The Basics of the CGA Designation

An accountant in Toronto, Canada, Andrew Sommerhalder has led financial operations as a group controller with Envision since 2019. Among his other academic and professional credentials, Andrew Sommerhalder is a certified general accountant.

A Canadian designation that is similar to the certified public accountant (CPA) in the United States, the certified general accountant (CGA) designation identifies accounting professionals who are well versed in several areas of general accounting. Unlike the CPA, the CGA does not require candidates to hold a post-secondary degree.

CGA candidates must have an undergraduate degree, at least 2 years of managerial-level business experience, and at least 2 years of CGA-related coursework. This coursework includes the successful completion of final exams for a minimum of 19 classes approved by the Certified General Accountants of Canada.

CGA candidates can choose to focus on areas such as financial management, taxes, auditing, and business strategy. Depending on their fields of expertise, CGAs can find employment in a variety of public and private sectors.

Three Unique Toronto Sandwiches

Chartered professional accountant Andrew Sommerhalder joined the Canadian design agency Envision in 2019. Outside of his work as a group controller, Andrew Sommerhalder has an interest in Toronto’s food scene and searches the city’s restaurants for the best sandwiches.

Toronto is Canada’s largest city and home to a diverse and celebrated food culture. There are several sandwich offerings that can only be found in Toronto. The most famous is the peameal bacon sandwich. This lunchtime staple was invented by a vendor at the city’s famed St. Lawrence Market. The peameal bacon sandwich contains fried sliced pork loin rolled in cornmeal and served on a soft roll. Another unique offering is the Nashville Ice, a sandwich consisting of a fried chicken patty, a scoop of ice cream, and honey. Toronto is also the home of the “Mind-blowing Chicken Sandwich.” While the ingredients are traditional, the sandwich’s presentation is unique. The egg buns are filled to the brim with a mixture of chicken, tahini, onion, and tomatoes.