The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan (ICAS) and CMA Saskatchewan (CMA SK) announced a member vote regarding the inclusion of CGA Saskatchewan in the unification initiative. Members will be asked to participate in the online vote between May 21 and 30, 2013, after which the councils of both organizations will consider the results in order to determine next steps.
May 17, 2013
Today, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO) and the Certified Management Accountants of Ontario (CMA Ontario) issued an Ontario Unification Proposal and accompanying letters to their members. The unification proposal is supported by the ICAO Council and CMA Ontario Board of Directors, and is consistent with the unification framework adopted in other jurisdictions. In advance of a June member vote on the proposal, Town Halls and webinars will be held across the province.
Click here to read the ICAO letter.
Click here to read the CMA Ontario letter.
May 15, 2013
The Chairs and CEOs of the Certified Management Accountants Society of BC (CMA BC) and the Certified General Accountants Association of BC (CGA-BC), and the President and CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC (ICABC) have signed an agreement to pursue a merger under the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation.
The three self-regulated accounting professions will work with the provincial government to enact CPA legislation, legally merge, and establish CPABC, which will be one of the largest professional organizations in the province with more than 34,000 members and students.
Click here to read the joint media release.
Click here to read the joint announcement to members and students.
May 9, 2013
Today, the leadership teams of The New Brunswick Institute of Chartered Accountants (NBICA), CMA New Brunswick (CMANB), and the Certified General Accountants Association of New Brunswick (CGA-NB) issued member announcements detailing the results of the recent member vote on unification. The results show that the majority of members of all three New Brunswick accounting bodies support unification. Voter turnout in New Brunswick was significant with 812 CAs, 510 CMAs and 564 CGAs participating (or 72% of CA respondents, 75% of CMAs and 70% of the CGAs respectively).
Members were asked to respond to the question, “Do you support the unification of the accounting profession in New Brunswick as outlined in the proposal dated March 22, 2013?” The responses are as follows:
NBICA: 61% voted yes, 14% voted to allow Council to decide, and 25% voted no.
CMANB: 89% voted yes, 8% voted to allow Council to decide, and 3% voted no.
CGA-NB: 91% voted yes, 6% voted to allow the Board of Governors to decide, and 3% voted no.
Next steps for the New Brunswick accounting bodies include working together on enabling legislation. Members will be updated as further developments occur.
April 30, 2013
The leadership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia and of CMA Nova Scotia, Bermuda and the Caribbean issued member announcements last week welcoming the return of CGA-Canada along with its international affiliates in Asia and the Caribbean, and CGA bodies in the Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Yukon, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, to unification discussions.
ICANS and CMA NS see the announcement as a positive development in the unification of the profession in Nova Scotia and nationally. ICANS and CMA Nova Scotia will continue to move forward on the unification efforts underway and will bring CGA-NS up-to-date on the progress of the merger, as the bodies consider next steps in the unification process. Nova Scotia members will be updated as developments occur.
ICANS member announcement.
CMA NS announcements to Nova Scotia, Bermuda, and Caribbean members
April 30, 2013
Today CGA-Canada, along with its international affiliates in Asia and the Caribbean and CGA bodies in the Northwest Territories/Nunavut, Yukon, Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia, issued an announcement saying that they are rejoining the unification discussions. The return of the national CGA organization and these provincial/regional CGA bodies is welcomed by the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada). With this development, the only CGA organizations not participating in unification are Ontario and Manitoba.
This announcement means that organizations representing almost 90 per cent of Canada’s professional accountants are committed to unification under the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) banner. If unification is achieved with the current participants, the CPA profession will be more than 150,000 members strong and better positioned to represent the interest of members both in Canada and on the global stage.
Click here to read the CGA-Canada announcement.
Click here to read the media release from CPA Canada.
April 24, 2013
Today, the Chairs of CGA Alberta and CMA Alberta, and the President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (ICAA) announced that they have signed a plan for the unification of the three regulated accounting designations under the national CPA (Chartered Professional Accountant) banner.
The plan reflects commitment to the eight guiding principles of unification across Canada, and sets out a road map for a promising future for designated accountants across the province. The ICAA will undertake an engagement process with Alberta CAs to discuss the unification proposal. This process will culminate in a CA vote on the plan, expected to be held by the end of June. Alberta’s CGAs and CMAs held their respective votes on unification in 2012, with the overwhelming majority of each designation voting in favour of unification.
Click here to read the announcement from the Alberta CGA and CMA bodies.
Click here to read the ICAA announcement.
April 22, 2013
Alberta CAs were asked to participate in a member survey in early March to share their opinions toward unification. A total of 1,806 CAs responded, representing 18% of the membership. The results indicate that 47% of members responding to the survey agree with the unification concept, 45% disagree and approximately 8% are not sure. If a vote on unification were held today, 47% of decided respondents would vote “yes” for unification, and 53% of decided respondents would vote “no.” Approximately 18% of respondents are undecided on how they would vote. The survey results show that support for unification has grown significantly among Alberta CAs since the last survey in 2011, when 28% of ICAA respondents supported the concept of unification.
The ICAA provides additional information on next steps on the member engagement process.
To read the full update, click here.
April 15, 2013
In a communication to their members, the Certified General Accountants and the Certified Management Accountants of Alberta shared information regarding the next steps in executing the transition plan in the provincial unification document.
The unification agency responsible for the merger has selected a new Chief Executive Officer to guide the integration of the two organizations and the transition into the new Canadian CPA affiliation. John Carpenter, MBA, FCGA, ICD.D was named after a thorough selection process which began when the boards of the two organizations voted to unify on October 12, 2012.
Carpenter’s immediate focus will be to execute the provincial unification transition plan and begin the process required with the provincial government to amend legislation governing the accounting profession in Alberta.
Click here to read the member notice.
Click here to read the CEO announcement.
April 15, 2013
On March 28, 2013, the leadership of ICAS and CMA SK issued a joint communication to their members indicating that they have signed a Unification Agreement. This Agreement establishes the foundation and framework on which they will work together to construct CPA Saskatchewan.
Given the expected timeframe for the proclamation of legislation that establishes CPA Saskatchewan, next steps will include developing a joint venture (JV) through which ICAS and CMA SK will jointly perform as many functions as allowed under their current regulatory frameworks. The joint venture will be overseen by a Transitional Steering Committee and the JV stage will also include hiring a CPA SK CEO and developing all aspects of the strategic and business plans for the JV and the CPA SK entity. The JV will also work with the other western provinces on the regional delivery of the CPA certification program scheduled to commence in September 2013.
Click here to review the full member communication.
April 2, 2013
The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) and the Society of Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada) are officially Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) now, and have the logo to prove it. CPA Canada was established with the unification of CICA and CMA Canada. Currently, accounting bodies representing more than 85 per cent of Canada’s professional accountants are committed to unifying under the CPA banner.
The logo, which represents CPA Canada and the profession, sports a contemporary interpretation of the iconic Canadian maple leaf, a strong word mark adopted from CPA Quebec, and projects the Canadian CPA designation’s leadership, confidence, and its reputation and influence in the global financial community.
Click here to read the news release.
April 1, 2013
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia (ICANS) and CMA Nova Scotia (CMA NS) issued announcements to their members that their respective Council and Board have voted in favour of pursuing a merger agreement and adopting the new CPA certification program.
Both the ICANS and CMA Nova Scotia also updated their members on other merger progress to date, including the establishment of a Steering Committee to oversee the merger process.
Click here to read the ICANS member announcement.
Click here to read the CMA Nova Scotia member announcement.
March 28, 2013
A Unification Steering Committee, comprised of the executive members of the Boards/Councils of the NBICA, CMA New Brunswick and CGA New Brunswick, has negotiated a Unification Proposal which contemplates the three designations joining as one under the CPA banner.
The Board of Governors/Council of all three bodies are fully supportive of this Unification Proposal and believe that it is important to ensure all members of Canadian-based accounting societies/institutes continue to be recognized as among the best in the world.
Click here to read the NBICA member communication
Click here to read the CMA New Brunswick member communication
Click here to read the CGA New Brunswick member communication
March 22, 2013
In a communication to its members, CGA-BC released the results of their recent survey that was created to assess member support for the unification initiative after the Association rejoined discussions in February 2013. More than 40 per cent of members responded with 91.7 per cent in support of a merger between CGA-BC, the ICABC and CMABC.
The positive survey results provide a clear course for the Board as it moves forward with the unification of the provincial accounting bodies.
March 20, 2013
On March 14, 2013, the NBICA Council provided its members with the results of a recent member survey concerning the proposed 3-way merger of accounting bodies within the province. It indicated that an upcoming formal provincial unification proposal addresses many points raised by members in their commentary. The results of the survey can be viewed on the NBICA website.
March 15, 2013
In January 2013, CICA and CMA Canada announced the establishment of Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act. CPA Canada will support provincial accounting bodies that have unified, and all those that will unify, under the CPA banner. All members and the public have access to the CPA Canada by-law that outlines the principles by which the national CPA organization operates and interacts with its members. To facilitate easy reference, the document has been posted to the Resources section of the CPA Canada website and to the CICA and CMA Canada legacy sites.
CICA and CMA Canada, and all those bodies participating in unification, have lived by the original overarching unification principles published in May 2011. These are the principles that have guided all participating bodies as they worked collaboratively and with full respect for their counterparts to develop merger agreements. A key component of merger discussions has been the protection of legacy member rights. Through spring 2012, all participating bodies worked diligently to develop the legacy rights protections and by summer of 2012 that work was complete and the outcomes then guided remaining merger discussions.
Legacy rights are enshrined in the CPA Canada by-law and detailed in Article 4.
Click here to read Article 4 – Protection of Legacy Rights.
March 13, 2013
Members of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (ICAA) are participating in an online survey designed to obtain member input about the unification of the Alberta accounting profession. This feedback will be helpful in the ICAA’s preparation and planning for upcoming engagement activities with members about unification.
The ICAA electronic survey opened to members on March 1 and closes March 11, 2013. After the survey closes the ICAA will consider the results and notify members of next steps.
March 4, 2013
On February 27, 2013, the Certified General Accountants Association of Newfoundland and Labrador released the results of its member survey that ran between January 24th and February 4th, 2013.
The results indicate that 92% of the respondents are in favour of the CGA NL Board’s proposal to merge with CMA NL and ICANL based on the CPA unification and Newfoundland and Labrador merger proposal.
Members will be kept updated on next steps as they develop.
March 1, 2013
On February 26, 2013, the Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia (CGA-BC) issued an announcement to its members stating that the CGA-BC Board of Governors has chosen to re-enter discussions with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia (ICABC) and CMA British Columbia (CMABC) to support the unification of the accounting profession currently taking place across Canada. Given the progression of CPA both provincially and nationally, the CGA-BC Board said it recognizes that it is in the best interest of its members, students and the public to re-enter the unification discussions within BC.
The CA and CMA bodies in British Columbia issued a joint communication update to their members and welcomed the return of CGA-BC to the unification discussions. ICABC and CMABC will continue to move forward with their unification process and will bring CGA-BC up-to-date on the status of the merger as they consider their next steps in rejoining talks.
February 27, 2013
We are pleased to announce that the leadership of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba (CA Manitoba) and the Society of Certified Management Accountants of Manitoba (CMA Manitoba) have signed a formal agreement to pursue a merger. Accordingly, the two organizations will work together to establish the Chartered Professional Accountants of Manitoba (CPA Manitoba).
After extensive consultation, the agreement was reached following favourable votes by the CMA Manitoba Board and the CA Manitoba Council to merge the two organizations. Together, we have completed an appropriate due diligence process and are working with the provincial government on legislation to create CPA Manitoba.
There is positive unification momentum across the country. Once CPA Manitoba is established, we will be joining our colleagues at the CICA and CMA Canada, CPA Canada, the Québec CPA Ordre, and many other provincial CA, CMA and CGA partners in establishing the CPA designation as the preeminent accounting and business credential in Canada.
CA Manitoba and CMA Manitoba have appointed a Transition Steering Committee to support the implementation of the CPA Prerequisite Education Program (CPA PREP) and the CPA Professional Education Program (CPA PEP) starting later this year as well as to oversee integration of the operations of the two organizations.
Until new legislation is enacted, CA and CMA members will maintain their current designation, and both CA Manitoba and CMA Manitoba will continue with their existing mandates of self-regulation, education and member services.
We will continue to keep you updated on unification progress made locally and across the country and will continue to post information as it becomes available.
February 7, 2013
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan (ICAS) and CMA Saskatchewan (CMA SK) submitted a report to the Government of Saskatchewan detailing the results of their merger consultations, recommendations and next steps. Other significant developments based on the work of the Transitional Steering Committee (TSC) include: drafting a unification agreement between ICAS and CMA SK, crafting CPA Act legislation, and developing a transitional CPA SK joint venture to capture synergies and prepare for CPA education delivery.
In addition, ICAS and CMA SK were recently approached by CGA Saskatchewan (CGA SK) about rejoining unification discussions and have decided to reopen dialogue. Before CGA SK could be formally added to the unification initiative, ICAS and CMA SK would require member re-engagement, culminating in another vote.
Click here for the ICAS member announcement.
Click here for the CMA SK member announcement.
January 29, 2013
On January 14, 2013, the Certified General Accountants Association of New
Brunswick (CGANB) issued an announcement to its members stating that the CGANB
Board of Governors has chosen to re-enter discussions with the New Brunswick
Institute of Chartered Accountants (NBICA) and CMA New Brunswick (CMANB) to
support the unification of the accounting profession currently taking place
across Canada.
The CA
and CMA bodies in New Brunswick welcome the return of CGANB to the
unification discussions. Each organization will update their respective
membership as developments occur.
January 16, 2013
The Certified General Accountants Association of Newfoundland and Labrador (CGA-NL) issued an announcement today to its members stating that the CGA-NL Board of Directors has chosen to resume discussions with CMA Newfoundland and Labrador (CMA-NL) and The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Newfoundland and Labrador (ICANL) to support the unification of the accounting profession currently taking place across Canada.
The CA and CMA bodies in Newfoundland and Labrador welcomed the announcement and the return of CGA-NL to the unification discussions. The ICANL and CMA-NL will continue to move forward on the unification process and the drafting of legislative change/enactment while CGA-NL completes the necessary steps to re-enter the provincial merger discussions.
January 14, 2013
The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) and The Society of Management Accountants of Canada
(CMA Canada) are pleased to announce that Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (CPA Canada) has been established under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act, effective January 1, 2013. As Canada’s newest national accounting body, CPA Canada will support provincial accounting bodies that have unified, and all those that will unify, under the banner of Chartered Professional Accountant.
In addition, a 16-member Board of Directors for the new organization has been established under co-chairs
Shelley Brown, FCA and Cassandra Dorrington, FCMA. The membership of the board reflects a cross section of perspectives based on regional representation, representation of the legacy designations participating in unification and public input.
Click here to view the joint CICA and CMA Canada member communication
January 7, 2013
In a communication to members, The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda (ICAB) reports that at its Special General Meeting held on December 6, 2012, the membership voted 97% in favour of the Bermuda Institute joining CPA Canada and 3% voted for Council to decide. The vote consisted of the ICAB members present at the meeting along with the proxies received from members overseas.
December 21, 2012
On December 3, 2012, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan (ICAS) announced to their members that the ICAS Council has voted unanimously in favour of pursuing a merger agreement with CMA Saskatchewan. In addition, a Transitional Steering Committee (TSC), consisting of ICAS and CMA members, has been formed to oversee the merger process in Saskatchewan.
The objective of the TSC will be to make recommendations to each Council for its consideration and approval and to work collaboratively to unite ICAS and CMA Saskatchewan, and create the provincial CPA body. Supported by management and staff of both organizations, along with legal counsel and other advisors as necessary, the TSC will be responsible for major tasks including the merger agreement, Report to Government, draft legislation and bylaws, and funding arrangements.
Click here to view the ICAS member communication.
Click here to view the CMA Saskatchewan member communication.
December 7, 2012
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta (ICAA) issued an announcement to their members stating that the ICAA Council has chosen to resume discussions with CMA Alberta and CGA Alberta to support unification of the accounting profession currently taking place across Canada. A backgrounder with details regarding the Council’s decision has also been provided. ICAA will now be pursuing a consultation process with members and other stakeholders regarding unification of the profession.
The CGA and CMA bodies in Alberta welcomed the ICAA announcement and said that the return of the ICAA to the unification effort in Alberta completes the Chartered Accountant provincial presence in the national merger; thus increasing the number of professional accountants in Canada that support unification to more than 80 per cent. CGA and CMA Alberta will continue to move forward on the operational merger that began formally in October while ICAA completes the consultation process.
December 4, 2012
CMA Ontario’s board of directors issued an announcement stating CMA Ontario has decided to continue to support unification of the accounting profession currently taking place across Canada. Having reviewed the strategic alternatives the board said it decided that unification of the accounting profession under the CPA banner is in the best interests of the public, as well as CMA Ontario and its members. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario is currently concentrating on transitioning to the CPA and the creation of CPA Ontario. CMA Ontario anticipates this process will need to be completed prior to the initiation of new efforts to join CPA as a member of CPA Ontario.
ICAO welcomed the CMA Ontario announcement and said it is pleased that the CMA Ontario Board recognizes that the process of transitioning to CPA Ontario that is currently underway needs to continue and that CMA Ontario is prepared to wait until this process is completed prior to initiating new unification efforts.
November 16, 2012
Members of ICAS and CMA Saskatchewan were invited to vote earlier this month on a proposal to merge their organizations.
Within the ICAS membership, 1,285 members voted, representing 62.4% of the entire membership. Of those who voted, 64.9% voted in support of the merger. Total ICAS member vote results will be finalized to include paper ballots for those members not participating electronically, after the Oct. 28 postmarked paper ballot deadline.
Within the membership of CMA Saskatchewan, more than 48% of the membership voted either electronically or by a mail-in ballot. Of those members who participated, 94% voted in support of the merger between ICAS and CMA Saskatchewan. The strong support among CMAs in Saskatchewan for the proposed merger and unification of the Canadian accounting profession provides their Council with a mandate to proceed.
Click here to read the ICAS announcement.
Click here to read the CMA Saskatchewan announcement.
November 1, 2012
Members of ICANS and of CMA Nova Scotia, Bermuda, and the Caribbean were invited to vote earlier this month on the merger proposal issued in July by CMA Nova Scotia and The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia.
Within the ICANS membership, 1,127 members cast electronic ballots representing 56.3 % of the entire membership. Of those who voted, 59.6 % voted in support and 5.1 % chose “elected Council to decide” on the question of merging with CMA Nova Scotia. Total ICANS member vote results will be finalized to include paper ballots for those members not participating electronically, after the Nov. 15 paper ballot deadline.
Within the membership of CMA Nova Scotia, Bermuda and the Caribbean, 760 members took part, representing 54% of their membership. Of those members who participated, 93% voted in support of the merger between ICANS and CMA Nova Scotia. The strong support for unification among CMAs in Nova Scotia, Bermuda, and the Caribbean provides their Board with a mandate to proceed.
Click here to read the ICANS announcement
Click here to read the CMA Nova Scotia announcement
October 23, 2012
The Board of the Certified Management Accountants Society of British Columbia (CMA BC) and the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia (ICABC) have voted unanimously in favour of unifying the two organizations and have signed an agreement to pursue a merger. Accordingly, the two organizations will work together to become the Chartered Professional Accountants of BC (CPABC). Together, ICABC and CMA BC will petition the provincial government to update their legislation and legally merge the two organizations.
Click here to review message sent to CA and CMA members in BC.
October 19, 2012
The governing boards of the Certified Management Accountants of Alberta (CMA Alberta) and Certified General Accountants of Alberta (CGA Alberta) formally voted to move forward with unification of the two organizations as part of the national CPA unification framework. The vote follows the results of the June 2012 member vote, where 75 per cent of members of both organizations indicated their approval of unification.
Following the vote, a Unification Agency will be formed to bring the two organizations together. Students currently enrolled in CMA and CGA programs will continue to receive the legacy designation education for the time being. For new students planning a career in accounting and business, the CPA Canada certification program will be phased in beginning next September.
The unified organization will now approach the provincial government to request amendments to the Regulated Accounting Profession Act, the governing legislation for the accounting profession in Alberta. Amendments to this act must take place to create the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation in Alberta.
Click here to read the announcement.
October 12, 2012
CICA and CMA Canada have set January 1, 2013 as the target date for the official launch of CPA Canada, the national organization that will support provincial bodies that have unified, and all those that will unify, under the CPA banner. The initial members of CPA Canada will be CICA and CMA Canada. Provincial bodies (and their members) will become members of CPA Canada as they complete their process to become a CPA body.
Establishment of a national body for Canada’s CPA profession is a significant step forward. Work is underway on development of the structure and by-laws for the new national body, as well as the Collaboration Accord that will govern the inter-relationship between CPA Canada and the provincial bodies who participate in unification. It is anticipated that initially only certain operations of CICA and CMA Canada, such as the development of the CPA certification program, will be integrated within CPA Canada. CICA and CMA Canada will remain in place until such time as all national operations are transferred to CPA Canada (expected in 2013) and all provincial organizations have completed the necessary process to unify under the CPA banner, which could take several years.
Creation of CPA Canada ensures that its top priority, the development of a new CPA certification program that is as rigorous as all existing programs, will be in place for delivery in parts of Canada by fall 2013, with the first CPA exams offered in the fall of 2015. The CPA competency map and supporting educational requirements will be released shortly.
More information will be shared with members as plans and timelines for establishing CPA Canada are developed.
October 11, 2012
With the CICA and CMA Canada being given the go-ahead by their boards to form CPA Canada, the new CPA Certification Program is in development with the first offering of the CPA Final Evaluation set for 2015. In some jurisdictions, including Manitoba, this means that students will enter the new CPA Certification Program in September 2013 in order to be in a position to write the 2015 Evaluation.
Acknowledging that new legislation will not be in place in Manitoba by September 2013, both the CA Council and CMA Board have endorsed moving forward with the new CPA Certification Program in September of that year. Both have thoroughly evaluated the program elements and agree it will best meet the needs of our stakeholders.
The vision of the new CPA designation is to be the pre-eminent internationally recognized Canadian accounting and business credential that best protects and serves the public interest. The new CPA Certification Program provides the foundation for that vision. It builds on the best of existing education programs, creating a challenging and rigorous certification process that meets the needs of business, public practice and government.
The new CPA Certification Program will meet or exceed all International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) standards for education, assessment and practical experience. It will also meet or exceed the requirements of the leading global accounting bodies, ensuring the new profession can maintain existing and establish new Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRAs).
Under the current legislation, CA Manitoba will continue to issue the CA designation and CMA Manitoba will issue the CMA designation. Once legislation is updated and CPA Manitoba is formed, the CPA designation will be issued.
September 18, 2012
To support the adoption of the new CPA Certification Program, we are happy to announce the launch of the new ONE promotional program that integrates with the student recruiting efforts of those provincial bodies participating in unification.
ONE conveys our future vision of the Canadian accounting profession. ONE communicates that CPA professionals will carry the shared values, diverse skills, exceptional talents, management disciplines, and innovative thinking derived from the best of Canada’s current accounting designations – CA, CMA, and CGA. ONE also reflects that the majority of Canadian accounting bodies (27 in total) are working together to realize the vision of the CPA.
The ONE microsite provides members, candidates in one of the legacy programs and those considering a career in business or accounting with valuable information and can be found at www.cpaone.ca or by clicking on the CPA ONE button below.
…for information on what unification
means to you |
…for current information on unification
status across Canada |
|
|
September 18, 2012
In support of the eight principles outlined in the January 2012 Unification Framework, and the new CPA Certification Program, the council of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nova Scotia (ICANS) and the board of CMA Nova Scotia have issued a provincial merger proposal to their members.
Click here to review the Nova Scotia Merger Proposal for CA and CMA.
Click here for the CMA Nova Scotia member announcement.
Click here for the ICANS member announcement.
July 25, 2012
CA Manitoba and CMA Manitoba submitted a report detailing the results of the consultations regarding a merger of the two organizations to the Minister of Finance and Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade in early June 2012. Representatives of Manitoba's CA and CMA leadership met with Mr. John Clarkson, Deputy Minister of Finance, and Mr. Hugh Eliasson, Deputy Minister of Entrepreneurship, Training and Trade, on June 27, 2012, to discuss the report.
In addition, the Deputy Ministers were informed of the progress being made across the country. Also discussed were the next steps and timeline to accomplish the goal of enacting new legislation to create CPA MB.
Government officials expressed willingness to work with us as we establish a proposed new legislative framework and continue to monitor developments across the country. Prior to enacting new legislation, the government would also consider draft legislation developed in other provinces. It is likely that new legislation would not be enacted in Manitoba prior to 2014.
Click here to read the report submitted to the government which was approved by Council at its meeting on May 31, 2012.
More...
July 18, 2012
In a communication to members, the CMA and CGA bodies in Alberta reported that 75% of members who cast a vote are in support of their unification plan; with an additional 3.9% in support of unification, but not the plan. Of its combined Alberta membership of 13,000, 70% participated in the unification vote. Going forward, the CMA and CGA bodies stated they will continue to follow the unification plan and carry on discussions with their provincial affiliates and Alberta CA colleagues. They will also request that their respective Boards undertake a final vote to determine the next steps to move forward. Additional information is available on the joint CMA and CGA Alberta website.
July 4, 2012
In a communication to members ICAPEI reports that 64% of members who cast a vote are in favour of unification, 8% elect to have council decide and 28% are against a merger. A total of 118 members representing approximately 38% of the membership participated in the vote. ICAPEI awaits the results of the vote underway by CMA PEI, following which the two bodies will determine the next steps to move forward.
Click here for the schedule of ICAPEI member advisory vote results.
June 29, 2012
In an update to members, ICAO’s newly elected chair reaffirms CA Ontario’s continued belief in the benefits of unification and its strong commitment to remaining part of the national unification process to ensure its members have a voice in the discussions.
June 29, 2012
A critical part of the discussions regarding the unification of the Canadian accounting profession involves the development of a new CPA certification program. Tashia Batstone, CEO, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Newfoundland and Labrador and Co-Chair, CPA Certification Steering Committee, discussed key components of the CPA certification model, timing and transition at the June 2012 CAAA conference.
Click here to watch the video.
View PowerPoint slide presentation (PDF version).
June 26, 2012
In support of the eight principles outlined in the January 2012 Unification Framework, and the new CPA Certification Program, the CA PEI Council and the CMA PEI Board have issued a provincial merger proposal to their members.
Click here to review the PEI proposal.
Click here for the CMA PEI member announcement, which includes details for a member vote that opens on June 25th.
Click here for the ICAPEI member announcement, which includes details for a June 26 member vote.
June 11, 2012
In a message to members, the ICAO re-affirms the need for unification of the profession, emphasizes that the there is a place for every accountant within the proposed CPA framework and sets the record straight on legal matters and minority rights issues within Ontario.
June 11, 2012
ICANL sends member communication announcing the positive survey results and member feedback in support of unification. Building on that feedback, ICANL now calls for its members to take part in a member advisory vote on the merger of the CA and CMA bodies in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Click these links to access the survey/vote commentary or results from other bodies showing support for unification:
CGA-BC
ICABC
CMA BC
Alberta (vote in process)
ICAS (Scroll for the survey update partway down the page)
ICAM
CMA Manitoba
ICANL Survey Results
ICANL Townhall Results
June 11,2012
CMA BC sends member communication reiterating member feedback in support of unification and confirming that CMA BC and ICABC remain committed to unification. Building on that feedback, CMA BC now calls for its members to take part in a member advisory vote on the merger of the CMA and CA bodies in British Columbia.
June 11,2012
In separate member announcements, CGA Saskatchewan and CGA Newfoundland announce they will no longer be participating in unification discussions. In response, the CA and CMA bodies in Saskatchewan and Newfoundland each reaffirmed their commitment to unification and to continuing discussions as part of the national initiative.
Member announcements noted above
CGA Saskatchewan
ICAS
CMA Saskatchewan
CGA Newfoundland and Labrador
ICANL
CMA Newfoundland & Labrador
June 1,
2012
CGA Alberta issues a member update and CEO blog post confirming that they remain focused on unification, having successfully worked with CMA Alberta to develop a comprehensive Alberta unification plan. CGA Alberta confirms they are moving forward to seize the opportunities unification offers for their members, students and stakeholders.
June 1,
2012
CMA Canada and CICA continue unification talks as CGA-Canada withdraws to evaluate merger. The leaders of both the CA and CMA professions reaffirm their commitment to unification and provide direction to the CICA and CMA Canada to continue with national unification discussions.
Click here to read the letter to members.
May 28,
2012
In a member announcement, CGA-BC announces they will no longer be participating in unification discussions in BC. In response, the ICABC and CMA BC have reaffirmed their commitment to unification and will be continuing discussions as part of the national initiative. ICABC previously released the preliminary results of their members’ vote showing support for unification. Click here to access the detailed vote results from ICABC.
May 25,
2012
In a message to members, the ICABC has released the preliminary results of its members’ vote that was held from May 1-18. Those results indicate that over 4,800 BC CAs voted, representing 43% of the membership—the highest participation level in decades: 52% support the unification of the existing accounting Acts into one Act; 9% believe that elected Council should decide; and 39% do not support unification. The ICABC Council states that it now has a clear mandate to continue unification discussions in BC as part of a national initiative. Complete vote results to be posted soon.
May 23,
2012
Bill 61, the Chartered Professional Accountants Act of Quebec, has received assent creating the Ordre des CPA du Québec (CPA Quebec). With the Act coming into force, CPA Quebec has announced its Board of Directors. Under the Act, the province’s CA, CMA and CGA Orders have united bringing together 35,000 professional accountants who are the first to use the Canadian CPA designation. The Canadian landscape has been noticeably altered with one out of five professional accountants now a CPA.
Read the Quebec CPA member communication and news release.
Questions and Answers related to the passage of Quebec Bill 61
May 22,
2012
In support of the Unification Framework and new CPA Certification Program, the CGA Alberta and CMA Alberta Boards have developed a provincial Merger Proposal, based on common principles.
Click here to review the Alberta Proposal.
May 18,
2012
The Quebec CA, CMA and CGA bodies have informed their members
that the Province of Quebec has passed Bill 61, the Chartered Professional
Accountants Act to create the Ordre des comptables professionnels agréés (CPA)
du Québec. This historic move positions the accounting profession in Quebec to
be the first to unite under the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA)
designation.
The passing of this legislation marks a major change to the
Canadian accounting landscape, which will now include four professional
designations. Once the legislation is given assent, approximately one in five,
or 35,000, of Canada’s 170,000 professional accountants will be Chartered
Professional Accountants.
The Quebec legislation shows that unification can be
accomplished at the provincial level. The legislation is aligned with the
Unification Framework being used to guide unification discussions in other
provinces. The timing for provincial merger proposals will vary among the
provinces.
You can read the communications to members that were issued by
each of the Quebec bodies via the links below:
Ordre
des comptables agréés du Québec
Ordre
des comptables en management accrédités du Québec
Ordre
des comptables généraux accrédités du Québec
May 17,
2012
Three provincial bodies issued communications related to unification developments. Read the messages from CMA BC, CGA-BC and ICAS here.
In response to member and stakeholder inquiries, the CMA Canada national board issues a communication confirming commitment to unification.
May 17, 2012
On May 15, the ICAO confirmed in a message to members that unification of the profession remains their goal despite announcements from CMA Ontario and CGA Ontario that they are no longer participating in unification discussions.The ICAO emphasized that it remains part of the national unification, believing that unification would benefit all accountants, protect the public interest and strengthen the future of accounting in Canada. ICAO therefore intends to stay involved with developments across Canada and to work with those parties who share similar beliefs.
May 16, 2012
In a communication to their members, Alberta’s CGA and CMA organizations report that they have reached an agreement on moving forward with unification and that details on their provincial proposal and member vote process will be published this week. Click here to read their member communication.
May 15, 2012
The three BC accounting bodies are working toward unification with each of the bodies providing updates and information on "next steps" to their members.
An initial review of the results of the CMA BC member survey indicates that the majority of CMAs in British Columbia support the unification of the accounting profession. A total of 33% of CMA BC members completed the survey and according to the survey results, 66% of those members who responded are strongly in favour and 25% are somewhat in favour of the merger proposal (a more detailed report will be shared with members in early May). CMA BC reaffirmed its commitment to continuing merger discussions with ICABC and CGA-BC.
Read their member update here.
After extensive consultation and feedback, ICABC developed a draft report and recommendations for government and are asking members for their views on the recommendations through a member vote. The report with detailed draft recommendations for the BC government was posted today and the members’ vote is open from May 1 to 18.
Click here to review the draft report.
CGA-BC provided a status report to members on unification talks with the province’s other two professional accounting bodies and the factors, timing and decision-making process involved in any decision to merge.
Click here to review CGA-BC’s recent update.
April 30, 2012
On April 13, the CA, CMA and CGA bodies in Ontario issued communications to members stating that discussions regarding unification are progressing more slowly than planned. Previously, the three provincial bodies said they had expected to issue a merger proposal that would be presented to members for a vote in June. They now say that timeline will be delayed.
Here are the communications issued by each of the three organizations:
April 16, 2012
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia (ICABC) has released a summary report of its comprehensive consultation process, including detailed results of its member survey. Results indicate that a majority of respondents to the member survey (53 percent) would likely endorse a recommendation to the BC government to proceed with merger restructuring if it is supported by other key stakeholders.
ICABC’s stakeholder consultation included accounting firms, CA Training offices, public representatives, employers and clients, academics and regulators from the BC Securities Commission, all of which indicated support for unification.
Click here to view the detailed results of the member survey and read the consultation report.
April 13,
2012
The Québec government introduced legislation in the National Assembly on March 28, 2012, establishing the new Ordre des CPA du Québec. Once the legislation is enacted, Québec’s CA, CMA and CGA Orders will move forward to unite their organizations bringing together 35,000 professional accountants under the Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) designation. The legislation and related information can be accessed here:
Click here for the translation of the Minister’s press release.
Click here for the news release from the three Quebec orders.
Click here for Questions and Answers on the legislation.
This legislation is an important milestone in the ongoing discussions across Canada to unite Canada’s accounting bodies. It comes following consultations with members and other stakeholders in Québec which led the boards of directors of the three bodies to issue a favourable recommendation to the Office des professions du Québec on the unification of the accounting profession in October 2011.
The legislation also serves as an example for other provinces. All provincial bodies in Newfoundland & Labrador, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, and the CA and CMA provincial bodies in Manitoba have introduced provincial unification frameworks for consideration by their members. Discussions are also ongoing in all other provinces with a view to uniting the Canadian accounting profession through the creation of a new certification program leading to a single Canadian accounting designation, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA).
April 2,
2012
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba (ICAM)
released detailed results of its member advisory vote. The results indicated
59.5% of respondents are in favour of unification. (55.5% voted yes and 4%
provided a proxy to the ICAM council, which unanimously endorsed the merger
proposal released Jan. 20, 2012.) A total of 48.7% of ICAM’s members
participated in the vote.
Click here to view the results.
March 23,
2012
The initial review of the member votes conducted by the provincial CA and CMA organizations in Manitoba indicate that the majority of Manitoba CAs and CMAs support the unification of their professions. This is the first member vote conducted by provincial bodies since the Unification Framework was released in January.
Click here to read the communication to CA members.
Click here to read the communication to CMA members.
March 16, 2012
In support of the Unification Framework and new CPA Certification Program, the ICAS Council, CMA SK Council and CGA SK Board have developed a Saskatchewan Merger Proposal, based on common principles. Click here to review the Saskatchewan Proposal.
March 6, 2012
ICAM has compiled a set of Frequently Asked Questions that have come up at town hall meetings, information sessions and emails to the Institute.
Since January 19, ICAM has held nine town hall meetings and 12 information sessions with large public practice and industry employers, reaching 18% of CAs living in Manitoba.
Read the Manitoba Merger Proposal Frequently Asked Questions
February 21, 2012
On February 10, 2012, Alberta’s CMA and CGA organizations
confirmed in a message to members that unification of the profession remains
the goal of both organizations despite the announcement from CA Alberta that they are withdrawing from the provincial unification
discussions.
Discussions continue across the
country at the national and provincial levels with a view to uniting the
Canadian accounting profession through the creation of a new certification
program leading to a single Canadian accounting designation, Chartered
Professional Accountant (CPA).
February 17, 2012
Institute President James Doer and CEO Gary Hannaford host an online presentation that takes you through an overview of current merger activities, the new certification program, what unification means for you and a detailed look at the Manitoba Merger Proposal. Click here to watch.
February 6, 2012
January 24, 2012 - In support of the Unification Framework and new CPA Certification Program, the ICABC Council, CMA BC Board and CGA-BC Board have developed a British Columbia Merger Proposal, based on common principles. Click here to review the British Columbia Proposal.
January 25, 2012
In support of the Unification Framework and new CPA Certification Program recently issued by the CICA, CMA Canada and CGA-Canada, the CA Manitoba Council and CMA Manitoba Board have developed a Manitoba Merger Proposal, based on common principles.
As the Canadian accounting profession is provincially regulated, merger proposals and the related decision must be made at the provincial level. Every CA and CMA member, candidate and registered student will have an opportunity to make their views known and help shape the future of our profession. In Manitoba, the Certified General Accountants have decided not to participate in the discussions at this time.
Be Informed
Unification Framework
CPA Certification Program
Manitoba Merger Proposal
Be Heard
Attend a Town Hall
Email the Institute
Join the discussion online at CPA Canada
January 20, 2012
On January 17, 2012, the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), the Certified Management Accountants of Canada (CMA Canada) and the Certified General Accountants of Canada (CGA-Canada) presented members with a framework to unify the Canadian accounting profession.
The Unification Framework is the result of several months of discussions among our organizations and consultation with members, Canadian business leaders, governments, regulators and other stakeholders. It includes details of a transition to a new common designation, Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA), and the development of a new CPA Certification Program. The structure of the framework is consistent with the unification process already underway in the Province of Quebec, where the Orders of Chartered Accountants, Certified Management Accountants and Certified General Accountants have agreed to unify under the Chartered Professional Accountant designation.
By joining together, our organizations and members will be in a strong position to provide the highest quality financial and management accounting services, while serving and protecting the public interest by establishing consistent codes of professional conduct, disciplinary systems and licensing regimes. Unification of the profession would result in Canada having one of the largest accounting organizations in the world with the influence needed to advance Canadian business interests.
Visit www.CPACanada.ca for more information about the Unification Framework and the supporting CPA Certification program.
If you would like to provide further feedback to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba, please email us at viewpoint@icam.mb.ca or call (204) 942-8248 or toll free within Manitoba at 1-888-942-8248.
January 17, 2012
If you would like to provide further feedback to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba, please email us at viewpoint@icam.mb.ca or call (204) 942-8248 or toll free within Manitoba at 1-888-942-8248.
You may also contact the Institute about having a presentation made at your workplace or view the online presentation.
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