Stepping Out - Embracing Change!
The 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians / l’Alliance pour l’Égalité des Personnes Aveugles du Canada, will take place on Sunday, September 22, 2024 starting at 10:00 am Pacific Time, 1:00 pm Eastern Time. This is a hybrid meeting open to in-person attendance at our venue in Richmond, BC OR online by ZOOM.
Event Details
We are excited to be able to hold a hybrid event this year at the beautiful River Rock Hotel in Richmond, BC which is just outside of downtown Vancouver and near Vancouver International Airport. We are hoping that many of our BC Affiliate members and friends, and of course any members and friends from other parts of the country, will choose to attend in person. The majority of our current Board of Directors and our staff will be there in person and we look forward to having you join us.
Our day will open with a special Guest Speaker--Kevin Frost, followed by the AGM and a luncheon together.
As in past years, the AGM will include reports from our President and Treasurer, Volunteer of the Year Award, Scholarship Report, Resolutions, and an Election for the Board of Directors who will represent our members for the following year. The final version of the Call to the AGM, including Minutes from the 2023 AGM, 2023 financial report, resolutions, etc., will be sent to members on or before September 1, 2024.
All are welcome to attend our AGM but you must be an Annual or Lifetime Member in good standing in order to vote at the meeting, which means that your membership must be paid by August 8, 2024, 45 days prior to the meeting. If you are not currently an AEBC Member, we would love to have you join our community as an official member. Visit this page for more information on becoming a member.
Online Registration
There is no cost to attend virtually, but you must pre-register at this link. You will receive a unique Zoom link for the day of the event. We will also send a reminder the day of the AGM. In order for the meeting to run as smoothly and efficiently as possible, we will be offering a Zoom and Polls refresher in mid September— so please remember to let us know if you need one when you register for the AGM.
In Person Registration
The cost to attend in person is $50 per person which includes lunch and refreshments throughout the day. If you would like to stay overnight at the hotel, we have a limited number of rooms available at a cost of $268 per night which includes all taxes and fees (standard room, double occupancy, one King or two Queen beds). If you would like to attend the 2024 AGM in person in Richmond, BC, please see registration information below.
Where: River Rock Casino Resort, 8811 River Rd, Richmond, BC V6X 3P8
When: Sunday, September 22nd, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm PT (doors open 9:30 am)
Cost: $50 per person
Registration: Email operations@blindcanadians.ca and provide attendee names, dietary restrictions, whether a hotel room is required, and any other accommodations. We will respond with instructions for payment.
Our Sponsors
Thank you to our generous sponsors for supporting this event and to our volunteers assisting us at the in-person event.
Accessible Media Inc (AMI) - Lead Sponsor
Funded in part by the Government of Canada's Social Development Partnerships Program
Kevin Frost, AGM Guest Speaker
Kevin Frost is a Deafblind, three-time World Champion Canadian speed skater who resides in Ottawa. He has Usher’s Syndrome, leaving him with a 9% hearing capacity and has 3% vision remaining. Kevin has had two service guide dogs, Nemo for 10 years and Lewis for 9.5 years.
During the last 25 years, Kevin has won 16 gold medals and set 9 World records in Blind speed skating. He has also ranked 8th in the World against able-bodied Master speed skaters. To date, he has won 80 medals competing against able-bodied skaters.
In addition to speed skating, Kevin has trained with Development Canada in blind rowing, blind track running and tandem cycling, placing 2nd at the Canadian Championships on the indoor track / road racing. He made the Canadian Standards in all sports venues.
In 2009, Kevin skated 100 km on the Ottawa canal to help raise $5,000 for the Rotary Home. He volunteers for missions in third world countries. He has helped 29 deaf children hear again, as well as get visual aids to many children during the last 20 years.
In 2010, Kevin won the Community Builder Award for United Way. In 2015, he was honoured in the House of Commons as a role model for deafblind Canadians. He is a motivational speaker with over 300 presentations.
In 2016, Kevin took up blind golfing. He has won tournaments and continues to build momentum over the years. In the summer of 2022, he won Overall Stableford Champion in Simcoe at the Provincial/Canadians event. Most recently, he was invited to attend World Blind Championships South Africa in 2023 representing Canada.
IMAGE ALT TEXT: Kevin Frost book cover which features photo of Kevin with guide dog. To the right is Kevin's hand holding a large gold trophy.