For information about the Elections and Candidates, visit the 2024 Election page.
Nominations for the 2024 Equity Council elections are now closed. Click here to view the current slate of candidates.
Do you have questions about the election process or being a Councillor?
Send us an email at elections@caea.com.
If you would like to speak with a member of Council or Equity staff about running for Council, please let us know! Your regional Recruitment Committee is also available to provide additional information and support.
Promoting Inclusivity
Equity is dedicated to the election of a Council representative of the rich diversity of our membership, varied in perspective and experience – both lived and professional - and inclusive of all demographics.
To ensure the Association’s leadership includes the perspective of those who have experienced barriers based on their identity, we encourage members from communities that are historically underrepresented within our industry (including but not limited to Indigenous, Black, People of Colour; D/deaf and/or Disabled, Gender, LGBTQ2S+, Neurodiverse, and other intersections of identities) to seek nomination for election.
Good leadership comes from diverse voices.
Letter From Your Council Education and Renewal Committee
Dear Equity Colleague,
Equity is owned by you — along with almost 6,000 other artists from coast to coast to coast. Together, we decide what the goals and priorities of our Association should be by electing a National Council, made up of members like you. These elections happen once every three years, and that time is fast approaching!
Have you ever considered running for Council yourself? Do you have: Energy? A passion for new ideas, collaboration, community, and good governance? Then Equity needs you to help steer the ship!
These are challenging and inspiring times for our Association, and for our members. Together we have survived a global pandemic and emerged stronger and more united. Our collective creative spaces are changing for the better. Our art form is evolving. Our membership is more connected than ever before. And Council’s job is to further all of that.
As Councillors, our time on Council has been rewarding and productive. We’ve learned so much about our national community, met some fantastic colleagues, and have striven to improve the working lives of our members. We’ve done a lot together, and we’ve never been prouder to be Equity members.
Please consider standing as a candidate in your region. Or… perhaps you know somebody else that you think would be a good representative? Consider approaching them with an offer to nominate them as a candidate!
We invite you to read this brochure and think about serving your fellow members. Our Association needs exciting and accomplished Councillors, and the membership deserves an excellent Council. You can help make that happen.
Consider serving or spread the word to help ensure that we have elections in every region.
Your choice of a Council is a fundamental right of membership, and perhaps the most important choice you will be called upon to make as an Equity member.
If you require more information on the work of Council or the electoral process, please contact me directly by email at president@caea.com or through Equity’s National Office at 1-800-387-1856 (416-867-9165 in Toronto).
With Appreciation,
Your Council Education and Renewal Committee
Donna Fletcher (chair), Scott Bellis, Ron Kennell, Kenn McLeod & Natércia Napoleão
On behalf of your national Council
Nominations & Election Timeline
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Nominations open
September 3
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Last day for members to update electoral regions
October 3
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Nominations close at 8:00 p.m. ET
October 10
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Last day to submit nomination materials
October 15
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All-candidates Regional Meetings
October 16 - November 11
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Voting opens
November 12
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Last day to come into good standing and be eligible to vote
November 21
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Voting closes at 3:00 p.m. ET & Election results announced
November 28
Learn More About Becoming An Equity Councillor
Only Life, Regular or Regular-Extended Visa members in good standing, of at least 18 years of age, are eligible to run for Council.
Equity Council is looking for members with the following strengths:
- Collaboration - Engage in respectful, open and honest discussion and commit to collective decision-making
- Dedication - Regularly attend and prepare in advance of meetings
- Eagerness - Serve on committees and Council projects
- Knowledge - Understand the workings of the industry and the Association with a willingness to learn more
- Leadership - Envision the future and take a “big picture” approach
- Passion - Be a voice for your region/discipline at the Council table
- Responsibility - Be dedicated to fulfilling Equity’s priorities
- Stewardship - Serve on behalf of all members with Equity’s best interests front of mind while ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion are at the forefront of Equity
Council Engagement
Council is an ongoing body, even as the people on it change. Its job is to steer the ship in the right direction by creating and maintaining policies with input from membership and in collaboration with the Executive Director and staff.
Council activities include:
- Attend meetings of Council and its committees on a consistent* basis. Quorum is essential for Council to conduct its business effectively, so a high standard of involvement is expected
- Prepare for Council and committee meetings by reading materials (including reading and understanding key governance documents, Constitution & Bylaws, Council Policies) in advance of meetings
- Serve on at least one Council committee
Member Engagement
A Councillor is the representative of their region at Council. While Council speaks with one voice, each Councillor brings the issues and concerns of their region to the table.
Other Councillor responsibilities include:
- Welcome new members to the Association in their electoral region
- Organize at least one membership meeting per year for the region
- Co-ordinate the Recruitment Committee for their electoral region in preparation for the next elections
Communication
Communicate regularly with regional members in whatever way works best for their electoral region (in-person meeting, regional newsletter, Facebook page, electronic town hall, etc.) Councillors are provided with an email address to use for corresponding with members in their region.
Best Practices
- Adhere to deadlines, submit regular written committee reports and respond to emails and meeting scheduling requests in a timely fashion (within 72 hours of receipt where possible) either directly or through an up-to-date auto-respond
- Volunteer for additional outreach activities, such as serving as Council liaison for a committee, presenting talks about Equity to students, contacting members who have RRSP funds on hold, consulting with staff on concession requests, sitting on a disciplinary committee, representing Equity at local activities affecting their members
- Respect confidentiality as appropriate to issues of a sensitive nature
- Declare and update any conflict of interest**
*Although consistent meeting attendance is mandatory, Council appreciates there may be times when circumstances make this difficult. Accordingly, Councillors may request a leave of absence from their duties for a maximum of three consecutive meetings no more than twice per term. Details may be found in Council Process-6 Council Members’ Code of Conduct
**Councillors must declare any industry or other involvements that might be perceived as a conflict of interest with regard to their fiduciary responsibilities.
Candidates should consult the Council Policy document regarding Fiduciary Conflict of Interest, as it pertains to their professional engagements/involvements.
In general Councillors can expect:
- Regular Council Meetings: 10 per year
- Three that are 2-day meetings (held by videoconference or in-person ��� circumstances permitting - travel and accommodation covered by Equity)
- Seven that are 2-3 hours each, held by videoconference
- Meeting preparation: 2-3 hours per meeting
- Committee Work: 2 – 4 hours/month, depending on the level of involvement with committee meetings, consulting with members, responding to emails, etc.
Each individual will approach tasks differently, so of course, the time commitment may vary from month to month or person to person. Normally there are no Council meetings held in December and July.
Equity’s Council uses a flexible slate of issue or action based committees and task forces that report directly to Council.
These Committees are automatically renewed at the start of each term of Council:
- Member Engagement and Education
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Indigenous
- Directors, Choreographers, Fight Directors and Intimacy Directors
- Opera
- Honours (normally consists of Council members only)
- Finance Monitoring (normally consists of Council members only)
- Council Education and Renewal (normally consists of Council members only)
These Committees and Task Forces currently exist, but it will be up to the new term of Council to decide whether they will be renewed (or extended to complete their tasks):
- Members on Tour
- Physical Health and Safety
- Respectful Workplace Task Force
- Stage Management Committee
Many of you will know that I’ve spent a lot of time on Council and as Council President, so it’s not going to surprise anyone to learn I think participating in Council is the absolute best way to ensure that Equity continues to serve its members well into the future, and even improves in how we do it.
Equity represents over 5,500 members from one side of the country to the other, and you all have a voice in the major decisions that affect your livelihood. However, we can’t practically get together on a video call each month to guide Equity as a whole in the myriad decisions that need to be made.
That is where your elected Council comes in. If your instincts and skills extend to serving as a member, and not just being served, then Council needs your energy and interest. Time to get your governance on, people!
Allan Teichman
Ontario
I ran for Council because I believe the work that CAEA does on behalf of the membership is important. I know I have benefited from it in the past, and I wanted to contribute to that work in a meaningful way. It has been a challenging time to be on Council as we wrestled with some tough questions about who we are, how we operate, and how best to support the membership as we emerge from the pandemic. It has also been hugely rewarding, and inspiring to be among so many folks who are passionate about making our sector stronger so we can make better art.
Geoff Whynot
Ontario
I ran for Council 2 terms ago because I was angry and I wanted a sea change not just in our association but across the land. Some great things happened and I wish I could list them all, but I honestly don't remember!
Nora McLellen
Ontario