President’s Message

I am delighted to welcome you to the COIS - SCOI website. We hope you will find it both informative and helpful and, as our site continues to grow and evolve–– in both English and French–we hope you will visit often.

While COIS was originally founded in 1972, we have gone through some ups and downs, as well as periods of inactivity. Today, at the behest of the Shriners Hospital in Montreal and with their support, we are excited to have reactivated the Canadian OI Society under the leadership of a new Board. With a fresh perspective and a strategic partnership with our friends at the OIF, without whom we would not have made this progress, we are moving forward as an energized and active community.  We have also qualified as a registered Canadian charity which means we can provide CRA tax receipts for Canadian donations to the COIS.

Working together as volunteers, our COIS Board is committed to achieving three primary goals: build a strong national community, create vibrant and active Regional Hubs, and become a go-to resource for information, education, and advocacy.  Each Board member is part of the OI community either as an individual with OI or having a close family member with OI. Each of us is passionate about providing support and information to the OI community and to those who care for persons with OI.  

I am proud to announce that following the creation of the COIS Education Fund, we will now be welcoming applications for the Francis Glorieux Fellowship for Medical Research. This

Fellowship, which honours the lifetime work and breakthrough achievements of Dr. Glorieux, will enable us to make significant and far-reaching contributions to the future wellbeing of the OI community. As such, it will continue to be the primary focus of our major fundraising efforts.

To further our research focus, COIS is pleased to continue our support for the Canadian Government’s funding of OsNET: The Canadian Bone Health Research Network. This Canada-wide, multidisciplinary initiative will provide an outstanding platform for everyone involved in bone health to share resources, knowledge, and research. Importantly, it will serve to advance advocacy in bone research locally, nationally, and internationally.

2024 will be a very exciting year for the COIS community. For starters and to the delight of everyone, we are fully back in person! In addition to the many exciting Regional Hub fundraisers that are planned, COIS will create a number of special events and fundraisers throughout the year. We hope that you will be able to participate in person or provide financial support for these very worthy events.

Whether at summer Camp OI Can on Jacob Island in Ontario, OI Day at the Shriners in Montreal, our Charity Golf Classic at Glen Abbey in June, or our ‘Walk n Wheel’ fundraising event in July, COIS will help create very special and lasting memories.

So please join us any way you can and help our OI community enjoy a better quality of life… and have some fun!! 

Welcome,

Jacinta