Optimizing the Wellbeing of Solo Retirees in Canada

Dr. Corneil is an Adjunct Professor in the Telfer School of Management and a researcher with the LIFE Research Institute at the University of Ottawa. His research focuses on psychosocial interventions and on individual and organizational resilience. Dr. Corneil provides consulting to public and private sector organizations on mental health in the workplace, creating psychologically safe workplaces, resilience, psychosocial preparation for retirement, and crisis leadership. Dr. Corneil has doctorate in Epidemiology and Occupational Health Psychology from the Johns Hopkins University and has professional degrees in psychotherapy, social work, criminology, and adult education.

Dr. Belanger is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa where his research interests include health geography and access to healthcare, especially for older Ontarians and French-language speakers. Dr. Belanger completed postdoctoral studies with the University of Ottawa and the Institut du Savoir Montfort researching geospatial access to language-concordant primary care and digital health. He holds a PhD in the Philosophy of Modern Physics (2015) and a BSc Hon. in Physics (2007), both from the University of Toronto, an MBA from the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management.

Director of the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) housed in the Faculty of Health at the University of Waterloo (UW), Professor Emeritus in the Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies and cross-appointed to the Department of Geography and Environmental Management. He received his Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Western Ontario and both his Master’s and B.A. in Leisure Studies from the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on the wellbeing of individuals and communities, the role of leisure in wellbeing, the spatial distribution and analysis of leisure in communities, time use allocation, and social indicators research. He was elected a Fellow to the Academy of Leisure Sciences, awarded the Hall of Heroes Leadership Award by the Community Indicators Consortium, and the Outstanding Contribution to Leisure Studies Award by the Canadian Association of Leisure Studies.

Throughout her career, as an executive coach, psychologist, speaker and author, Suzanne has focused on helping individuals navigate transitions in their lives. She is a well-sought speaker on the transition to retirement and has offered over 7,000 seminars on the psychological aspects to retirement. Suzanne is certified as a professional integral coach by New Ventures West, California, and the International Coaching Federation, in Conversational Intelligence™, Story Coaching™ and Navigating Transitions Coaching. She is a licensed psychologist with Ordre des psychologues du Québec. Her academic background includes a Master’s degree in clinical psychology (University of Ottawa), a B.A. in psychology (University of Ottawa).

Nora Spinks, CEO of Work-Life Harmony, is one of Canada’s leading experts in well-being and quality of life. She is a member of the Canadian Wellbeing Knowledges Network’s leadership team, bringing together professionals from multiple sectors to enhance understanding of well-being. She has worked with several federal government departments on quality of life and well-being, including Statistics Canada’s Social Conditions Committee and Quality-of-Life Hub, Finance Canada’s Canadian Quality of Life Framework, chair of the National Seniors Council advising the Ministers of Health and Seniors on quality of life of seniors and how to alleviate the challenges people face in retirement. She continues to work with academics and scholars on tri-council-funded projects, including ones led by U of Ottawa, McGill U., Memorial U., McMaster U., Brock U, and Queens U.