CDCP Policy Paper Launch Breakfast Panel  

Join the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) on October 6 on Parliament Hill for the launch of our 2026 Policy Paper: From Coverage to Care: An Evidence-Informed Assessment of the Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP).  

The breakfast briefing brings parliamentarians together for a discussion on access to dental care in Canada. The CDCP reaches constituents in every riding, and this session is an opportunity for parliamentarians and their staff to learn more about what the program's first two years have meant for Canadians and for access to dental care. 

The event includes a presentation from Abacus Data CEO David Coletto on Canadians' views, a presentation from CDA CEO Dr. Aaron Burry on the paper's findings, and a panel discussion on the program's progress, its remaining challenges and what it has meant for patients, particularly seniors, with the participation of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP). 

Dr. Aaron Burry - CEO of the Canadian Dental Association 

Dr. Aaron Burry joined the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) in 2017 and was appointed Chief Executive Officer in June 2022. Prior to joining CDA in 2017, Aaron spent 25 years in the public service at the City of Ottawa, where he held several senior executive positions. Never fully leaving his dental roots, he was cross-appointed to Ottawa Public Health, serving concurrently as the Chief Dental Officer. Despite a demanding schedule, Aaron practiced dentistry one day per week until 2023. In the latter stages of his career, he focused on providing care to individuals with complex medical and social needs. His passion is developing plans and leading teams through significant periods of change and transformation.   

David Coletto – CEO of Abacus Data

Dr. Kirk Preston – President of the Canadian Dental Association

Dr. Kirk Preston was appointed as the president of the Canadian Dental Association (CDA) for 2026–27. He is a board-certified specialist in prosthodontics in private practise in Fredericton and Saint John, N.B. Raised in Labrador City, N.L., Dr. Preston earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry before completing a Bachelor of Education and Master of Education in Science Education. He received his Doctor of Dental Surgery from Dalhousie University and later completed a Master of Science in Prosthodontics at the University of Toronto. In 2023, he earned an MBA with distinction from the University of Oxford in the UK. Dr. Preston served on the New Brunswick Dental Society (NBDS) Executive from 2014 to 2018 including a term as NBDS president in 2016–17. He also served as New Brunswick’s board representative to the Canadian Dental Regulatory Authorities Federation from 2018–2020 and was an examiner in prosthodontics for the Royal College of Dentists of Canada from 2014–2021.

Anthony Quinn – President of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP)

Anthony Quinn is President of the Canadian Association of Retired Persons (CARP), a national, non-partisan organization championing older Canadians for more than 40 years. CARP represents 250,000 members across Canada and advocates for better health care, financial security, protection from fraud and abuse, and the right to age with dignity, choice and independence.

Anthony has spent more than 17 years with CARP, working with members, volunteers and chapters across the country and bringing their priorities to governments, policymakers and industry leaders. Under his leadership, CARP continues to press for reforms that reflect the lived experiences of older adults, including improved access to home and community care, affordable dental care, medications and vaccines, stronger pension and investor protections, and an end to age discrimination.

Before becoming President, Anthony held senior operational and community leadership roles at CARP and ZoomerMedia. He served as an elected a school board trustee in Halton, Ontario where his four daughters attended local schools.

Sarah Ritchie – Senior Digital Broadcast Journalist/Anchor at The Canadian Press

Sarah Ritchie has spent nearly five years as a reporter for The Canadian Press in Ottawa.  Sarah specializes in all things federal politics, with a particular focus on federal health and social policy. Sarah split her early years at CP as a reporter covering national defence and veterans' affairs and as an editor helping guide the wire’s coverage of Parliament Hill. Sarah has an intimate knowledge of Canada from near coast to coast.  She grew up in a tiny town in rural Saskatchewan and moved to the Maritimes after receiving her journalism degree. She spent a decade on the East Coast, first editing copy with Brunswick News and then making the switch to television with CTV Halifax and then on to Global News as the anchor of the 6 p.m. broadcasts in Halifax and New Brunswick.  

Catherine Lathem Anas - Senior Vice President, Public & Government Affairs, Media & Communications at Edelman

Catherine Lathem Anas is a national award winning journalist who spent more than 20 years telling the stories of Canadians. Much of her career was spent in the Nation’s Capital covering crime, politics and the stories of everyday Canadians with CTV Ottawa.

Catherine’s ability to build connections, confidence and trust with her viewers and sources came with one guiding principle: be human first. Three simple words she realized would always bring success.