Seniors’ Heat Resilience Community Forum
Coming Together for Seniors’ Heat Resilience
On September 10, 2026, the Seniors’ Heat Resilience Community Forum brought older adults, researchers, practitioners and community organizations together at SFU’s Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue to learn from one another and explore ways to better prepare for extreme heat. The forum was hosted by the COPE research team, led by Theresa Pauly and Atiya Mahmood, in collaboration with the Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue.
The morning Connect & Learn event explored heat resilience through hands-on activities, demonstrations, games and art. These experiential sessions were made possible by contributions from:
- S.U.C.C.E.S.S. and Senior Green Ambassadors
- Brella Community Services Society
- Building Resilient Neighbourhoods / Hey Neighbour Collective
- SPEC Elders / United Way BC Healthy Aging
- Â鶹ÊÓƵInclusive Environments Lab
- UBC / Cool ’Hood Champs
- UBC Sensing Heat
- COALESCE Project
- Sites of Transformation
- Vancouver Coastal Health
The morning also featured a community theatre performance led by Aryana Mohammed, exploring aging and heat resilience through storytelling.
In the afternoon Co-Create Workshop, where participants shared their experiences and discussed how to better support older adults during extreme heat. The workshop brought older adults’ perspectives into conversation with research, community services and professional practice.
Thank you to our collaborators and session contributors, the community theatre participants, the COPE research team, research assistants, volunteers, and Â鶹ÊÓƵMeeting, Event, and Conference Services for their work in bringing the forum together. Above all, thank you to the older adults and community members who shared their experiences, questions and ideas throughout the day.
