Where—and how—do we want to live as we age? Will our neighbourhoods, our buildings, and our cities be able to meet our needs?

The evening begins with a screening of the documentary Where We Grow Older (CCA, 2023, 30 min), which explores how architecture and urban planning can respond to the challenges of an aging population.

The screening will be followed by a roundtable discussion moderated by Marc-André Carignan which will focus on the Quebec context, bringing together speakers Maryse Barrette, Isabelle Comiré, Olivier Fillion, Sébastien Lord and Julien Simard. With backgrounds in anthropology, activism, architecture, urban planning, real estate development, and municipal policy, they will reflect on the future of housing in Quebec: which forms, policies, and models can allow everyone to age in place—or together?

This event is free. As seating is limited, registration is recommended.

Maryse Barrette

After earning a degree in design from the Université du Québec à Montréal and then a degree in architecture from the University of Montreal, Maryse Barrette obtained her professional master’s degree in architecture from McGill University in 2011. As a senior designer at Yelle Maillé architectes, she stands out for her sensitive, rational, and deeply human approach to architecture. Known for her determination and energy, she favors a collaborative approach to developing promising and sustainable solutions.

Her primary motivation is based on the fundamental role of architecture in improving the built environment and the quality of life of its users. Her career has been marked by a variety of achievements, ranging from strategic studies to major projects in health, housing, and education. She has contributed to several mother-child centers, long-term care facilities, seniors’ houses, private residences for seniors, and the Mission Unitaînés social housing project, which totals 1,700 units for independent seniors across the province.

Marc-André Carignan

Trained in architecture at McGill University, Marc-André Carignan works at the intersection of urban planning, architectural outreach and valorisation of built heritage. Winner of the 2021 Frederick Todd Award from the AAPQ, co-recipient of the 2024 Ambassador of Quality in Architecture Award from the OAQ and the 2023 Award for the Promotion of Architecture from the RAIC, he combines technical expertise with the ability to engage diverse audiences around urban issues.

As content manager for Kollectif, Quebec’s leading architecture news outlet, and former host of the television magazines ARCHI BRANCHÉS and NOS MAISONS (Savoir Média), he has developed solid credibility as a columnist and spokesperson for urban and architectural design.

Isabelle Comiré

A member of the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines et en relations industrielles for over 25 years, Isabelle Comiré holds a degree in Industrial Relations from the University of Montreal as well as a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from the Université du Québec à Montréal. She dedicated more than 20 years of her career to the health and social services network, working in human resources, including 10 years in management roles. She later served as Director of a childcare center before joining the Congrégation des Sœurs des Saints Cœurs de Jésus et de Marie to lead the development of the PAX Habitat project. As Director, she led an innovative multigenerational initiative in Joliette, aiming to respond to the current needs of seniors while fostering an inclusive, humane, and supportive living environment.

Olivier Fillion

Olivier Fillion holds a master’s degree in architecture from McGill University and devotes his practice to reimagining architecture for better aging in society. Committed to transforming living environments and to social innovation, he explores how non-profit real estate can strengthen inclusion and collective well-being. His research project presented to the SSHRC laid the foundation for an innovative intergenerational housing model, leading to the creation of the non-profit housing organization COMMUN, which designs sustainable, accessible, and community-based living environments. Olivier also collaborates with the Montreal-based architecture firm KANVA, where he explores the role of housing as a vehicle for social connection, health, and resilience. His approach aims to build communities where every generation can age in their homes—together.

Sébastien Lord

Sébastien Lord has a multidisciplinary background in urban planning, architecture, and land use planning. His thesis, which focuses on aging in the suburbs, received the Merit Award in Housing Studies from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. After four years at the Luxembourg Institute of Urban Research as a research officer, he joined the team at the School of Urban Planning and Landscape Architecture at the Faculty of Environmental Design at the University of Montreal in 2012. Since January 2019, he has been the director of the Ivanhoé Cambridge Observatory on Urban and Real Estate Development.

Lord’s research focuses on residential practices in the context of demographic transition, examining the relationship between mobility (both daily and residential) and living environments across different urban settings, including city centers, suburbs, outskirts, and rural areas. His work pays particular attention to households’ aspirations, preferences, and residential choices, as well as to lived experiences and meanings of “home.” He also explores emerging needs for innovation in housing, habitat, and urban policy. His research draws on a range of approaches, combining qualitative, quantitative, and longitudinal methods.

Julien Simard

Julien Simard is a social gerontologist. After completing a master’s degree in anthropology at the University of Montreal focusing on palliative care, he completed a doctorate in urban studies at INRS-UCS, focusing on the forced displacement of elderly tenants. He completed his first postdoctoral fellowship at the McGill School of Social Work, and a second fellowship in urban studies at the Université du Québec à Montréal, and a third at the Centre de recherche de Montréal sur les inégalités sociales (CREMIS, CIUSSS-Centre-Sud). His work focuses primarily on the residential insecurity experienced by aging tenants in the private rental market (traditional and retirement homes), but also on other social issues and problems related to aging: caregiving, end of life, mobility, diversity, access to care, urban planning, and public policy. He teaches as a lecturer in the gerontology certificate program at the University of Montreal and published a book entitled Vieillissement et crise du logement with Presses de l’Université de Montréal in 2024. He is currently Senior Scientific Advisor to the Canada Excellence Research Chair One Urban Health (ESPUM, UdeM).