Gilbrea in Conversation at the Canadian Association on Gerontology 2025

From October 23–25, 2025, members of the Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging travelled to Montréal to participate in the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG) Annual Scientific & Educational Meeting, Radical Relationality & Aging. This year’s conference brought together researchers, practitioners, students, and community partners to explore how relationships—across generations, environments, technologies, and care systems—shape the experience of aging.

We are proud to highlight the meaningful and wide-ranging contributions of our Gilbrea members who presented symposia, oral papers, and posters throughout the three-day event. Their work illustrates the diversity, depth, and community-centred approach that continues to define our Centre’s mission.

Gilbrea Presentations & Posters at a Glance

Our members shared research spanning technology, digital worlds, climate change, dementia care, intergenerational connection, community housing, environmental stress, and trauma-informed practice. Together, these projects highlight the importance of relational thinking in understanding and improving the lives of older adults.

Nicole Dalmer

• Chronicling Older Ontarians’ Technology Life Histories (Symposium)

• Googling the Great Beyond: How Older Canadians Navigate Death-Related Information (Symposium)

• Ripple Effects: Tracing Older Women’s Engagement with Water (Oral)

Kyla Kovalik

• A Library-Based Tech Club for Older Adults Living with Dementia and Their Care Partners: A Co-Designed Project (Oral)

• Co-Designed Intergenerational Kitchen Pilot Project (Poster)

Meridith Griffin

• Aging with/ Away from the Gaze: A Narrative Exploration of LGBTQ+ Older Adults’ Embodiment and Self-Objectification (Oral)

• Establishing a National Collaborative on Climate Change and Aging (Oral)

• Aging in a Changing Climate: An Environmental Scan of Climate Impacts and Resources for Older Adults in Canada (Poster)

Ruth Tamari

• Intergenerational Community in Multi-Unit Housing: A Strategy to Address Ageism (Poster)

Amanda Bull

• Framing Ethics: Navigating Power, Consent, and Risk in Participatory-Visual Research with Older Workers (Poster)

Mya George

• Older Adults Learning to Use Voice Assistants: Experiences and Adaptation Strategies (Poster)

• Carrying Friendships Forward: Older Adults’ Experiences of Bereavement (Poster)

• Grandparents in Grief: A Scoping Review of Grandparent Experiences of Grandchild Bereavement (Poster)

Hadiya Huijer

• Trauma and Continuing Care Homes: Understanding the Current Context and Developing a Framework for Implementing Trauma-Informed Care (Poster)

Looking Forward

These discussions reflect not only the breadth of our work but also the Centre’s commitment to addressing aging through interdisciplinary, relational, and community-engaged perspectives.

We congratulate all of our presenters for their thoughtful, community-grounded scholarship and for representing the Gilbrea Centre at CAG2025. Their contributions continue to push forward important dialogues about aging, care, justice, and connection in Canada and beyond.