Virtual Symposium 2026

Legal Dimensions of Elder Abuse in Ontario:
Strengthening Access to Justice and Protections for Older Victims

May 14, 2026
9:30 AM – 2:30 PM (ET)

EAPO is hosting a symposium to raise public awareness and build service providers’ capacity to understand the justice response services and programs to better navigate and respond, to support victims of elder abuse.

The symposium will provide an inclusive space to stimulate dialogue with system partners, including  justice and police partners, legal and victim  services, shelter agencies, community-based support services, health care providers, elder abuse prevention networks and academics to better understand the justice system in reponse to elder abuse and discuss navigating justice services to better support and respond to the needs of older victims of elder abuse.

This conference aims to:

Increase legal literacy  to better understand the barriers and challenges and unique needs of older adult victims and survivors in accessing justice and legal services.

Improve access to justice for older victims and survivors by equipping front-line workers with knowledge of their reporting obligations, clear referral pathways, resources and available remedies.

Enhance coordination between justice and community health care sectors to prevent and respond to elder abuse.

Promote victim-centred, trauma-informed approaches that prioritize dignity, safety, and autonomy for older adults.

Share insights of survivor’s experiences and perspectives for systemic changes to improve older adult victim’s access to legal support and services.

Reserve your spot today!
No charge to attend, but pre-registration required!
Participants can attend the full day or join when available anytime during the day.

Marta Hajek, CEO & Raeann Rideout, Director Strategic Partnerships

Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario

Jason Balgopal 

Assistant Crown Attorney, Scarborough Crown Attorney Office

Jason is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, and an Ontario lawyer, who was called to the bar in 1999. He has been practicing exclusively in criminal law since 2003, and has been an Assistant Crown Attorney in the Scarborough Crown Attorneys’ office since 2004. He has appeared in all levels of court in Ontario, and has conducted all manner of prosecutions, including murder trials and a dangerous offender application.

He has been a member of the Elder Abuse Consultation Team (EACT) in Toronto since 2007, and has presented many times on the topic of Elder Abuse. He is also a member of the Scarborough Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee (HSJCC) which helps to coordinate the various services offered by different organizations to a diverse population. He has also been a member of the Law Enforcement Agencies and Partners Protecting Seniors (LEAPPS) for a number of years.

He is the author of Balgopal’s Guide to Criminal Practice, an annual 1,000 page criminal law reference book published by Thomson Reuters (formerly Carswells). He has also been challenged by depression, and has taken that lemon and made lemonade by creating peer support groups that help him and others. www.MentalWellness.help

Lucy Becker, Interim CEO and Registrar, Retirement Home Regulatory Authority

Lucy provides strategic leadership and oversight of the RHRA’s regulatory operations to protect the safety and well-being of licensed retirement home residents across Ontario. A seasoned executive with more than 25 years of regulatory experience, she has held senior roles overseeing doctors, lawyers, investment brokerages, and the bereavement sector.

Through her extensive regulatory board work, Lucy has a deep understanding of governance best practices, financial oversight and enterprise risk management, in addition to her stakeholder relations expertise. She has experience on the Board of Directors of the Bereavement Authority of Ontario and the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. She is also an adjudicator on the Ontario Physicians and Surgeons Discipline Tribunal and is co-chair of the Consumer Advisory Panel for the Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario.

Lucy joined the RHRA in October 2022 as Vice-President of Public Affairs, where she oversaw corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, media relations and government relations to advance the regulator’s consumer protection mandate.

Kurtis Barrett, Interim Director, Public Affairs, Retirement Home Regulatory Authority

Kurtis Barrett is a seasoned public affairs leader with extensive experience spanning the private sector, regulatory bodies and all levels of government. He is currently the Interim Director of Public Affairs at the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA), where he leads corporate communications, media, stakeholder engagement, government relations and strategic initiatives. 

Prior to the RHRA, Kurtis held various roles in the initial build of a new government agency responsible for centralizing public procurement across Ontario. In these roles, Kurtis contributed to the agency’s overall development and supported the structural build of its communications, stakeholder engagement and policy functions. Kurtis was also a Consultant with Navigator Ltd., Canada’s leading high-stakes public strategy and communications firm.

He currently serves on the Ontario Government’s Senior Achievement Award Selection Committee and is a Director on the Board of Family Councils Ontario, a charitable nonprofit organization with a mission to lead and support families in improving quality of life in long-term care.

Mike Payne, Detective Constable. Waterloo Regional Police Service

Detective Constable Mike Payne serves as a police officer with Waterloo Regional Police Service.  Currently assigned to the Major Fraud Unit, a significant portion of his over 29-year career has been investigating financial crime and investigating offences against seniors. Mike is often a keynote speaker providing education and training regarding elder abuse and financial exploitation against older adults. Mike is the Chair of the Waterloo-Wellington Elder Abuse Prevention Council, past Vice-Chair of Law Enforcement Agencies and Partners Protecting Seniors and a past member of the Ontario Securities Commission – Seniors Expert Advisory Committee. 

In March of 2026, Mike was invited and spoke at the Government of Canada Standing Committee of the Status of Women on the Financial Vulnerability of Seniors & Scams Targeting Older Adults. https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-payne-9a950777/

Detective Staff Sergeant Kim Hogan, Victim Response Support Unit – West Region, Crime Preventions & Community Support Bureau. Ontario Provincial Police

Detective Staff Sergeant Kim Hogan has 24 years of policing experience, with a career focused on major crime investigations and victim support. Kim manages the Detachment Abuse Issues Investigator Program in West Region and works closely with the Provincial Police Academy to develop and deliver training. In March 2026, the OPP launched its first Older Adult Abuse Investigator Course.

Detective Constable Kevin Middleton, Hate Crime Investigator, Thunder Bay Police

Kevin brings 18 years of policing experience to his role, with the past 13 years focused on supporting victims of IPV, Elder Abuse, and Hate Crime. While working as an Elder Abuse Detective, Kevin played a key role in launching a local Elder Abuse Prevention Committee in Thunder Bay, which partnered with the Age-Friendly Thunder Bay organization. His investigative work has resulted in several important convictions, including cases of Theft by Power of Attorney, Breach of Trust (POA), Failure to Provide the Necessaries of Life (POA), Forcible Confinement (POA), and Manslaughter (in a LTC Home).

Most recently, he laid charges against a Long-Term Care Home (LTC) as a corporation and a Personal Support Worker (PSW) for Criminal Negligence Causing Death and Obstructing Justice. These matters are still before the courts.

Detective Isabelle Ouellette, Elder & Vulnerable Adult Investigations, Ottawa Police Service

Detective Ouellette is in her 30th year of policing at the Ottawa Police Service. She has worked in various sections during her lengthy career such as School Resource Officer, General Investigations and Organized Fraud. For the last 8 years she has been a member of the Elder & Vulnerable Adult Investigations Unit investigating physical, financial and sexual abuse cases. She uses a collaborative approach with community partners to ensure a coordinated and victim-oriented approach.

Jane Meadus

Staff Lawyer and Institutional Advocate, Advocacy Centre for the Elderly

Jane represents clients in long-term care homes, hospitals, psychiatric facilities and care homes (retirement homes) with respect to related legal issues. Ms. Meadus has a B.A. Anthropology from McMaster University, an LL.B. from the University of Ottawa and was called to the bar in Ontario in 1993.

Ms. Meadus joined ACE in 1995. Ms. Meadus has represented parties at inquests related to long-term care, including the El Roubi/Lopez Inquest, and more recently at the Gillese Inquiry into Long-Term Care.

Ms. Meadus writes extensively on issues related to long-term care homes and related topics. She is a regular speaker at educational seminars and before various groups, and has chaired numerous programs, including the Elder Law Certificate Program and the Legal Guide to Consent, Capacity and Substitute Decision Making for Osgoode Professional Development.

Ms. Meadus is a frequent media contributor regarding long-term care and related issues, such as the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on residents of long-term care homes. In June 2021. Ms. Meadus was appointed as a member of the National Long-Term Care Services Standard Committee, which addressed standards for the delivery of safe, reliable and high-quality long-term care services.

Ms. Meadus is a Distinguished Fellow of the Canadian Centre for Elder Law Studies, the 2016 recipient of the Osgoode Professional Development Award for Outstanding Contribution to CLE, and the 2022 recipient of the Ontario Health Coalition Orville Thacker Award recognizing exceptional commitment and contribution to improving quality public health care for the elderly in Ontario.

Raeann Rideout, Director Strategic Partnerships
Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario