PREMIER’S COUNCIL ON AGING AND SENIORS’ ISSUES

Dr. Patricia Baird, Chair

Dr. Baird was trained as a physician, and then specialized in medical genetics, serving as head of the Department of Medical Genetics at UBC for over a decade. She has been a member of numerous policy advisory bodies, among them the National Advisory Board on Science and Technology chaired by the Prime Minister; the Medical Research Council of Canada (and its Standing Committee on Ethics in Experimentation); and other national and international policy and science committees. She headed the Federal Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, and has served as an advisor to the World Health Organization in recent years.

She has been associated with the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research since the mid-1980s, and is also a member of Research Council. She served on the three-member independent inquiry panel into the Olivieri case at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She has received three honorary degrees, as well as the Order of British Columbia, and is an Officer of the Order of Canada. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and is University Distinguished Professor Emerita at UBC.

Diane Bloor

Diane Bloor has been a member and secretary-treasurer of the North Peace Senior Housing Society for four years. Recently retired, Ms. Bloor’s experience includes community consultation with the BC Housing Society and the BC Non-Profit Housing Society as well as other seniors’ groups in Fort St. John.

Wilbur Campbell

Wilbur Campbell is a member of the Nlaka'bamux First Nation. In 1959, he became the youngest chief elected in British Columbia up to that time. Since then, he has continued to take an active role in First Nations issues and government. A grandfather of seven, Mr. Campbell resides in Vancouver. He currently sits on the Board of Governors for the Institute of Indigenous Government.

Mario Caravetta

Mario Caravetta is a former member of the Burnaby Hospital Board and has been recognized for his work with seniors by the Salvation Army and the Abbotsford Agri-Fair. He led a committee on Seniors’ Days at the Pacific National Exhibition. A dedicated volunteer for many years, Mr. Caravetta is active in local parish activities and at the Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver.

Lawrence Fagan

Lawrence Fagan is a management consultant with 30 years’ experience working in long-term care. A former administrator of a seniors’ residence, Mr. Fagan is knowledgeable about seniors’ care issues. He has served on the board for the Crescent Housing Society and the Come Share Society and has worked with various health and health planning organizations in Surrey.

Elsie Gerdes

Elsie Gerdes is the newly elected president of the BC Old Age Pensioners’ Organization (BCOAPO), having served in that organization for the past three years. She is a member of the Armstrong/Enderby Community Response Network Against Elder Abuse, a previous member of the College of New Caledonia’s advisory committee (registered nursing program), a former municipal councillor and previous health region board chair. Ms. Gerdes brings 36 years of community health experience to the council and has won many local awards, including a UNBC honorary doctoral degree of laws (2004). She resides in Armstrong.

Judith Grant

Judith Grant is a former member of Canadian Gerontology Association and the Gerontological Nurses Association of B.C. For 15 years she worked as an owner/administrator for a private home care services organization. Ms. Grant has served on the Kelowna General Hospital Foundation, Interior Region planning committee for the Ministry of Children and Family Development, Advocates for Seniors of Kelowna and Kelowna Hospice Society. She resides in Kelowna, where her home care company was a finalist in the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards.

Shirley Gratton

Shirley Gratton resides in Prince George where she was a city councillor for 10 years. Her community advisory experience includes serving on a broad range of community boards and committees. She is involved in the BC Hydro Power Pioneers (retirees of BC Hydro) both locally and provincewide. She is a member and past treasurer of the Hart Pioneers Association and worked on a program to prevent fraud against seniors. Ms. Gratton has received many awards including Prince George Citizen of the Year 2004/05, Governor General’s Confederation Award and Queen’s Jubilee Medal.

Mohinder Grewal

Mohinder Grewal is a member of the Richmond Intercultural Advisory Committee, the Richmond Seniors’ Advisory Committee, the Vancouver Cross-cultural Seniors Network and an executive member of the National Visible Minority Council on Labour Force Development. He has served on immigration-related boards and committees and seniors’ advisory groups, including the steering committee for the United Nations’ International Year of the Older Person. His experience includes race relations, immigrant services and cultural and social policy development. Mr. Grewal has served as an executive director of the Sikh Professional Association of Canada and as the national president of the National Association of Canadians of Origin in India. He resides in Richmond.

Jill Hightower

Jill Hightower is an independent research consultant and an educator on issues of aging, violence and abuse in later life. She has published many articles on issues of isolation and abuse. She is a member and former president of the BC Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors and member and former vice chair of the Sunshine Coast Seniors Network Action Group. She has worked with the Sechelt Seniors Centre, the Women’s Health Network and St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation. Ms. Hightower is a recipient of the Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre Senior Leadership award and was a finalist for the YWCA Women of Distinction awards. She resides in Halfmoon Bay.

Mary Jordan

Mary Jordan is the current executive director for the BC Centre for Disease Control and has 20 years executive experience with Canadian Airlines, Air Canada and American Airlines. Ms. Jordan resides in Vancouver and is currently director of the Vancouver International Airport Authority.

Dr. David Lai

Dr. David Lai is a recently retired cultural geographer and professor emeritus with the University of Victoria as well as adjunct professor (Asian studies) and associate researcher (gerontology) with the University of Victoria Centre on Aging. He is a current member of the Multicultural Advisory Council of BC and a former member of numerous committees on aging, the Chinese cultural community, and heritage preservation. Dr. Lai is a member of the Order of Canada and has been the recipient of many other national and local awards. He resides in Victoria.

Mildred Martin

Mildred Martin is president of the Nak’azdli Elders’ Society and has been active in the society since 1990. A former Carrier language teacher with the St. Maria Goretti Catholic School in Fort St. James and the Tl’azte’en First Nation School in Tache, B.C., Mildred now teaches language, traditional values and culture and is one of the few translators in the Fort St. James area.

Graham Reid

Graham Reid is a retired lawyer and business executive as well as director of the Society for Learning in Retirement. A resident of Peachland, Mr. Reid is a municipal councillor and member of the UBC Okanagan President’s Community Advisory Council. He has also served on the board of the United Way of the Lower Mainland and on the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce.

David Sinclair

David Sinclair is the current president of the South Vancouver Island Zone Housing Society as well as second vice president of the BC Yukon Command Royal Canadian Legion. He served as co-chair of the Vancouver Island Health Authority’s Falls Prevention Committee for three years. A resident of the city of Victoria, Mr. Sinclair is known for his work on behalf of seniors’ housing as well as veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. He has been recognized for these contributions by the municipality of Central Saanich, Veterans Affairs Canada and the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

Dr. Floyd Trotter

Dr. Floyd Trotter is a semi-retired chiropractor, who specialized in geriatric practice. He is a former lay member of the University of Victoria senate. Past experience includes serving on the Upper Island Regional Health Board organizing committee, the Vancouver Island Health Authority Comox Lake Watershed Group. Dr. Trotter resides in Comox, where he is active in assisting with the Canadian Hard of Hearing Association.

Jeannie Wexler*

Jeannie Wexler is a management consultant with expertise in strategy development, business planning and change management. Presently working with Western Management Consultants, Ms. Wexler has been the lead on business and organizational planning projects for a variety of organizations, including the Provincial Health Services Authority and Terasen Gas. She has extensive volunteer experience, donating her services to groups such as the Vancouver Public Library and North Shore Family Services, and has sat on the boards of the YWCA and BC Centre for Excellence for Women’s Health.

Don Winch

Don Winch has more than 20 years experience working with veterans’ and seniors’ housing societies and committees. A member of the Royal Canadian Legion, Mr. Winch also served on the BC Coalition to Eliminate Abuse of Seniors. He resides in Vancouver and helped to organize the Grandview Housing Society in East Vancouver.

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*On Feb. 17, 2006, the online version of this backgrounder was amended to reflect the fact that Jeannie

Wexler now sits on the council, taking the place of Dr. Bill Webber.


Media contact:	Dave Crebo Communications Manager Ministry of Community Services 250 356-6334

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