Registration
a) When and where is the 2011 OCASI Executive Directors Forum?
b) Who can attend the forum?
c) How many people from each agency can attend the forum?
d) When can I register for the forum?
e) How much is registration?
f) I do not work at an OCASI member-agency. May I register?
g) What will happen if I register, then cannot attend? Can someone replace me?
h) What if I have to leave the forum early?
i) I only want to attend my first choice seminar. What if I am told it is full?
j) Do I have to attend the seminar I selected? What if I change my mind?
Transportation
a) How can I get to the Westin Prince hotel?
b) What if I am traveling a long distance?
c) I live in City of Toronto. I want to drive my own car.
d) I live in Ottawa (or any other city except Toronto). I want to drive my own car.
e) Are there any parking lots at the Westin Prince hotel?
Accommodation
a) I don’t want to sleep with a stranger. Can I have a private room?
b) I live in Mississauga. Can I have overnight stay in the hotel?
c) Do I have to eat at the hotel?
d) I am a vegetarian. Will there be sufficient food for me?
e) If I miss a meal, can I get something to eat later?
f) Will there by snacks available? When?
g) I want to bring my child, my friend, my husband, my wife, my mother …
h) Is alcohol served at the party? Is alcohol available at lunch and dinner?
i) May I bring my own alcoholic drinks?
j) Is there child care service available at the hotel?
k) Do I need to call the hotel to book my own room?
Facilities
a) I have a medical condition. Will there be medical staff available?
b) I need a place to pray. Will there be a place for me?
c) I am a smoker. Where can I smoke?
d) Is there a fridge to keep my food, my medications?
e) Are the rooms/washrooms wheelchairs accessible?
f) Can I bring my laptop?
g) Is there a computer I can use?
h) My family / my workplace wants to be able to contact me. What number can I give them?
i) Will there be any organized trips as part of the forum?
Registration
a) When and where is the 2010 OCASI Executive Directors Forum?
November 10-11, 2011
The Westin Prince Toronto Hotel
Toronto, Ontario
For information about the Hotel, click here.
b) Who can attend the forum?
The OCASI Executive Directors Forum 2010 is designed only for Executive Directors or their designates from OCASI member agencies and other immigrant service organizations in Ontario who are funded by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and/or the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration through the NSP Program.
c) How many people from each agency can attend the forum?
Each organization is allowed to register ONE participant. OCASI Board Members are not counted in the one participant-per-agency formula.
d) When can I register for the forum?
Online registration begins in early September.
Registration is limited. Please see the Registration Guidelines for details.
e) How much is registration?
There are NO registration fees for the Forum.
f) I do not work at for an OCASI member-agency. May I register?
See the answer to b) above.
g) What will happen if I register, then cannot attend? Can someone replace me?
If you are not able to attend and you are replaced by someone from your organization, please inform the Conference Team staff immediately. Your substitute will be required to register online.
If you wish to cancel your registration, please notify the Conference Team staff immediately.
If you don’t cancel your registration prior to the ED Forum start date (November 10) and don’t show up, OCASI reserves the right to charge you any expenses you are entitled (i.e. meals, accommodation etc.) during the Forum.
h) What if I have to leave the forum early?
If you decide to leave the forum early, you must inform an OCASI staff member.
i) I only want to attend my first choice Seminar. What if I am told it is full?
Seminar capacity is determined by the facilitator and the meeting rooms. Please register early to increase your chances of getting a space in the session of choice. We will do our best to accommodate your requests.
j) Do I have to attend the seminar I selected? What if I change my mind?
Participants are encouraged to attend the seminars they are assigned, due to space limitations. Rooms are allocated according to the number of people who registered. Facilitators bring handouts based on the number who registered.
Transportation
a) How can I get to the Westin Prince hotel?
Toronto
If you live or work in the City of Toronto –including the former cities of North York, Scarborough, Etobicoke, York and the borough of East York – OCASI will not reimburse your travel expenses.
Public Transportation
The Westin Prince Toronto Hotel is easily accessible by public transportation. It is located 10 minutes from the York Mills Subway Station, Yonge line. Buses 95 or 321 –eastbound-will leave you right at the hotel. You can also choose the Don Mills Subway Station, Sheppard line. Bus 25 Southbound will leave you at the corner of the hotel. Visit the Toronto Transit Commission, TTC at http://www3.ttc.ca/ for further information.
Other Regions
OCASI will reimburse car, bus, train or air expenses to ED Forum participants. Participants must use the cheapest means of transportation. You may choose to:
- Take a bus or train to Toronto. OCASI will reimburse taxi expenses or public transportation –TTC fare- from the bus or train station or airport to the hotel. Keep receipts.
- Drive. For environmental and financial purposes, OCASI encourages participants to carpool with colleagues. If you expressed an interest in carpooling, please check carpool board about possible opportunities to travel with other forum participants. Please contact Paulina Maciulis at pmaciulis@ocasi.org if you need information regarding participants from your city or if you can’t find someone to share a ride and need to drive alone.
- Fly. Air travel may be the best alternative to participants from the Northern Region, including Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Kenora and Sault Ste Marie. However, participants from other cities such as Ottawa and Windsor may want to check if flying is a more economic option instead of taking the bus or driving. We recommend using the Toronto Island Airport and flying Porter Airlines. Visit Porter for more information. Please consider that a taxi fare from this airport to the hotel is approximately $45.00. Contact Paulina Maciulis to discuss your options.
Whether flying or travelling by train or bus, please book your ticket as early as possible to get the best price. If this is not possible, please contact Paulina Maciulis at pmaciulis@ocasi.org for approval.
For driving direction and map, please click here to get more information.
Claim Form for Travel Expenses Reimbursement will be distributed at the Forum and is available here.
b) What if I am traveling a long distance?
If you come from outside of Toronto and you are unable to arrive in time for the Opening Plenary (9:00 AM on Thursday November 10), you may request to arrive one day early – the evening of Wednesday November 9. Please indicate your request on the online Registration Form.
The approval of your additional overnight stay at the hotel for Wednesday November 9 will be identified on the final confirmation letter you will receive by October 14. We will contact you prior to this date if additional information is required.
c) I live in City of Toronto. I want to drive my own car.
See the answer to a) above.
d) I live in Ottawa (or any other city except Toronto). I want to drive my own car.
See the answer to a) above.
e) Are there any parking lots in th Westin Prince hotel?
There is ample parking at the Westin Prince Hotel. If you are staying overnight, your license plate will be registered upon your check-in and charges will be billed to OCASI. If you are coming in for the day only and not staying overnight, you will be asked to register your license plate on the parking sheet when you register at the OCASI Registration Desk. Day only parking will be billed to OCASI.
Attendees park their vehicles on any other private property entirely at their own risk. OCASI cannot be held responsible for parking violations that parking attendees may receive.
Accommodation
a) I don’t want to sleep with a stranger. Can I have a private room?
Eligible Participants of other regions of the province will be offered single accommodation at the hotel for the night of Thursday November 10.
b) I live in Mississauga. Can I have overnight stay in the hotel?
If you live between the boundaries of Highway 427 in the west, Highway 407 in the north and Brock Rd in the east (see map below) you are not eligible for overnight stay at the hotel. Please contact Paulina Maciulis at pmaciulis@ocasi.org if this rule will impede your participation at the Forum.
Click here for large image.
c) Do I have to eat at the hotel?
All meals are included with the forum package.
There are restaurants inside the the Westin Prince hotel. Please note: The cost of the meals will not be reimbursed.
d) I am a vegetarian. Will there be sufficient food for me?
Yes, the caterers have been informed to provide vegetarian choices.
e) If I miss a meal, can I get something to eat later?
Light snacks are served during breaks and in the evening but please do not expect to have a meal saved for you.
f) Will there by snacks available? When?
Light snacks are served during breaks and in the evening.
g) I want to bring my child, my friend, my husband, my wife, my mother …
Sorry, there is no extra space for non-registrants. We hope you will come to the forum ready and able to concentrate on the discussions and professional development aspect of the event.
h) Is alcohol served at evening social activities? Is alcohol available at lunch and dinner?
The cash bar is open during the evening social activities only. Alcohol is not available at meals.
i) May I bring my own alcoholic drinks?
Yes, you may bring alcohol but it must be kept in your own room.
j) Is there child care service available at the hotel?
Unfortunately we cannot offer childminding or on-site child care services at the hotel for this Forum because of space, logistics and financial factors, among others. We understand that this has negative effects mainly on prospective female participants and we may look into this matter for future forums.
k) Do I need to call the hotel to book my own room?
Once you indicated in the online Registration Form that you will need accommodation a hotel room is automatically booked. Please do not call the hotel.
Facilities
a) I have a medical condition. Will there be medical staff available?
The hotel does not have medical staff available. However, there is a North York Hospital close to the hotel and we will make sure that you are taken there if the need arises. Please notify OCASI staff in advance if there are medical issues we should know about.
b) I need a place to pray. Will there be a place for me?
You will have a special room in which to pray. Please read the floor map after you register on site.
c) I am a smoker. Where can I smoke?
There is a No Smoking policy in all indoor spaces at the Westin Prince Toronto Hotel, including private bedrooms. You may smoke outside as long as no one else is affected by the smoke.
d) Is there a fridge to keep my food, my medications?
There is a fridge in all rooms. Your room may have a stocked fridge with a sensor. If you want to use the fridge only for storing or keeping your own drinks cold, please contact the hotel front desk to exchange it for an empty fridge.
e) Are the rooms/washrooms wheelchairs accessible?
All washrooms are accessible. Some bedrooms are accessible. Please mention your special needs on the online registration form to book an accessible bedroom for yourself.
f) Can I bring my laptop?
Yes, The Westin Toronto has Wireless High Speed Internet Access in all Guest Rooms. It charges $9.95 + tax per day. Please note that the internet charges will not be reimbursed.
g) Is there a computer I can use?
Yes, there will be two computers set up in the lobby for your use.
h) My family / my workplace wants to be able to contact me. What number can I give them?
The Westin Prince Toronto Hotel
(416) 444-2511
i) Will there be any organized trips as part of the forum?
The Forum is a very intensive experience that continues until late in the evening and requires your full attention and time. However, you are encouraged to contact the hotel regarding sightseeing trips before or after the Forum. Please note that OCASI will not reimburse related additional travel costs.
