2025
Research, Practice and Policy to Enhance Community-Based Senior Services
Chairperson: Andrew Wister | Co-Chair: Gloria Gutman
The 32nd John K. Friesen Conference is entitled 鈥淩esearch, Practice and Policy to Enhance Community-Based Senior Services.鈥� The purpose of this conference is to bring together experts from academic, community, NGO, government, and private sectors to review emerging issues and share cutting-edge innovations to enhance community care and support systems targeting a rapidly aging population. Some of the emerging themes include maximizing the reach, efficacy and effectiveness of the community-based senior sector (CBSS), linking community and health care systems, new phases of age-friendly community action, policy developments, and examination of political and social care contexts such as ageism, declining economic security, marginalization, and technological literacy and its age-related divides. Highlights include keynote addresses; topical panel discussions, symposia, and poster displays presented by local, national, and international speakers representing community organizations, NGOs, government, and academic sectors.
Day 2 鈥� June 6, 2025
Keynote Address
Chair: Andrew Wister, Professor and Director, SFU Gerontology Research Centre
The Wants and Needs of B.C. Seniors and the Role of Advocacy鈥 Reflection
Isobel Mackenzie, Past Seniors鈥� Advocate of B.C.
Panel
Chair: Anthony Kupferschmidt, Strategic Lead, Aging and Older Persons, City of Vancouver
Age-Inclusive Municipalities in BC: Examples and Next Steps
Sahra-Lea Tosdevine-Tataryn, City of Surrey
Niloofar Hedayati, City of Richmond
Rebekah Mahaffey, City of Burnaby and Civic Innovation Lab
Mariam Larson, Consultant