My name is Heather Campbell Pope and I am a B.C. lawyer and the sole director of Dementia Justice Canada, a small nonprofit dedicated to advocating for the rights and dignity of people with dementia. A particular focus is criminal justice reform.

This is a fundraiser for legislative advocacy on criminalizing coercive control by adult children and others in relationships of trust and dependency with older victims.

By donating, you will help fund a Legislative Action Day on Parliament Hill, where an ad hoc coalition of elder justice organizations (Elder Justice Coalition) aims to engage with federal lawmakers and their staff about a proposed coercive control offence.

Please note that donations to this GoFundMe are managed by Dementia Justice Canada (I am the sole director), a federally incorporated nonprofit organization. It is not a registered charity and therefore cannot issue tax receipts.

Why this advocacy matters:

Elder abuse victims were left out of the last attempt to criminalize coercive control (Bill C-332). Elder justice organizations are working to build a strong, united voice for older coercive control victims so they aren't overlooked again.

Elder Justice Coalition:

Advocacy Centre for the Elderly (ACE) is the first and oldest legal clinic in Canada with a specific mandate to provide a range of legal services to low-income older adults. Its legal services include individual and group client advice and representation, public legal education, community development and law reform activities.

BC Association of Community Response Networks (BC CRN) is a provincial non-profit dedicated to fostering safe, inclusive communities where vulnerable adults are valued and protected. Through active coordination, advocacy, education, collaboration, and relationship building, it supports local community response networks to create awareness and prevention of adult abuse, neglect, and self-neglect.

Brainwell Institute is an independent think tank that elevates evidence to ignite change and revolutionize thinking about dementia and brain health.

CanAge is Canada’s national seniors’ advocacy organization, working to improve the lives of older adults through advocacy, policy, and community engagement.

Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA) builds awareness, support and capacity for a coordinated pan-Canadian approach to the prevention of elder abuse and neglect. It promotes the rights of older adults through knowledge mobilization, collaboration, policy reform and education.

Dementia Justice Canada is a small non-profit dedicated to advocating for the rights and dignity of people with dementia. A particular focus is criminal justice reform.

Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO) is a charitable, non-profit organization, recognized for its leadership in elder abuse prevention, providing awareness raising educational forums, training multi-sectoral front-line service professionals, and creating tools/resources for all to better understand and appropriately respond when supporting older adults at-risk or experiencing increasingly complex issues of elder abuse.

National Institute on Ageing (NIA) improves the lives of older adults and the systems that support them by convening stakeholders, conducting research, advancing policy solutions and practice innovations, sharing information and shifting attitudes. Its vision is a Canada where older adults feel valued, included, supported and better prepared to age with confidence.

Prevent Elder Abuse Manitoba (PEAM) is a provincial network dedicated to raising awareness, fostering collaboration, and promoting strategies to prevent the abuse and neglect of older adults across Manitoba.

Additional organizations may be announced in due course.

How will the funds be used?

The first $11,000 will support elder justice organizations' travel and accommodations for the Legislative Action Day. I live in Ottawa so this is for other advocates.

Additional funds will be distributed as follows:

$2,000 for a legal research paper on the mens rea of a proposed coercive control offence. I will commission a legal academic or practitioner to author this paper. At Simon Fraser University, elder law expert Professor Margaret Hall is conducting in-kind international comparative research on how jurisdictions worldwide have criminalized coercive control outside the intimate partner context. Her research will help inform the Elder Justice Coalition’s advocacy and strengthen the case for legislative action in Canada.

$3,750 for my salary (project management and financial administration; coordinating event with political staffers; legal research; drafting a sample proposed bill to present to lawmakers; preparing coalition "asks" and talking points for meetings).

$1,500 for other lawyers to review the sample draft bill and talking points ($500 each).

$5,000 for other elder justice organizations' participation.

$750 for French translation of materials.

$1,000 for room rental on Legislative Action Day (for morning briefing and afternoon debrief/networking).

Any funds raised over $25,000 will support travel and accommodation expenses for additional elder justice advocates to attend the Legislative Action Day or to fund other elder abuse legal advocacy.

Is Parliament currently considering a coercive control bill?

As of November 9, 2025, there is no bill before Parliament, but since the previous attempt, Bill C-332, enjoyed unanimous, all-party support in the House of Commons, it is quite possible that lawmakers may try again to create a standalone coercive control offence. Indeed, the NDP has confirmed that it "is working on improving and strengthening aspects of the previous version of the bill."

When is the Legislative Action Day?

It is tentatively scheduled for early February 2026. This may change.

What is the Legislative Action Day agenda?

The tentative agenda is:

7:30 am to 8:30 am

Briefing to discuss group logistics and our advocacy ask(s).

9:00 am to 5:00 pm

Meetings with elected officials and their staff.

5:30 pm to 7:30 pm

Debrief and networking.

Is Dementia Justice a registered charity and will you get a tax receipt?

No. Dementia Justice Canada is a federally incorporated nonprofit organization. It is not a charity and cannot issue tax receipts.

Where can you read more about coercive control and elder abuse?

Please visit the Dementia Justice Canada webpage.

Thank you for your consideration.

Together, we can be a strong voice for elder abuse victims.