Announcements
The Elections are coming up and by the start of the new year, one registrant from
District 3 (Okanagan/Kootenays) and one registration from
District 5 (contact lens fitter) will be the newest members of the COBC Board of Directors. One of these elected registrants could possibly be you, your co-worker and/or your fellow optician. By nominating yourself for elections, you have the opportunity to make a difference through regulating the practice of opticians and ensuring British Columbia Opticians provide safe and effective care to help people achieve better vision.
Working on the Board of Directors will be a fulfilling and exciting experience, as Opticians in BC will be increasingly demanded by the public due to the aging population. In addition, new issues will arise and the Board will need to seek your years of knowledge and expertise in Opticianry in helping to make important decisions. Your nomination is highly encouraged to help contribute to the practice of opticianry and to help make British Columbia a better place to live.
Click here to download the
Notice of Election 2009 and
Nomination Form.
- Annual General Meeting 2009
November 1, 2009 (Time TBA)
It will be held at the Delta Hotel, 4331 Dominion Street, Burnaby, BC.
For more info, please call 604-278-7510 or toll free 1-888-771-6755.
- District 1 Election Results
The College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC) announces that Raheem Savja and Dieter Saxer, both representing Electoral District 1, have been elected to the COBC Board. Both Raheem Savja and Dieter Saxer's term of office are January 5, 2009 to December 31, 2011.
Click here to view the Certificates of Election.
Devlin Jensen scrutineered the results of the election. Here are the results of the elections for District 1 (Lower Mainland):
Inderjit Bamrah - 73 votes
Katania Law - 23 votes
Chris Lee - 66 votes
Ted Morse - 67 votes
Raheem Savja - 103 votes
Dieter Saxer - 91 votes
Lina Tang - 58 votes
Sheree Watson - 67 votes
A total of 278 electors voted with a total of 548 valid votes cast (maximum 2 candidate choices per elector). There were no rejected ballots.
- Who Does The College Recognize As Professional Providers Of Mandatory Continuing Education?
The College of Opticians of British Columbia (COBC) has received questions from members regarding which organizations are recognized by the COBC for the purposes of Continuing Education. The College currently recognises the teaching institutions and two professional organizations: The Opticians Association of Canada and the OBC: Opticians of British Columbia. NO other professional association has approached the COBC to be recognised as a “Professional Provider” of education.
Liability Insurance For Renewal Of Registration - Caution
The COBC cautions members to ensure that any purchase of “Liability Insurance” is sold through a reliable source. The College notes that in previous years members paid for Insurance Polices from an association but found later that the money had not been passed along to the broker and the policies had not been registered. This resulted in a significant numbers of members who were left without coverage without their knowledge.
- Board of Directors Election 2008
An election will be held from November 30, 2008 to December 31, 2008.
Each year, the registrants of the College of Opticians of British Columbia elect two of their own to the governing Board. This year eight candidates are standing for election to the Board. This is a record number of people who have put their names forward; it bodes well for the future of the profession that so many of its members are willing to serve the public interest in this way.
It is appropriate, as the elections approach, to remind both the candidates and the voting members about the duties of the College and the roles of a Board member. There are a number of worthy sources for this information, from the Health Professions Act (which is the College’s enabling legislation) to a 2004 report from the Ombudsman of British Columbia. The College encourages all opticians to understand the important role the COBC plays as a regulatory body, and how it differs fundamentally from the purposes of a professional association.
A regulatory body is responsible for protecting the public interest and acting in the public interest, while a professional association may advocate to advance the interests of the profession and their businesses. Each member of the board of the regulatory body is bound as a fiduciary -a very high duty that includes subsuming all other interests in favor of the public interest.
The 8 candidates for the Lower Mainland are:- Bamrah, Inderjit
- Law, Katania
- Lee, Chris
- Morse, Ted
- Savja, Raheem
- Saxer, Dieter
- Tang, Lina
- Watson, Sheree
Click here to read the full version of the profiles each candidate submitted
All registered opticians in good standing from Electoral District 1 may vote. Your ballot must be received by the Registrar no later than 11:59 pm on December 31, 2008. Ballots received after the deadline will not be counted.
Registrants will be notified of the results of the election in January 2009. Terms for the newly elected Board members take effect on January 1, 2009. The members from Electoral District 1 will serve three year terms.
Please contact the College office at 604-278-7510 if you are a registrant from District 1 (Lower Mainland) and did not receive a election package.
- Annual General Meeting 2008
October 19, 2008 12:30 PM - 2:00PM
It will be held at the Executive Airport Plaza (7311 Westminster Hwy, Richmond, BC). It is free admission for the AGM.
For more info, please call 604-278-7510 or toll free 1-888-771-6755.
- Quality Assurance Program and Accreditation Policy Suggestions
Thursday, September 11, 2008 from 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM
The College of Opticians of British Columbia invites you to an open meeting to discuss possible
improvements and revisions to the Quality Assurance (QAC) Continuing Education Program and Accreditation Policy.
For this open meeting, the Administration will be available at the College office, Suite 420 - 2025
West Broadway, Vancouver, BC on Thursday, September 11, 2008 from 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Please
R.S.V.P by 4:00 PM on Friday, September 5, 2008 to Connie Chong, Assistant Registrar, at
cchong@cobc.ca or 604-278-7510 and include the approximate time you plan to arrive.
You also have the option of phoning the College at 604-278-7510 and expressing your ideas to
improve the Continuing Education Program and Accreditation Policy by Friday, September 12, 2008
at 3:00 PM.
- Public Appointments to the Board
March 17, 2008 - The COBC is pleased to announce the reappointment of Kent Ashby (public member) and the appointment of June Barens (public member) the the Board of Directors. Click here for details.