FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 8, 2001
Banff, Alberta

During the next decade, the percentage of the Canadian population over 65 will continue to increase dramatically and many of these people will require various levels of long term care. When the Banff Centre for Management’s directors invited David Hicks, of The Elliott Group in Guelph, to co- host its national Long Term Care Symposium, they knew what they were doing. Andre Mamprin, the Centre for Management’s program director of Governance and Executive Leadership, says Hicks is an excellent choice for the role of lead facilitator for the Symposium. "Under the visionary leadership of Mr. Hicks and his volunteer Board of Trustees, The Elliott Group has gained widespread recognition as a model of excellence in meeting the divergent needs of seniors," says Mamprin. "One of the primary strengths of The Banff Centre is the relationships it’s been able to develop with leaders who break ground in their fields, and Mr. Hicks is a noteworthy example."

The need to provide solutions to the challenges of care for Canada’s elderly has never been more pressing. Senior leaders from across Canada will meet at The Banff Centre from January 17-19, 2001 to explore long term care issues and develop innovative responses. Participants include provincial ministers; long term care facility CEOs and directors; directors of community care provision; doctors and nurses; researchers; pharmaceutical company representatives; community support groups; and financial strategists. The Symposium will focus on combining five key areas into a community based model for long term care: care provision, housing, financing, municipal land management, and quality of life issues.

Mr. Hicks’ experience will make him a valuable contribution to the Symposium’s panel of expert facilitators. Under his leadership, one of The Elliott Group’s important contributions to long term care in Canada was to integrate a condominium complex for seniors, a retirement home, and a full nursing complex on an eight-acre site. Indeed, this entrepreneurial group’s ability to stand on its own and run a not-for-profit organization without any government support inspired Simon Fraser University to apply a national research grant toward studying the Elliott Group as a national model of excellence. The goal of The Banff Centre’s Symposium is to develop similar models that can be deployed in municipalities across Canada.

For more information, contact:

David Hicks, Chairman, Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors and retired CEO, The Elliott Group. January 8-9: 519-763-2428; January 10-14:250-658-2527 (or cell: 250-380-7626: 829-8435)
or
Sabrina Grobler, Media Relations, The Banff Centre. ph. 403.571.1821 or 403.762.6487