Dear Colleagues,
Happy Fall! For those who attended the Annual Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery Meeting in Vancouver, I’m sure you will agree it was wonderful to finally have an in-person meeting. It was amazing to see the energy from our trainees and listen to the excellent quality of presentations. It reminded me of how much I missed this energy and personal connection during the past 2+ years of online events.
This year’s honoured guest speaker was Dr. Jason Lee from Stanford who gave two inspiring talks. It was great to have Dr. Lee visit and provide us with insightful commentary as well as an opportunity to interact with surgeons, trainees, and other attendees.
A very special thanks to this year’s Program Chair, Dr. Ivica Vucemilo and Assistant Program Chair, Dr. Virginia Gunn. They put together a fabulous program- one that will set the bar high for future meetings. I would also like to give credit and special mention to Dr. Heather Gill, who has finished her term as our Research Committee Chair. Despite setbacks and hardships from COVID, she has been instrumental at continuing to push through our research interests and foster our academic mission. We are excited to have her maintain a position on the Executive Committee as President-Elect, congrats Heather! Dr. Kirk Lawlor did a fantastic job as Local Arrangements Chair. His selection of venues and menus for dinners were outstanding. Who doesn’t love having a drink with sea-lions or dinning amongst the fish!
It is hard to mention everyone who helped to make this year’s CSVS Annual Meeting one to remember. However, one individual who needs to be recognized with a sincere ‘Thank You!/Merci!’ is Ms. Alexi Campbell, our Managing Director. Alexi, with the help of a special guest Christiane Dowsing, did a spectacular job of ensuring the meeting was seamless and expertly run.
One of my personal highlights was the Presidential Address by Dr. Luc Dubois. The meeting represented the culmination of his term as CSVS President. With grace and humbleness, he delivered an address that was thought provoking and entertaining. Many thanks Dr. Dubois for all you have done and continue to do for the Society.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my wonderful wife Hayley Harlock, whose organization The Flipside Life, hosted an inaugural daytime event for our spouses and partners. We hope to offer similar events at future meetings for our very deserving loved ones.
For those of you who were able to make it to the online CSVS Journal Club on October 19th, you were exposed to some great articles presented by the University of British Columbia, hosted by Dr. Kirk Lawlor, and with guest moderator, Dr. Tom Forbes. I hope the event provided insights and new perspective for all who attended. We look forward to another online Journal Club in the new year hosted by the University of Toronto.
Delivered recently to your inbox, you will have received a call out for volunteers needed for the CSVS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity Task Force. This group will work under the guidance and leadership of Dr. Virginia Gunn. The Task Force will help to provide important insight and direction for the CSVS Executive and Vascular surgery in Canada on the important DEI issues. We will look forward to sharing the findings of the Task Force with our membership and we will continue to strive for excellence in building and nurturing a diverse Vascular Surgery community that is inclusive to all.
Mark your calendars! Our 2023 CSVS Annual Meeting will be held in beautiful Quebec City from September 8-9, 2023. I am pleased to announce that our guest speaker at CSVS 2023 will be Dr. Stephan Haulon from Paris, France. For those of you who know him, I’m sure you will agree that his insights and expertise will be a highlight of the meeting.
There are several other initiatives that we are pursuing during the coming months, including CSVS branding, the possibility of a Winter ski meeting, and the establishment of our very own CSVS Journal.
I am honoured to be the current CSVS President, and look forward to working closely with our Executive this year to help ensure our path continues to be bright.
Wishing you and your families all the best.
Sincerely,
John Harlock, MD MSc FRCSC FACS
President Canadian Society for Vascular Surgery
