Massage Therapists and the Canadian Massage Therapy profession.  

I continue to be active on the CMTA management Team as the Vice Chair.  This year the CMTA continues to be very active in the lobbying for tax exemption, the GST/HST requirements on Massage Therapy services.  

The fifth province to be regulated Prince Edward Island enabled Massage Therapy to officially meet the minimum requirements for tax exemption.   This does not automatically make exemption a reality.  There are significant hurdles to get over to make this goal complete.   One of the hurdles it that we have not yet achieved Regulation throughout Canada, which can cause some problems when talking about oversight and standards of practice and credentialing. It is of importance that we stand together with our Associations (CMTA) and work towards the greater good and benefit for the profession.

The request to have GST/HST removed from RMT services will have an impact on government revenues, both provincially and federally, and considering the fiscal pressures at all levels of government that have only been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this decision is not likely to be made lightly. We need to work at both levels of Government to bring a clear value of exemption and the benefits to the patients i.e.  and thus, their constituents.

The CMTA launched the RMT/ACT website to inform all Massage Therapists on the importance of tax exemption, to offer educational support, campaign ideas, and request support back.  We are currently in the process of updating the RMT/ACT website and will inform our MTAS members on how to be more involved and inter-active in this process.

I did have the opportunity to meet with the Honourable MP Wayne Easter, Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance and with The Honourable MP Dr. Colin Carrie, Former Minister of Health under the Conservative Government (2013), who prior to going into politics, was a Chiropractor and very involved with alternative healthcare solutions.   The conversations and suggestions were helpful, and both members were very positive and supportive in the terms of health equity, and benefits of Massage Therapy in pursuing this goal.  Once again, these meetings were interrupted with COVID and a few financial decisions which took priority in the Government over the last year!

The CMTA has many new communications and strategic initiatives currently being implemented and will be holding our annual AGM on April 9th.  I look forward to sharing more information after this meeting with the membership.

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - LORI GREEN

Hello MTAS and welcome to the new world.

What a wild ride and learning experience the last year has been.  The 2019 year kicked off with all the usual systems in place.

The Board began the year with the implementation of Strategic Planning objectives.  Everything the MTAS does must relate to our Mission.  

We exist to encourage and enhance the art, science, and practice of massage therapy by maintaining a high standard of professional practice; by establishing and maintaining the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan Inc. as a leading health professional association; and by promoting the health care profession through education, accountability, communication, advocacy, and financial stability.

Our role includes as its principal aims:

• Education
• Advocacy
• Accountability
• Standard of Practice
• Research

The Board furthered identified the following Criteria when applying to proposed and past Committee, Board and Operations.

• Consistent with Mission
• Benefit/impact to Members
• Does it demonstrate Leadership?
• Does this project uphold the MTAS standards?

It is always an asset to be prepared for the unknown and adapt, revise and implement new strategies.  Nothing prepared us for the world of COVID-19, and no one was fully prepared for how our work in MTAS and Massage Therapy would change and ultimately how the world would change to fight this virus.

The office administrative duties and workload almost immediately became one of support, knowledge transfer and engagement.  To change over our responsibilities, we had to master many new technologies that we are still from time to time struggling with and continue to find new alternatives for faster more efficient communications.

The focus on our day-to-day activities was support for you, our over 800 members.  Jayne has detailed the many areas of COVID publications, emails, PPE suppliers, and contacts that have been created or fortified during this time. We have worked together with Allied Health associates, CMTA (Canadian Massage Therapy Alliance), Ministry of Health, Saskatchewan Health Authority, COVID Business Team Leaders. We even managed to get through to Dr. Shahab’s (Chief Medical Health Officer) office a couple of times. We have certainly educated ourselves in many different infrastructures, equipment, and healthcare over the past few months.  

The one blaring siren that has been present throughout COVID-19 is many areas of concerns could have been dealt with easier had Legislation been in place.  The Government initially put MTAS through as a healthcare profession and then realized that we were not yet Legislated.  The correction was made, and we were moved into the personal services category.  I know that many of us were very discouraged about this move, but this was the only alternative until the Legislation is firmly in place.   The MTAS, MTAS members and allied professionals continued to lobby the Government for more recognition.  We did achieve that in being moved to a critical service, but not as healthcare. 

Many letters were sent, phone calls made, and support from the Government members, and I can only think this may have changed the quick call to Legislation we have received now.  It was made clear to many that we did not belong in personal services due to the high standards and professionalism of therapists, but we did not have the Regulation to enter healthcare.

I want to thank all of you who worked with us, shared your letters to Government, and offered your stories from the front line on how you were doing.   I was happy that we could help you navigate through some of the contradictions received from the SHA and often be someone who could provide you with some encouragement to move forward and assistance during such times.   The kind letters and encouraging words were often what kept us going in the early months of COVID.

We have discovered that Zoom meetings and PowerPoints can provide a way that if only for a moment, we can see some faces and hear voices dealing with work-related issues. Through technology, we were able to provide many, many opportunities for continuing education and areas of interest in business courses. We continued to advocate and educate, in Saskatchewan, and Canada through media. I have participated in several interviews throughout the year such as HEALWELL, and On The Table podcasts, magazine interviews, Saskatchewan media interviews CTV news, CBC radio and television and Global News radio.

We have forged new allies and new affinity partners, unique research opportunities, work strategies and new members.  We managed to provide exams in a setting that assured social distancing and we survived.

I am proud to work under a resilient and relentless Board of Directors.  Camille Lapierre has come into the Presidency of MTAS under tremendous stress, and excitement (Legislation in December) and has led us professionally and skillfully.  It is an extra perk to have someone intelligent and well-spoken in both French and English. I am saddened to see our Past President Marles Kerns-Dyck, and our Finance Chair Cecilia Mryglod, move from the Board of Directors, but I look forward to meeting new Board members and working with you.

I am grateful to work with Jayne Little over the past fifteen years; we have become a well-oiled machine that can manage almost any crisis. Perhaps more challenging than we ever could imagine; facilitating, engaging, adapting, cancelling, and negotiating. We have come through the darkest night into what we are hoping for is sunshine and good health.

I am proud to work for MTAS, Saskatchewan-based, Saskatchewan standards, and professional Massage Therapists. 

Thank you to the membership and thank you again to the Board of Directors.  It is a pleasure. 

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NOMINATIONS COMMITTEE - ERIN SOBKOW

The 2019-2020 MTAS Board of Directors consisted of 10 members: 

• Camille Lapierre
• Erin Sobkow
• Cecilia Mryglod
• Aileen Tran-Mapletoft
• Donelda Gowan
• Corey Schultz
• Tim Rutley
• Marles Kerns-Dyck

I would like to say thank you to our Past President, Marles Kerns-Dyck, and Finance Chair, Cecilia Mryglod, for the hard work on the Board of Directors, and dedication to MTAS and our members.

All six remaining members: Camille, Erin, Aileen, Donelda, Corey, and Tim are seeking re-election.  Their applications are below this report.

We had sent out a nominations ballot with our proxy votes and pre-AGM package.  We are currently seeking nominees for the Finance portfolio and Complaints and Discipline.  If you are interested in these in running for the Board of Directors, please contact Lori Green at the office (lorigreen@saskmassagetherapy.com or 306-382-7225) in order for us to distribute your nomination prior to the meeting on April 11th. 

Bylaws

3.1 Number and Term of Board Members   

The Board shall consist of not less than five (5) Board members, four (4) of whom shall also be the officers of the Association and no more than ten (10) Board members.  Subject to the Act and the Articles, the Members may, by ordinary resolution passed at an annual general meeting, increase the number of Board members. Each Board Member or Officer (herein collectively referred to as “Board Members”) shall hold office for a term of two (2) years commencing on the date of election. The offices of the Association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Past-President. The Board members at the first meeting of the Board shall choose the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. The first board meeting will occur after the Annual General Meeting.  Notwithstanding Section 3.3, the Member who held the office of President of the Association for the term of office immediately prior to an annual general meeting at which a new President is elected shall, if willing to do so, continue to act as a Director/Officer of the Association, without election by the Members, for the next ensuing term of office and shall hold the office of Past President.

3.2 Eligibility for Election 

Any practicing Member or Non-resident Practicing Member with voting rights, in good standing, with the exception of an owner or operator of a massage therapy training school, or director of another massage therapy association, who is qualified to act as a director pursuant to the Act shall be eligible for election to the Board. A retiring Board Member shall be eligible for re-election.  (Please see amendment to this bylaw in this package.)

3.3 Election at Annual General Meeting

At each annual general meeting of the Association the Members shall elect Board Members to fill the vacant board positions. Each Board Member that has served for the immediately preceding term shall retire at the dissolution or adjournment of the annual general meeting and the Members entitled to vote thereat shall elect Board Members to replace such retiring Board Members. The Member who held the position of President immediately prior to the election of a new Board at an annual general meeting shall be deemed to have been elected as a Board Member of the Association and shall hold the office of Past-President.  

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Current Board members running for re-election

Donelda Gowan

Donelda Gowan, RMT, BA (Hons), MSc, PhD, holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Psychology, a Master of Science degree in Community Health & Epidemiology, and a Doctorate in Population Health Science from the University of Saskatchewan. She also has a diploma from the Canadian College of Massage & Hydrotherapy in Sutton, Ontario.  

Dr. Gowan is Associate Director of the Centre for Integrative Medicine in the Department of Community Health & Epidemiology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, where she holds an Adjunct Professor appointment.

Donelda is the Research Chair on the Board of Directors of the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan (MTAS) and the Chair of the Canadian Interdisciplinary Complementary and Alternative Medicine Research Network (INCAM). She is also the Chair of the INCAM MT Special Interest Group.

A health services researcher, her main research interests include massage therapy, pain, integrative medicine, interprofessional collaboration, leadership, and knowledge translation or transfer.

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Camille Lapierre

I have been a proud member of the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan for almost 24 years.  My passion for the massage therapy profession continues to be strong and is certainly fueled by the efforts put in recent years toward the regulation of massage therapy in Saskatchewan.  I have seen things evolve in the 6 plus years sitting on the Board of Directors of MTAS.  I have held various positions within the Board namely Public Relations, Marketing, Vice-President/Human Resources and in this past year, as President.  The experience gained has been priceless and working along competent colleagues has contributed to my personal and professional development.

I continue my home-based practice in Saskatoon as well as raising my maturing family.  My francophone community is also very near and dear to my heart.  Hobbies still manage to find a place in my life with a newly discovered love for art journaling and junk journaling. I love upcycling and making something out of nothing.  That goes for cooking as well!  Mother Hubbard often gets a run for her money!  

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Tim Rutley

I have lived in Saskatoon since 2003, and I graduated from the McKay Massage and Hydrotherapy program with honours in 2006. I have been an active member of the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan since 2006 as a full time therapist. In 2017, I joined the MTAS Board of Directors as Public Relations and Membership Chair. I also became a member of the CSMTA (Canadian Sports Massage Therapist Association). In 2019 I joined the Executive Board of the CSMTA-Sask Chapter as Treasurer. I have training in Advanced Sports Massage, Fascial Cupping, Ligamentous Articular Strain Technique, Pregnancy, Swedish Massage Techniques and an introduction to Myofascial Release.
I love spending time and hanging out with my many many nephews and nieces (32 of them) when I can. I enjoy camping, baking, cooking, fishing, travelling, going to the movies, board games, escape rooms, and hanging out with my friends all before Covid!

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Corey Schultz

I have been a member of the Massage Therapist Association of Saskatchewan for seven years. I have enjoyed every single year of it, helping people through many issues, and getting to nerd out in my own ways when it comes to physiology and pain research. Quite a lot has changed in my short two years on the Board as the Continuing Education Chair, from a change in President, to finally hearing that The Massage Therapy Act has gone into its first reading.  We have come a long way as a profession, and I’m excited to see how much further we will go!

I enjoy long walks on the beach, moonlight…. wait wrong biography…. I am an avid gamer, enjoying many a different variety of games from board to video. In pre-pandemic times I enjoyed fencing as part of Saskatoon Historical Fencing, and working out. Though as always, I am a sucker for hanging out with my cat and watching anime, or Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

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Erin Sobkow

Erin Sobkow, BA Kin, RMT, is serving as both Complaints and Investigation Chair and Vice President for MTAS.  Throughout her career as a RMT, Erin has owned her own clinic in Flin Flon, MB (15 years), worked on commission at a clinic (3 years), and now works out of her home (4 years) in Yorkton, SK.  She has also taught Iyengar yoga (15 years) and facilitated Red Cross First Aid Classes (20 years).  Currently, Erin volunteers as a board member for the Yorkton Kalyna Ukrainian Dance Festival Committee and the Yorkton Blitz Volleyball Club and is a facilitator for Canadian Women and Sport and their Women in Leadership series.  She has a keen interest in Board Governance and has attended many workshops on that topic on everything from How to Run a Successful Meeting to Understanding Robert’s Rules of Order. 
Erin is married to her nursing husband, Darren, and has 3 wonderful children: Elia, Zoe and Kale, 2 cats and 1 dog. When she’s not chauffeuring her kids around to their many activities, she can be found cross-stitching, baking, gardening or reading.  She very much enjoys sitting on the MTAS Board acting as a representative for our members and feels that she brings the rural perspective as she is currently the only rural member on the Board. 

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Aileen Tran Mapletoft

Aileen pursued her massage therapy career later in life, after receiving her university education in 2003. She has now been a practicing therapist for 15 short years and currently practices out of Erindale Chiropractic Health Centre.

Aileen is a strong advocate for evidence-informed clinical care and strives to remain current in the understanding of manual therapy and its role in healthcare. Her professional interests lie primarily on adapting the biopsychosocial model of healthcare into pain education and manual therapy. She also passionately supports the efforts to integrate traditional medicine healthcare services with conventional medicine to move towards a holistic, biopsychosocial model paradigm that uses a multidisciplinary approach to improving quality of life.

She is also a fierce champion for education, leadership, and research. Being a lifelong learner herself, Aileen deeply fosters the ongoing pursuit of professional and personal development. She is currently on the MTAS Board of Directors as Secretary (2nd year) and was the past Competency and Continuing Education Chair (8 years). She is also currently a faculty member in the Medical Massage Therapy Program at Axiom Career College (2 years) and was a past instructor within the Massage and Hydrotherapy Program at McKay Career Training (4 years). Most recently, Aileen also had the opportunity to work for the Canadian Interdisciplinary Network of Complementary Medicine Researchers (INCAM) team.

Outside of the professional world, this mom-of-two loves to sleep. A lot. If she is not sleeping, she is either outside skating with her hubby and kids; playing the organ angrily; stanning BTS; eating pho; or doing computer stuff until 4 in the morning.

Financial Statements

Will be sent out via email in due course.

Bylaw Amendments

Amendments to the Bylaws: April 11, 2020 AGM

Amendment 1: Board Members (current wording)

3.2  Eligibility for Election

Any practicing Member or Non-resident Practicing Member with voting rights, in good standing, with the exception of an owner or operator of a massage therapy training school, or director of another massage therapy association, who is qualified to act as a director pursuant to the Act shall be eligible for election to the Board. A retiring Board Member shall be eligible for re-election.

BIRT: To add “All interested applicants who are eligible for election or re- election to the Board of Directors must have the MTAS application form submitted a minimum of twenty-one days prior to the Annual General Meeting. All applicants’ biographies will be provided in the Annual General Meeting reports”.

Moved by: Rutley/Sobkow

New wording: 3.2 Eligibility for Election

Any practicing Member or Non-resident Practicing Member with voting rights, in good standing, with the exception of an owner or operator of a massage therapy training school, or director of another massage therapy association, who is qualified to act as a director pursuant to the Act shall be eligible for election to the Board. A retiring Board Member shall be eligible for re-election. All interested applicants who are eligible for election or re-election to the Board of Directors must have the MTAS application form submitted a minimum of twenty-one days prior to the Annual General Meeting. All applicants’ biographies will be provided in the Annual General Meeting report.

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Amendment 2: Investigation and Discipline (current wording)

10.13 Review by the Board (Appeal Process, Complaints and Discipline)

A Member may appeal the decision or any order of the Discipline Committee by serving the Executive Director with a notice of Appeal within 30 days after the decision of order where;

The Member has been found guilty of professional misconduct or professional incompetence by the Discipline Committee; or
The Member is subject to an order made pursuant to a criminal conviction.

The Appeal process shall be conducted in accordance to the Bylaws.

An appellant shall set out the grounds of Appeal in the notice of Appeal mentioned in subsection 1.

On receipt of a notice of Appeal, the Executive Director shall file with the Board a true copy of:

The formal complaint sent, and notice served or the report of the Investigation Committee;
The transcript of the evidence presented to the Discipline Committee; and the decision and order of the Discipline Committee.

The appellant or the appellant’s solicitor or agent may obtain from the Executive Director a copy of the documents filed pursuant to subsection on payment of the cost of producing them.

(3) On hearing the Appeal, the Discipline Committee may:

Dismiss the Appeal;
Quash the finding of guilt;
Direct a new hearing or further inquiries by the Discipline Committee;
Vary the order of the Discipline Committee

The Board may make any order as to costs that it considers appropriate.
The Member of the Board appointed pursuant to section 9.1 who is a Member of the Investigation or Discipline Committees or has received a report from these Committees or has a conflict of interest shall not participate in the hearing of an Appeal pursuant to this section.

BIRT: 10.13 (3) be amended to strike "Discipline committee" and replace with Board of Directors.

Moved by: Sobkow/Rutley

Rationale:  The Discipline committee cannot hear an appeal on their own decision. The MTAS Board of Directors have the final authority.

New Wording: 10.13 (3) Investigation and Discipline

On hearing the Appeal, the Board of Directors may:

Dismiss the Appeal;
Quash the finding of guilt;
Direct a new hearing or further inquiries by the Discipline Committee;
Vary the order of the Discipline Committee

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Amendment #3 11.2 (a) Competency of Members

BIRT:  To add "Members who have been practicing for 30 years or more will be required to obtain a minimum of 20 credits in the 3 year cycle."

Moved by: Kim Goldstone/Paula Hugie

Rationale: After having practiced for a consecutive 30 years, it has been difficult to find classes that will continue to develop my skill and are within the Association's current Con Ed requirements. In addition to that, many therapists choose to begin reducing their practicing hours after 25 to 30 years of practice. Therefore the financial commitment of 40 credit hours becomes a significant commitment.

Competency of Members (current wording)

All practicing members must obtain a minimum of forty (40) competency credits over a three-year period to maintain registration and/or license with the corporation. Required competency credits may be obtained as 40 primary credits OR a combination of 33 primary credits and 7 business credits totalling the required 40 competency credits
Competency credits will be granted to courses or professional development activities, according to the policies set by the Continuing Education Committee and approved by the Board.
Members are responsible to provide evidence to the satisfaction of the Board that the Member has obtained the required educational credits. This evidence must be filed with the Registrar.
Members shall review the Association’s Code of Ethics, Standards of Practice and Bylaws on an annual basis.
All practicing members must have up to date CPR level C and Standard First Aid certification.

New Wording: 11.2 (a) Competency of Members

 All practicing members must obtain a minimum of forty (40) competency credits over  a three-year period to maintain registration and/or license with the corporation. Required competency credits may be obtained as 40 primary credits OR a combination of 33 primary credits and 7 business credits totalling the required 40 competency credits. Members who have been practicing for 30 years or more will be required to obtain a minimum of 20 credits in the 3 year cycle.

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Amendment 4: Standards of Practice (current wording)

Advertising and Promotion

Affiliation or Membership with the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance, and/or any other relevant organization may be listed underneath name and designation with the terms “Member of” as a prefix.

BIRT that 11.8 Standard of Practice (9) (c) be amended by deleting "the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance".

Moved by: Sobkow/Rutley

Rationale:  MTAS members are not considered members of the CMTA.  The CMTA is made up of Associations only.

New Wording 11.8 (9) (c) Standard of Practice.

(c )  Affiliation or Membership with any other relevant organization may be listed underneath name and designation with the terms “Member of” as a prefix.

Motions from Members

See Bylaw Amendment #3.

No additional motions have been received.

AGM Forms

Motions form - must be submitted no later than March 21st.

Nominations form.

Proxy Voting Form