Message from the COA Local Arrangements Committee Chair

Stewart Wright, M.D., FRCSC
COA Local Arrangements Committee Chair

On behalf of your Local Arrangements Committee and the COA Office Staff, it is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to Toronto for the 61^st Annual Meeting of the COA, combined with the 40^th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society and the 32^nd Annual Meeting of the Canadian Orthopaedic Resident's Association. As you likely recall, when we last planned a COA Annual Meeting for Toronto in 2003 it was cancelled because of the SARS outbreak and ended up being rescheduled in Winnipeg later that year. We are very excited to be able to fulfill the promise we made in 2003 for an outstanding meeting in Toronto this coming June.

Dr. Emil H. Schemitsch, your local COA Programme Chair, and Dr. Erin L. Boynton, CORS Programme Chair, have assembled an exciting and educational programme, utilizing an innovative and participatory combination of Instructional Course Lectures, podium presentations, symposia, workshops and surgical demonstrations. A Specialty Day has been instituted on Saturday afternoon with the meeting concluding on Sunday afternoon.

The Partners' Programme under the aegis of Donna Bourne, Anne Ford, Debbie Murnaghan, Marilyn Wright and Ahn Yee will have opportunities for all. The conveniently located Partners' suite will offer a comfortable spot to plan daily activities, meet old and new friends or just have a cup of coffee. Partners will be able to choose from a variety of interesting city activities from the Sheraton Centre concierge desk. There will be a partner’s “Welcome Breakfast” hosted by Donna Bourne, our President’s wife, on Friday morning.

After the Opening Ceremonies and President's Reception on Friday evening, you will be free to explore the incredible array of dining and entertainment opportunities Toronto has to offer. The special social event, on Saturday June 3, will feature an outstanding dinner, dancing and entertainment - offering a diversity of cuisine, local entertainment, and opportunities to reacquaint with friends and colleagues.

Like the COA, Toronto has grown and evolved, and is now acknowledged as one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities with over 70 distinct cultures represented in its populace. Sports, entertainment, outstanding cuisine, and nightlife all reflect our spectacular range of cultures and heritage. In Toronto, it is truly possible to travel the world without going more than a few blocks.

See you in Toronto!