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FROM: NOV-DEC 2008 ISSUE
UPDATE
Top Achievers Honoured with Student Awards
CGA-Canada’s student awards, recognizing outstanding academic achievement in the 2007-08 academic year, were handed out to 20 students and new CGAs at provincial admission to membership ceremonies throughout the fall. The association congratulates the following recipients:
Krista Saunders of Sundre, Alberta is the winner of the ENCON Group Inc. Insurance Public Practice Award, valued at $5,000. It is awarded to a newly certified CGA graduating from the public practice career option who achieves the highest average mark on the Advanced External Auditing (AU2) and Advanced Personal and Corporate Taxation (TX2) examinations.
Rachel Lazaro of Mississauga, Ontario, receives the Porter Hétu International Award, which is presented to a newly certified CGA graduating from the public practice career option who obtains the highest final course mark in Advanced External Auditing (AU2). The award includes a $1,500 prize.
The Carswell Taxation Award is shared between two students, Manvir Manhas of B.C., and Mildred Solite-Steinbring of Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Carswell Taxation Award is granted to the student with the highest mark in Advanced Personal and Corporate Taxation (TX2).
Awards of Excellence are presented to the highest academic achievers in each level of the CGA Program of Professional Studies, including the professional level, Professional Applications and Competence Evaluations (PACE). Recipients are Hua Amy Chen of Scarborough, Ontario (Professional Level); Arun Nanthakumaran of Toronto, Ontario (Level 4); Ryan Castaneda of Vancouver, B.C. (Level 3); Hongying Yang of Toronto, Ontario (Level 2); and Zelaina Strug-Zelmer of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia (Level 1).
The Top Ten Recognition Awards are granted to newly certified CGAs who rank as the highest academic performers, based on the average of their PACE level examinations (other than PA1 and PA2 which are not graded numerically). This year, three recipients tied for the 10th place position resulting in 12 award recipients: Yixue Wang (Toronto, Ontario), Hua Amy Chen (Scarborough, Ontario), Yin Yi (Toronto, Ontario), Caroline Martires (Toronto, Ontario), Jianhua Li (Burnaby, B.C.), Emily Terzieva (Toronto, Ontario), Ying Yan (North York, Ontario), Neeta Nayak (Ontario), Blandine Nganso (Quebec), Dominic Chan (Richmond, B.C.), Xiao Yan Mavis Wu (Markham, Ontario), and Wei Li (Burnaby, B.C.).
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CGA Participates in AIT Consultations
Provincial and territorial governments have been consulting with stakeholders over the past couple of months as they prepare amendments to the Labour Mobility Chapter of Canada’s Agreement on Internal Trade (AIT). CGA-Canada and the provincial and territorial CGA regulatory bodies participated in that consultation process, emphasizing the CGA commitment to high professional standards and pointing out that national standards for education and certification, practical experience, ethics, and public practice make the CGA designation fully portable. The CGA associations also exhorted the benefits of competition in public accounting while recognizing the inherent requirement to preserve the public interest.
The consultations follow a recent decision by the provincial and territorial premiers to resolve labour mobility issues in Canada by April 2009. For more information, see the notice to members at cga.org/canada.
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Webcasts Earn Enthusiastic Response
CGA Webcasts, a new line of online learning products, were introduced over the summer and reaction to the well-attended webcasts has been very positive. The live and interactive presentations are the latest development by CGA-Canada to provide convenient, economical, and relevant professional development.
Each CGA Webcast offers up-to-date insights into a particular competency area delivered by a qualified presenter during the business day. Participants can log on to the webcasts from their desks rather than travelling to a venue across town, saving time, money, and creating less impact on the environment.
That convenience factor makes the CGA Webcasts of particular value to members in smaller communities, as summed up in a comment from one of the participants: “I live in a fairly remote area so to find the time to travel to participate in professional development activities can be quite challenging. Today’s webcast was not only convenient, but the content was excellent.”
Initial CGA Webcasts have dealt with topics such as leading positive change, stress management, and effective time management skills. CGA-Canada has also partnered with CCH to provide several CCH-produced webcasts on International Financial Reporting Standards. For more information about upcoming CGA Webcasts, visit cga-pdnet.org.
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New Government Urged to Focus on Five Priorities
As the new federal government settles into office, CGA-Canada is recommending a focus on five priority policy areas to promote productivity growth and economic stability. The five priorities were outlined during the election campaign by CGA-Canada President and CEO Anthony Ariganello, FCGA, CPA (DE), in an open letter to the leaders of the five major political parties.
“Canadians are looking for a government to guide the country through this turbulent period with confidence, resolve and integrity, and to govern with vision and determination so that Canada becomes an even better place in the world to live and do business,” said Ariganello.
The priorities are fiscal prudence, competitive taxation, effective inter-provincial trade and labour mobility, efficient and effective regulation, and stronger skills training and learning. All five priorities reflect long-standing areas of interest, consultation, and research for CGA-Canada.
The association’s proposals for a simplified and more competitive taxation system are explained in its pre-budget submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, which can be read at cga.org/canada.
Recommendations for promoting skills training come from the association’s recent national Summit on Skills and Learning, which capped a series of regional roundtable forums on the subject. The report from the summit, which was organized by the Public Policy Forum, is also available on the CGA-Canada website.
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New CGA Building Officially Opens
Chair Ron Colucci, FCGA, and President and CEO Anthony Ariganello, FCGA, CPA (DE), were joined by local dignitaries and association staff for the grand opening of CGA-Canada’s new national head office on August 11. The opening of the 43,000 sq. ft. Burnaby, B.C. building was historic as it marked the first time in the association’s 100 years that it has owned its own building.
“Opening a new corporate headquarters is always significant,” said Colucci. “It is especially so for CGA-Canada. It is the first home we can truly call our own.”
The decision to move from leased office space in downtown Vancouver provides financial flexibility and security for the association by protecting it from increasing leasing and operating costs and furnishes CGA-Canada with a real asset. It also introduces a new revenue stream for the association as it leases one quarter of the space to a tenant, Cayenta Corporation.
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Blackboard Becomes National Learning Platform
All students in the CGA Program of Professional Studies, regardless of where they are enrolled, are now using the same technology platform. In September, all affiliates switched to Blackboard, the learning content management system that CGA Ontario has used since 2000-01.
The system, which will be administered and supported nationally by CGA Ontario, provides a nationally standardized online learning environment while still enabling each affiliate to maintain its own identity and to deliver regional content. Blackboard provides an online environment for students to access course materials, complete assignments, track their progress and performance, and communicate with instructors and other students. Courses for Laurentian University’s online Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree program will also be transitioned to the Blackboard system in the future.
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CGAs Named to Federal Boards
Three CGAs were appointed by the federal government to the boards of federal agencies or Crown Corporations in September. Wayne Follett, CGA, was named President and CEO of the Marine Atlantic Inc. board of directors for a period of five years. Marine Atlantic Inc. operates a passenger and commercial marine transportation system between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
Alisa Aymar, CGA, of Meteghan River, N.S., was appointed to the board of directors of the Atlantic Pilotage Authority for a four-year term. Karen Horcher, CGA, of Vancouver, B.C., was appointed to the board of directors of the Pacific Pilotage Authority, also for a four-year period.
CGA-Canada encourages qualified CGAs to seek opportunities to serve on government agencies, boards, and commissions as it helps to raise the profile of the designation within the public service, and contributes CGA expertise where it is needed. More information on Governor-in-Council appointments is available at www.appointments-nominations.gc.ca.
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Research Foundation Reminder
As the year-end deadline for charitable donations approaches, the CGA-Canada Research Foundation would like CGAs to keep it in mind. The foundation, which encourages and promotes the advancement of education and research in accountancy, relies heavily on its year-end fundraising appeal to provide the resources for its research activities. To learn more about the CGA-Canada Research Foundation and how to contribute to its work, visit cga.org/canada/cgafoundation.
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INTERNATIONAL
Forum Addresses Support of SMPs
Sylvie Voghel, FCGA, chaired the 2008 IFAC Small and Medium Practices (SMP) Forum in Abuja, Nigeria in October, an annual event to inform constituents of progress and to seek input for the work of the IFAC SMP Committee.
The IFAC SMP Committee serves the SMP sector mainly by providing direct input into the international standard setting process and by developing resources to assist SMPs to implement these standards while being competitive, client focused, and profitable. The forum brought together attendees from many parts of the world representing national and regional accountancy bodies as well as speakers on a range of key topics. The forum also provides the opportunity to interact with various international organizations, including the International Accounting Standards Board.
Information about the IFAC SMP Forum and the work of the IFAC SMP Committee can be found at ifac.org/SMP/.
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