Meetings & Events Archives - Ontario Physiotherapy Association

OPA Leadership Attends Congress 2026!

We were excited to have several engaged OPA members and staff attend the Canadian Physiotherapy Association’s Congress from May 29-30, 2026, in Halifax.

Charlotte Anderson, OPA’s President connected with the physiotherapy community across the province, including with Ontario District Presidents.

District Presidents at Congress

OPA was pleased to see several Ontario District Presidents share their knowledge at Congress. OPA’s Central Toronto District Co-President Tiffany Tiu presented on pain science. Tina Ziebart, District President of London District and Alyssa Benitez, York Region and Scarborough District President discussed older adult care.

Charlotte Anderson with Alyssa Benitez, York Region Scarborough District President and Tiffany Tiu, Co-President for Central Toronto and another male Physiotherapist

OPA’s Emily Stevenson Co-Moderating Session

We were proud to witness Emily Stevenson, OPA’s Director, Practice and Policy co-moderate a session on primary care. OPA has been consistently advocating that with an increase in primary care funding, physiotherapists must be included as core members of interdisciplinary primary care teams. Increasing the number of primary care physiotherapists in Ontario is an essential step towards improving health system capacity and bringing comprehensive and convenient care to more people in Ontario.

Emily Stevenson, OPA Director, Practice and Policy along with Lisa Carroll at CPA moderating a panel at Congress

Sarah Hutchison Strengthening Relationships

Sarah Hutchison, OPA CEO, along with Jennifer Howey, OPA Board Director, attended and networked with the physiotherapy community across the province, strengthening relationships and bringing back practical ideas to better support OPA members.

Sarah Hutchison, OPA CEO, Emily Stevenson, Director, and Charlotte Anderson, President at CPA Congress

OPA members and staff were inspired and invigorated by CPA’s Congress and look forward to welcoming CPA members from across the country to OPA’s InterACTION conference in 2027!

Speeches, Elections and More…OPA’s Annual Members Meeting

About OPA Leadership and the AMM

The Ontario Physiotherapy Association is led by its members through the Board of Directors. Nine physiotherapist members make up the OPA Board, all of whom carry fiduciary responsibilities. Board members dedicate significant time and energy to guide the Association toward its mission.

The Annual Members Meeting (AMM) is a time to gather voting delegates from across OPA’s 16 districts to hear about and vote on the business of the Association.

Annual Members Meeting Success!

OPA’s 2026 Annual Members Meeting took place virtually on Thursday, April 30. OPA welcomed 62 voting delegates, our appointed Parliamentarian and Scrutineer, Jason Robinson, OPA’s current Board of Directors, candidates for the 2026-2027 Board, guests, and staff.

The meeting was a great success with Courtney Bean, OPA’s President (at the time of the meeting) acting as Chair. Alison Stene, CPA’s President, shared news and updates from the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. Magda McCaughan presented OPA’s achievements for the last year in her Secretary’s report. Sarah Hutchison, OPA’s CEO, presented OPA’s audited financial statements.

Voting delegates approved the 2025 audited financial statements and approved Cooper and Company as the auditors for the 2026 fiscal year.

Election of 2026-2027 OPA Board of Directors

There were six candidates for four director positions, therefore OPA held an online election managed by our Parliamentarian. Each candidate spoke for three minutes, and candidate resumes, videos and letters of intent were pre-circulated. 62 voting delegates cast 62 votes and four directors were elected.

We welcome Charlotte Anderson as OPA’s President with Courtney Bean now acting as Past-President. David Egbert, Jennifer Howey, and Terry Wang are completing the second year of their first terms on the Board.

Anthony Grande and Carrie Lau were elected to join the 2026-2027 Board of Directors. We welcome back Wing Ting Truong and Kyle Whaley for their second two-year term.

OPA would like to sincerely thank Magda McCaughan for her four years of insightful contributions on the Board as a Director and Secretary. Magda has been a dedicated volunteer for many years, having previously served as Hamilton’s District President.

We would also like to thank Manuel Valle, who has made invaluable contributions on the OPA Board of Directors for the past two years. Manuel has been a significant advocate for internationally educated physiotherapists, and we will miss his voice on the Board.

OPA also sincerely appreciates members who make the decision to run for the Board of Directors. Venkadesan Rajendran has been an incredible and passionate volunteer for years having served as the District President and in other executive roles with the Northern Ontario District.

OPA hopes to continue our valuable volunteer relationships with Magda, Manuel and Venkadesan! Thank you to the 62 voting delegates who took time out of their busy schedules to participate in OPA’s Annual Members Meeting. We also appreciate our volunteers Jim Foley and Annette Marcuzzi for their contributions.

2026-2027 OPA Board of Directors

What We Have Accomplished This Year

Group of five diverse business people indicating success, with their hands up.

We are excited by all that OPA has accomplished this year on behalf of our members and the profession overall. While advocacy never really stops, we are taking a moment to reflect on our successes.

1. Significant Progress on Scope of Practice Implementation

The Government of Ontario announced plans to implement regulations allowing physiotherapists to order diagnostic imaging (X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, and diagnostic ultrasounds). OPA’s relentlessly advocated through:

Ongoing meetings with the Ministry of Health

Meetings with the Premier, Minister of Health and MPPs across the province with our members

Submitting detailed scope of practice submissions

OPA’s CEO presenting to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs on Bill 2, showing the importance of scope implementation to keep pace with other provinces and increase labour mobility.

Building relationships at Queen’s Park, including meeting with Premier Doug Ford and Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones. We also met with MPP France Gélinas, Physiotherapist, who spoke about scope of practice implementation in the legislature.

Writing letters for member’s meetings with Premier Doug Ford and Minister of Health Sylvia Jones

We hope to see movement on the scope of practice implementation in 2026!

2. Advancing Physiotherapists’ Role in Primary Care: OPA successfully advocated for physiotherapists to be recognized in Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan. We:

Received a letter from the Deputy Premier & Minister of Health and Dr. Jane Philpott as the Chair of the Primary Care Action Team. We were pleased to see the recognition that Primary Care Teams should be made up of family physicians or nurse practitioners along with nurses, physician assistants, social workers, physiotherapists and other health care professions.

Presented at multiple primary care conferences. OPA staff shared the evidence that PTs on interprofessional teams can increase patient attachment rates by approximately 425 rostered patients (24%), particularly important since 20-30% of primary care visits involve musculoskeletal conditions.

3. Strong Member Engagement, Education & Resources: OPA hosted successful events and provided members with helpful resources. This included:

OPA’s InterACTION conference with over 300 attendees

Northern Ontario District’s conference Physio North 2025, inspiring attendees and providing them the opportunity to network

A Provincial Election Toolkit empowering grassroots advocacy with MPP candidates

An Understanding and Navigating Auto Claims Guide

4. Recognition and Award-Winning Communications: OPA’s communications and marketing continue to expand and reach new audiences with effective strategies.

Our “New Voices, New Ideas & New Opportunities” campaign won multiple prestigious awards including a Silver Telly Award and three gold Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards. We effectively showcased the association’s evolving leadership and value to members.

We also launched a bold new website which is easier to navigate and is a reflection of OPA’s commitment to transparency and accountability. OPA’s new website and its key features were driven by members’ feedback and drove every decision.

5. Equity, Inclusion and Diversity Commitment: OPA continues its commitment to have equity, inclusion and diversity embedded into everything we do.

OPA developed a position statement advocating for improved Jordan’s Principle processes. With Indigenous Services Canada committed to reforming the administration, OPA is pushing for:

Reduced systemic barriers that prevent access to physiotherapy services

Culturally safe service delivery with collaborative community co-design

Continuity of care through longer-term contracts with trusted partners

Increased administrative capacity with transparency to address backlogs

Recognition of physiotherapy as essential preventive and early intervention care

Support the advocacy work we do on behalf of the physiotherapy community in Ontario. Join OPA/CPA!

Learn More About Membership

OPA Staff Present at AFHTO 2025

Physiotherapists are essential in Primary Care Teams

OPA continues to advocate for increasing the integration of physiotherapists into primary care teams. Emily Stevenson, OPA’s Director of Practice & Policy and Amy Hondronicols, former OPA Director, presented at the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario conference, Power of Primary Care 2025, on October 23. Emily and Amy shared the evidence for physiotherapists in team-based primary care – resulting in the right care, at the right time, by the right provider.

Amy Hondronicols, Physiotherapist and former Director, Practice and Policy at OPA. Amy is presenting at AFHTO 2025 conference on the value of PTs on primary care teams. — Amy Hondronicols

The Evidence Shows:

Faster access to the right care

Less diagnostic imaging ordered

Fewer referrals to specialists (orthopedics and rheumatology)

Less sick leave

Fewer prescriptions for pharmaceuticals

Higher patient satisfaction

Low rate of follow up with Family Physician or Nurse Practitioner (<1% in the UK)

Amy Hondronicols, Courtney Bean, Emily Stevenson, Honourable George Smitherman and OPA's CEO Sarah Hutchison at the Association of Family Health Teams of Ontario conference on October 23, 2025. — From L to R: Amy Hondronicols, Courtney Bean, Emily Stevenson, Hon. George Smitherman, Sarah Hutchison

Emily and Amy were joined by OPA’s President, Courtney Bean, and Sarah Hutchison, OPA’s CEO.

Helping Ontario reach 100% Attachment

There are currently about 90 physiotherapist positions in primary care teams in Ontario, including Family Health Teams, Community Health Centres, Nurse Practitioner-Led Clinics, and Indigenous Primary Care Teams. With Ontario’s Primary Care Action Plan to create or expand 305 teams, there is great opportunity to increase the presence of physiotherapists to support Ontario’s goal of 100% attachment to primary care.

First Contact Physiotherapy in Primary Care Teams

The evidence is there – first contact physiotherapy improves patient outcomes, family physician/nurse practitioner satisfaction and reduces red tape within the health system.

Physiotherapists are the experts in the assessment, diagnosis for all MSK concerns. With 20-30% of all visits to primary care in Ontario being musculoskeletal (MSK) concerns, physiotherapists can be the first contact, and offload visits from the family physician or nurse practitioner. It is estimated that an additional 425 patients could be attached per physiotherapist.

The Family Physician/Nurse Practitioner Perspective

88% of family physicians and nurse practitioners reported that working with a physiotherapist increased their own satisfaction in providing care. 94% reported that having a physiotherapist in the team resulted in more comprehensive care for the patients. (Toronto Community Health Centre Evaluation, 2016).

Resource for Physiotherapists in Primary Care Teams

In their presentation, Emily and Amy also shared about the development of the PT in Primary Care Competencies and Educational Modules – an initiative in partnership with Team Primary Care (Projects — Team Primary Care | Équipe de Soins Primaires). This project was led by Dr. Jordan Miller and supported by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association. It included contributions from various physiotherapy professionals across Canada.

The education modules are designed to support physiotherapists to successfully integrate into interprofessional teams in primary care. The modules are also helpful to educate interprofessional team members and team leadership/ executives – so feel free to share broadly with anyone in your local community/network!

Primary Care Education Modules

Physiotherapy in Primary Care Teams – Improving Health Outcomes

The evidence shows that adding physiotherapists to primary care teams improves patient, provider, and system outcome in Ontario. The more we can demonstrate our value across all practice settings, the more we are able to advocate for increasing access so that everyone in Ontario has a physiotherapist across their lifespan.

Physio North 2025 – Caring for Oneself – Big Success!

Rhonda Matthews, Northern Ontario District President of OPA, with an attendee from Physio North 2025. — Rhonda Matthews (L) with conference attendee

“I feel encouraged about our profession and am more motivated to get back at it!” – feedback from one Physio North conference attendee

Northern Ontario District members welcomed the physiotherapy community to their district’s bi-annual conference in Timmins.

The event took place over two days, from October 3-4, and included many amazing sessions, a pre-conference course, and a chance to network with the Northern and Northwestern Ontario physiotherapy community, among others.

What a few attendees had to say about the event:

“It was truly a valuable experience for both skill development and networking opportunities. It was great connecting with so many engaged professionals.”

“Amazing coming together of the North.”

When asked what they liked most about the event, attendees shared:

“Networking with colleagues, meeting/interacting with the CEOs of the CPO and OPA”

“Networking with peers and sharing what is important to Northeastern Ontario Physiotherapists with OPA and the College”

Craig Roxborough, Registrar & CEO and Mary-Catherine Fraser Saxena, Manager, Practice Advice (CPO) both echoed there were lots of meaningful conversations, and they appreciated the opportunity to connect with PTs in the North to hear their perspectives.

Courtney Bean, OPA’s President, said he had such a great time and it really filled his bucket. He said he has some good understanding of the challenges of rural care but now realizes the amazing passion of people providing care in rural locations. He also learned a lot about care in the North…a lot more than he ever knew.

Sarah Hutchison, OPA’s CEO, gained a deeper appreciation of the challenges that rural and remote physiotherapists face and how the OPA might advocate further. She also observed that the sense of community was incredible and contagious!

Northern Ontario District of OPA's Physio North Speakers, Jack Miller, Courtney Bean, OPA's President, and Sarah Hutchison, OPA CEO — From L to R: Jack Miller, PT & Pre-conference Course Instructor, Courtney Bean, PT and OPA President & Sarah Hutchison, OPA CEO

Get Involved Locally

Physio North 2025 is one example of the amazing work done by district volunteers. Thank you to Rhonda Matthews, Northern Ontario District President, and Jody Lemieux, Secretary, for making this event happen!

Regional representation at OPA through our 16 districts is invaluable. While districts may share similarities, understanding the unique populations and advocacy needs in each district contributes to OPA’s success. We encourage all members to get involved in their districts.

OPA Districts

Are you in Durham, Niagara or Northwestern Ontario Districts?

OPA is currently looking for member volunteers in these districts. Contact Prerna at ptawde@opa.on.ca if you are interested in volunteering.

Thank you to our Exhibitor, Motion

The PT Exchange: In Conversation with the College and OPA

People at an event with one woman's hand up to ask a question

Join representatives from the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario and the Ontario Physiotherapy Association for an interactive discussion. Get updates about the organizations, learn about upcoming priorities, and have your say with a chance to get your questions answered.

Light refreshments will be served
We appreciate you registering in advance to help us plan accordingly.

location	date & time	register
Ottawa Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata 101 Kanata Avenue	Wednesday, November 5, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm	Register Now
Brampton Monte Carlo Inn Brampton Suites 45 Coventry Road	Wednesday, November 19, 2025 from 6 to 8 pm	Register Now
Webinar Zoom – attend from anywhere	Thursday, January 22, 2026 6:30 to 8 pm	Register Now
Sudbury Radisson Hotel Sudbury 85 Ste Anne Road	Wednesday, April 8, 2026 from 6 to 8 pm	Register Now

We hope to see you there! If you have any questions about the event, please email the College at communications@collegept.org or the OPA at physiomail@opa.on.ca.

London District Hosts Webinar with Dr. Rich Trenholm

The London District of OPA hosted a webinar on Monday, February 24, 2025.

Dr. Rich Trenholm, Sports Medicine Doctor who attended the Paris 2024 Olympics spoke to attendees.

? Attendees Learned About:
✅ Dr. Trenholm’s journey into high-performance sports
✅ Behind-the-scenes prep for elite athletes
✅ How to enhance your physio skills for top-level care
✅ Best practices in sports medicine at major events

Insider knowledge was gained to take your career to the next level!

The event was free to attend.

Are you in the London District? Get involved .