Dear Members,
The COVID-19 outbreak is an unprecedented public health challenge being faced by communities around the world. As stated by the Government of Canada, pandemic preparedness must involve collaboration “…to produce an effective and coordinated response.”
Aided by our existing strong partnerships, the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and the Provincial and Territorial Institutes and Associations (PTIAs) will continue to work closely together to support our members—many of them working at the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis—and collaborate to contribute to the safety and wellbeing of Canadians.
As we monitor the ongoing public health situation, CIP and the PTIAs commit to sharing information and resources between our organizations and to being united in our response. It is our top priority to follow the advice provided by local, provincial, and national health authorities, while we continue to maintain an excellent standard of service to our members.
CIP and the PTIAs will provide updates as information becomes available. At this time, we wanted to share the following with you:
- All group meetings (Boards, Councils, Committees, Juries, etc.) will be held virtually – the safety of our volunteers is our primary focus.
- All upcoming in-person events will be evaluated on an ongoing basis – decisions are based on the most recent information provided by the Government of Canada and local/provincial/national health organizations. To date, MPPI has cancelled its upcoming conference (please read the statement). As of today, the CIP/PIBC national conference will proceed with additional health measures and procedures added to mitigate risk (please read the statement). We will closely monitor the situation and will provide timely updates on the conference’s status.
- Online events will take place as scheduled – for members looking to continue to receive a high standard of professional development, on-demand resources are also available 24/7 through CIP’s Professional Learning HUB and OPPI’s Digital Learning Site. We will update you shortly about additional learning opportunities and ways to connect with your fellow planners.
- The CIP and PTIA teams are working remotely – to maintain services and support our members while protecting our staff, we have closed our physical offices.
During these challenging times, remember to talk to people you trust. Think about reaching out to friends, family, and people in the community to provide or ask for support.
In closing, thank you to all planners for your hard work leading and implementing strategies to manage the COVID-19 crisis. We also send best wishes and success to planning students resuming their courses online.
Stay well, stay safe, and stay in touch.
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