Silver Longevity Business Association - SLBA

06/01/2026

Forty years ago, Alice Modin started Seniors Week from Strathcona County. What began as a local effort grew into a provincial moment.

Forty years on, that work still matters. Older adults shape Alberta's communities, workforces, neighbourhoods, and families. This week is a moment to recognize that, not just say it.

June 1 is also Intergenerational Day. The two days share a date for a reason. Aging well rarely happens in isolation. It happens when generations show up for each other, ask each other questions, and stay in each other's lives.

That is the work behind the longevity economy. That is the work SLBA's community is part of.

To Alice Modin, and to the forty years of people who kept Seniors Week going, thank you.

05/27/2026

Before SLBA had a name, it had a reason.

Our founder, Murdock, spent years watching the same thing happen.
A family hits the moment everything changes.
A parent needs more support, and suddenly, there are decisions about care, housing, health, and money, each one pointing to a different stranger.
Good families, doing their best, falling through the gaps between good professionals who never talked to each other.

Karen knew it did not have to be that way. The people who serve older adults are some of the most dedicated anywhere. Imagine what happens when they stop working in silos and start working as one trusted network.

That belief became SLBA.

We asked Karen to share why this work matters to her. Read through for her reflections, in her own words.

And if they resonate, come build this with us.

Because nobody should have to figure out aging alone.
Not the senior.
Not the family.
Not the people who care for them.

05/25/2026

Alberta's largest Seniors Week celebration is back for its 29th year.

The Older, Bolder, Better Exhibition and Symposium returns this June. A full day built around connection, with over 100 exhibitors, guest speakers, door prizes, a photo booth, and hundreds of people who believe getting older is something to celebrate.

Hosted by Westend Seniors Activity Centre, it is free to attend and open to everyone.

Thursday, June 4,
9:00 am to 4:00 pm
River Cree Resort and Casino, Enoch

If you are an older adult, a caregiver, or someone who works alongside our aging community, this is a day worth showing up for.

*Register for free at [weseniors.ca/older-bolder-better](http://weseniors.ca/older-bolder-better)*

05/20/2026

Each month, SLBA highlights one member shaping Alberta's longevity economy.

This month, we are honoured to feature Kemi Ojo

A nurse who built her practice around the people who matter most to her: older adults at home, and the families holding their hands through it.

Kemi is at Heart 2 Care Home Care, where the work goes beyond tasks.

Her team supports older adults to age safely and comfortably in their own homes, with care that meets both the body and the spirit.

What drew Kemi to this work was simple. Older adults thrive when they can stay where life feels familiar, with the right support around them.

As a nurse, she saw what compassionate home care actually does.

It eases physical strain. It steadies a worried family. It protects something harder to name.

Dignity. Comfort. Connection.

Her advice for families starting to think about home care?
Start the conversation before care becomes urgent.
The right support takes time to build. Trust takes longer.

Kemi is a nurse, a builder, a quiet force for the people she serves.

Exactly the kind of voice this community was made for.

05/18/2026

Two phrases. One word apart. Worlds apart in meaning.

in place. Aging in the right place. 💛

Most people say the first one without thinking. Stay home. Stay independent. Stay where the memories live. And for many people, that is exactly right.

But for others, it quietly becomes a story they cannot rewrite. The stairs get harder. The phone rings less. The fridge gets emptier. And still, the script says stay.

Our founder, Karen Murdock, has been pushing back on that script for years. The right place to age is not always the home you have always known. Sometimes it is. Sometimes it is somewhere new. What matters is that it is a choice, not a default.

The right place is where you feel safe. Where you stay connected to people. Where help is there when you need it. Where you keep your dignity and your sense of purpose.

Both are valid. Neither is failure.

If this hits home, share it with someone who is sitting with one of these decisions right now.
A parent. A friend. Yourself.

The conversation starts here. 🌿

05/13/2026

Meet Joanne Calder Swensrude Member at Large, SLBA. 💛

Technology Trainer. Practical Skills Specialist. Digital Confidence Builder.

Joanne helps people of all ages feel confident with the technology they use every day. From Microsoft Office training for corporate teams to smartphone and tablet classes for older adults, she meets people where they are. No jargon. No overwhelm. Just clear, practical learning.

What fuels her is the moment someone shifts from intimidated to confident. From "I can't do this" to "I've got this."

For Joanne, technology isn't the goal. Confidence is.

"Technology should make life easier, not harder. When people understand it, they gain confidence, and that changes everything."

That's Joanne. Building digital confidence. One person at a time. ✨

Six board members. Six different lenses on what aging well looks like. The foundation of what SLBA is building.

05/06/2026

05/06/2026

🎉 We can't keep this in.

The SilverTech Healthy Aging Summit was named a finalist for Community Initiative of the Year at the 2026 YEG Startup Community Awards. 🌟

This is Karen Murdock's baby. The summit she dreamed up, built from the ground up, and pulled off with Haidong Liang and the team at Westend Seniors Activity Centre. A space where startups, seniors, entrepreneurs, and care providers come together to shape the future of aging in Alberta. Together.

Edmonton is seeing what so many of us already know. Aging well is one of the most exciting things we can build for. 💛

The awards are on Thursday, May 7. We're cheering loudly. 🙌

To Karen, Dr. Haidong Liang, and the whole team, this one is for you.

Let's gooooo. 🚀