The Canadian Public Relations Society: A National Voice for Professional Communication

Y Babji, Past Secretary General, PRSI National 

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) is Canada’s leading not-for-profit professional association for public relations and communications practitioners. Founded in 1948, it unites professionals engaged in the practice, management and teaching of public relations, and strengthens the profession through ethical standards, accreditation, professional development, advocacy and national networking.

In an era of misinformation, reputational risk and instant digital communication, CPRS provides Canadian communicators with a shared professional identity. It represents practitioners in government, business, agencies, health care, education, non-profit organisations and independent practice.

Origins and Development

CPRS originated in 1948 through two early groups of public relations practitioners in Montreal and Toronto. These groups became associated as the Canadian Public Relations Society in 1953, and the Society was incorporated nationally in 1957.

From these beginnings, CPRS grew into a federation of 13 locally run societies based in major cities or organised province-wide.  The Society’s mission is to build a national public relations and communications management community through professional development and accreditation, collaboration with thought leaders, commitment to ethics and professional standards, advocacy for the profession, and support for members at every career stage.

Thirteen Local Communities

CPRS’s strength lies in its local societies, which offer members professional development, networking and opportunities to engage with practitioners in their regions.  The 13 communities are:

CPRS Vancouver

CPRS Vancouver Island

CPRS Northern Lights, serving northern British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Yukon

CPRS Calgary

CPRS Edmonton

CPRS Regina

CPRS Manitoba

CPRS Toronto

CPRS Hamilton

CPRS Ottawa-Gatineau

CPRS Quebec

CPRS Nova Scotia

CPRS Atlantic Canada

These societies enable CPRS to remain connected to Canada’s regional realities, including bilingual communication, public-sector practice, Indigenous engagement, local media environments and diverse employment markets.

National Leadership

CPRS is led by a National Board of experienced practitioners. The current National President is Anne McInerney, APR, FCPRS, MCPRS, Vice-President, Communications, at J.D. Irving, Limited. She is supported by Jennifer Vincent, APR, MCPRS, Vice-President/Treasurer and Head of Global Communications at Groupe Dynamite.

The Board includes directors from corporate, public-sector, agency, health, energy, research and education backgrounds, including Rashpal Rai, Stephanie Fung, Kyla Graham, Tatiana Chabeaux-Smith, Tracey Stephenson, Lisa Covens, Julia Rim Shepard, Caroline DeSilva, Louis Moubarak, Claire Ryan and Jane Antoniak.  The national office is led by Executive Director Sara Rafuse, MBA, CPF, MCPRS.

CPRS Toronto Leadership

CPRS Toronto is one of the Society’s most active communities. It operates as a chapter of CPRS, with its own constitution, letters patent and by-laws, while remaining consistent with the philosophy and standards of the national Society.

For the 2026–27 term, CPRS Toronto is led by Co-Presidents Andrea Chrysanthou, APR, and Erin Griffin, who have jointly guided the chapter’s planning and member engagement.  Gwen McGuire serves as Secretary of CPRS Toronto.  The chapter’s Secretariat is managed by Lois Marsh.

Toronto’s leadership structure reflects CPRS’s collaborative approach: local boards provide programming, mentoring, awards and professional learning, while remaining part of the national federation.

Accreditation and Professional Standards

A defining feature of CPRS is the Accredited in Public Relations (APR) designation. The accreditation process assesses a member’s depth of experience and competence in public relations practice and recognises that achievement through the APR credential.

Candidates must have at least five years of professional experience and complete a three-part examination process, achieving a minimum overall average of 65 per cent. They must also subscribe to the CPRS Code of Professional Standards. Successful candidates may use the APR designation, subject to continued professional currency and national membership.

CPRS also offers the Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) examination and the Fellow of CPRS (FCPRS) recognition for distinguished members.  In February 2026, CPRS announced 25 new Accredited Members, demonstrating the continuing value of accreditation as a mark of professional excellence.

Membership Categories

CPRS membership is structured to support students, early-career professionals, mid-level and senior practitioners, and others connected to the communication profession.

Mid-level and senior members receive networking opportunities, professional development and access to a growing global community of public relations and communication management professionals. They may also pursue APR accreditation to strengthen their credibility and demonstrate commitment to high professional standards.

Members also benefit from the Bill Rees Learning Centre, national awards, special awards, student awards and scholarships.  This range of benefits makes CPRS relevant to both emerging communicators and established leaders.

Awards and Recognition

The CPRS National Awards of Excellence recognise outstanding achievement in public relations and strategic communication across Canada. In 2026, CPRS recognised 95 winners for excellence in communications programmes, projects and organisational performance.

The awards cover media relations, internal and external communication, non-profit communication, corporate social responsibility, issues and crisis management, special events, and new product or service launches. Special distinctions include Best in Show, Best Creativity and Innovation, and Best Sustainable Development Initiative.

At the local level, CPRS Toronto administers the Achieving Communications Excellence (ACE) Awards, which have recognised Toronto’s public relations community for three decades.  The ACE Awards honour outstanding campaigns, projects and practitioners, and also include recognition for graduating students who show academic strength and leadership.

A Model for the Profession

CPRS matters because it sustains the credibility of public relations in Canada. Its combination of ethical standards, accreditation, local societies, national leadership and awards encourages practitioners to combine strategic thinking with accountability and public interest.

For students, educators and practitioners, CPRS offers a valuable model of how a professional association can connect learning with practice. As communication becomes more complex, the Society’s emphasis on ethics, evidence, professional development and community remains especially relevant.

Tkaronto (Toronto), Ontario, Canada 

Y Babji, PR Educator 

Toronto is Canada’s largest city, the capital of Ontario, and one of North America’s most diverse urban centres. It lies on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario, covers roughly 630 square kilometres, and had a population of about 2.79 million in the 2021 census.

Indigenous origins

People have lived in the Toronto area for at least 11,000–12,000 years, long before European colonisation. The name derives from Tkaronto, often translated as “the place in the water where the trees are standing,” referring to fishing weirs in local waterways.

The city stands on the traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Anishinaabe peoples, Haudenosaunee, and Wendat (Huron-Wendat). In 1787 the British Crown negotiated the original Toronto Purchase with the Mississaugas; it was replaced by the 1805 Toronto Purchase, Treaty 13. The claim was contested until a 2010 settlement between Canada and the Mississaugas of the Credit.

Colonial growth

French traders were active in the area in the 17th and 18th centuries, but British Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe founded the Town of York in 1793. It was renamed and incorporated as Toronto in 1834, became Ontario’s capital in 1867, and grew through successive waves of immigration.

Governance

Toronto is governed by an elected mayor and ward councillors, who together form City Council. The present single-tier city was created in 1998 by amalgamating six former municipalities: Toronto, Etobicoke, North York, Scarborough, York, and East York.

People, race and religion

Toronto is exceptionally multicultural. In 2021, 55.7 per cent of residents—about 1.54 million people—identified as belonging to racialised or visible-minority groups, including large South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, Arab, Latin American, and Southeast Asian communities.

Religious life is equally plural. In 2021, 46.2 per cent identified as Christian (including 24.2 per cent Catholic), 30.6 per cent as having no religion, 9.6 per cent Muslim, 6.2 per cent Hindu, 3.6 per cent Jewish, 2.3 per cent Buddhist, and 0.8 per cent Sikh.

Transport and communication

Toronto’s transit system is central to its identity as a connected, multicultural metropolis. The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) operates the city’s subways, streetcars, buses, and Wheel-Trans, its specialised accessible transport service. In 2024, the TTC recorded nearly 420 million passenger trips, carried by buses, subway trains, and streetcars.

The subway is the network’s backbone, with the north–south Line 1 Yonge–University, east–west Line 2 Bloor–Danforth, and Line 4 Sheppard; the TTC also operates 11 streetcar routes and 162 bus routes.  Toronto’s streetcar system is especially distinctive: it is among the largest in the Americas and retains substantial on-street operation, particularly downtown.

TTC services cover approximately 1,200 kilometres of routes, with subway and streetcar service generally running from early morning until about 2 a.m.  Riders can pay by tapping a debit or credit card, mobile wallet, or PRESTO card.  Beyond the TTC, GO Transit provides regional commuter rail and bus links across the Greater Toronto Area.

Universities and knowledge economy

Toronto is a major centre of higher education and research. The University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, York University, OCAD University, Université de l’Ontario français, and Tyndale University all have locations in the city.

The University of Toronto is a leading research-intensive institution with downtown, Mississauga, and Scarborough campuses. Toronto Metropolitan University, formerly Ryerson University, is strongly downtown-oriented and known for professional, creative, and applied programmes; York University is a major interdisciplinary research university with more than 200 undergraduate and graduate degree programmes.

Education is one of Toronto’s largest employment sectors, with 1,400 educational establishments and related businesses employing more than 100,000 people.  The universities reinforce the city’s strengths in journalism, public relations, film, design, technology, health sciences, law, and international business.

Rivers, terrain and forests

Toronto has no mountains; its terrain is gently rolling land shaped by glacial deposits, river valleys, and the Lake Ontario shoreline. Its principal rivers are the Humber in the west, the Don east of downtown, and the Rouge in the east, along with Etobicoke Creek and numerous ravines.

Before European settlement, the area was dominated by hardwood and mixed forests, wetlands, marshes, and meadows. Today, Toronto’s Natural Heritage System covers nearly 11,000 hectares—about 17 per cent of the city—and includes forests, ravines, wetlands, meadows, and the waterfront.

The city has more than ten million trees and roughly 26–28 per cent tree canopy. High Park retains rare remnants of black oak savannah and prairie habitats.

Wildlife

Toronto’s green spaces support notable biodiversity: the City’s biodiversity strategy records about 380 species of trees, shrubs and vines, 404 bird species, 110 butterfly species, 92 fish species, and 38 mammal species. Common animals include white-tailed deer, raccoons, beavers, foxes, coyotes, and opossums. The lake, rivers, and wetlands support fish, amphibians, waterfowl, herons, and migrating birds along the Atlantic Flyway.

Climate and surrounding agriculture

Toronto has a humid continental climate moderated by Lake Ontario: warm, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. January averages about -4.2°C and July about 22.2°C, though summer temperatures can exceed 32°C.

Commercial farming lies mainly in the surrounding Greenbelt and southern Ontario. The region produces corn, soybeans, wheat, vegetables, apples, tender fruits, grapes, mushrooms, maple syrup, and livestock products; the Greenbelt protects about two million acres of farmland, forests, wetlands, rivers, and lakes.

Tourism and landmarks

Toronto offers a compact but varied tourist experience. The CN Tower, near Union Station, remains the city’s defining landmark; nearby are Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada and the waterfront.  The Royal Ontario Museum, accessible from Museum subway station, houses more than 13 million art objects and natural-history specimens.

Other major attractions include the Art Gallery of Ontario, Casa Loma, St. Lawrence Market, the Toronto Zoo, and the Toronto Islands—a chain of 15 interconnected islands reached by a short ferry ride from downtown, offering parks, beaches, and skyline views.  Distinct neighbourhoods such as Kensington Market, Chinatown, Little Italy, Greektown, and Scarborough add culinary, cultural, and heritage appeal.

Economy and time zone

Toronto is Canada’s financial and commercial capital, home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, major banks, media organisations, universities, and corporate headquarters. It is also a leading centre for advertising, public relations, journalism, film, technology, and international business.

The city follows Eastern Time: UTC-5 in winter (EST) and UTC-4 during daylight saving (EDT). For communicators, its Indigenous history, linguistic diversity, transit-connected neighbourhoods, universities, and civic-media ecosystem make Toronto a leading case study in inclusive public communication, reputation management, and community engagement.