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6:30 - 8:30 PM

Kinsella Auditorium, Margaret Norrie McCain Hall

Hosted by St. Thomas University, the Office of the New Brunswick Advocate, and the Office of the Public Trustee, this public event will feature presentations by experts in long-term care and aging, followed by an interactive panel discussion focused on the human rights of older adults and the responsible planning of long-term care in New Brunswick.

Each speaker will share insights from their current work addressing aging, rights, health system planning, and long-term care reform. The evening will conclude with a panel discussion examining the future of long-term care in New Brunswick, including reflections on the province’s recently released long-term care plan and how communities can ensure dignity, safety, and accountability for older adults.

This event is open to the public and welcomes caregivers, families, students, professionals, policymakers, and community members interested in the future of aging and care in New Brunswick.

Speakers:

Dr. Samir Sinha is recognized across Canada and internationally as a leading voice in the care of older adults. He is a Geriatrician and Clinician Scientist at Sinai Health System and the University Health Network in Toronto, Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto, and Director of Health Policy Research at the National Institute on Ageing. A Rhodes Scholar, Dr. Sinha has helped shape Canada’s National Dementia Strategy and Long-Term Care Standard. He also holds international appointments, including Johns Hopkins and HelpAge International, where he champions innovative, compassionate approaches to aging and elder care worldwide.

Laura Tamblyn Watts is CEO of CanAge, Canada’s National Seniors’ Advocacy Organization. A lawyer and internationally recognized expert on aging, she teaches law and aging at the University of Toronto. Her # 1 international bestseller, Let’s Talk About Aging Parents, has been released in nine languages and twelve countries. Laura provides expert testimony to governments worldwide, from Canada to Australia, and recently shared her insights at the United Nations and the Vatican. She chairs or sits on numerous boards, including the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and AGE-WELL. Laura and her husband Michael Tamblyn, CEO of Rakuten Kobo, balance advocacy with raising three children and caring for aging parents.

Graham Webb is the Executive Director of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, a specialty legal clinic dedicated to protecting the legal rights of older adults. With extensive experience in elder law and advocacy, Graham has worked to improve legal protections for seniors, particularly in areas such as long-term care rights, financial protections, housing, and decision-making capacity. He regularly contributes to public policy discussions and education initiatives focused on safeguarding vulnerable older adults. His work emphasizes the importance of legal rights, accountability, and access to justice for older adults and their families.

Christian Whalen is a Fredericton-based lawyer with over 30 years of service with the Province of New Brunswick, as Legal Counsel to the Human Rights Commission, Ombuds’ Office, and Child, Youth and Seniors’ Advocate. He is a past recipient of the National John Tait Award of excellence for meritorious service as Public Sector counsel, from the Canadian Bar Association, and has served since 2018 on the Board of CANFASD, a national research network for persons with foetal-alcohol spectrum disorder. In the summer of 2024, he was appointed adjunct professor with the UNB Faculty of Law, where he teaches children’s rights and access to information and privacy law, and contributes as a researcher and commentator in children’s rights, human rights, disability rights, youth justice, privacy, and mental health law and services. In September 2024, he was appointed Public Trustee for New Brunswick and currently serves as Chairperson of the National Association of Public Guardians and Trustees and on the national executive of the Canadian Bar Association’s Elder Law section.