<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> 1999 Canadian Celiac Association Conference Highlights ------------------------------------------------------ summarized by Tom & Carolyn Sullivan and Jim Lyles General Comments ---------------- The conference was, as usual, very well organized and run. The two-hour Sunday morning Q & A session is both unique to CCA conferences and, in our estimation, one of the high points of the conference each year. The speakers handle questions submitted ahead of time as well as questions from the floor. The answers are challenged, follow-up questions get asked, and in general it is a free form discussion which exposes the issues, the different participants' positions, and the reasons behind them. The high caliber of the participants in the last two years has resulted in a very good learning experience. It was gratifying to see the increase in USA attendance this year: Janet Rinehart, Houston, CSA past president Cynthia Kupper, Seattle, Executive Director of GIG Ann Whelan, New York, editor of *Gluten-Free Living* Bette Hagman, Seattle, author of the *Gluten-Free Gourmet* cookbooks Aileen and George Bennett, cookbook authors and CELIAC e-mail list contributors Don Wiss, New York, celiac web site owner and CELIAC e-mail list contributor Sam Wylde, Seattle, from Ener-G, a well-known vendor of gluten-free products Jim Lyles and Carolyn and Tom Sullivan, from TCCSSG. This was a good representative cross section of our country. Next year's conference will be in Hamilton, Ontario. Hamilton is about 40 miles south of Lester B. Pearson International Airport in Toronto, making it easy to fly into. It is about 60 miles west of Buffalo and 200 miles east of Detroit, well within driving distance of either of these locations. On top of that, the conference is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend (May 26-28), so that a "mad dash" back on Sunday night will not be necessary for most US citizens. Finally, consider the favorable currency exchange rate. All these factors, when added together, make next year's CCA conference well worth putting on your calendars. General Meeting --------------- The annual general meeting of the CCA, which opened the conference, was chaired by new president Jillian Mac Donald. She noted with gratitude the grants from Health Canada which helped some chapters send representatives to the conference, so that all chapters except Prince Edward Island were represented. She introduced a representative from Health Canada (whose name we did not get). He stated that a change is occurring in the relationship between the government of Canada and Canadian volunteer health organizations. The government, particularly at the senior management level, recognizes the existence and capabilities of the volunteers. CCA is one of about 50 such joint working groups. In the 1993 conference in Regina (Saskatchewan), the talk was about the need for people and money. While those needs still exist, what has been added is the structure and organization of the volunteer health groups and their marketing. However all volunteer groups and members must realize: 1. The national office is nothing without the local units. 2. The local units are NOT effective without a good national office. 3. Both must tell their story through marketing. The [Canadian] government's function is not to be involved with details. It just sets the stage and clears hurdles out of the way. The actual work is done by the volunteers.