November 2023 Newsletter: CCEL Celebrates 20 Years

November 2023 Newsletter: CCEL Celebrates 20 Years

November 23, 2023

BY Taja De Silva

Thank You for Celebrating 20 Years of CCEL 

In early November, the Canadian Center for Elder Law (CCEL) celebrated its 20th anniversary. To mark the occasion, Canadian Elder Law Conference Chairs Hugh McLellan, Kimberly Whaley, Geoff White, KC, and the BCLI hosted a reception for conference attendees and the many people who are part of our community. A special thank you goes out to our speakers, Elder Carleen Thomas for her beautiful welcome, BCLI Board Chair Edward Wilson, BC Ombudsperson Jay Chalke, former National Directors of CCEL Krista James and Laura Tamblyn Watts, and our current Director, Kelly Melnyk. We are grateful for the support of all who have contributed to the work of CCEL.

The CCEL’s celebration of 20 years was hosted following the annual 2023 Canadian Elder Law Conference, which the CCEL helped to organize. This is the first time that this conference has been held in person since 2019. It was a great opportunity to discuss recent developments in this area of practice. Both CCEL Director Kelly Melnyk, and Senior Staff Lawyer Greg Blue, KC were among the presenters at the conference. We were pleased to be able to co-present on the new BCLI Undue Influence Recognition and Prevention Guide along with Geoff White, KC.  

The British Columbia Law Institute was delighted to host a table at the 2023 BC Cabinet & First Nations Leaders’ Gathering, which took place earlier this month on November 2nd and 3rd. The Gathering is a partnership between the BC Cabinet and the First Nations Leadership Council, which is comprised of the BC Assembly of First Nations, the First Nations Summit, and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs. Executive Director, Karen Campbell, and Staff Lawyer, Megan Vis-Dunbar, represented BCLI on the convention floor. BCLI is grateful to have had this opportunity to strengthen our relationships with Indigenous leaders and government ministers. 

Our Articling Student, Kira Davidson, and Staff Lawyer, Megan Vis-Dunbar, represented BCLI at the UBC Social Justice Forum. The forum was a great opportunity for us to connect with UBC law students interested in social justice legal practice opportunities. We extend our thanks to the Allard Law School for hosting this annual event and for supporting diverse legal careers. 

On 14 November 2023, Senior Staff Lawyer, Greg Blue KC, delivered a short presentation and took part in a panel discussion on artificial intelligence in medicine at the UBC Data Science and Health (DASH) Conference 2023. Greg is currently managing our Artificial Intelligence and Civil Liability Project. 

Staff Lawyers Megan Vis-Dunbar and Greg Blue, and Communications Manager Taja De Silva virtually attended the Canadian Insititute for the Administration of Justice’s Symposium on Indigenous Courts on November 21 and 22. The presentations and dialogue brought together a variety of perspectives on how to build justice systems that reflect Indigenous communities’ values.