The post CCEL 12. Study Paper On Supporting Vulnerable Victims & Witnesses first appeared on British Columbia Law Institute.

The post 98. 2023 Annual Report first appeared on British Columbia Law Institute.

We note that the province has just adopted Bill 44, a new law that limits the use of public hearings. In this consultation, we hope to hear from all members of the public, and look forward to receiving comments that will assist the BCLI Renovate the Public Hearing Project Committee in developing its final recommendations for reform.

Public hearings have been a feature of BC’s land-use legislation for local governments for about 100 years. Recently, critics have questioned whether public hearings are serving the purpose of providing a deliberative forum to assist local governments in making decisions on land-use planning. The Renovate the Public Hearing Project provides an opportunity to think about public engagement on land use from first principles, consider new insights into group deliberation, and create a better way for local governments to engage the public.

Copies of the consultation paper, a short backgrounder summarizing its contents, and a link to our survey are all available at the project webpage. The consultation is open until 15 March 2024.

The post Have your say on reforming public engagement on land-use bylaws first appeared on British Columbia Law Institute.

The Gathering is a partnership between the provincial government 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. It is designed to recognize, respect, and advance government-to-government relationships and facilitate joint dialogue and collaboration in support of reconciliation. The record number of attendees at this year’s Gathering represented 193 First Nations and organizations and included Grand Chief Stewart Phillip from the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, Robert Phillips from the First Nations Summit, Regional Chief Terry Teegee from the BC Assembly of First Nations, BC Premier David Eby, Attorney General Niki Sharma, and the Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, Murray Rankin.

BCLI’s Executive Director, Karen Campbell, and BCLI staff lawyer and Reconciling Crown Legal Frameworks (RCLF) program lead, Megan Vis-Dunbar, represented BCLI on the convention floor. They engaged with attendees and promoted the RCLF program by sharing copies of the five reconciliation primers and information about some of the program’s upcoming work, including a study paper on Indigenous Courts. A significant moment for BCLI came when the reconciliation primers were highlighted in a presentation by Minister Rankin, who encouraged delegates to pick up copies.

BCLI is grateful to have had this opportunity to strengthen our relationships with First Nations leaders and government ministers. We are thankful for the positive feedback we received throughout the event, and we look forward to building on the connections we made as we continue to develop our reconciliation work.

The post BCLI attends BC Cabinet & First Nations Leaders’ Gathering 2023 first appeared on British Columbia Law Institute.

What are the key services the Alzheimer Society of B.C. provides?

Working in communities throughout the province, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. supports and advocates for and with people affected by dementia. We enable research into the disease, which includes collaborating with municipalities and businesses to build communities that are inclusive, supportive and accessible for people living with dementia. Through the Dementia-Friendly Communities initiative and close work with health authorities and care providers, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. helps to connect people to the services they need and ensure health-care providers have the skills and knowledge to provide the best care possible, through access to person-centred dementia education. We also work closely with advocates with lived experience to ensure their voices are heard by leaders and policy makers at the municipal, provincial and federal levels.

Through the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s suite of First Link® dementia support services, the Society provides:

• Individual support: Ongoing support calls to identify changing needs and offer information and resources tailored to each unique situation; 
• Support groups: In-person and online groups for caregivers and people in the early stages of dementia to learn from and connect with others in a similar situation;
• Dementia education: Workshops and weekly webinars on a wide variety of topics from diagnosis to end of life;
• Minds in Motion®: A social and fitness program for people in the early stages of dementia and a care partner, based in community centres;
• Coffee and Chat: A social program for people in the early stages of dementia and caregivers to have fun while connecting with others in a similar situation;
• Information: Resource handouts, brochures, fact sheets and videos, as well as quarterly newsletters containing updates on events in a specific area; and
• First Link® Dementia Helpline: A centralized access point for dementia information and support for anyone affected by dementia, personally or professionally. Learn more here.

What are the connections or interactions between the Alzheimer Society of B.C. and the law?

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. supports and educates families in planning for the future, including legal and financial needs. Connecting with partners such as the CCEL is a way to provide the families support with meaningful and accessible information from experts through workshops. The Society also works directly with organizations and businesses who engage with families affected by dementia – including law firms – to develop dementia-friendly practices. Partnering with the CCEL has been an opportunity to educate lawyers about the impact of legislation, regulations and policy on people with lived experience of dementia, while also being able to contribute to and influence law reform – an essential component of improving the lives of people affected by dementia.

Why is the Canadian Elder Law Conference important to the Alzheimer Society of B.C.? Do you have any topics from past conferences that you found stuck with you?

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. appreciates opportunities to share its vision and mission with a wider audience of people interested in issues affecting our aging population, as well as being able to share dementia-friendly practices and amplify the voices of people with lived experience.

Anything else you want to attendees/potential attendees to know about the Alzheimer Society of BC and their efforts in serving an aging population?

The Alzheimer Society of B.C. believes that people living with dementia are individuals with the same human rights as everyone else, including the right to form their own opinions and participate in decisions about their life and care. It is essential that people living with dementia and their families and caregivers be consulted in discussions as well as legislative or procedural decisions on topics that affect them. The Society respects the right of all people living with dementia to advocate for their personal best interests; we are here to provide people living with dementia with support and information so that they can make informed decisions about their care, including end of life. We encourage people living with dementia to engage in personal planning and make their wishes for health and personal care decisions known to their family members and substitute decision-makers as soon as possible after diagnosis. Ensuring lawyers see that a diagnosis of dementia does not mean one loses the ability to make or communicate a decision – and that patience, respect and making space for the person living with dementia, is critical to ensuring the person living with dementia retains their right to express their own choices.

The post CCEL Spotlight: Alzheimer’s Society of B.C. first appeared on British Columbia Law Institute.