Older Adults' Engagement in Advisory Councils and Committees: The case of Manitoba, Canada

While older adults and family carers have important contributions to make to social and civic life in Canada, meaningful opportunities for engaging in democratic governance are often limited. Using the province of Manitoba as a case study, we ask how relevant advisory councils and committees have been designed and constituted; how have they operated in practice; and what explains their span of influence and effectiveness. Interviews with older adults and family carers show that they want to be involved, that they believe that advisory committees/councils can be effective mechanisms for engagement, and that they think these entities can impact decision-makers, especially in the health sector.