Abstract
By the summer of 1990, the Canadian Association of Gastroenterology (CAG) had been in existence as Canada’s premier gastroenterology society for nearly thirty years. The specialty of gastroenterology was in an exponential growth phase and many changes were on the horizon, including discussions as to whether the CAG should continue to conduct its annual meeting in conjunction with the Royal College meeting. In 1990, the CAG Governing Board and then president Dr Eldon Shaffer initiated a membership needs analysis (with technical assistance provided through the Strategic Planning Group at Searle Canada Inc) to provide a foundation for a strategic planning process that was to carry forward over the next several years and ultimately produce the CAG’s first strategic planning document. After substantial review and assessment, the 1991/1992 and 1992/1993 CAG Governing Boards approved the 1993 CAG Strategic Plan. This strategic plan served the organization well over the past decade and has provided the cornerstone upon which the CAG advanced many progressive initiatives.