SSM’s Annual Conference for 2025 will be held
May 21-22, 2025 via ZOOM.
Theme: Strength in Community: We Have What it Takes
Pre-registration will be required.
Click image below for Agenda:
This Conference will seek to inspire, support and confirm the unrecognized strengths found in Saskatchewan communities both large and small.
Some speaker’s bios have been added below, with more to come!
Click the image above for a printable PDF of the Conference poster.
We ask that each participant register with their name and email address. Please ensure that information is included on whichever payment option you choose.
We will send the Zoom link and any other information to the registered email address.
Registration fee is $20/person.
REGISTER VIA E-TRANSFER
Please include your NAME and EMAIL in the transfer.
For Interac e-transfer, please email finance@skseniorsmechanism.ca
REGISTER VIA CHEQUE
To pay by cheque, make cheque out to
Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism
and mail to the address in the footer.
Be sure to include your email address!
Thank you
for registering!
This Conference will seek to inspire, support and confirm the unrecognized strengths found in Saskatchewan communities both large and small. Information and stories of community realities can provide templates for other communities to move forward in the future.
Participants will hear about community success from another province’s 12 years of progress in supporting older adults in a variety of rural and urban communities.
Vignettes and stories from within Saskatchewan communities will describe their step-by-step approach and emphasize how different initiatives all confirm a variety of successes in supporting and maintaining their older adult population.
Each story may describe any one or more of these successes: changes in attitudes, intentional inclusion, collaboration and growing synergy, improved physical infrastructure and most importantly, more well-being and happiness within the community.
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Keynote Speaker
Bobbi Symes, Director, Healthy Aging at United Way, BC
“Community Development within BC’s Better at Home Initiative”
Bobbi is a dedicated professional Gerontologist, with a passion for improving the quality of life for older adults. In her role at UWBC, she oversees the implementation, and evaluation, of programs to help seniors remain independent at home and stay connected with their community. She has extensive experience in research and program management, specializing in the areas of population health, injury prevention, and older adults.
Don Johnson, Kipling: “Strength in Community”
A lifelong resident of Kipling and area, Don was a grain farmer for 31 years followed by a 15-year career in Ag Equipment sales followed by 10 years of retirement and, happily, still counting. Don is a past Vice-President of the SSM Board of Directors as well as a past Chair of the Age Friendly Saskatchewan Committee. Don was a founding member of the Kipling and District Age Friendly Committee and remains an active member of the organization.
Jennifer Wright, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council: “Thrive at Home”
As Senior Improvement Lead with the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council, Jennifer supports a variety of strategic improvement projects, including Thrive at Home, an initiative aimed at strengthening community-based care and supports for older adults. She values any opportunity to collaborate, and make meaningful connections, with partners across Saskatchewan to drive improvements in health and well-being for everyone.
Marianne and Terry Kostyna, Candle Lake Health Services Committee
Candle Lake: Implementing Social Prescribing Builds Strength
Marianne Kostyna, current Chairperson for the Candle Lake Health Service Committee and author of the 2024 Community Project “Candle Lake – Alive and Well”, setting a path to identify ways for our community, (and possibly other communities), to support and grow local health services, and promote heathy living for all our residents.
Terry Kostyna, recently retired Mayor of Candle Lake, continues as a member of the Candle Lake Health Services Committee, with particular focus on government and senior health agency relations. Terry also co-leads the Transportation section of Thrive at Home. He finds his 20 years of experience in the transportation business extremely helpful in a logistical approach to helping seniors get around and remain active outside their homes.
Beliz Açan Osman and Suelen Meira Góes, Saskatchewan Health Quality Council
“Data Collection is Exciting”
Beliz Açan Osman – As Senior Researcher at the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council, Beliz supports informed decision-making grounded in evidence and real-world needs. Using health and health services data, she helps us better understand the strengths and gaps in our health system, an integral part of driving change and accelerating improvement in health and healthcare throughout Saskatchewan.
Suelen Meira Góes – As a valued researcher with the Saskatchewan Health Quality Council, Suelen plays a key role in planning, implementing, and evaluating community-driven initiatives using participatory methodologies, equity-focused approaches, and innovative measurement and knowledge translation strategies. Applying her esteemed skills and expertise, she leads the evaluation of the Social Prescribing pilot in Saskatchewan, in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Seniors Mechanism, the provincial lead for this initiative.
Éric Lefol, General Manager, Vitalité 55+
“Service 55+”
Éric Lefol – Born in France, Éric moved to Saskatchewan in 1993. Holding a PhD in Agriculture and a MBA, he had a first career in agricultural research until 2005, followed by a second career as a consultant, working with the French communities across the country. Eric was hired in 2019 as the Executive Director of Vitalité 55+, a non-for-profit organization providing programs and services for French-speaking seniors in Saskatchewan.
Jacob Alhassan: “Research on Current Transportation in Saskatchewan”
Dr Jacob Alhassan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at the College of Medicine of the University of Saskatchewan. Jacob conducts research on the ways government transport policy influences health outcomes and has done so in Saskatchewan using the closure of the Saskatchewan Transportation Company (STC) as a case study. Jacob has worked with community organizations and governments on improving transportation access including serving as an expert witness on transportation equity at the Canadian House of Commons.
Thursday, May 22, 2025
Jayne White, Randy Dove, Kerrie Strathy:
“Working/Volunteering-Rewards and Challenges”
Jayne Whyte: Born in 1947, Jayne celebrates 50 years as educator and advocate with Canadian Mental Health Association. “Retirement” in March opened more time to volunteer her lived experience as an active older adult.
Randy Dove is the Past President of SSM, part of his ten-year commitment to volunteerism in advancing issues related to older adults. He has a varied background, in cooperatives, the public sector and organizing larger, national sporting events in the Regina region. He brings energy, ideas and enthusiasm to every issue and activity that he has encountered during his life journey.
Kerrie Strathy’s first job after graduating from university was to recruit and prepare volunteers to work in the Global South. This led to further studies in adult education and subsequently to working with more volunteers to make the world a better place for all, including older adults.
Lorne Calvert: “Community Contributions after ‘Retirement'”
Former Premier Lorne Calvert and his wife Betty now make their home at Buffalo Pound Lake and are active in their local resort village. Close to Moose Jaw, Lorne currently serves as President of the Rotary Club of Moose Jaw Wakamow, remains active in Zion United Church and United Churches in the Moose Jaw area, and engages with a variety of community-based organizations. On a provincial level, Lorne deeply appreciates his role on the Regional Board of the Nature Conservancy of Canada.
Doug Still, Linda Pratt, Wendy Thienes, Ashley Scholefield:
“The Magic of Age-Friendly Communities”
Doug Still – Doug taught at Humboldt Collegiate for 31 years. His community involvement in Humboldt included Town Council for 22 years and Mayor for 9. He extended his service to the province as a member of SUMA. Doug was President of the Superannuated Teachers of Saskatchewan from 2022-2024. SSM has benefitted greatly from his service on the SSM Board and as Chair of the Age-Friendly Saskatchewan Committee for 5 years.
Linda Pratt – Linda experienced community early in her life being raised on a farm outside of Regina. She has been a volunteer ever since. She served as liaison between Age-Friendly Regina and Age-Friendly Saskatchewan for the last 8 years, moving to the position of Chair of Age-Friendly Saskatchewan in February. She strongly believes in the “magic” of Age-Friendly.
Wendy Thienes: Wendy is the Age-Friendly Saskatchewan staff person. She lives in Shaunavon where she is a member of a Steering Committee of the Town of Shaunavon, overseeing the implementation of the Social Prescribing pilot initiative in that community. She previously chaired an Aging in Place task force whose work led to the development of Age-Friendly Shaunavon.
Wendy will also be speaking on Age-Friendly Businesses.
Ashley Scholefield – Ashley was born in Duval SK, and moved to Strasbourg in 2001, and later to a nearby acreage in 2021, where she and her husband are raising their two daughters.
She has been a Critical Care RN in Regina since 2017. In 2023, she took a job with the Strasbourg Age-Friendly Recreation Board as their Senior Communication Officer. She is so honored to have found work that brings her back in touch with her community, where she can serve its residents.
Barry Watson: “Moose Jaw Older Adult Employment Matching”
Barry was selected as the Senior MooseJobs Program Coordinator in March 2024, tasked with the development and launch of a one-year pilot program aimed at addressing the employment demand with experienced / skilled retirees.
His various employment experiences combined with local business connections have proven key to the success of the pilot program resulting in an extension of the program for another year.
Note: Logos are live hyperlinks that will take you to the sponsor’s website.
