Regretfully, we have had to cancel this year’s National Conference due to unexpected budgetary constraints. Under normal circumstances, the CRRF holds its biennial national conference at the same time as the Awards of Excellence. This year, however, the CRRF Board requested that the award program and the conference be separate. It is the hope of the board that we will be able to reposition the conference component as a vehicle for public education and a vibrant exchange of ideas at a later date.

We are very pleased to inform you that we will still hold our biennial Awards of Excellence event in Winnipeg on September 27^th. The event will celebrate public, private, and voluntary organizations whose efforts represent best practices in building an awareness and understanding of Canadian values and identity that are reflective of Canadian diversity and respectful race relations. Nominations for the award will open next week on the Foundation’s website, and we encourage everyone to submit.

Meanwhile, we thank those who sent their submissions to the CRRF for this year’s conference. We received a variety of excellent proposals, which we appreciate. We thank all of you for your patience and understanding as we explore different ways to showcase quality race relations-related research.