About - Our New Brand Aligning the Association with the Profession. A new brand for the Registered Massage Therapists' Association. Our history, how we got here and our new look.

OMTA BECOMES RMTAO

OMTA Becomes RMTAO

For over 70 years, the Ontario Massage Therapist Association has been a source of information and education for, and has advocated in the interests of the massage therapy profession in Ontario. Over this time, we have seen the profession grow both in its size and stature within Ontario. We continue our focus in these areas as part of our commitment to advancing the profession and improving the health of Ontarians.

As noted by Amanda Baskwill, Chair of the Board of Directors, “as the world around us changes, so too must our organization. OMTA has had to evolve, adjust our positioning and the way in which we communicate with both members and external audiences. Future opportunities and challenges face our organization and our members and these require that we adjust the organization for the future.”

On May 31, 2010, Ms Baskwill announced that the Ontario Massage Therapist Association had become the Registered Massage Therapists’ Association of Ontario (RMTAO).

“The new name better aligns our organization with the new brand for the profession under the moniker Registered Massage Therapist. These brands will relate more positively with Ontarians and allows them to better realize the value of the profession and the role the professional association plays in Ontario’s health care system. The RMTAO’s role is to advance the profession in order that it may play an important and continuing role in the health of Ontarians”, said Ms Baskwill.

In moving to our new name, the Board of Directors and members of the Association have recognized the value of our rich history but also the need to allow all RMTs to become a part of their professional association. The Association has worked diligently to improve the services and support it provides to the profession and the way in which we advocate to advance the profession. The change in name is a reflection of a process of change many years in the making and is an open invitation to all Registered Massage Therapists to renew their relationship with the professional association.



The RMTAO is a member driven, not-for-profit association that provides leadership for and advocates on behalf of the profession. The RMTAO provides information and programming that encourages professional growth and high standards for massage therapists and promotes the profession to the public, government, business and other professions.

For more information about the RMTAO brand and the RMT brand launched at the same time, please visit the pages in this subsection of the website.