1) EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION = APRIL 15
Early bird registration rates for the upcoming COA Annual Meeting are in effect until April 15.  Purchase your Instructional Course Lecture (ICL) tickets and social event tickets when you register online.  Saturday night's Kitchen Party tickets are selling quickly!  Purchase your tickets in advance because they will not be available once you get to St. John's.  Complete information about the meeting is always available at www.coaannualmeeting.org.  Ready to register?  Click right here. 

2) METAL-ON-METAL ARTICULATIONS - UPDATED INFORMATION FROM COA PRESIDENT
Dr. Ross Leighton moderated a symposium on metal-on-metal implants during the recent American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting in San Diego.  Please click here for updated information from the COA President.

3) 2011 ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING NOTICE
This year's Annual Business Meeting will be held on Friday, July 8 at 11:35 in Salon A of the Delta St. John's Hotel. 

All COA members are asked to attend this meeting to receive and consider the financial statements, the auditor's report, to elect the Association's directors and other committee members, and to discuss other pertinent COA business matters.  Open discussion is encouraged.  This is your opportunity to bring your suggestions in person to the COA Executive.  We look forward to seeing you there. 

4) WELCOME TO CIHI'S NEW WEB SITE
CIHI has redesigned its web site to help you get the most out of all that CIHI has to offer. This new design is based on our customers' feedback and makes it easier to find and share resources. CIHI's web site address is www.cihi.ca. 

The newly designed site provides many new features including an enhanced search, improved functionality and a focus on featured content. All content on the site is organized in themes to put CIHI Products and Applications within easy reach for our customers.

To access CJRR reports and other joint replacement information within CIHI's new web site please visit www.cihi.ca/cjrr 

For our long-standing commitment to learning and continuous improvement, we welcome your feedback as we continue to improve this site.

5) CONFERENCES OF INTEREST
The Quebec Orthopaedic Association (QOA)'s Annual Update will be held from September 22-23, 2011 at the Hilton Lac-Lemay in Gatineau, QC.  The meeting focuses on 'orthopaedics and the elderly'.  Visit www.orthoquebec.ca or contact Louise Leclaire at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for registration and program information. 

The Combined Paediatric Meeting of the New Zealand and Australian Paediatric Orthopaedic Societies will be held from October 7-8, 2011 in Tauranga, New Zealand. This event is focused on 'orthopaedics in the adolescent and early teen.' Complete information including registration, program and accommodations could be found at www.posnz2011.co.nz.

6) ALUMNI EVENING IN ST. JOHN'S
Alumni events could be held during the Annual Meeting in St. John's on Friday, July 8^th.  We invite you to make arrangements with a local restaurant to hold an alumni evening for all of your former residents and fellows who will be in St. John's at the COA meeting.  We hope that it provides an opportunity for fellowship and networking amongst your former and current resident and fellow trainees. 

A listing of St. John's restaurants can be found online at http://www.stjohns.ca/visitors/planvisit/restaurants.jsp. We would encourage you to contact a restaurant of your choice to book your alumni event. 

Once your alumni evening is booked, please send along the time, location and other details to Meghan Corbeil: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it / 514 874-9003 x 4.  Please advise if you would like your event listed in the final meeting program or on a poster at the registration desk.

7) PORTER AIRLINES PROMO CODE
Porter Airlines is offering the COA 2011 conference attendees a 15% discount on all fare classes.  Porter offers, free in-flight snacks and beverages (including beer and wine). The discounted fares are available from July 4 -July 12, 2011.   Please book online at www.flyporter.com or call 1- 888-619-8622 using the promo code COACO.

Membership Corner
Member in the Spotlight 

Congratulations are extended to Dr. Robert G. McCormack of New Westminster, B.C., the chief medical officer for Canada's past three Olympic squads, for being recently named the first medical director of the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC). 

In this role, Dr. McCormack will work with national and international organizations to shape policy and procedures with the goal to improve co-ordination, efficiencies and effectiveness of all medical aspects of the COC's participation at Olympic, Olympic Winter, Pan American and Youth Olympic Games. 

With a specialty in athletic injuries and musculoskeletal trauma, Dr. McCormack is director of the Simon Fraser Orthopaedic Research Office and Associate Department Head for Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of British Columbia. 

His sport duties will grow to include work with medical commissions of the International Olympic Committee and Pan American Sports Organization, the World Anti-Doping Association, Own The Podium, the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport and other multi-Games franchise holders to ensure a cohesive, integrated and optimal health and science system for athletes who compete as part of Canadian Olympic, Pan American and Youth Olympic Teams.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. McCormack on this new appointment.