Event banner: Forum on homelessness and community-engaged research at the heart of the city

Details

To mark the installation of the President and vice-chancellor of the University of Ottawa Marie-Eve Sylvestre, the Forum on Homelessness and Community-Engaged Research at the Heart of the City will bring together researchers, community leaders and people with lived experience to explore collaborative approaches to fighting homelessness. The forum, held in honour of the installation of the uOttawa president and vice-chancellor, highlights the importance of dialogue and partnerships in developing solutions to pressing social issues. It features a keynote address by Professor Alexandra Flynn (University of British Columbia [UBC]), followed by a roundtable to broaden and deepen the conversation.

This event is hosted by the Alex Trebek Forum for Dialogue, a platform for discussion, reflection and knowledge-sharing. The co-organizer is the Office of Public Policy Research and Outreach with co-operation from the Office of the President.

Agenda

TimeDetails
2:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.Registration
3:00 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.

Welcome Remarks

  • Marie-Eve Sylvestre, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
  • Julie St-Pierre, Vice-President, Research and Innovation, University of Ottawa
  • Cintia Quiroga, Director, Research and Public Policy Outreach, Office for Research and Public Policy Outreach, University of Ottawa
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.Simulation from the Empathy Project with Kaite Burkholder Harris, Executive Director of the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa and its Expert Steering Committee
3:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Keynote Lecture: “Between Zones and Boundaries: A Legal Geography of Homelessness”

  • Alexandra Flynn, Professor and Director, Housing Research Collaborative, University of British Columbia
4:00 p.m. – 5:05 p.m.

Roundtable Discussion

  • Marie-Josée Houle, Federal Housing Advocate
  • Marc Maracle, Executive Director, Gignul Non-Profit Housing Corporation
  • Dahlia Namian, Full Professor, School of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa
  • John Sylvestre, Full Professor, School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa

Moderated by:

  • Marie-Eve Sylvestre, President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Ottawa
5:05 p.m. – 5:15 p.m.

Closing Remarks

  • Martine Lagacé, Associate Vice-President, Research Promotion and Development, University of Ottawa
5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.Reception

Simultaneous interpretation and captioning

Please note that presentations will be offered in English and French. A simultaneous interpretation and captioning system will be available. Participants wishing to use the live interpretation system will need to connect via their smartphones equipped with earphones. Please bring your own earphones.

Biographies

Marie-Eve Sylvestre

Marie-Eve Sylvestre

University of Ottawa

Marie-Eve Sylvestre is the president and vice-chancellor of the University of Ottawa.

Alexandra Flynn

Alexandra Flynn

Speaker bio

Keynote presentation

“Between Zones and Boundaries: A Legal Geography of Homelessness” 
by Alexandra Flynn, University of British Columbia

Professor Alexandra Flynn’s teaching and research focus on municipal law and governance, administrative law and property law. She has published numerous peer-reviewed papers and public reports as well as edited books on Indigenous–municipal legal relationships, housing and homelessness, and the constitutional status of cities. She is the director of the Housing Research Collaborative, which comprises projects funded by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and SSHRC that focus on Canada’s housing crisis. These projects include the Housing Assessment Resource Tools project, which helps communities to measure and address their housing need, and the Balanced Supply of Housing Node, which brings together academic and non-profit community organizations to research responsive land use practices and the financialization of housing. Professor Flynn is also working on several projects related to precariously housed people in Canadian cities, including the governance of these people’s personal property as well as human rights and tent encampments.

Accessibility
If you require accommodation, please contact the event host as soon as possible.
Date and time
Dec 4, 2025
2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Format and location
In person
Desmarais Building (DMS)
Room Camille Villeneuve
Language
English, French
Audience
Researchers, General public, Community partners
Organized by
Office of Public Policy Research and Outreach with co-operation from the Office of the President