We are thrilled to welcome Brenda Blais as the new co-chair of the Canadian Caregiving Advisory Network (Caregivers CAN), our pan-Canadian network of caregiver advocates. Brenda brings a deep commitment to advocacy, inspired by her lifelong experiences caring for several family members, most notably caring for her daughter Nikki, who lived with complex disabilities. Brenda will be leading Caregivers CAN alongside current co-chair Nicole Dauz.
“As a member of Caregivers CAN for several years now, I have been a part of, and witness to, more community and advocacy for caregivers than I’ve ever seen before in my 30+ years of caregiving. The collective passion of those on our committee and everyone at CCCE is truly motivating and inspiring. I am honored to be entrusted with this role and will do all I can to be open, listen, and advocate for strategies that support caregivers in our country.” – Brenda Blais
“Every caregiver’s story is unique, yet the shared emotions of our lived experiences unite us. It’s incredibly rewarding to witness the impact of our collective stories as we co-design caregiving initiatives for Canadians. I’m excited to serve as co-chair alongside Brenda in 2025.” – Nicole Dauz
As we welcome Brenda, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to Katrina Prescott for her leadership as the inaugural Caregivers CAN co-chair, as she reaches the end of her two-year term. During her time as co-chair, Katrina helped outline Caregivers CAN priorities, provided lived-experience expertise to communications campaigns, was an emcee at the 2023 Canadian Caregiving Summit and holds a seat on the National Care Champions Table. In 2023, Katrina received the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence’s Advocacy Award in recognition of her advocacy work for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s and commitment to amplifying the experiences of caregivers across Canada.
We look forward to continuing our advocacy work with Caregivers CAN for a brighter future of care!
About Caregivers CAN
With a membership from coast to coast to coast, Caregivers CAN helps shape and support CCCE projects and priorities through collective co-design.
Caregivers CAN is co-chaired by two members of the group for a two-year term. The co-leads work together to facilitate quarterly meetings, represent the interests of the group to the wider CCCE team and define annual priorities and projects