Letter from the President,
Diane Kent

March, 2006

Each time I sit down to write this letter for you, I find myself torn. We have so many challenges to face, but so very many exciting opportunities as well.

Perhaps one of the biggest areas of challenge at present, is the increasing move from government at all levels, to regulate and restrict herbal medicine (see the political update by John Harrison for more details). The spotlight is firmly on natural and traditional medicines. There is a war being waged over the pocketbooks of health conscious Canadians. You do, and will continue to see volumes of reports and articles on the safety, or rather the alleged lack of safety, of natural products. You will be told over and over about how you need to be protected. Health Canada is restricting access to herbs, and the provincial government is moving to regulate alternative medicine practitioners, starting with the larger groups such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Homeopathy, but inevitably working their way down (or up) to herbalists.

There will be difficult decisions, and a lot of work to do in this area, especially over the next year or two. We trust in your continued support, as we try to stay ahead of the incoming tide.

At a municipal level, the new Toronto licensing is having both negative and positive effects. We are receiving a large number of calls and applications for professional membership. Many are not qualified, but some are, and it is our hope that professional membership levels will continue to rise.

On the very positive side, we are discovering that various sources of funding are available to help associations such as ourselves achieve specific goals. Our thanks to Kathleen Leeson who is ably guiding us through the morass of paperwork. Kathleen is not only tracking down these opportunities, but is spending many hours filling out forms, and deciphering requirements. We have begun the application process, and will update you as we can on this exciting project.

Another area of opportunity is the implementation of Paypal on our web site. This is being done through the generous, and voluntary efforts of our web master Harold Lass. By the time you read this, it should be possible to order or renew, and pay for general memberships through the OHA web site if you wish. We hope eventually to make an exciting new line of merchandise available in the same way, and allow you to sign up for seminars, and other special events.

The seminar with Chanchal Cabrera was so popular with our professional and student members, as well as with professionals from other associations, that we are being asked to organize more events of this calibre. These events not only provide valuable information, but also help to enhance our image and expertise in the professional arena.

We continue to enhance and professionalize our communications, invest time in fundraising and membership efforts, and investigate any and all opportunities to make herbal medicine a visible and appreciated alternative for health care.

Don’t forget the Herb Fair on Sunday June 4th. You won’t want to miss it. It will be an exciting day packed with lectures, demonstrations, as well as all the beautiful plants and products you have come to expect from our vendors. Tell your friends, and help us make it a fun day for everyone.

See you at the fair,

Diane Kent