The 2007 Keynote Address was given by the Right Honourable Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin, P.C. on Saturday, November 10, 2007.
Chief Justice McLachlin, a former lawyer and academic, has written some of the most significant judgments in Canadian law in areas such as equality rights, evidence, trusts, and damages for personal injuries. She has also had considerable impact through speaking and presenting papers across the country and internationally. Her judicial approach is one of rigorous analysis and logic combined with a thorough understanding of the social context in which legal problems are embedded.
The Chief Justice will speak on issues of national importance in Elder Law. The Chief Justice’s Keynote Address will be the highlight of the 2007 Canadian Conference on Elder Law. Full speech available here .
The Honourable Robert Nicholson, P.C., Q.C., M.P. for Niagara Falls, ON, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada will open the conference with a Welcome Address on Friday, November 9, 2007.
Rob Nicholson serves as the Member of Parliament for Niagara Falls, an electoral district in southern Ontario and in January 2007, Mr. Nicholson was appointed Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
First elected to the Canadian House of Commons in 1984, Mr. Nicholson served in a variety of capacities, including Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, and Minister for Science and Small Businesses. Re-elected in 2004, he was appointed Chief Opposition Whip in January 2005. In February 2006, Mr. Nicholson was named Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister for Democratic Reform.
On Friday, November 9, Minister Nicholson will speak at the opening ceremonies of the Elder Law Conference where he will highlight the action and commitments of the Government of Canada to tackling crime, identity theft and elder abuse.
We are pleased to announce the 2007 Dinner Address was delivered by Mr. Michael Valpy on Friday, November 9. Mr. Valpy is an award-winning Canadian journalist and author. In some of his recent articles Mr. Valpy has had a particular interest in issues of aging. He is a senior writer for the Globe and Mail newspaper where he made his reputation on both political and human interest stories. Through his career at the Globe, he has been a reporter, Ottawa-based national political columnist, member of the editorial board, deputy managing editor, Africa-based correspondent during the last years of apartheid, and religious affairs columnist. He also has been a national political columnist for the Vancouver Sun.
The 2007 Distinguished Lecture was be given by Prof. Rebecca Morgan on Saturday, November 10, 2007. Prof. Morgan is the Director of Stetson’s Center for Excellence in Elder Law and the holder of the Boston Asset Management Faculty Chair in Elder Law, the only chair in elder law in the United States. Professor Morgan is a past president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).
This year’s Conference also featured a Plenary Address by Ms. Judith Wahl, Executive Director for the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly. Ms. Wahl has been a Fellow of the CCELS for a number of years and has been actively practising in the area of Elder Law at all levels of court, including the Supreme Court of Canada. She is currently the Vice-Chair of the National Canadian Bar Association Elder Law Section, and is active on boards of other Canadian Bar Association sections. Selected memberships include: Guardianship Advisory Committee, Office of the Ontario Public Guardian and Trustee, 1996 to date, the Alzheimers’ Roundtable, Ministry of Citizenship, Ontario Seniors Secretariat, 2004 (appointment to 2006); Member, Toronto Mayor’s Seniors Roundtable, 2004 (appointment to 2006) ; Member, Long-Term Care Facility Standards & Criteria Stakeholder Committee, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, 2004 (continuing committee); Chair, Interim Advisory Committee for the Implementation of the Ontario Substitute Decisions Act 1992-1995 (appointment by the Attorney General of Ontario).
The FPT Forum
The CCELS 2007 conference was held in conjunction with the first ever Federal / Provincial / Territorial Working Group on Seniors’ Issues Forum, which focussed on elder abuse issues. This Forum was invitation-based and will be held on November 8th, 2007. It will run concurrently with the World Study Group on Elder Law.
Conference Itinerary
Thu, November 8, 2007
Fri, Nov 9, 2007
Sat, Nov 10, 2007
8:00am
Continental Breakfast & Check-In
9:00am
Conference Opening & Plenary
The Chief Justice’s Keynote Address
10:30am
The World Study Group on Elder Law
11:00am
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent Sessions
12:30pm
Lunch
Lunch
1:00pm
Plenary
Distinguished Lecture
2:00pm
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent Sessions
3:30pm
Concurrent Sessions
Concurrent Sessions
5:00pm
Networking & Early Check-In
Champagne Cocktail Reception
Conference Closing
7:00pm
Dinner Address & Awards
Conference Schedule with Abstracts (Please note: some presenters have not been listed, but will be included as the Schedule changes). The full conference Program will be available online by November 1, 2007.
Conference Informational Brochure
Press Release – September 18, 2007 – Announcing the Right Honourable Chief Justice of Canada Beverley McLachlin, P.C.
Registration
Register now for the 2007 CCEL. Your registration includes a ticket to the Chief Justice’s Keynote Address. The deadline for registration has been extended to October 31, 2007.
Please fax or mail your registration form to the CCELS at 604-822-0144.
Book your room at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre.. You may alternatively wish to book by calling the Sheraton at 604-331-100 or 1-800-325-3535.
2007 Gregory K. Steele, Q.C. Prize
The Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies is pleased to announce its Student Paper Award in Elder Law for its third Annual Student Paper Prize on an Elder Law topic. The CCELS is committed to promoting student work in the areas of study which consider legal issues affecting older adults. Papers in both official languages are welcome. The prize includes:
A $500 Cdn honourarium
Guaranteed Conference presentation of the accepted paper
Conference registration
Presentation of an award at the Dinner Address
A travel subsidy up to $500.
The Student Paper Award will be presented at the 2007 Dinner Address. Submissions should be made electronically in Word format in 12 point font with an abstract / executive summary in English. Papers should be of Journal length, double-spaced, between 15 and 40 pages in length. Submissions should also be accompanied by the following Steele Prize Registration Form. For more information, please email awards@bcli.org. The deadline is August 30, 2007.
Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities
The 2007 Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities Package is now available. There are a number of new and exciting ways to get involved in the 2007 CCEL. Please contact us at 604.822.0633 if you are interested in participating as a Sponsor.
Previous Sponsors and Advertisers include: Vancouver Coastal Health, Law Commission of Canada, BC Housing, Fraser Health, UBC Faculty of Law, Simon Fraser University, Public Guardian and Trustee of BC, LexisNexis, Spry Hawkins, Micner, McLellan Herbert, and Einfeld Watts.
We look forward to working with you to fulfill your sponsorship needs.
The 2006 CCEL
Click here to see an overview of the 2006 Canadian Conference on Elder Law.