From June 7–9, 2026, community leaders, practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and advocates from across the country came together in Winnipeg and virtually for the 2026 Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) Sector Summit. Hosted by HelpAge Canada in partnership with the National CBSS Community Leadership Council, the Summit united people and organizations committed to strengthening community-based supports for older adults.
Under the theme The Power of Community: From Local Vision to National Action on Ageing, participants explored how local innovation, grassroots leadership, and a shared pan-Canadian voice for the sector can shape a stronger future for ageing in community.
This year’s Summit built on the momentum of the 2024 CBSS Sector Summit and was a vital touchpoint to share and activate insights from the 20 community consultations held across Canada over the past two years, weaving local perspectives and older adults’ voices into the development of the growing national CBSS sector.
Hosted every two years, the CBSS Sector Summit has become a cornerstone event for organizations working at the heart of healthy ageing in Canada. It provides a unique opportunity for community leaders to look beyond their local contexts and come together as part of a growing national movement. By gathering with hundreds of peers from across the country, participants share promising practices, explore innovative solutions, and help shape a collective vision for a strong, unified, and recognized pan-Canadian CBSS sector.
This year’s Summit reinforced a powerful message: while CBSS organizations across Canada serve a diverse range of older adults and communities, the opportunities and challenges confronting the CBSS sector are deeply shared. Lasting progress happens when organizations come together — not only as local leaders, but as part of a coordinated national effort to create a better future for ageing in Canada.
Report Back: World Café Session on the National Community Leadership Council Strategic Plan
On June 9, 2026, HelpAge Canada hosted a World Café as part of the 2026 National CBSS Sector Summit in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The World Café was intended to give the Community-Based Seniors’ Services (CBSS) sector an opportunity to review and validate the draft National Community Leadership Council (NCLC) Strategic Plan. This report summarizes what we heard from participants, both in Winnipeg and online, who validated and refined the draft strategy in June 2026.
