The biggest ever CdLS Federation International Conference is to take place at Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada in July 2007 – and the UK Foundation is paying the registration costs and conference fees for UK & Irish families attending (see below)

Trustee Heather Young will be representing the UK and Ireland at the World Federation meeting alongside chairman Alan Peaford who is a member of the Federation’s executive board.

Heather attended the international meeting in Australia and said: “These conferences are an outstanding opportunity to meet families all over the world and to hear the latest findings from the top medical and professional experts. People attending the conference get to hear things at the same time the doctors do. It is a great experience to attend and everyone is very welcoming.”

The conference will take place at the spectacular Sheraton-on-the Falls hotel where rooms overlook the world’s most famous waterfall.
A medical conference will take place on 25-26 July with families conference starting on Thursday 26th July and running through to the Sunday morning 29th July.

There is a separate sibling conference featuring Australian author and educator Kate Strohm. There are separate sibling outings and childcare provided by the US girlscouts who have been at every one of the international conferences.

Zoom: One of the flight options for UK families flying to Canada.

THE WAY IT WORKS
Irish and UK families wishing to attend the conference should download the registration form from the internet.

Go to: www.cdlsworld.org

and select the box near the top of the home page that says “International Conference.” On that new page you will see a picture of the booklet, at the bottom of the page click where is says “click here for booking details” and print a copy of the registration documents.

These give full details of the conference.

These also include the booking forms.

Please complete the registration forms and return the form to the CdlS UK office. DO NOT SEND IT TO CANADA IF YOU WISH THE UK FOUNDATION TO PAY PART OF YOUR COSTS.

Registration forms received prior to January 31 will also benefit from a two for the price of one Gala dinner offer of C$60 for two adults rather than for each ticket. There is approximately 2.17 Canadian dollars to the pound, so it works out about £14 a head!

WHAT IT COSTS
Each adult should pay C$40 registration fee. THIS FIGURE IS WAIVED FOR UK AND IRISH FAMILIES

Each adult should pay C$250 conference package for adults and $125 for children over five and not having CdLS. THIS FIGURE IS PAID FOR UK AND IRISH FAMILIES.

So total registration and conference cost per adult – this figure includes all sessions, dinner and a show on Thursday, breakfast and lunch on Friday, breakfast and lunch on Saturday and brunch on Sunday – is zero. You do need to pay for your gala dinner.

THE HOTEL
The Sheraton on The Falls Hotel is a 23-storey award winning venue. It has its own waterpark. Many rooms have private balconies. Families have to book their own hotel rooms. The rates are PER ROOM not per person.

A traditional room is C$195 (approx £90) and sleeps 4. A Falls view room is C$235. There are cheaper adjoining hotels including the Skyline Inn at around £72 per night per room.

TO BOOK YOUR HOTEL go to www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/cdlscanada

TRANSPORT
You are responsible for your own travel from Europe to Canada. There are two major airports that could be used. Toronto in Canada (about 90 minutes from Niagara) and Buffalo in New York state which is about 30 minutes across the border.

CdLS Canada has arranged a transport deal on July 24th and 25th for just $60 adults, $40 teens, $30 children and free for CdLS people with pick-ups twice a day from both airports.

There are many international airlines that serve Toronto from the UK including British Airways, Air Canada, and low-cost carriers Zoom and Transat. Zoom flies from London Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow and Belfast. Fares are currently showing at just £300 plus tax.

Look at:

www.canadianaffair.com for cheap flights or

www.holidaygenie.com which is showing special fares with British Airways.

Zoom can be found on www.flyzoom.com. Zoom fares are shown as one-way only and do not show tax.

Both Zoom and TransAt also feature premium classes with extra legroom, meals and wines for an additional charge. However, note that Zoom considers anybody over two years old an adult. Under twos cost £25 per flight.

Flights to Buffalo from New York airports (Newark, JFK and La Guardia cost less than £100 return including tax. However, because of the school holidays it could be expensive getting to New York from the UK.
Check out www.opodo.com, or www.virgin-atlantic.com for flights to New York.

It is advisable to book your flights as early as possible.

NO INTERNET
If you don’t have internet facilities please speak to Jacquie in the CdLS office. She will print out a registration form for you and talk you through hotel bookings and air ticket bookings.