November 13, 2024

Our speaker for November is again back by popular demand,  Dr. Mike Daley is a freelance popular music history lecturer around Toronto.  He holds a Ph. D in Musicology from York University  and has taught at Guelph, McMaster, Waterloo and York Universities.  He has toured the United States and Canada as a musician with Jeff Healey and many other bands.   He is also featured on dozens of recordings, both as a guitarist and as a singer, and has been published widely on a variety of musical subjects. 

Mike has spoken to us in the past on the lives and stories of Elvis, Leonard Cohen and the Motown scene.   This time around he will tell us the Gordon Lightfoot story.  Gordon Meredith Lightfoot Jr. was a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist who achieved international success in folk, folk-rock, and country music.  Credited with helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s, he has been referred to as Canada's greatest songwriter, having several gold and multi-platinum albums and songs covered by some of the world's most renowned musical artists. "His name is synonymous with timeless songs about trains and shipwrecks, rivers and highways, lovers and loneliness."

October 9, 2024

Our speaker for our October meeting was philosopher, educator, public speaker and author, Dr. Christopher DiCarlo    Dr. DiCarlo is the Principal and Founder of Critical Thinking Solutions, a consulting business for individuals, corporations, and not-for-profits in both the private and public sectors and is the Ethics Chair for the Canadian Mental Health Association 

Dr. DiCarlo has spoken at numerous national and international conferences and has written many scholarly papers.   He is also the author of several books including his best-seller: ‘How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass’.   His latest book, ‘Building a God: The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence and the Race to Control’ will be released early next year.

Dr DiCarlo has presented to us - and inspired us - three times before but this time he has a new and critical subject:  Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Humanity.   

In this presentation he will first cover the basics of AI in reference to key terms, concepts, and issues.  Then he will take a look at some of the promising benefits such as medical miracles, advancements in education, and increases in efficiency and automation, etc.   However, he will also stress how important it is to realize that there are ways in which AI could present risks and generate harm; either intentionally or unintentionally.    

“When we use critical thinking and ethical reasoning to consider the potential benefits and harms of AI, we are much more empowered to discuss how we want these new forms of technologies to affect our lives as we move into the uncertain future”. 

September 11, 2024

Our Speaker for September was Tom Herstad.  Born and bred in Toronto, Tom has been an avid hockey player and coach and a passionate outdoor adventurer.  He loves cooking over campfires and especially enjoying the Thirty Thousand Islands of Georgian Bay.  

In his career, Tom has been a lighting designer, a Marketing expert and an entrepreneur.   More recently he has become an author and public speaker.   His book ‘2nd Line West’ has a 4 star rating on Amazon and is currently being made into a film.   This book is the story of his mother Margie and could also be called ‘Margie’s Message of Hope - A true story of Tragedy, Grief, Redemption, Joy and Fulfillment’.   

Margie, a young widow with four children, created a haven in her family home for people who needed a place to land in a time of sadness, depression and  misfortune.  Margie’s home became their place for a second chance.  You'll hear about a deeply generous woman’s life, her family’s history and about some of the uplifting stories from so many people she helped.  Margie used her wisdom and strength to influence and coach the positive transformation of many souls, all the while reinventing herself.   

Tom’s presentation will focus on something we are all born with but most everyone has forgotten - the need and ability for hope and joy.   He believes this story will truly leave you better than it found you and encourage you to live your life with courage and compassion for those around you.

August 14, 2024 - Annual BBQ (no meeting)

July 10, 2024 - 

Our Speaker for July was the Mayor of Pickering, Kevin Ashe.   

Mayor Ashe has been a resident of Pickering for over 55 years and comes from a family deeply rooted in local politics and community service.  His late father, George Ashe, served as the first Mayor of the then Town of Pickering in 1973;  paving the way for Kevin’s own civic career.  Mayor Ashe was first elected as Ward 1 City Councilor in 2003 and was elected Mayor in 2022.

Mayor Ashe’s vision for Pickering is ambitious yet grounded, striving to harness Pickering’s potential for positive and progressive growth, fostering vibrancy, connectivity, and sustainability. Central to this vision is promoting Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, and nurturing a compassionate and thriving community.    

At our meeting, Mayor Ashe will be presenting important updates regarding ongoing initiatives and developments happening in the City  His aim at meetings like these is to  keep residents informed and encourage community engagement.   His informative session will be followed by a Q&A session, allowing you to ask questions and share your feedback.

May 8, 2024 -

The Speaker for our May meeting was Kevin Donovan.  

Kevin is the Toronto Star's Chief Investigative Reporter, and his focus has always been on journalism that exposes wrongdoing and effects change.  Over almost four decades Kevin has reported on activities of charities, government, police, business and other institutions.  He also reported from the battlefields in the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan following 9/11.  

Kevin has won three National Newspaper Awards, two Governor General's Michener Awards, the Canadian Journalism Foundation award and three Canadian Association of Journalists Awards.   He is the author of several books, including the ‘The Billionaire Murders’; ‘Secret Life: The Jian Ghomeshi Investigation’;  and the ‘The Dead Times’ (a fiction novel).  You can listen to his ‘Suspicion’ podcast series wherever you listen to podcasts, and check out ‘The Billionaire Murders’ documentary on Crave. 

Kevin will talk to us about some of his investigative reporting cases, with a special focus on the still unsolved murders of billionaires Barry and Honey Sherman.  He’ll talk about the crime, the last day of their lives, and debunk some theories.  Kevin will also take your questions and have copies of his books, ‘The Billionaire Murders’, and ‘Secret Life, the Jian Ghomeshi investigation’ for sale ($20 each) and signing after his talk.

April 17, 2024 -

Our speaker for April was Katie Overstrom.   

Katie has been volunteering at the Royal Ontario Museum for many years and she can often be found at the Visitor Guide Desk at the Museum helping guests make the most of their visit there.

Katie is also a member and former Chair of ‘ROMForYou’, an organization of volunteers whose mission is to develop and deliver presentations that ‘bring the museum to life’ in many diverse locations and communities around Toronto and the GTA.    

‘The Royal Ontario Museum opened its doors to the public on March 14^th, 1914.  It is Canada’s largest museum and home to a world-class collection of 13 million artworks, cultural objects and natural history specimens.   

Katie will talk to us about the early beginnings of this cultural institution; the people responsible for its inception, and the stories behind some of its historical collection.   Katie will also talk about the ROM’s unique architectural design and the various renovations that have altered its appearance in the Toronto landscape over the years.    

The ROM offers many opportunities for Group and guided tours that the club will be exploring with Katie and participants at this meeting will also be eligible for coupons for reduced entrance fees.

March 6, 2024 -

Our March Speaker will be Senior Constable Darryl Rice from the Crime Prevention Unit of the Durham Regional Police Force.   Constable Rice will be talking about current and ongoing frauds and scams and how to spot and deal with them along with various other crime prevention tips.   Such is the importance of this topic and such is the wealth of knowledge and experience Darryl brings to it, we have allocated 90 mins for his presentation.   So for March only we will have a very brief (10 mins) business meeting starting at 10:00 am followed by a 20 min coffee break and then Constable Rice will start promptly at 10:30 am.   You won't want to miss this!

February 14, 2024 -

Our speaker was Eileen Kennedy who is currently employed as a Film and Television Industry Specialist within the Regional Municipality of Durham.  Eileen is a also a certified Film Commissioner with the Association of Film Commissioners International; an award-winning marketing professional and an accredited economic development practitioner 

Focusing on film sector development since 2012,  Eileen founded the “Film Durham” program within the Region of Durham and she is also the Founder and Director of the ‘Durham Region International Film Festival’.   

These initiatives and resources have proven very successful in supporting film and television production and attracting film-related investment to Durham which, due to our proximity to Toronto and its many production facilities (including Canada;s largest backlot), now plays an important role in Ontario’s multibillion dollar film, television and digital media industry.   The region offers diverse film locations from quaint downtowns, rustic train stations and picturesque bridges, to modern buildings, interior settings and industrial spaces.  

Eileen will talk to us about local film production in the area and the economic benefits we all enjoy.

January 10, 2024 - 

Our Speaker for January is renowned Canadian author Terry Fallis.  

Terry is the author of nine national bestsellers and a two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour.  In June, 2013, the Canadian Booksellers Association presented Terry with the Libris Award for Author of the Year.

Terry earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McMaster University in 1983.   It was as President of the Students Union there that he became interested in Politics and after graduation he served in the offices of future Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s and of the Honourable Jean Lapierre in the short-lived cabinet of Prime Minister John Turner.   He also created and co-hosted more than 200 episodes of the popular business podcast, Inside PR. 

Eventually Terry retired from politics to write full-time and in addition to his award winning books, Terry has written for many publications such as  Maclean’s, Canadian Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Toronto Life, the Globe and Mail, the National Post, and the Toronto Star.

Terry will talk to us about his latest bestselling book, ‘A New Season’, which is a thoughtful exploration of aging, loss, family, friendship, and love, all with his trademark humour and heart.   Books will be available for sale after the talk  and Terry will stay to sign copies.

December 13, 2023 - There was no speaker this month as we held our Annual Christmas Lunch.

November 8, 2023 - Lianne Harris

Our speaker for November is back by popular demand:  Lianne Harris has spoken to us twice before and her presentations are always excellent. 

Lianne is the History and Social Studies Resource Consultant for the Toronto District School Board and Curriculum Advisor with Upper Canada College.  She has honed her many years of teaching history into an engaging, dynamic experience.  To date, she has taught over 70,000 students and teachers and in 2003, she was selected by W.O.M.A.D. as one of Toronto’s Women of Influence.

She is the author of many books and has been a frequent guest on TV, radio, and as keynote speaker for various social, academic and professional organizations.   She believes learning should be relevant, enlightening, and best of all- fun!   

Her topic for our meeting “Undressed, the History of Hygiene”:   How was soap invented?  Who sold false teeth?  Why were Egyptian women bald?  What cultures invented the toothbrush, the toilet?   What beauty aids worked–and what were sheer disasters?  

In this lively, visual presentation, Lianne follows the evolution of beauty and hygiene and the pains and procedures those in the past have subjected themselves to in the pursuit of looking good and being socially acceptable.  

October 11, 2023 - Ted Barris

Ted is a Canadian writer, journalist, professor and broadcaster.  He is also a renowned orator and has made many presentations to PROBUS and other service clubs to great acclaim.

Ted Barris has published 20 non-fiction books, half of them wartime histories focusing on Canada’s military heritage.  His book ‘The Great Escape: A Canadian Story’ won the 2014 Libris Award as Best Non-Fiction Book in Canada; and his book ‘Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid Against Nazi Germany’ received the 2019 NORAD Trophy from the RCAF Association.

Ted will talk to us about his latest book. ‘The Battle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet to Victory’ which focuses on Canada’s longest continuous military engagement of WWII.  The Atlantic was the battlefield that pitted German U-boats against Royal Canadian Navy escorts and bomber-reconnaissance aircraft of the Royal Canadian Air Force.   It took 2,074 days and nights to determine its outcome, but the allied victory proved the turning point of the Second World War.  

Ted will tell us how Canada’s navy went to war with exactly 13 warships and about 3,500 sailors and how that grew to 400 fighting ships and over 100,000 men and women in uniform.   By V-E Day in 1945, it had become the 4th largest navy in the world. 

September 13, 2023 - Amy Barron

Our August speaker was archeologist Dr. Amy Barron.   Amy received her PhD at the University of Toronto in the field of Mesopotamian history and archaeology, specializing in the military history of Iron Age Assyria

She has excavated predominantly in the Middle East but has traveled widely studying the archaeology of various remote parts of the world from Peru to China. 

Amy has taught archaeology, ancient history and classics at the universities of Toronto and Guelph and presently teaches museum studies in Fleming College’s post-graduate program.  She has worked in the museum world for over 30 years and loves sharing her passion for the past.   For more information  about Amy you can check out her webpage at www.quarrywood.ca. 

August - No speaker as we had our BBQ!

July 19, 2023 - Dennis Grimm

Our July Speaker was Dennis Grimm.  He enjoyed a very successful career in senior accounting, audit and Board Director roles and also found time to get his pilot's license and become a Certified Fitness Instructor while doing them.

But he wasn’t finished there!   Upon retirement, Dennis went back to school to study wine and obtain another credential.   He is now a Certified Sommelier with the Canadian Association of Professional Sommeliers.    

This enabled Dennis to fulfil a lifelong ambition when in 2008 he purchased land In the UCO Valley of Argentina and started a vineyard.  He also built a house at the foot of the Andes and so he and his wife Candice now split their time between Canada and Argentina.     

He will talk to us about his ‘adventures’ in the wine industry and Argentina.  

June 14, 2023 - Dr. Riley Moynes

Our June speaker was Dr. Riley Moynes.  During his varied career, Riley has been an educator, author, financial advisor, public speaker and publisher.  

Dr. Moynes had a successful 20-year career as an educator before turning his talents to the financial services sector where he launched and grew a multi-city wealth management firm. He was a recipient of the Dalbar Financial Professional Seal as one of Canada’s most trusted financial advisors.  

Riley then became an author and penned several best-sellers.  Among his works is the six-edition financial planning guide The Money Coach, The Four Phases of Retirement: What to Expect When You’re Retiring and its follow up The Ten Lessons: How You Too Can Squeeze All The “Juice” Out of Retirement. 

His talk to us will be on the Four Phases of Retirement.  As Riley describes his own personal retirement experience:   He waltzed through Phase One of retirement, struggled through Phase Two, tried a dozen different initiatives in Phase Three, and now, in Phase Four, he researches, writes, publishes and speaks on topics of current interest and importance.    In fact, he is now a renowned TEDx Speaker.   His recent TEDx talk on the topic of retirement has been viewed 3.4 million times to date and was in the TOP 10 of TEDx talks in 2022.

April 19, 2023 - Dan Carter

Our April Speaker was Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter but he will not be talking about Oshawa.  

Dan experienced some major challenges as a child and as a result he fell into drug and alcohol addiction and was homeless for most of his late teens and 20s. 

Dan managed to overcome this and went on to enjoy a successful career in broadcasting including being the Executive Producer of programming for CHEX TV Durham.   He took up politics in 2014 and became Mayor in 2018.     

Dan’s background has also enabled him to become an exceptional motivational speaker on topics including leadership, the challenges of living in poverty, mental health and addiction.    

He will share more of his incredible story with us at our next meeting and I’m sure it will be truly inspirational. 

March ,2023 - Matthew Anderson

Our Speaker for March was Matthew Anderson.  Matt is the President and CEO Of Ontario Health and he will talk to us about the many challenges that Healthcare is facing today and of some upcoming changes being planned and rolled out as a result.

Matthew Anderson is an experienced healthcare leader, team-builder and advocate for positive change and as the President of Ontario Health he is leading one of the largest mergers in healthcare history bringing together 22 agencies. 

Matthew began his career in data analytics and IT.  He became Vice President and Chief Information Officer at the University Health Network (UHN) in 2000 and in 2008 he was named CEO of the Toronto Central Local Health Integration Network.   Then in 2010, he became CEO of William Osler Health System and was the President and CEO of Lakeridge Health before taking up his current position.    

Matthew is married with three children and numerous pets.

Matthew was originally scheduled to talk to us about the Lakeridge Health network back in 2019 but this had to be canceled due to COVID.  Since then he has gone on to bigger and better things and is clearly a very busy person doing an incredibly important job that will affect all of us and our children and grandchildren going forward.   So we are very privileged that he is taking this time out to talk to us on such an important subject.   I would like to thank a long time member of our club, Joyce Perrin, who worked with Matthew in the past for making this happen.

February 16, 2023 - Dr. Christopher CiCarlo

For our February meeting we welcome Dr. Christopher DiCarlo.  Dr. DiCarlo is a philosopher, educator, speaker and author.   He is the Ethics Chair for the Canadian Mental Health Association and a lifetime member of Humanist Canada.   As an educator, Christopher currently teaches in the Department of Biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga and at The Life Institute at Toronto Metropolitan University.   

Dr. DiCarlo has been invited to speak at numerous national and international conferences in the past and has won several awards including TV Ontario’s ‘Big Ideas’ Best Lecturer in Ontario Award and Canada’s Humanist of the Year.    Finally, he is the author of several books including his best-seller: How to Become a Really Good Pain in the Ass: A Critical Thinker’s Guide to Asking the Right Questions and his latest: So You Think You Can Think? Tools for Intelligent Conversations and Getting Along.

Christopher has presented to us before,  notably about “Ethics, Good vs Evil”, and his presentation to us at this meeting will be on  ‘The Abridged History of Love’.   How was the concept of ‘love’ defined, used, and celebrated throughout recorded time (and potentially, pre-recorded time)?  During this festive season of St. Valentine’s – when “love is in the air” – let’s consider the nature of this most perplexing, yet wondrous of human emotions.

January 18, 2023 - Lianne Harris

Lianne is a history, culture, and social studies resource specialist and the author of numerous books.  She is a contributing author of the Canadian best seller ‘ The Power of Women United’ and in 2003, she was selected as one of Toronto’s 'Women of Influence'.  

This time around Lianne will talk to us about Fables, Fairytales & Rhymes:   Who was the real Humpty Dumpty?   What queen was ‘Mary, Mary the Quite Contrary’?   How did the Nazi’s use fairytale themes to manipulate the German people in WW2?   Is ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ really just a mother-to-daughter sex talk? 

Childhood stories are not the stuff of fantasy.  In ages past when illiteracy ran high, these fables and rhymes were the moral classroom where one learned all there was to know about truth, justice, faith, prejudice, love, sex, sin, crime and punishment.  Bedtime stories shape our beliefs and teach us about real life. lr

March 16, 2022 - NICK FRENCH

We are pleased to welcome back Nick French who again will be speaking to us directly from his home in South Africa. His presentation to us will be about something we all know so much and yet so little about:  "Heroes and Villains of the Titanic":   As with most disasters involving man made machinery, the sinking of the Titanic on that fateful day on 15 April 1912 could have been avoided were it not for a number of human mistakes, before and during the catastrophe. At the same time, the impact of the disaster could have been far greater were it not for the brave acts of certain individuals who placed the lives of others ahead of their own. In this talk Nick will tell the tale of the Titanic through the actions of all the interesting characters who played key roles in every aspect of her life, her catastrophic sinking and the aftermath.

February 16, 2022 - RON MACNAUGHTON Ron Macnaughton's presentation to us was "Technologies to Reduce Climate Change".   Climate change is a concern, but there are solutions - some ready now, others still being researched.  Ron described 8 areas of technology that will make huge differences to the emissions which are causing climate change.  Several of the best ones are being pioneered by Canadian firms.

January 17, 2022 - DEIDREY FRANCOIS

Deidrey Francois returned to entertain us with her inspiring and energizing collection of music.  Deidrey is a passionate singer/songwriter and a sultry, soulful performer.  Deidrey's voice resonates love and her stage presence is infectious enthusiasm.  She invokes the full gamut of emotion with music that ranges from gut wrenching blues, rhythmic rock to jazzy joy.

DECEMBER 8, 2021 - MARK KERSEY

Instead of our regular meeting with a speaker, we celebrated the season with a Christmas Luncheon held at the Ajax Convention Centre.  We were joined by Mark Kersey, a name that many of you may recognize. Mark played Mark The Repairman on the Mr. Dress-up show for over 10 years, and has appeared in DOZENS of TV commercials across Canada and the USA.  This former Blue Jay organist is great at entertaining young and old alike. 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2021 - ANNUAL SUMMER BBQ

No speaker this month as we enjoyed a day of fun and fellowship at Alex Robertson Park.

You may know Neil Crone from his years as an award winning columnist with Durham Region News.  In addition to being an accomplished writer, Neil Crone has also performed in dozens of television and radio commercials, TV shows and is the voice of numerous animation characters every Saturday morning.

Neil's presentation will be a humorous and sometimes serious take on some of the life lessons learned during his brush with colorectal cancer.  Neil authored his book "Semi-Colon: A Writer's Cheeky Journey Through Colorectal Cancer" in 2015 which provides a "unique, funny and uplifting collection of emails, newspaper articles and quotes" of his journey with cancer.  Neil Crone is first and foremost a comedian and his sense of humor is sure to entertain and delight.

Actor, director, writer, and theatre educator Robin Clipsham has spent most of her life in theatre.  She founded and developed a theatre company for young people, taught theatre performance and production for Nipissing University,  spent over 25 years as a theatre educator, and is an award-winning improvisational theatre coach. 

Winner of four awards for her work in locally developed community theatre, Robin has contributed her time and expertise to local initiatives for over 20 years as Artistic Director for Muskoka StageWorks .   Robin is also an accomplished actor and director and lives in Muskoka with her husband, Michael.

Robin's presentation was entitled 'Improvisation for Adults and Seniors "Laughing Matters"'. We learned all about the ways to open and maintain brain function and increase relaxation by engaging in creative group activities that were both fun and informative..  Robin showed us how improvisation combines the excitement of spontaneous conversation with listening skills, all while relaxing and playing.