Ontario opticians group marks 60th year

Ontario opticians group marks 60th year

The Ontario Opticians Association (OOA) celebrated its 60th anniversary year last April 23, 2006. It will held its gala night at the Ballroom & Convention Centre of the Sheraton Hotel in Richmond Hill, Ontario on the evening of the 22nd.

The Registered Opticians of Ontario started the evening with the President’s Cocktail Reception. Then OOA President Lorne Kashin RO presided over the Ontario Opticians’ Championship Awards. The awards were given to the illustrious organizers, leaders and members of the association who trailblazed the many progress and changes in the professionalization, legislation, regulation and the establishment of the College of Opticians and the various curricula of the profession in several educational institutions.

After the sumptuous dinner was served a live band performed for the merrymakers who took to the dance floor with gusto. A champagne toast was made during the intermission, after which, the anniversary cake was rolled out to the delight of the celebrating opticians. The celebrants then danced continuously till the wee hours of the morning.

Dr Nobella “Belle” Tumbokon RO, proprietor of the now an iconic institution Belle Optical at Queen Street in the Parkdale District in downtown Toronto, led her invited friends from the Filipino community in jubilating during the event. Belle is one of the long time business and community leaders of Parkdale who are working very hard in rejuvenating the area, whose efforts we are now seeing fruition in the facelift and improvement and economic resurgence of the district.

The anniversary workshop and conference on the 23rd was held at the Premiere Ballroom & Convention Centre, Richmond Hill, Ontario dubbed “Inside Optics 2006”. Speakers and presenters lectured and addressed the attending opticians on updates, advances and innovations in optical health and fashion, ocular prosthetics, macular degeneration, laser refractive and cataract surgical procedures, vision enhancement technology, pediatric contact lens fitting and other developments in the industry. A lab workshop on new edge technologies and tools of the trade was also held. A management, leadership and business development workshop also was conducted.

The week-end long activities were supported by many optical and pharmaceutical companies.

(PRESS RELEASE)