Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba celebrates 50 years of strengthening the massage therapy profession

This year marks the Massage Therapy Association of Manitoba (MTAM)’s 50th anniversary. To celebrate we have a variety of activities planned to highlight the important role registered massage therapy plays in our clients’ health and wellness routines, and the healthcare professionals who are committed to achieving powerful results for their clients.

“MTAM is thrilled to celebrate 50 years of championing massage therapy and MTAM’s professional healthcare members,” says Tricia Weidenbacher, MTAM Executive Director. “We consistently hear stories about how massage therapy helps clients get back to living healthy lives, and our profession is increasingly being acknowledged for its vital role in healthcare. We have exciting activities planned to celebrate this milestone anniversary and look forward to continuing to advocate for our members and the profession.”

“We have a lot to celebrate for our 50th anniversary,” says MTAM Board President Offer Kuban. “Our members are a highly engaged and supportive community of health professionals. They participate enthusiastically in the wide variety of MTAM courses and events held each year. Even with their busy practices and lives, they also find time and energy to give back to MTAM, their colleagues, and their community in meaningful ways.”

Here’s some of what MTAM has planned to celebrate our 50th anniversary:

Celebrating together
The MTAM Annual Spring Conference & AGM and the Annual Awards Dinner are MTAM's hallmark events of the year. These popular events reinforce our sense of community, give MTAM members an opportunity to connect with each other, engage in high quality professional development and celebrate the successes and achievements of our colleagues.

This year's Spring Conference on April 28-30 boasts 18 different courses and webinars, 13 national and international presenters, 18 sponsors and exhibitors, and hundreds of member participants and volunteers!
New this year is a panel presentation moderated by Mark and Amanda from Massage Therapy Media. They will guide several of our conference presenters in a fast-paced panel discussion entitled "From the Treatment Room” when we'll hear what these leading experts in the field of massage therapy have to say about the future of massage therapy, current trends and ideas.

In addition to the hundreds of member participants, MTAM welcomes RMTs and other health practitioners from Manitoba and other provinces as they register to take part in this special conference.

A hearty Thank You to our sponsors, presenters, staff, volunteers, and of course our members, who have helped to make this event a huge success!

The Annual Awards Dinner, which will be held in June, acknowledges and celebrates the special achievements of MTAM members and the mentors and educators who've had a significant impact on our lives, practices and the profession.

Awards and recognitions include membership milestone recipients, Heather Whittaker awards for excellence in professional development, Mentor and Educator of the Year Awards and the Peter Stachnyk Merit Award (named in honour of MTAM's founding member).

This year's celebration will take us back to 1973 – so dust off those leisure suits and polish off your disco shoes for this 70's themed party!

Recognizing how far we’ve come
In 2020, the Manitoba government acknowledged RMTs are a vital part of Manitoba’s healthcare system by reclassifying RMTs registered through MTAM as Health Professionals, instead of Personal Service Businesses. This reclassification meant that RMTs were able to continue to deliver their much-needed services during pandemic lockdowns, thereby supporting Manitobans’ health outcomes. This is a positive step on the road to regulation - and recognizes that registered massage therapy assists people of all ages to recover from a variety of ailments, injuries or illnesses, and supports a healthy lifestyle.

Supporting our community
Massage therapists are committed to giving back to our communities. Individual clinics and members regularly organize community support activities within their own clinics as well as contribute to MTAM hosted initiatives.

MTAM is excited to be returning to volunteer at the CancerCare Mantioba Challenge for Life in June, providing post-event massage therapy treatments to participants.
We are also happy to announce that MTAM will be coordinating the massage therapy team for the World Police and Fire Games. This will be the largest sporting event in Manitoba's history and will see athletes from over 50 countries participating in over 60 sports.