Speakers

Keith will lead a presentation on what the international service committee does and how international service through the Rotary Foundation changes the world.

B.C.’s seniors’ population is growing and people are living longer, putting increasing pressure on government services in health care, housing, income supports, community supports and transportation. Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt will provide an overview of the work of the Office of the Seniors Advocate, including its role in monitoring seniors’ issues and services and advocating for seniors and caregivers. He will highlight key issues facing older adults and recommendations for improving services, as well as discuss how seniors contribute to the wellbeing of their community. 

Bio for Dan Levitt, BC Seniors Advocate. 

Dan Levitt has tirelessly championed the rights of seniors for 30 years at the provincial, national and international levels.Prior to his appointment as B.C.’s Seniors Advocate, Dan held leadership positions in senior-living and long-term care homes in the Lower Mainland for more than ten years where he helped shape a dementia-friendly future for seniors and their loved ones.He was an adjunct professor of gerontology at both Simon Fraser University and a former sessional instructor at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. He has also been a surveyor with Accreditation Canada, reviewing quality improvement and person-centred care at long-term care homes and community-based service providers across the country.He is a certified health executive with the Canadian College of Health Leaders and achieved Fellowship status in the college in July 2024. He also received the Young Executive Award presented by the BC Lower Mainland Chapter Executive of the Canadian College of Health Leaders. On the global stage, Levitt recently served as a member of the board of directors of the Global Ageing Network and the International Federation on Ageing.Dan earned an undergraduate degree from the UBC and masters degree from the University of North Texas, Center for Studies in Aging. He has served on the board of directors for the Denominational Health Association and the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia. He is inspired by the aging journeys of his grandparents and great-grandparents, and is now supporting his parents, who are living life to the fullest in their mid-80s.

 

We have built extraordinary systems to educate our children, care for the sick, and support our communities. But who prepares us to become parents, navigate life's greatest transitions, or care for the relationships that hold our families together?

Join Jace Poirier Lacerte, Founder and Vision Keeper of the Family Stewardship Centre, for an introduction to the Family Stewards movement: an Indigenous-led initiative emerging on southern Vancouver Island to restore the village around families. Rooted in Indigenous teachings of kinship, ceremony, and collective responsibility, Family Stewards are developing a new profession dedicated to supporting people through seven thresholds of life, from birth to becoming ancestors.

Discover how a community-driven approach to family wellbeing could strengthen relationships, prevent crises before they begin, and reimagine what it means to care for one another across generations.

Jace Poirier Lacerte

Jace Poirier Lacerte is a Red River Métis educator, social entrepreneur, and community leader living and working on the traditional territories of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples.

A former public school teacher and University of Victoria Distinguished Alumna, Jace is the Founder and Vision Keeper of the Family Stewardship Centre, an Indigenous-led initiative developing a new profession of Family Stewards to strengthen families through education, ceremony, and community connection.

Jace also serves as Vice President of the Victoria Native Friendship Centre and as a Director of the Camosun College Foundation. Through her work, she brings together Indigenous knowledge holders, researchers, community organizations, and families to reimagine how communities prepare for and support life's most significant transitions.

Her guiding belief is that every birth deserves ceremony, every family deserves a village, and every person deserves stewardship across their becoming.

 

The Greatest Gift You Can Give Your Loved Ones Is Peace of Mind

Estate planning is about more than deciding what happens to your assets after you pass away. It is about protecting yourself, making your wishes known, and giving your loved ones clarity and peace of mind when they need it most. This presentation will explore the importance of planning ahead and introduce three key documents: a Will, a Power of Attorney, and a Representation Agreement for health and personal care decisions. Learn how these documents work together to ensure your wishes are respected and help the people you care about navigate life’s unexpected challenges with greater confidence.

Jessica Izard Bio

Jessica Izard is a lawyer at Cook Roberts, where she practises as a general solicitor with a focus on wills and estate planning, real estate, and business law. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Juris Doctor from Queen’s University in Ontario. Originally from Victoria, she is passionate about community involvement and has been involved with the Rotary Club of Oak Bay and other volunteer initiatives and sports groups throughout the City.

DESCRIPTION
Most people have said "I should write a book" at least once. Most never do. Crystal Adair-Benning has spent 30 years as the invisible hand behind other people's bestsellers, and she's convinced the book is already in there... in the stories you tell at dinner, the advice you give on repeat, the thing you know that nobody else does. In 18 minutes she'll show you where your book is hiding, why the excuse is almost never time, and the first 3 moves to get it out of your head and onto the page. Warm, a little funny, and you'll leave quietly plotting your first chapter.

BIO
Crystal Adair-Benning is a 4x NYT bestselling ghostwriter & book coach based here in Victoria. She started at 15 and got paid in dog food. 30 years later she's written books for founders, experts and speakers in 12+ countries, coached 200+ authors, and runs Createcation™ writing retreats. About 95% of her work is under NDA, which is exactly how it was supposed to go.