President's Message

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

CCMG joins its voice to that of other professional societies and healthcare organizations worldwide in denouncing discrimination, intolerance and injustice in all its forms. We collectively serve a diverse patient population from across Canada. Our College is committed to supporting and promoting equitable access to culturally respectful and clinically relevant Medical Genetics healthcare. We train and include among our membership professionals from diverse backgrounds. However, the perpetuation of social injustice outlines that concrete steps must be taken by all to change behavior and, ultimately, history. We can and must do better.

In this spirit, the CCMG is delighted with the successful outcome of the Supreme Court appeal of the Canadian Coalition for Genetic Fairness v. Attorney General of Quebec, et al. regarding the Genetic Non-discrimination Act, meant to protect Canadians who seek medical genetic testing. This is an immense victory for our patients, who now can be assured that they will not have to choose between obtaining essential medical genetic testing and the risk of having information related to this testing used against them.

The Genetic Non-Discrimination Act makes it a crime to require people to take a genetic test or disclose the results of a previous test in order to get a contract, goods or services such as insurance, and sanctions substantial fines or even imprisonment against those who contravene. The College extends its sincere thanks to Michael Bookman of Babin Bessner Spry LLP, who brilliantly represented the CCMG in debating this important constitutional matter.

The challenges of the past months have led to an outpouring of creative solutions to maintain services to our members and fellows in training.

While the ban on commuting prevented the College to hosts its scientific meeting planned in Winnipeg in June 2020, the virtual AGM was attended by a record number of members and received huge praises, having been rapidly and efficiently adapted to the current reality. The CCMG board wishes to thank its new manager, Mrs. Larissa Johnston, for having superbly orchestrated this first almost entirely virtual AGM. The board favourably received the request by many members to maintain the option of virtual attendance to future AGMs.

The Scientific Program committee worked with our CCSC colleagues to adapt trainee presentations and some of the key sessions that had been planned for the Winnipeg joint scientific meeting to a virtual platform. All these sessions were well attended and appreciated by the membership.

The Examination committee also had to adapt the format of the 2020 examinations to adhere to the new physical distancing norm.

It is will a great sense of pride for my profession and my community that I have seen, across Canada, my colleagues push forward with resilience and resourcefulness to adapt, in a very short time span, physically, mentally, socially, to the challenges of the COVID environment. They united, shared resources, re-organised and re-invented the way we provide services and training, to keep answering the needs of our patients, our trainees, our internal communities and the public. A very special thank you to the CCMG Examination comity members and to our EM+ administrators for their amazing work in preparing and holding the Examinations within this new setting of physical distancing and additional security.

This amazing adaptation and evolution brings me to remind you that 2022 will mark the bicentennial of Gregor Mendel’s birthday on July 22nd, 1822. The 2022 International Congress for Human Genetics is currently planned on Mendel’s Day (March 8) in Cape Town, South Africa. The board welcomes suggestions from the membership on how to participate to the worldwide celebrations that will surround this event. Please forward your suggestions at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Finally, the CCMG is proud to inaugurate a new type of members’ exchange interface, the CCMG communities of practice (CoP). These groups (the first established within the CCMG being Cancer Genetics, chaired by Dr. Raymond Kim) are meant to provide an environment in which members can share their practice experiences, develop and discuss areas of interests and build a sense of community. Members of CoPs typically interact on a regular basis to discuss ways to improve clinical and public health practice and to facilitate the implementation of evidence based practice.

A successful CoP is led by its members and requires these members to be active participants. It becomes the members’ responsibility to ensure that a CoP stays relevant, engaging and offers value to the domain of interest. The CCMG welcomes initiatives towards instauration of other successful CoPs!

As we collectively face the challenges of settling into new ways that will likely become lasting habits , I feel confident that the COVID crisis will turn out to be an opportunity for our Canadian Medical Genetics community to rise above the storm and continue to provide forefront guidance and support to those seeking Clinical Genetics care.

With best wishes,

Isabelle De Bie
President, Canadian College of Medical Geneticists