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The Canadian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) was officially formed in 1979. Prior to that time, Canadians who were involved in radiation protection were for the most part members of the Health Physics Society (HPS), which is the official body for radiation protection professionals in the United States.
Throughout the late sixties and early seventies the number of Canadians working or interested in some aspect of health physics increased, until there were more than 80 Canadian members in the HPS. This was more than the membership of half of the countries that were members of the International Radiation Protection Association (IRPA). With these increasing numbers, it became more and more desirable to have a forum for discussing or establishing a collective viewpoint on Canadian topics in radiological protection.
In late 1977, Richard Osborne sent a questionnaire to the Canadian members of the Health Physics Society asking whether the formation of a Canadian group should be attempted. The questionnaire elicited 119 enthusiastic responses, with the majority favouring a technical/scientific-based society, primarily concerned with radiological protection and organized to be independent of other Societies.
Using these replies as a guide, a small group went ahead with organizing the formation meeting in Toronto, which took place on 27th April 1979. Efforts were made to ensure that participants were gathered from as many provinces as possible and from the many disciplines and activities associated with radiological protection, including industry, government, universities, hospitals, nuclear utilities and R&D laboratories. Ultimately, 89 people approved a draft constitution and indicated their intent to join a newly formed Canadian Radiation Protection Association. Later that year, on October 26th, 1979, with 48 full members the CRPA successfully applied to become an Associate Society of the International Radiation Protection Association.
The CRPA became officially incorporated in 1982.
CRPA has over 300 members from all areas of industry including hospitals and health care, universities, nuclear power and mining industries, regulatory bodies and all levels of government. 95% of our members are from within Canada and 5% are international, including members from Australia, Europe, and the U.S.
Membership categories include:
The objective of the Canadian Radiation Protection Association (CRPA) is to advance the development and communication of scientific knowledge and practical means for protecting people and their environment from the harmful effects of radiation consistent with the optimal use of radiation for the benefit of society. To this end, CRPA will:
Welcome!
I would like to thank all the CRPA members and sponsors who make up this excellent and well-respected organization. Whether you are new to the CRPA or have been a member for many years, we couldn’t do it without you. If you aren’t a member, I’d love to learn what we need to do to convince you of the value of membership.
To me, the CRPA is a very special organization. Our common goal is altruistic: to ensure the safe use of radiation. We exemplify safety culture. Professionals are willing to share advice – even with industry competitors. Experienced members are happy to provide guidance to junior members and even the public. CRPA welcomes regulators as members and regulators have open dialogue with our members and working groups. Our professional development program – delivered by members – has provided training to hundreds of students. We aren’t limited to Canada and have forged relationships with organizations around the world who share our vision.
I have referred to CRPA as an organization, but I believe “community” is more suited. One feature of a community is the more you put in, the more you get out. There is something for everyone at CRPA. Join a committee, earn your CRPA(R) designation, present your hard work at a conference, deliver a professional development talk, or write an article for the CRPA Bulletin.
If you haven’t found a place for you yet, I would like to hear about what more we need to do.
I sincerely value your membership and participation, as well as the trust you have placed in me.
Please contact me directly at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours Truly,
All of our Board Members are volunteers elected from the CRPA membership. Board Members are elected for a two-year term, with the exception of the President-Elect. The President-Elect serves a three-year term, spending the first year as President-Elect, the second year as President, and the third year as Past President.
To ensure the smooth functioning of CRPA operations, we’ve established several committees, each with a important role within the Association. These committees are entirely composed of volunteers from our membership. If you are interested in volunteering on a committee, please contact the Secretariat.
Committees fall under the following Directorate portfolios:
Role: Identify, promote, and facilitate professional development opportunities for CRPA members throughout the year, and assist in planning training sessions and workshops during the annual conference.
Role: Oversee all aspects of the RRSP registration and maintenance process.
Role: Assess applications for Recognition and manage all aspects of preparing and administering the CRPA(R) examination.
Role: Manage the RRSP maintenance points system and assess Credit Summary submissions.
Role: Liaises with the Local Organizing Committees and provides assistance, direction and oversight for venue selection, budgeting, and other aspects of the annual conference planning and execution. This ensures continuity from one conference to the next.
Role: CRPA acknowledges the vital role that students and young professionals play in sustaining the Association and fostering its growth by promoting membership and providing resources to assist with studies and career development. Additionally, SYPCOM organizes the annual Anthony J. MacKay Student Paper Contest, which takes place in conjunction with the CRPA conference.
Role: Responsible for promoting CRPA as the expert voice of Canadian radiation safety professionals and contributes to publicly available information on radiation protection.
Role: Responsible for publication of messages on CRPA’s social media accounts – Facebook, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).
Role: Responsible for CRPA’s Bulletin, published digitally with a printed edition distributed to delegates at the annual conference. The Bulletin website is professionally managed by 3c Publications.
Role: Responsible for translating material from English to French and from French to English, in accordance with the CRPA Language Policy.
Role: Promote membership with the CRPA and assess membership applications against established criteria.
Role: Identify opportunities to promote and advertise membership with the CRPA and recruit new members.
Role: Identify candidates for each Board of Director position to be filled during the annual elections.
Role: The CRPA Archivist is responsible for chronicling and maintaining the ongoing history of the CRPA by preserving memorabilia and digitizing and storing relevant documents and material.
Role: Identify opportunities to enhance awareness of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) in industry and government, and provide a forum for communication and information sharing to promote NORM safety.
Role: Maintain or create bi-directional relationships with international associations with similar goals or objectives to those of the CRPA.
Role: Provide a forum for communication, information sharing and safety culture with stakeholders in the Radon community. The Group consists of representation from CRPA and the Canadian Association of Radon Scientists and Technologists (CARST).
Role: Provide a forum for communication, information sharing and safety culture for stakeholders in the regulated Class II nuclear community. The Group consists of representation from CRPA, the Canadian Organization of Medical Physicists (COMP) and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).
Role: Provide a forum for communication and information sharing regarding items of mutual interest between CRPA and the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC).