Once again, the TCM profession went to Queen’s Park – and what a successful day! A diverse group, including representatives of 5 Ontario TCM Schools, the Council of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Schools of Ontario (CTCMASO), students and professional members and the volunteer Board of TCMO, spent the evening chatting, educating and sharing experiences with MPP’s from all parties at Queen’s Park. This year, our evening reception was co-sponsored with the CTCMASO alongside TCMO, and hosted in the dining room at the Legislature. This larger room allowed everyone the opportunity to mix and mingle and to meet fellow practitioners face-to-face, but more importantly, this event allowed each member of our profession to connect directly with their MPP and other MPP’s who are curious about TCM.
Many MPP’s harkened back to the “days of deregulation” and commented on how active our profession and our patients were. There were many overheard comments of “oh, I didn’t know that TCM and Acupuncture could help with…”, which always illustrates just how much public education we must continue to undertake. Of course, we also heard that many MPP”s had other professions perform acupuncture, and those conversations also yielded another educational opportunity.
This was the second year for many MPP’s in attendance, and the many smiles certainly indicate that they look forward to another event in 2025!
During the day, TCMO arranged meetings with MPP’s and attended the Legislature. Katrina Dollano, Vice President and Heather Kenny, President, met with Ministers and staff in the ministries of Seniors and Accessibility; as well as Agriculture, Food and Agri-Business; and MPP Shamji, Health Critic. In the morning, TCMO was introduced in the Legislature and we stayed to watch and listen to Question Period.
Our meetings focussed on updating our current situation and moving our concerns forward. We pushed for support for our pilot integration project, inclusion of our profession as a provider for acupuncture on animals, consideration of how our services could exist in care homes and retirement homes, and always reminded those we chatted with that TCM is front-line and primary healthcare for many many Ontarians, and that their continued ability to choose their provider is essential and necessary.
