As we introduce this annual report, most of us are still spending the majority of our time at home as exceptional measures are gradually being eased across Canada in response to COVID-19. There’s no doubt that the current pandemic will stand out in 2020’s history. It is an unprecedented public health crisis, whose repercussions will be felt around the world for years to come. Canada’s colleges and institutes won’t be an exception, and you can be assured that CICan will continue to be there every step of the way to support our members, their recovery, and their critical role in Canada’s future.
Looking back on the past fiscal year feels a bit quaint given how much has changed over the past few months. Still, this report shows our association growing to meet the needs of our members, with new projects generating promising opportunities for colleges and institutes all across the country, both at home and abroad.
In that sense, we were in a good position to leap to action quickly when the pandemic hit. Our immediate priority was to protect our employees, which we did by closing our offices, supporting our entire staff to continue working from home. We also moved quickly to ensure that our members were well represented in Ottawa, as policies had to be adjusted urgently to allow institutions the flexibility required to respond quickly and dispel as much uncertainty as possible, especially regarding international students affected by border closures. We also launched weekly webinars and created new web-based resources to keep colleges and institutes in the know, as the situation evolved quickly. This is the kind of member-focus and agility we strive for in all we do, and which was certainly front and centre this past year.
Denise Amyot
President and CEO
Michel Tarko
Board Chair