February 5th, 2021
Honourable Anne Kang
Ministry of Advanced Education and Training
PO Box 9082 Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9E2
Dear Minister Kang,
I am writing to you today in regards to the Canadian Alliance of Regulatory Bodies of Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners and Acupuncturists’ (CARB-TCMPA) decision to no longer offer their Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) exams in Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
CARB-TCMPA has served as a regulatory body for practitioners of TCM for many years and has done amazing work to ensure a strong health and safety standard across Canada. Although we recognize the importance of CARB-TCMPA for serving as a regulatory body to ensure proper safety standards and a certification framework for Canadians practicing TCM, we feel that this decision will negatively impact the practice of TCM and the more than 2,000 practitioners across Canada, of which more than half have cited Chinese as their native tongue.
As a fellow immigrant with a fair understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I am sure that you recognize that the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine go beyond its medical properties. As a province that prides itself on its vibrant Chinese and Asian-Canadian communities, many British Columbians find TCM to be part of their fundamental cultural practices – a series of traditions passed down through generations that help keep communities supported and connected.
As it currently stands, British Columbia is the only province in Canada to offer the exam in Chinese and has allowed Chinese Canadians from across the country to pursue their practice in their traditional language. Those wishing to pursue a career in TCM receive no federal or provincial funding or support for their incurred expenses, as opposed to other medical practices. The same is true for British Columbians who choose to receive TCM treatment. Their incurred expenses are not supported by provincial funding. I fear that the implementation of this rule will not only eliminate
the choice for Chinese Canadians to study TCM in their traditional language
anywhere in Canada, but also cause serious long-term harm to the practice as a whole and keep many aspiring TCM practitioners from pursuing their career through the CARB-TCMPA.
As a result, I humbly request that you join our call to re-establish the TCM
certification exam in Chinese so that individuals wishing to pursue a career in TCM may do so in their chosen language of Simple or Traditional Chinese if they wish.
Thank you for your time and consideration, I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Teresa Wat, MLA
Richmond North Centre
Opposition Critic for Tourism, Arts, and Culture
cc.:
Coralee Oakes
