Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day! Happening annually on June 21st, on this day we recognize, celebrate, and honour the achievements, history, and rich cultures of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Canada.

At Seniors First BC, we are grateful to be working closely with First Nations communities in BC to increase access to information, legal advocacy, and support services for Indigenous older adults.

In January 2023, in recognizing that First Nation members living on-reserve have been historically underserved by the legal community, especially in the area of advance planning living on Nation and/or Reserve lands, our Advance Planning Clinic Program launched the First Nation Estate Planning Project in partnership with the Social Health & Economic Development Society of Bella Coola and First Nations communities across the province.

Through this project, our staff lawyers deliver educational events and assist older adults of limited means to prepare wills, powers of attorney and representation agreements, free of charge. The project has been a great success so far—in total, we have prepared 202 free advance planning documents for Indigenous clients in BC, and we aim to continue increasing the availability of our services in partnership with First Nations communities.

Earlier this year, Catharine Schlenker, our Advance Planning Clinic Program Manager and a Staff Lawyer, presented in two free webinars on Wills & Estates for Indigenous People hosted by the First Nations Health Authority through the UBC Learning Circle. View the recordings here: