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October 2, 2025October 2, 2025

“Proudly Canadian” Contest Isn’t Over Yet! – Early-Bird Winners Announced

Optik Proudly Canadian Early Bird winners

We’re excited to announce the five winners of the Early-Bird Draw in Optik’s Proudly Canadian Subscriber Contest!

These lucky entrants subscribed before the September 30 deadline and each will receive a $50 One4ALL Ultimate Virtual Gift Card — redeemable at dozens of popular Canadian retailers, from Tim Hortons to Golf Town, Cineplex, and more.

🧡 Congratulations to:

Dr. Brent Neufeld, Calgary Vision Therapy, Calgary, AB
Bonnie Lopez, Optometric Assistant, Opto-Reseau Ste-Dorothee, Laval, QC
Dr. Kit Guan, Dr. Kit Guan & Associates, Markham, ON
Miranda Yeung, Optician, Galaxy Eyewear, Vancouver, BC
Dr. Kujaany Kana, Optometrist, Barrie Vision Therapy & Eye Care, Barrie, ON

🛍️ There’s Still Time to Win:

🎨 Bonus Prizes – Show Your Canadian Pride

We’re giving away three $100 gift cards to subscribers who answer the bonus question:

What makes you Proudly Canadian as a member of the Canadian Eye Care industry?
The most thoughtful and creative responses will be selected by the Optik Editorial Team.

🎯 Final Draw – December 15 Deadline

Ten more winners will receive $25 gift cards in the Final Prize Draw, happening December 18. All you need to do is subscribe — and you’re in.

Visit the official contest page or scan the QR code in the Sept/Oct issue of Optik Magazine.
Fill in the short form (name, role, province, email).
Answer the bonus question (optional — but strongly encouraged!!).

📅 Deadline to enter: December 15, 2025
🎉 Final Draw Date: December 18, 2025

Let’s celebrate what makes Canadian eye care proudly independent, proudly bilingual, and proudly ours.

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October 1, 2025October 1, 2025

$10 Million Gift to Advance AI Research in Eye Care at St. Joe’s

St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton has received a $10 million donation from retired chartered accountant and St. Catharines resident Thomas Kevill, marking one of Ontario’s largest philanthropic contributions in eye health.

The gift supports research led by Dr. Varun Chaudhary, Chief of Ophthalmology at St. Joe’s, focused on leveraging retinal imaging, artificial intelligence, and machine learning to combat age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR)—two leading causes of blindness in Canada, affecting more than 3.5 million people.

Dr. Chaudhary’s Advanced Vitreoretinal Imaging (AVI) Lab, part of the Regional Eye Institute, is developing AI tools to speed up diagnoses, identify biomarkers to predict disease progression, and personalize treatments. The donation will accelerate work in four areas: early detection, precision treatment, novel therapeutics, and global collaboration.

In recognition of the gift, St. Joe’s announced that the Regional Eye Institute at King Campus will now be known as the Thomas Kevill Regional Eye Institute.

“This remarkable gift reflects a shared vision for improved eye care across our region and worldwide,” said Sera Filice, President and CEO of St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation.

Click HERE to read the full press release.

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October 1, 2025October 1, 2025

Italian Eyewear Exports Face U.S. Slowdown, European Growth in H1 2025

The first half of 2025 was challenging for Italian eyewear, which exports nearly 90% of its production. Overall exports reached €2.8 billion, down 3.7% from the same period in 2024. The decline was driven by a steep drop in U.S. demand (-34.5%) following new tariffs, while sunglasses exports fell -5.5%.

By contrast, Europe grew +8%, led by Germany, Spain, and Eastern Europe, accounting for almost 60% of total exports. China (+29.5%) and Mexico (+47%) showed strong rebounds, highlighting opportunities in emerging markets.

Domestically, the Italian optical channel grew +3.2%, reaching €1.9 billion, supported mainly by prescription frames and ophthalmic lenses, even as sunglass sales weakened.

Looking ahead, U.S. tariffs and political instability remain risks, but resilience in Europe, Asia, and emerging markets may support cautious optimism. ANFAO President Lorraine Berton called on institutions to back the sector with stronger trade policies, emphasizing that Made in Italy eyewear remains a global benchmark of excellence.

Source : ANFAO

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October 1, 2025

MIDO 2026 Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for MIDO 2026, the world’s largest international eyewear show, taking place in Milan. Visitors and journalists can already complete the online forms via the official website.

The last edition of MIDO welcomed more than 42,000 attendees from 168 countries, along with over 400 accredited journalists, reinforcing its role as a global hub for eyewear and vision care professionals.

MIDO Awards 2026

Applications for the MIDO Awards 2026 are also open as of October 1. Exhibitors have until December 14 to apply for the Certified Sustainable Eyewear (CSE) Award, now in its fourth edition. The award, promoted by MIDO with ANFAO and Certottica, recognizes eco-friendly products—frames, sunglasses, and cases—that advance sustainability through recycled materials, reduced energy consumption, waste elimination, and responsible supply-chain practices.

This year introduces two important changes:

Three categories: Frames, Sunglasses, and Cases, streamlining the awards and elevating visibility for each product type.

CSE Corporate Award: A new recognition for the most sustainability-driven exhibiting company, highlighting corporate strategies that integrate ESG principles.

Best Store Award

Opticians worldwide can apply until December 31 for the Best Store Award, celebrating the most innovative international optical retailers in the Design and Innovation categories. Entries are judged on layout, atmosphere, materials, customer experience, digital communication, and services.

Last year’s winners included:

Design: Zien & Horen Frits van den Bosch (Belgium)
Innovation: Ottica Padrin (Italy)

Ceremony

The MIDO Awards ceremony will take place during MIDO 2026. Updates will be published on the official MIDO website and social channels: Instagram (@mido_exhibition), Facebook (@MIDOExhibition), X (@MIDOExhibition), and LinkedIn.

Click HERE for the press release.

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October 1, 2025October 1, 2025

Contact Lens Institute Extends Culture Awards Deadline to November 3

The nomination deadline for the 2025 Contact Lens Institute^™ (CLI) Culture Awards has been extended to Monday, November 3. The program honors eye care professionals who foster a positive contact lens culture, demonstrating behaviors that elevate patient experiences and support business success, as reflected in CLI’s recent See Tomorrow research reports.

Individuals within the U.S. and Canadian eye care community who prescribe or support soft contact lenses are eligible for consideration. Self-nominations are allowed and encouraged. Previous winners will continue to be celebrated and do not need to reapply. Complete nomination information is available at contactlensinstitute.org/awards.

Nominators simply need to provide a concise response (750 words or less in total) that addresses at least two of the following questions:

How has the nominee enhanced patient outcomes using soft contact lenses?

What initiatives, processes, or projects has the nominee put into place in their practice that enhances a positive culture for recommending soft contact lenses and patient wear?

How does the nominee engage practice staff to take an active advocacy role for healthy, healthy, safe use, and happy soft contact lens wear?

Can you describe a particular nominee-patient interaction that exemplifies how soft contact lenses have changed or improved a patient’s life, and which may inspire colleagues?

To improve the chances of being recognized, nominators may reference positive contact lens behaviors identified in recent See Tomorrow reports, which are available for on-screen reading and/or download from https://www.contactlensinstitute.org/resources/see-tomorrow/.

Nominations must include the name/location/practice name/contact information of the candidate(s), as well as the name/affiliation/contact information for the nominator. Groups are eligible as long as all individuals are named, with a clearly designated leader. Entries must be emailed no later than November 3, 2025, at 11:59 pm ET to cli@contactlensinstitute.org. The submission can be written within the body of the email or attached as a Word or PDF document. Questions may be sent to the same address.

Click HERE for the press release.

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