911吃瓜 the Conference
The objective of the conference is to provide information that will enable our society to bounce back from the adversities that have been faced over recent years by taking advantage of what we have learned and applying this knowledge to enhance the lives of older people, especially those who have faced ageism, marginalization, and social isolation.
Continuing Education Credits
A Certificate of Attendance, indicating that the Friesen Conference is a 12-hour educational offering specific to the needs of older adults, will be available for Social Workers to put towards their continued professional development and for Registered Nurses wanting documentation to support their provincial/state continuing competency requirement. To obtain your certificate, e-mail gerocom@sfu.ca within 30 days of the end of the conference.
Organizing Committee
- Andrew Wister | Director, 911吃瓜-GRC & Distinguished Professor, Department of Gerontology (Conference Chair)
- Gloria Gutman | Research Associate, 911吃瓜-GRC & Professor Emeritus, 911吃瓜 Department of Gerontology (Conference Co-Chair & Manager)
- Barbara Mitchell | Professor & Chair, 911吃瓜 Department of Gerontology & Sociology and Anthropology
- Atiya Mahmood | Professor, 911吃瓜 Department of Gerontology
- Theresa Pauly | Assistant Professor, 911吃瓜 Department of Gerontology & Canada Research Chair in Social Relationships, Health, and Aging
- Mei Fang | Assistant Professor, 911吃瓜 Urban Studies and Department of Gerontology
- Nancy Olewiler | Professor, Emeritus, 911吃瓜 School of Public Policy
- Sarah Qiu | Communications Coordinator, Alumni Outreach & Community
Keynote Speaker
Gary Haq
Gary spent 15 years at the York Centre (1997鈥�2012) on transport, air pollution, low-carbon futures, climate change, and ageing. From 2012鈥�2020 he was at the European Commission鈥檚 Joint Research Centre in Ispra, supporting European transport and environmental policy. A human ecologist with over 20 years鈥� experience across Africa, Asia, and Europe, he provides evidence for policy, facilitates processes, builds capacity, and engages stakeholders. He has led major international programmes on air pollution, transport, and climate communication, and advised the UK鈥檚 DFID on low-carbon transport. Gary holds a PhD in Geography and has authored five books and numerous academic and policy publications.
Presentation Title | Earth Day to Every Day: Aging in a Changing Climate
Many older people today were part of the environmental movements of the 1960s, but now face the consequences of a changing climate. In this keynote, Dr Gary Haq traces how environmental concern has developed from an early awareness of pollution and environmental degradation to the complex realities of climate change today. Drawing on international research and policy experience, he examines how these changes are experienced in later life across diverse contexts, challenging narrow framings of vulnerability and highlighting the knowledge, agency, and contributions of older people. The keynote shows why recognizing these roles is essential to developing more inclusive and climate-resilient communities.
Public Lecture
Sean Holman
Sean joined the faculty at the University of Victoria in 2021 from Mount Royal University, where he was an associate professor of journalism. Before entering academia, Sean was an investigative journalist and documentary filmmaker in British Columbia. As a journalist, he was best known as the founder and publisher of the pioneering online public affairs news service Public Eye, as well as the host and producer of the syndicated talk show Public Eye Radio. His bylines have appeared in the Columbia Journalism Review, the Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, the Vancouver Sun, and the Times-Colonist. Sean is a frequent commentator on climate change coverage and government secrecy. His research focuses on how we use and misuse information, particularly against the backdrop of catastrophic climate change and biodiversity loss, as well as democratic decline.
Presentation Title | From Catastrophe to Community
Older adults are among those most vulnerable to extreme heat, wildfire smoke, floods, and other climate-driven disasters. In this lecture, journalist and University of Victoria professor Sean Holman examines the theory and methodology behind the Climate Disaster Project, an international teaching newsroom that partners with survivors to co-create testimonies about their lived experiences. Drawing on trauma-informed journalism, oral history, and participatory research, this approach treats survivors as knowledge holders rather than victims. By foregrounding the lived knowledge of those most affected鈥攊ncluding many older adults鈥攖he Climate Disaster Project offers a new framework for understanding climate risk and recovery, as well as informing more humane policy responses.
Pre, Post and Concurrent Conference Events
March 26-29, 2026
International Society for Gerontechnology 15岬検� World Conference, 911吃瓜 Harbour Centre Campus, Vancouver, BC. Theme "Empowering Aging with Gerontechnology鈥� ().
April 22-23, 2026
33rd John K. Friesen Conference, Segal Centre, 911吃瓜 Harbour Centre Campus, Vancouver, BC. Theme "Climate Change in an Aging World" (/grc/events/friesen/2026.html).
May 24-26, 2026
BC Care Providers Association 49th Annual Conference, Fairmont Chateau Whistler, Whistler, BC. Theme "Take Me Home" ()