On June 1-3, 2025, coinciding with the beginning of B.C. Seniors’ Week, BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) returned to the Victoria Conference Centre for its 48th Annual Conference, the largest one to date with over 650 attendees.
Embracing the many Changes in government, across the sector, and within the Association, BCCPA welcomed delegates, speakers, sponsors, and exhibitors to yet another sold-out conference that featured a wide range of educational sessions and exciting networking events.
For the tenth year in a row, Savaria Patient Care returned as Title Sponsor. BCCPA thanks them and all of our sponsors for their generous support in making our annual conference the premier seniors’ living, wellness, and care event in Western Canada.
Conference Highlights
On Sunday, many attendees partook in pre-conference events, including the Tom Frame Memorial Golf Tournament (sponsored by MIP) at the Olympic View Golf Club, and the Policy Café with BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt (sponsored by Comfort Keepers). The evening wrapped up with our Welcome Reception at the Royal BC Museum, sponsored by Gordon Food Services, with bubbles courtesy of PointClickCare.
BCCPA President Marc Kinna opened the conference on Monday morning, reminding our audience that making a difference for seniors drives meaningful change. B.C. Minister of Health Hon. Josie Osborne emphasized the importance of timely care and building a sustainable health system. We were also honoured to have Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors’ Services and Long-Term Care who thanked providers for their dedication to seniors’ care.
The Association recognized Ross Hayward, outgoing Assistant Deputy Minister for seniors’ care, as an Honourary Member for his many years of service and contributions to seniors’ care in the province. We also officially welcomed our new CEO, Mary Polak, former MLA for Langley and cabinet minister. The opening closed with a bittersweet standing ovation for outgoing CEO Terry Lake, honouring his five years of leadership and advocacy with the Association.
Throughout the conference, delegates heard from various speakers across different topics, including our opening keynote by Dr. Kevin Milligan (Professor and Director of UBC Economics) on the aging population and the plenary panel featuring B.C. Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt; Deputy Minister of Health, Cynthia Johansen; Executive VP of Long-Term Care Operations at Sienna Seniors Living, Jennifer Anderson; and Clinical Professor and Vice Dean of UBC’s Department of Medicine, Dr. Roger Wong.
SafeCare BC’s Dragons’ Den-style event showcased innovative safety ideas, awarding $2,000 to Trellis Seniors (healthcare category) and the Safety Innovation of the Year Award to HME Home Health (commercial category). Congratulations to both winners, as well as Eden Gardens for winning People’s Choice Award and Broadway Lodge for placing third!
The conference also included concurrent sessions on timely and pressing topics such as the Residential Tenancy Act, seniors housing development, the aging workforce, life enhancements in long-term care, alternative therapies, defeating loneliness, technologies in independent living, AI implementation, and strategic workforce development and leadership.
Monday night’s event at the Crystal Gardens, sponsored by Haddon Equipment + Supplies, featured wine from Plan A Kamloops, a photobooth by Acera Insurance, and an energetic performance by The Timebenders. Guests dressed as their favourite pop stars and danced through five decades of music.
Following its biggest conference to date, BCCPA is looking forward to returning to the Fairmont Chateau Whistler on May 24 – 26, 2026, for an even bigger and better conference! Share your thoughts here to help us strengthen our program for #BCCPA2026.
Photos:
Click here to access the photo albums on our Flickr page.
Session slideshows:
BCCPA thanks its valued sponsors for their tremendous support and generosity in making this event possible. 
