2023 Agenda

For an idea of the conference topics, here is last year's 2-day schedule:

8:00 a.m.

8:30 a.m.

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Oct 17, 2023

Registration & Continental Breakfast

• You

Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 AM

8:45 AM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Opening Remarks, Welcome Ceremony, and Land Acknowledgement

• John Brewer, Conference Bard
• Kathy MacLeod-Beaver, Indigenous Mental Health Worker, Nogojiwanong Friendship Centre

Opening Remarks

8:45 AM

9:00 AM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Welcome from GenWell

• Pete Bombaci, founder of The GenWell Project

Welcome

9:00 AM

9:15 AM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Connection Exercise

• John Brewer, Conference Bard

Connection Exercise

9:15 AM

9:30 AM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Is Walking the Solution to a More Connected Canada?

• Troy D. Glover, Ph.D., Professor & Chair, Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies.

The presentation endeavours to explore how neighbourhood walking facilitates authentic social interactions among neighbours to bolster the social fabric of neighbourhoods and strengthen relationships.

9:30 AM

10:15 AM

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Oct 17, 2023

Getting Canada Connected: Results from the Canadian Social Connection Survey & The Social Connection Guidelines Project

• Dr Kiffer G. Card, Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University.
• Jocelle Refol, Research Assistant, Simon Fraser University

In this presentation, Dr. Card will highlight the results of the latest Canadian Human Connection Survey and walk the audience through the recent progress in the development of the Canadian Social Connection Guidelines, including results from an ongoing Delphi study of more than 120 experts from across the globe.

10:15 AM

11:00 AM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Opening Keynote – The US Framework, Canadian Research

• Julianne Holt-Lundstad, Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University.

Dr. Holt-Lundstad will join us, virtually, to introduce the audience to the recent release of the Social Connection Framework from the U.S. Surgeon General, on which Dr. Lundstad was the lead researcher and writer.

11:00 AM

11:30 AM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Q&A and Discussion with Audience

• Dr Kiffer G. Card, Assistant Professor, Simon Fraser University. • Julianne Holt-Lundstad, Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience, Brigham Young University.

Dr. Holt-Lunstad and Dr. Card will be joining us together, to answer audience questions and to discuss the learning’s from both sides of the border on how we can create more synergies to impact the lives of Canadians and Americans more rapidly.

11:30 AM

12:00 PM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Poster Presentations

Learn more about a variety of research initiatives that are focused on human connectivity and social health.

12:00 PM

1:00 PM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Lunch break

• You

Time to break bread with those you have connected with so far in the day.

1:00 PM

1:30 PM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Cards, Classrooms, & Conversations: Putting Connection into Practice

• Catherine Hart, Communications and Project Specialist, Engage Nova Scotia.

The presentation tells a story about “From Me to You”, a provincewide note-writing initiative launched in December 2020 where Nova Scotians were invited to write or draw a note to someone in their community.

1:30 PM

2:15 PM

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Oct 17, 2023

What’s Government Got to Do with It?

• Sandra Allison – family physician and former public health official.
• Vickery Bowles – City Librarian at Toronto Public Library.
• Dr. Eileen de Villa – Medical Officer of Health for the City of Toronto.
• Michael Tibollo – Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

Governmental role of helping people connect across all walks of life, in every region.

2:30 PM

2:45 PM

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Oct 17, 2023

Closing Remarks

• John Brewer – The Conference Bard

Closing Remarks

3:00 PM

5:00 PM

-

Oct 17, 2023

Pub Social

• You

Join us for a pub social with lots of time and opportunity to get connected face-to-face with other conference attendee

8:00 AM

8:30 AM

-

Oct 18, 2023

Registration & Continental Breakfast

• You

Registration & Continental Breakfast

8:30 AM

8:45 AM

-

Oct 18, 2023

Opening Remarks

• John Brewer

Opening Remarks

8:45 AM

9:15 AM

-

Oct 18, 2023

Healthy Cities, Neighbourhoods, & Home

• Robyn Lee, Student Researcher, Hey Neighbour Collective
• Tennesha Joseph, 880 Cities

These 2 presentations will focus on the role of the built environment to build greater human connectivity and support people through the common challenges of living in a community.

9:15 AM

10:00 AM

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Oct 18, 2023

Building a More Connected Canada – Social Prescribing and Other Approaches

• Sonia Hsiung, Director, Community Health and the Institute for Social Prescribing, Red Cross Canada
• Cindy Yu – CISP Researcher, Social Epidemiologist
• Dr. David Conn- Executive Vice-President of Education and Chief Academic Officer at the Baycrest Academy for Research & Education

These presentations & facilitated Q&A’s will focus on the role of social prescribing as a way to social

10:00 AM

10:15 AM

-

Oct 18, 2023

Social Connection Break

• You

Take some time to get connected with your fellow conference attendees.

10:15 AM

11:15 AM

-

Oct 18, 2023

Exploring the Impact of Loneliness on Marginalized Communities & How to Build a More Inclusive Canada

• Mabe Kyle, Co-founder of the Rural Ontario Community of Queer Youth
• Shayna Skakoon-Sparling, Assistant Professor
• Victoria McCutcheon, MPl Candidate
• HanShu Pu, BHSc student and Research Assistant at Queen’s University School of Nursing
• Mujeedat Lekuti, BHSc student and Research Assistant at Queen’s University School of Nursing

These presentations & facilitated Q&A session will focus on understanding the impact of loneliness on different marginalized populations within Canada & how we can build a more inclusive Canada.

11:15 AM

11:45 AM

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Oct 18, 2023

Deepening our Connections for Climate Resilience

• Britt Wray, Director of the Special Initiative of the Chair on Climate Change and Mental Health in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences of Stanford University School of Medicine

We are learning just how much climate change impacts the physical and natural world around us—but how does is it impacting our emotional wellbeing and mental health?

11:45 AM

12:00 PM

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Oct 18, 2023

Wellness Exercise

• Bobbie Breckenridge, The GenWell Project Community Development Manager, Registered Social Worker, & Mind-Body Coach

This wellness practice will help us sooth our minds and bodies while creating an opportunity to connect more deeply with ourselves and others.

12:00 PM

1:00 PM

-

Oct 18, 2023

Lunch break

• You

Time to break bread with those you have connected with so far in the day.

1:00 PM

1:30 PM

-

Oct 18, 2023

Managing Grief Through the Power of Human Connection

• Sarah Hines, Founder and CEO, Grief Advocacy
• Yvonne Heath – Founder of Love Your Life to Death

These presentations & facilitated Q&A session will explore the role that human connection plays in supporting grief and loss as a universal human experience.

1:30 PM

2:10 PM

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Oct 18, 2023

Connection Across the Lifespan

• Cherie Ann Pereira- Registered Social Worker, Big Brothers, Big Sisters
• Sydney Elaine Butler- Founder of Accessible Creates
• Franco Taverna- Chief Innovation and Education Officer & Co-Founder of Companion Link

These presentations and facilitated Q&A session will explore the benefits and challenges of inter-generational connections & how people can get connected throughout their life.

2:10 PM

2:30 PM

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Oct 18, 2023

How are Our Youth Doing after the Pandemic?

• Kristi Berg MacDonald- PhD student at University of Western Ontario

This presentation and facilitated Q&A session will explore the impacts of Covid-19 on adolescents’ sense of loneliness & social well-being.

2:30 PM

3:00 PM

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Oct 18, 2023

Exploring the Role of Volunteerism & Pro-Social Behaviour for Social Health & Wellness

• Julia Nakamura- second-year doctoral student and Vanier Scholar in the Health Psychology program at the University of British Columbia
Yeeun Archer Lee- PhD student, Psychology at the University of British Columbia

These presentations and facilitated Q&A session will explore how to create more accessibility for volunteerism in Canada and how to utilize pro-social behaviour to mitigate loneliness and social isolation.

3:00 PM

3:40 PM

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Oct 18, 2023

Town Hall Discussion

• John Brewer – The Conference Bard

Opportunity for all panelists and conference attendees to engage in further dialogue to explore where we go from here.

3:40 PM

3:55 PM

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Oct 18, 2023

Closing Remarks

• Pete Bombaci- Founder & Executive Director of The GenWell Project
John Brewer- Conference Bard

Closing Remarks