Welcome from the chair of the Congress Organizing Committee

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the International Orthoptic Association's Congress Organizing Committee it is my great pleasure to extend a warm invitation to you to participate in the XIIth International Orthoptic Congress, in Toronto, from June 26-29, 2012. The Congress will be held at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel and Convention Centre which is located on the waterfront of Lake Ontario. The host city, Toronto, is a multicultural city, world-renowned for its festivals, events, and spaces that celebrate the arts and the city's heritage.

The science for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with defects of binocular vision and amblyopia is ever changing. The theme of the XIIth IOA Congress - Prisms in the Northern Lights: The Science of Orthoptics - could not be more appropriate for an age where use of evidence based practice to ensure best practices in patient care is important. The IOA Congress is a unique platform for orthoptists, pediatric ophthalmologists, strabismologists, neuro-ophthalmologists and vision scientists from around the world to meet, exchange ideas, and update ones' knowledge and skills.

Aside from the conference, you will also have the opportunity to experience a myriad of Canadian tourist attractions that are exceptional and fascinating. An exciting social program has been drawn up. A welcome reception will be held on the first day of the scientific program at the historic John Street Roundhouse, a former Canadian Pacific Rail steam locomotive repair facility built in 1929 to service the steam locomotives that helped pioneer this nation. When we gather at the Roundhouse, the Congress Organizing Committee looks forward to toasting your passage to the conference and across Canada there.

Please join us in June 2012 and you are promised a fruitful meeting and wonderful time in Canada.

With best wishes,

Karen McMain
Chair Congress Organizing Committee

Lina Colpa, Maria Harvey, Dena Hudson, Kristy McLeod, Jennifer Schofield, Cindy York
Congress Organizing Committee