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Ontario rejoins national massage therapist alliance

May 27, 2014 – The Registered Massage Therapists of Ontario (RMTAO) has rejoined the Canadian Massage Therapist Alliance (CMTA), a national alliance of massage therapist associations, citing the necessity for a unified national approach for the profession.

In a letter sent to the CMTA, Krystin Bokalo, chair of the RMTAO, expressed the Ontario association’s commitment to supporting and maintaining an open dialogue with other provincial massage therapy associations.

May 27, 2014  By Mari-Len De


“The RMTAO is in full agreement that there is a clear and undeniable need for a national massage therapy presence,” Bokalo said.

The
RMTAO was previously a member of the CMTA until it withdrew its
membership in 2011. Then RMTAO chair Amanda Baskwill cited, in the RMTAO
annual report, the reason for the withdrawal as “due to the amount of
financial and human resources that would have been required to
participate in this organization.”

In deliberating to rejoin the
CMTA, Bokalo said some of the concerns voiced in recent board
discussions had to do with the CMTA’s financial structure and compliance
with the Not-For-Profit Act and the integration of any future
amendments to the Act to the alliance’s by-laws.

“At this time,
the RMTAO board of directors sees the necessity for a unified national
approach, and would like to move the profession forward by joining the
discussion as a part of the CMTA.

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“As well, in the capacity, the
RMTAO would like to work towards ensuring the CMTA is fully compliant
with the implementation of the Not-For-Profit Act as well as any other
necessary amendments to its financial structure,” Bokalo wrote in the
letter to the CMTA chair, Marilyn Sparling.

Commenting on RMTAO’s
recent decision, Sparling said the CMTA is currently in the process of
integrating the Ontario association with the national alliance and “will
be proceeding as soon as possible.”

"The CMTA very much welcomes
the RMTAO’s decision to enter negotiations for full participation and
membership in the National Alliance,” Sparling said. “The massage
therapy profession is now an important part of the health-care sector in
Canada and there is a clear need for national coordination to advocate
on behalf of the profession. We very much look forward to working
together with the Ontario association as part of the overall positive
dialogue within the profession."


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