Keynotes

MARK JOSEPH

Mark Joseph, PhD is an Associate Professor of Community Development at Case Western Reserve University; he was a Post-Doctoral Scholar at the University of Chicago, and a Visiting Scholar at Oxford University. Joseph’s research focus is mixed-income development as a strategy for addressing urban poverty. He is the co-author of the award-winning book Integrating the Inner City: The Promise and Perils of Mixed-Income Public Housing Transformation. He is also the Founding Director of the National Initiative on Mixed-Income Communities, which conducts research and consulting in cities throughout the United States.

HON. SELINA ROBINSON

Selina Robinson was elected as the MLA for Coquitlam-Maillardville in 2013 and re-elected in 2017. Robinson had previously served as the Official Opposition spokesperson for mental health and addictions, seniors, local government and sports and as a City Councillor in Coquitlam for two terms, from 2008 to 2013.Prior to  political life Robinson had a 20-year career as a family therapist working in the private, non-profit and public sectors, and was the Director of Development for SHARE  Family and Community Services. @selinarobinson

MURRAY SINCLAIR

SHACHI KURL

As Executive Director of the Angus Reid Institute, Shachi Kurl can be found offering analysis on CBC programs, in the Globe and Mail, the National Post, and other influential forums. At the Institute—one of North America’s premier non-partisan, non-profit research and public opinion polling organizations—she works to further public knowledge, debunk myths, and contribute to debate and discussion in meaningful ways, enhancing the understanding of issues that matter to Canada and the world. She brings nearly two decades of public policy expertise to her role, spending the first part of her career as a political reporter. @ShachiKurl

DR. BRIAN GOLDMAN

Dr. Brian Goldman has been called “a doctor for all Canadians.” For more thanthree decades, he’s been a respected ER physician at Sinai Health System inToronto. Since 2007, Goldman has hosted White Coat, Black Art, an awardwinningshow that pulls back the curtain and demystifies the patient experiencein the culture of modern medicine. He is the author of three Canadian bestsellingbooks; his latest – The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy is Essential in EverydayLife – explores his personal and professional search for empathy in his brain, hisheart and around the world. @NightShiftMD

PANEL DISCUSSION: YOUTH AGING OUT OF CARE

Young people aging out of BC’s foster care system face an uncertain future, with little financial or emotional support as they transition into adulthood and living independently. This panel brings together youth housing experts, people with lived experience, and housing providers for a frank discussion about how we can better serve vulnerable young people leaving care, and ensure they have a brighter future ahead.

DR. JENNIFER CHARLESWORTH

Dr. Jennifer Charlesworth, BC’s Representative for Children and Youth, was appointed in October 2018 after working for more than 40 years in the social and healthcare sectors. She is an award-winning teacher, author and activist.

EMILY JACKSON

Emily Jackson is the Youth Engagement Coordinator with the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness. She will share her experiences of aging out of foster care, and the policy shifts needed to better support young people in the system.

KATHERINE MCPARLAND

Katherine McParland is a BC Housing board member and the Executive Director of A Way Home Kamloops, which works to end youth homelessness. As a youth, McParland lived in numerous foster homes and became homeless at 19. In 2016, A Way Home Kamloops organized the first youth homeless count in Canada.

JESKA SLATER

Jeska Slater is a Nehiyah Iskwew from Fisher River Cree Nation in Manitoba. Slater has been facilitating in and for Indigenous communities for 10 years and is the Indigenous Social Innovation Coordinator for Surrey’s Skookum Lab. She chaired the Surrey Indigenous Youth Housing Coalition in 2016, which sought housing solutions for Indigenous youth leaving care.