Saskatchewan

The primary purpose for regulating a health profession such as massage therapists is to protect the public from potential harm resulting from the actions of incompetent and/or unethical practitioners.

The stakeholders have lobbied the government for many years to declare massage therapists as health professionals. The Act is in place, and we are now in the development stage of the Saskatchewan College of Massage Therapy (SCMT).

Coming into force
If there are no stipulations in the Act as to when it is to come into force, it becomes law upon royal assent. Sometimes an Act specifies that it will come into force on a date specified in the Act, or that it is to come into force upon the proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor. If an Act is subject to proclamation, the Lieutenant Governor issues an order in council proclaiming the Act in force as of a certain date. The choosing of this date is usually dependent upon the sponsoring ministry having completed the steps necessary for the administration and enforcement of the Act, while allowing enough time for those affected by the Act to have time to prepare for its implementation.

Just as other health profession regulators, such as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan, ensure robust practice standards are in place for their members to protect the public from harm, the SCMT would do the same for massage therapists in the province by developing competency standards, a code of ethics, practice standards and an investigation/discipline process for the profession once it is established.

Regulation of massage therapy means that only members of the regulatory body can legally use the titles "Massage Therapist" or "Registered Massage Therapist" (or the initials RMT).

This gives greater assurance to the public that the practitioner they see meets established competency standards and if there are any concerns regarding the practitioner’s competence and/or conduct that a complaint can be filed with the regulatory body.

As stated in the Massage Therapy Act (Section 2, 5), massage therapists in good standing exclusively from the three associations of CMMOTA, MTAS, and NHPC are eligible for entry into the SCMT. This eligibility will be included in the regulatory bylaws as a grandfathering clause and will potentially state the following criteria:

• full/practicing members only of the 3 associations are eligible
• proof of Saskatchewan residency
• agreed upon list of required documents
• a clear definition of what is a member in good standing

All members will be required to take a jurisprudence examination, as consistent with other health professions which may be an open book examination.

No. As noted above, all members in good standing of the three associations that meet the grandfathering eligibility will not be required to write an entry-to-practice examination.

Yes. Once the SCMT is established, new applicants will be required to pass all entrance exams required by the college. This is consistent with all other regulated professions that require new applicants to pass an entrance exam(s) to be eligible for licensure.

The Act does not regulate business operations such as fee rates or work hours. Its purpose is not to control the business of massage therapy but rather to protect the public from potential harm (e.g., physical injury, sexual misconduct) and ensure safe, competent massage therapy services.

Regarding business names, if your business already includes the term "massage," you should not need to change it, as long as it is properly registered under The Business Names Registration Act.

However, under Chapter 18 – The Massage Therapy Act, only those registered with the regulatory college can use the professional titles "massage therapist or "registered massage therapist."

No. Like other regulated health professions, the day-to-day governance of the profession would be the responsibility of the SCMT through legislation (i.e. The Massage Therapy Act). It will be up to the College to determine the appropriate practice standards for massage therapists.

It should be noted that the government does maintain a certain level of oversight over all regulated health professions by the appointment of public representatives to the councils of regulatory bodies and requiring all regulatory bylaw amendments to receive approval by the Minister of Health before they come into force.

This oversight helps to ensure transparency and accountability on the part of regulated health professions in Saskatchewan.

The SCMT will be a stand-alone College separate from any of the three massage therapy associations. The SCMT will monitor credentialing, quality assurance, complaints and discipline, and licensing.

The College works for the protection of the public. The Associations will continue to advocate on behalf of the massage therapist.

The massage therapy associations will continue to exist as advocacy and professional organizations, but they will no longer govern massage therapists. That responsibility will shift to the SCMT, which will handle licensing, governance, and discipline.

This structure is similar to other regulated health professions, such as physicians, who have:

• a regulatory body (e.g., College of Physicians and Surgeons of Saskatchewan) responsible for licensing and oversight
• an advocacy association (e.g., Saskatchewan Medical Association) that supports and represents its members

While membership in an advocacy association is not required to practice as a regulated massage therapist, many professionals choose to join for benefits like liability insurance, professional resources, and advocacy representation.

A Working Group has been established to oversee the creation of the regulatory college and the transition of current members. This group consists of equal representation from the three massage therapy associations and operates using a consensus-based decision-making process for developing bylaws and policies.

Currently, we do not have a confirmed timeline for the proclamation of the Massage Therapy Act. However, the Working Group is diligently working to establish a strong foundation for the College.

At this time, the exact licensing fees have not been determined. However, professional liability insurance will continue to be provided through your association.

The SCMT will be partially funded by the massage therapy associations, with no financial support from the government. This follows the standard practice for professions seeking self-regulatory status. Once established, the College's ongoing operational costs will be covered by licensing fees paid by its members.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sets eligibility requirements for income tax deductions related to medical services and should be consulted regarding specific eligibility requirements.

The GST exemption is currently before the Federal Government for consideration. The CMTA (Canadian Massage Therapist Association) is advocating on our behalf.

As a regulated massage therapist, members of the SCMT would be eligible to work in any of the other regulated Canadian provinces through labour mobility. Applicants may be required to take a jurisprudence exam or meet other requirements of the provincial College.

Regulation would only apply to those using the titles "Massage Therapist" or "Registered Massage Therapist." Only members of the regulatory college would be legally allowed to use these titles, as is the case in other regulated provinces.

Alternatively, if not a member of the College, you would need to use a different title (e.g., bodyworker) that clearly distinguishes your role from a registered massage therapist.

Based on information provided by the three massage therapy associations, we would estimate that there are approximately 2,000 massage therapists practicing in the province.

Massage therapists are currently regulated in five (5) Canadian provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

The regulation of massage therapists will not address the issue of massage parlours, as this falls under municipal bylaws and law enforcement, not professional regulation.

Regulation will protect the public by defining who can legally call themselves a Massage Therapist or Registered Massage Therapist, but it does not govern businesses that do not offer regulated massage therapy services.

Before the regulation can be officially proclaimed, the Working Group must finalize all necessary details. Additionally, the Saskatchewan Government is implementing Umbrella Legislation, which requires all health professions to revise their bylaws before the SCMT can be formally established.

Umbrella legislation is a single law that establishes a framework for regulating multiple professions or sectors under a common set of rules. Instead of creating separate laws for each profession, it provides general guidelines that all covered groups must follow, while allowing for profession-specific bylaws.

In the context of health professions, umbrella legislation ensures consistency in areas like governance, licensing, and accountability across different regulatory bodies.