Highlights from the Seniors Living Expo & Job Fair

This past weekend, EngAge BC held its inaugural Seniors Living Expo & Job Fair event for older adults (60+) and their loved ones to explore the very best seniors living and wellness options. Held at the Vancouver Convention Centre East, older adults and their families spent the day learning more about seniors’ services, programs, products, living options available to them.

Here are some of the highlights from the event:

Job Fair – The Job Fair brought together job seekers and employers in the growing seniors living and care sector. Prospective workers had the opportunity to discover new and rewarding career opportunities and connect with employers to learn more about the many training opportunities in the sector.

“We had six job interviews already this morning, so it’s been a great day.” – Marc Kinna, CEO at Baptist Housing

Visit from Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Service and Long-Term Care – On Saturday, P.S. Mable Elmore visited the event on behalf of Adrian Dix, B.C.’s Health Minister. Elmore attended the first keynote presentation with EngAge BC and BCCPA CEO Terry Lake, who spoke about navigating the seniors care continuum.

In welcoming attendees in the event program, P.S. Elmore highlighted the independence and involvement of seniors in their community as they age.

“As a society, we have a lot of work to do to raise the standards of care and diversity of services for our seniors who depend on them. So, it is wonderful that people from all walks can attend this event in-person to ‘celebrate Canada’s older adults’ […] and learn ways to collectively build a strong continuum of care for our seniors.”

She thanked EngAge BC and BCCPA for organizing this event, as well as all of the practitioners and providers for senior services for sharing their latest ideas and best practices with the public. She also thanked all job seekers hoping to contribute to the seniors’ service sector.

Vaccination clinics – Vancouver Coastal Health held a vaccine clinic to administer the new combination bivalent (two-strain) COVID-19 vaccine. Attendees had the chance to get their vaccines while browsing our Expo floor. Other attendees received their High-Dose flu vaccine at London Drugs’ booth.

Route 65 booth – Upon entering the Expo, attendees were warmly greeted by our Route 65 staff, who helped seniors and their loved ones navigate seniors living and wellness options. Staff oriented attendees with our Route 65 service, and also spoke more about the options in independent living, home health care, assisted living, and long-term care. Visitors also learned more about our Assurity certification that makes it easier to choose a quality home health or independent living operator.

Speakers – Thanks to our sponsors, the Seniors Living Expo featured an exciting lineup of speakers. Our speakers discussed on a range of ageing topics to help older adults learn more on preparing for their retirement years, particularly in staying healthy, active, and safe as they age.

Throughout the weekend, attendees heard from:

  • Laura Tamblyn-Watts (President and CEO of CanAge)
  • Terra Munro (Care Manager at Bayshore Home Health) and Jessica Gutierrez (Eugeria)
  • Andrea Derban (Public Health Nurse)
  • Amaanali Fazal (United Way)
  • Neela White (Certified Professional Consultant on Aging at 3Macs)
  • Helena Brennert (Clinical Nurse Educator)
  • Terry Lake (Former Minister of Health and current CEO at EngAge BC & BCCPA)
  • Jenifer Strachan (Community Relations Specialist), Jacqueline Omstead (Vice President Regional Operations BC Retirement) and Tanis Glenn (Sales Support Specialist)
  • Michael Curry (Clinical Associate Professor at the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine)
  • Denise Beaton (Ministry of Health, BC Injury Research & Prevention Unit, UBC)
  • Brianne Gardner (MBA Wealth Manager & Investment Advisor at Velocity Investment Partners)

Personal stories of attendees – Many of the event attendees shared personal highlights of the event. One pair EngAge BC connected with was Cathy and Tracy, who attended the event to learn more on helping their 91-year-old mother. Tracy highlighted how much information they had learned, as well as the many new ideas for social activities they now have for their mom. Cathy exclaimed that it was great to have everything in one place at the Expo.

We thank our Seniors Living Expo & Job Fair sponsors and partners for their support in celebrating our older adults!

Click here to see photos from the event.