BCAPOP 2026 Conference

Photo by Chris Mac

This annual event draws more than 185 perinatal professionals and helping peers from BC and features three full days of opportunities, including a pre-conference session, Networking Reception and a two-day main conference. Attendees will experience a program full of inspiring speakers, best practice updates, skill building sessions, and the strengthening of a provincial network that drives perinatal professionals and helping peers to improve outcomes for perinatal people and their families. 

Keynote speakers for the conference this year are Jessy Dame, RN, MSN and Sarra Fedick, RN, MSN-C speaking on A Surrogacy Journey: Friendship, Advocacy & the Making of a Family.

The keynote presentation explores the journey to parenthood through surrogacy undertaken by Jessy and Moose, made possible through the generosity of Sarra, a close friend and fellow nurse. It highlights the intersection of personal experience and professional identity, emphasizing the profound role of friendship, community, and shared values in navigating complex reproductive pathways. The presentation critically examines systemic challenges, including heteronormative healthcare policies, inadequate legal recognition, and the lack of inclusive, family-centred care for both intended parents and surrogates. Drawing on their dual perspectives as nurses and patients, Jessy and Sarra advocate for institutional change, including inclusive language, collaborative care models, and policy reform. Their narrative underscores the need for healthcare systems to evolve in recognition of diverse family structures and affirms the transformative power of advocacy grounded in lived experience.