February 2nd, 2026

Vancouver, BC — A newly released report from British Columbia’s Seniors Advocate confirming a more than 200 per cent increase in long-term care (LTC) waitlists since 2016 underscores a systemic failure to keep pace with the needs of an aging population. While the number of seniors in B.C. has grown by 19 per cent over the past decade, the number of publicly funded LTC beds has increased by only five per cent, leaving many older adults waiting nearly 10 months for care.

January 30th, 2026

Open letter: FIFA 2026 and reasonable access to care

Prime Minister Carney, Minister Michel, and BC Members of Parliament,

Please find attached an open letter regarding reasonable access to medically necessary care for patients who must travel to Vancouver and Toronto, and the predictable accommodation barriers that will intensify during FIFA 2026.

This is a constructive request for federal leadership and urgent coordination with provinces and territories so the Canada Health Act’s promise of reasonable access is not undermined by non-clinical paywalls such as unaffordable or unavailable medical accommodation.

I would welcome the opportunity to brief your office and provide practical recommendations that can be implemented quickly ahead of summer 2026.

Sincerely,

Paul Adams
Executive Director|| BC Rural Health Network

January 28th, 2026

Do you work in health, housing, or the space(s) in between? We want to hear from you.

Building on the momentum of our campaign to recognize housing as a human right in BC, we’re seeking expertise from our coalition members and community partners on the impacts of housing (and lack thereof) on individual, familial, and community health.

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January 22nd, 2026

Petition: Increase CPP Death Benefit

This House of Commons petition aims to make funerals more affordable by increasing the CPP Death Benefit, which has been stuck at $2,500 since 1998 even though funeral costs have more than doubled.

The petition will close March 17. It will be tabled in the House of Commons and requires a government response.  The greater the number the signatures, the stronger the message to parliament.

Please consider signing the petition and sharing it with your family, friends and colleagues. Your help in signing this petition helps send a strong message that dying with dignity is an affordability issue for all Canadians.

Don’t forget to reply to the House of Commons confirmation email you will receive to authenticate your signature.

Please also consider contacting local MPs about this issue since more than petition alone will be needed to accomplish this change.

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January 20th, 2026

An Ounce of Prevention: Why Home Support Matters to Us All

The future of Home Support will be decided in the coming weeks, with real consequences for patients, families, and access to health care.

The Community Bargaining Association, which represents thousands of home care workers, returns to the bargaining table today after an overwhelming 92.3% “YES” vote to authorize a strike. This historic mandate sends a clear message: the Province is failing to meet its commitment to make Home Support accessible.

Home Support is essential to a functioning health care system. It keeps people healthy instead of forcing them to wait until they are sick or in crisis, proving the old saying true that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. When home support is unavailable, emergency rooms jam, hospitals overflow, and surgeries are delayed. Care at home is also far less expensive than hospital and acute care services, making it one of the smartest investments the province can make.

By continuing to strong-arm an already strained home support workforce, the government is putting the entire health care system at risk. High turnover, chronic staffing shortages, and gaps in care are already straining home support services. Without immediate action, these pressures will only intensify. Recruiting and retaining workers is nearly impossible when community health workers are paid less and receive fewer benefits than others in the health care system doing the same work. Without a stable, fairly compensated workforce, the downstream impacts could overwhelm the system.

As Health Authority CEOs and HEABC decide the future of this essential service, we are reminding them why care at home matters. Read 7 Ways Home Support Rescues Health Care below.

In solidarity,

Ayendri Riddell (she/her)
Director of Policy and Campaigns, BC Health Coalition
https://www.bchealthcoalition.ca/

November 23rd, 2025

Letter to Minister Anand supporting GAROP request for budget

Subject: Approval of the budget for the Open-ended Intergovernmental Working Group to elaborate an international legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons

On behalf of the 85,000 members of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO BC), I wish to draw your attention to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 58/13, which decided to establish an open-ended intergovernmental working group (IGWG) with the mandate of elaborating and submitting to the HRC a draft international legally binding instrument on the human rights of older persons with the objective of promoting, protecting and ensuring the full enjoyment of human rights by older persons.

November 13th, 2025

Letter to Minister Mike Farnworth – Re: Bike lanes for electric wheelchairs and 3&4 wheel mobility scooters

The Council of Senior Citizens’ Organization (COSCO) is a not-for-profit, non-partisan umbrella organization that represents 65 affiliated member groups including 85,000 older adults and retirees located in all regions of British Columbia. We advocate for policies that allow seniors to remain active, independent, and fully engaged in the life of our province.

BC’s Motor Vehicle Act presently inhibits the ability of seniors to be active, independent, and engaged by creating a legal grey area regarding the use of wheelchairs and 3 & 4 wheel mobility scooters on bike and roll lanes and routes.1 We respectfully ask that you make the needed changes to allow wheelchairs and 3 & 4 wheel mobility scooters on bike and roll routes province-wide without delay.

November 11th, 2025

Advocacy Across Decades: COSCO BC’s Leadership in Advancing Health Policy for Older People

This report presents the findings of a collaborative research project marking the 75th anniversary of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia (COSCO). Founded in 1950, COSCO is a volunteer-led, non-partisan umbrella organization representing over 80,000 seniors across the province. The study was co-led by COSCO and researchers at Simon Fraser University, with funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) through the Knowledge Mobilization for the Voluntary Sector program.

November 5th, 2025

Save Our HandyDART Press Release: Vancouver & Surrey Mayors Sign On, Yet TransLink Moves Forward

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke have joined seven other mayors and city councils from throughout Metro Vancouver calling for HandyDART service to be brought in-house under government control, rather than continuing to contract out to foreign corporations. These nine mayors represent 73% of the region’s population.

To read the press release addressing these developments, please click below.

Re: Canadian Dental Care Plan, Pharmacare, Safe Long-term Care Act

Dear Minister Michel:

This letter is to congratulate you on your new role as Minister of Health and inform you of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC’s (COSCO BC) fervent support for federal health care initiatives that support the health and wellbeing of all Canadians.

Re: The BC Railway: An Opportunity to Redevelop a Valuable Transportation Asset.

Dear Minister Farnworth,

We are writing on behalf of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia. This year we are celebrating 75 years as an organization and now represent 80,000 members of our 70 affiliated organizations. We wish to apprise you of the potential importance of the BC Railway (BCR) to provide an effective transportation option for older adults as well as others in this province and would welcome an opportunity to meet with you to discuss this with you.

Bringing HandyDART inhouse to Translink

Dear Minister Farnworth, Translink CEO Kevin Quinn and Translink Board of Directors.

Attached please find a letter expressing the views of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO BC) regarding the upcoming decision by the Translink board to bring HandyDART under public control.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter to ensure older adults can safely remain in their communities.

COSCO Input to 2026 BC Budget Consultation

Click below to download the presentation in PDF format.

COSCO BC Provincial Budget Analysis for 2025

The Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO), a non-partisan non-profit Society representing 80,000 seniors across the province, continues to call for a government plan for healthy ageing that integrates a continuum of health care services, housing, income security and transportation to ensure the health and well-being of a growing aging population.

LifeLabs Solidarity Action in Victoria

What: Rally to support LifeLabs health care workers
When: Wednesday, April 16, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Corner of View and Government Streets
Who: Everyone who cares about public health care (you!)

LifeLabs workers are experiencing untenable working conditions. Please come out to support their calls for better pay and a sustainable work environment.

We’ll march from the corner of View and Government to the steps of the Legislature for the speaker program and media event. You’ll hear from a lineup of speakers including testimonials from both patients and workers.

Bring your friends and neighbours and support our tireless lab technicians who perform such a vital role in providing quality health care

Transportation for Seniors

Global Alliance for the Rights of Older People – HRC58 Weekly Bulletin

Call by Langley Seniors in Action and other agencies

Transportation Needs of BC Seniors

Dear Minister Farnworth

Attached please find a letter outlining our key concerns regarding transportation for seniors in our province.

Submission to Commission of Inquiry re Canadian Union of Postal Workers

Dear Commissioner Kaplan

Re: Input into your review of Canada Post’s financial situation from a seniors lens

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input from the point of view of seniors in British Columbia. The Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO BC) is the largest independent non-partisan seniors group in the provinces, with 70 affiliated organizations collectively representing over 80,000 seniors and retirees. We are affiliated with the National Pensioners’ Federation which has invited us to provide input.

COSCO President Leslie Gaudette Addresses UN

COSCO Letter to the Minister of Housing – Ravi Kahlon

Re: Measures needed to avert homelessness for BC seniors

“The Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO) is deeply concerned with reports from our members about the increasing number of seniors who are faced with extreme housing insecurity, leading to a rising number of vulnerable older adults living in their cars or on the streets, with no home to call their own. This is in sad contrast to our fervent belief that housing is a human right for seniors living in all parts of our province.”

Read the full letter sent to the Minister below. You can also read his response to COSCO BC received July 2nd, 2024.

COSCO Letter to the Senate of Canada

Re: Seeking your support for Bill C-64, An Act respecting Pharmacare

Today, on behalf of the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC, I am reaching out to request your strong support for the swift and unamended passage of Bill C-64, An Act respecting pharmacare. It is essential that this Bill be enacted before the current session ends to ensure benefits flow to Canadians as soon as possible.

COSCO Letter to BC Dentists

Re: Oral health professionals and the Canadian Dental Care Plan

The Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations (COSCO) of BC is a non-profit, non-partisan, volunteer driven organization that has promoted the well-being of seniors since 1950, representing over 80,000 members from 75 affiliated seniors organizations across BC. COSCO advocates for policies that allow seniors to remain active, independent, and engaged in society. We write to you today about the new Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).

Global Intergenerational Week might have concluded for this year, but intergenerational practice is here to stay, every day!

Whether you organised or participated in an event, or spoke up online about the benefits of bringing generations together – we’ve been inspired by all of your activities to raise the profile of intergenerational practice this week.

But there’s still so much we can do together as a global community to advocate for reducing ageism and using intergenerational practice as a proven strategy to do so.

Here are a few suggestions from the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism on how we can build on the momentum as a worldwide community working to create #AWorld4AllAges

• From step-by-step guidance on intergenerational practice to the best available evidence on ageism – the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism’s new digital home has a resource for you.
• Explore everything available on aworld4allages.org, and sign-up to join the Global Campaign and stay up-to-date on the latest opportunities.
• We’re looking for organisations and communities around the world, especially from low- and middle-income countries, who are willing to work with us directly to implement our ‘how-to’ guide on intergenerational practice, Connecting Generations.
• If you’re looking for support and are also open to collaborate on a case study of your experiences we can share with others, contact us at hello@aworld4allages.org (limited slots available).
• We’ve heard you! We’re working on a version of the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism logo that anyone can use for their initiative, event, publications, and more to be a part of the movement and show support.
• We need your voice to shape how we design this logo. Place your vote in our short survey by 15 May 2024 (Wednesday).
• To spread the word on ageism as widely as possible, we need to translate our resources into other languages – and we need your help.
• To get involved, explore our new FAQs on how to contribute a translation on the Global Campaign to Combat Ageism website.

In case you missed it, here’s a message from the WHO Director-General on ageism and intergenerational practice.

Campaigners across the world call on governments to start drafting a UN convention on the rights of older people

From 8 to 14 April 2024, campaigners (that means all of us!) from around the world will gather for a ‘Global Rally’ on the rights of older people. Their message for governments convening in May for the UN Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing is “It’s time to start drafting a convention on the rights of older people.”

The Global Rally was established in 2021 as a component of the Age with Rights Campaign organized by the Global Alliance on the Rights of Older Persons (GAROP). GAROP — a network of over 400 members worldwide, including the IFA — was born out of the need to strengthen the rights and voice of older people globally. The Global Rally is a week dedicated to solidarity and advocacy towards a new UN convention on the rights of older people.

Click below to explore all the ways you can Take Action during this important global rally!

Canada’s pharmacare showdown

The lack of progress on the Government’s promise to create a national programme for universal access to drugs risks a political crisis.

Read the full article, featuring an interview with a COSCO representative on The Lancet by clicking below. (Registration is required, but it is free to do so.)

Need to modernize VIA Rail’s Equipment and Operating Environment

COSCO has written a letter to the Ministers of Finance and Transport in support of funding the modernization of VIA rail equipment. Read the full letter by clicking below.

All Hands on Deck for Pharmacare!

Pharmacare legislation could be coming sooner than expected – as early as next week. We also heard disturbing indications the Liberal government could go back on their commitment to a drug plan that covers all Canadians, because they think voters don’t care. So the next couple days are absolutely critical for people like you and me to let the government know that we want universal pharmacare or bust!

Together we need to remind key government actors – cabinet members, and a few target MPs – that voters are paying attention, and if they introduce a pharmacare bill tailored to protect Big Pharma’s profits, rather than provide for people, it’s going to hurt them in the next election.

This is an all hands on deck moment — our movements have been fighting to bring coverage for medicines into our public health care system since Medicare was established more than 60 years ago, and your voice is needed, right now, to help get it across the finish line.

Having our voices heard now is so important. During my meetings with MPs in Ottawa this week, many told me they haven’t heard from their constituents about pharmacare, and that makes them feel like it’s not a priority issue. In these last few days before the legislation arrives, we need to make sure MPs know that you want to see universal pharmacare, and you expect them to live up to the promises made to deliver it.

Summary of the Pharmacare Check-in (recording link below)

• Campaign update from Nik:
  • We are gathering very good intel from both sources close to the NDP and report backs from the Canadian Health Coalition lobby days last week. The NDP is committed to the red line they’ve drawn over universal pharmacare, and the Liberal caucus is split on universality.
  • Negotiation between NDP and Liberals still going, and the big sticking point is whether it will be a universal program or one that just covers the uninsured. The latter is pushed by Big Pharma and the insurance industry. Discussion also includes what will be covered by the initial roll out, and it sounds like oral contraceptives and diabetes medications are what’s on the table.
  • The phone calls we’re making are having an impact: Since a week ago, we have made 4000+ calls to MPs and key cabinet ministers. This is thanks to the incredible mobilizing work from chapters and organizers on the ground. MP offices are telling us that these calls are effective in bringing the pressure!
• Sharing the calling tool to your network
  • Please continue to share the calling tool far and wide in your network. Personal touch makes a big difference, so send a personal text, email, message, etc. encouraging people in your network to make the calls and share the calling tools.
  • If you are member of a union local, faith group, other community organizations, etc., ask them to share the call tool with their network.
  • Link to call tool is here: https://canadians.org/action/pharma-phone-mp/
  • There is an email from Nik this morning titled “Keep on fighting for pharmacare”. You can forward that along.
• Phone outreach to Council of Canadians members
  • Since last week, we’ve also built an elaborate but effective phone tree. Chapter members and key organizers in the pharmacare campaign have also been making calls to Council of Canadians supporters, asking them to use the calling tool to call their MPs and cabinet ministers. These are people who have engaged with the pharmacare campaign through phone zaps, town halls, letter writing, sharing personal stories, etc, and live in target ridings. It won’t be cold calls!
  • 32 people have been making nearly 800 calls to Council supporters in the last 7 days. And it works! We saw 4000 phone calls made to MPs because of this outreach strategy.
  • Can you help us make more calls? Each list is between 15-20 names, probably takes an hour to get through, and there is a step-by-step guide and script to help you along the way.
  • Please reach out to me (vbui@canadians.org/ 613-355-6957) or David (dravensbergen@canadians.org/ 778-998-5493) if you have an hour or even half an hour to make some calls.

Announcement of Dental Plan for Seniors

Letter to Hon. Mark Holland, Minister of Health

“Huge congratulations are due to you both for working out a plan to provide dental care for low and moderate income seniors. We appreciate the detailed advance information on the roll out of this program and will work with our members to do our best to ensure a smooth implementation, despite the bumps that may occur along the way.”

Read the full letter below.

Submission to the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board – December 19, 2023

The Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of BC (COSCO BC) welcomes this opportunity to provide input to the Scoping Paper for the consultations on the PMPRB Board’s new Guidelines. COSCO BC, the largest umbrella organization for seniors in BC, represents the interests of 75 affiliated organizations with a combined membership of 80,000 seniors located in all parts of our province. We are a non-profit, non-partisan, independent, volunteer driven society that aims to advance the social and physical welfare of British Columbia’s seniors through submitting proposals and resolutions to appropriate government bodies. Read the full submission below.

Just Released: CADeN’s 2023 National Meeting Summary Report!

On November 8th and 9th 2023, CADeN held its first National Meeting since 2018 in Montréal!

This meeting was an opportunity to bring together partners from different fields, including community leaders, people with lived experience, healthcare professionals, health organizations, and decision makers. The goals of the meeting were for participants to connect, to share projects and perspectives, and to brainstorm effective strategies to promote medication appropriateness in their communities and networks. This event was made possible through a financial contribution from Health Canada.

Burnaby council calls on TransLink to stop outsourcing HandyDART bus service

Burnaby councillors are calling for TransLink to bring its HandyDART service in-house after signing a letter penned by the Save Our HandyDART Coalition.

The letter also calls for funds from higher levels of government to provide HandyDART with an expanded, electric fleet of buses.

Attached is this year’s submission by COSCO to the Federal Budget Consultation.