The 2026 Canadian Community Psychology Conference

In spring of 2026, we are celebrating 50 years of the Community Psychology (CP) program at Wilfrid Laurier University. We are thrilled to invite you to both support and attend a day of celebration on May 21st, 2026. This will be followed by the Canadian Community Psychology Conference on May 22nd and 23rd in honour of 50 years of the formalization of Community Psychology as a discipline in Canada.

The celebration will feature:

• A distinguished alumni panel
• A panel composed of faculty who helped shape the discipline in Canada
• A formal gala event on the evening of Thursday, May 21st

Our conference theme is Community-Based Research and Practice in Canada and Beyond: Hope in the Times of Polycrisis, and we are pleased to welcome academics, practitioners and community partners from Community Psychology and related fields in Canada and internationally. The celebration and conference is organized in collaboration with partners from the University of Ottawa, Brock University, and Toronto Metropolitan University.

What To Expect?

Day 1: Thursday, May 21st (Free and open to the public; ticket required)

• Opening Panel: 50 Years of CP in Canada: A Half Century in Review
• Alumni Keynote Panel: CP Practice in the Field - Making a Difference
• Gala and CP50 Celebration (at cost/fee paid by individual)

Day 2: Friday, May 22nd: Day 2 (Paid ticket required)

• Keynote Panel: CP Applications for Policy and Political Shifts
• Two presentation sessions
• Poster sessions throughout the day
• Reinvigorating a Canadian CP Network Townhall
• Willow River Onsite Visit
• Refreshments provided throughout the day

Day 3: Saturday, May 23rd (Paid ticket required)

• Two presentation sessions
• Poster sessions throughout the day
• World Cafe discussion about reinvigorating the Canadian CP Network
• Refreshments provided throughout the day

Our goal is to provide opportunities for reconnecting with old friends and networking to make new ones, as well as space for sharing our collective and multi-sectoral work in forwarding the aims of social justice confronting today’s world.

You can check our event website for updates here: [https://researchcentres.wlu.ca/ccrla/index.html].

Get up to date information about the conference and wider Community Psychology activities by joining our listserve which can be found at: [https://wlu.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_encwtVKnZf0Xj94].

We welcome all monetary contributions to support the conference planning. To make a monetary contribution, please visit: [https://secureca.imodules.com/s/1681/giving/19/form.aspx?sid=1681&gid=2&pgid=613&dids=179.299].

Call for Proposals

Are you interested in presenting and contributing at CP50? Please click the following link to be taken to our Call for Proposals form: CLICK HERE

Conference Program

The Conference program and details will be available on the CCRLA website soon at: [https://researchcentres.wlu.ca/ccrla/index.html].

Accessibility

The conference will take place in the Science Building at Wilfrid Laurier University. There are two accessible parking spaces in front of the Science Building. You can find the entrance to the atrium up some steps (or the ramp) and through some heavy doors which have automatic buttons. Inside, there is a ramp on the opposite side of the entrance to access the atrium floor.

Conference Accomodations

Details about accommodations can be found at [https://researchcentres.wlu.ca/ccrla/index.html] under the "Places to Stay" tab.

Parking Information

Public street parking is available on King Street in uptown Waterloo (1.5 km walk), Regina Street (500 m walk), and Bricker Avenue (500 m walk), monitored by the City of Waterloo with a 3-hour maximum. Details can be found here: [https://www.wlu.ca/information-for/visiting-laurier/parking.html]