Past Speakers

PAST SPEAKERS FROM 2010 TO PRESENT

2025

January

2024

November 25 Gordon Gray: Filthy Lucre Financial Bubbles and Scams 

October 28 Title:  Our Marvellous & Humorous English Language presented by Jonathan Berkowitz

September 23 Gerald van Wyke Title:  “What Do Conductors Do”

June 24 Wendy Winslow Title: ‘Wendy’s Adventures in Wonderland: working and living in the United Arab Emirates’

May 27 Tara Doherty Title: ‘Unleashing Independence: The Life-Changing Impact of Assistance Dogs”

April 22, Elaine Grotefeld Title: ‘Saving Mother Earth is a Woman’s Job:  Showcasing  Women Leaders in our Canadian Cleantech Movement’ 

March 25, Ashlie Corcoran, Artistic Director of Arts Club with Presentation Title : The Lives of Plays

February 26, 2024 Alex Beyer,  Operations Manager at the Greater Vancouver Food Bank, Title:“It Takes More Than Food”

January 22, 2024 Michael Geller  Cities and Neighbourhoods of the Future

2023

November 22 Anna Slivinski – Title “Eating Well for a Healthy Body, Mind and Planet”.

October 23 John Hibbard – Title is:  ” Where does all our discarded stuff go?:  Waste & Soil Management in British Columbia”.

September 25 –  Port of Vancouver 101

Presented by Krista Constantineau, Community Outreach Advisor and Conner Da Silva

June 19 , Angela Steininger Photo presentation and talk by Program Chair.

Title: The Arctic and Greenland

May 29   Dr. Annalijn Conklin from the UBC Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences 

”Cultivating social connections:  Why this is important as you age.”   

April 24 Mastering a Resilient Mindset presented by Madison Mailey, Olympic Gold Medal winner in Women’s Eight Rowing at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

March 27 Saving Lives at Sea presented by Jason King and  Dr. Gerard McKenzie  from the Horseshoe Bay Volunteer Marine Rescue Service https://rcmsar01.ca/

February 27 A Balancing Act:the challenge of climate change in WV by Heather Keith

January 23 Photography that Sings presented by Rick Hulbert

2022

November 28 Dr. Richard Frank, Learning about the Dark Web and discuss

October 24 Dr. Tara Gaertner, Music Brain: Music, Mood and Mental Heal

September 26

June 27

May 30

April 25

March 28

February 28th

January

Dr. Florain Gassner, “Russia’s War Against Ukraine”

Nancy Hermiston Director of UBC Opera with an ensemble of singers and piano

Dr. David Haughton, artist ‘Why Paint Angry Young Men?”

Professor Judit Smits,’ Sylvester and Tweety Bird & the Age of Enlightenment’

Cathy Peters ‘Child Sex Trafficking in Canada and locally”

Speakers will be from the Pacific Salmon Foundation, Mike Meneer, President and CEO, and Jason Hwang, V-P Salmon.

Alex Muir ‘The Current Status of Medical Assistance in Dying in BC’
Watch on YouTube

2021

November aaaSeth Klein. ‘Mobilizing for the Climate Emergency’

October aaaaaaDr. Janessa Laskin ‘Genomics & POG – The Future of Cancer Care’

September Paul Evans -“Responding to the China Challenge: Coexistence or Cold War”

June          Nora Gambioli -My Father’s Italian Garden & My Mother the Canadian
aaaaaaaa Artist

May            Dr. Daniel Kalla – “Lost Immunity”

April           Dr. Andrew Trites – “Southern Resident Killer Whales – Risks and Realities”

March         Wes Wenhardt – MONOVA (North Vancouver Museum and Archives)

February   Dr. Brett Finlay – “Healthy Living and Aging with our Microbes”

January      Shelagh Rogers – “Building a Better Relationship with Indigenous Peoples”

2020

September Linda Fawcus – “10 Breakthrough Technologies Changing the World”

October     Ghezal Durrani – Journey of Hope with the YWCA

November   Gaye Leggat – “Time For Cuba”

DATE 2019-2020               SPEAKER

2019
September   Elspeth Bradbury – “Wild Life of West Vancouver in Poetry, Image and
aaaaaaaaaa Music”

October      Peter Haigh– North Shore Rescue

November  Prof. Steve Easton SFU– “Trade Wars, Globalization and Brexit”

December Christmas Lunch

2020
January       Dr. Michael Hunt – Osteoarthritis

February   Pamela Goldsmith Jones –  “From Municipal Hall to Parliament Hill and
aaaaaaaa Beyond”

March       Nancy Hermiston & 2 singers UBC Opera – Cancelled due to Covid-19

April        Eleanor Campbell & Jane Jordan – NS Hospice & Palliative Project –
aaaaaaa Cancelled due to COVID 19

May        Nora Gambioli – “My Father’s Italian Garden” – Cancelled due to Covid-19

June        Andrew Trites – “Southern Resident Killer Whales – Risks & Realities” –
aaaaaaa Cancelled due to COVID-19

DATE 2018-2019               SPEAKER

2018
September    Dr. David Hunt – “Laughter is the Best Medicine”

October     Dr. Evan Wood – “Substance Use and Society”

November  Dr. John Aldrich – “How X-Rays Changed the World”

December  Christmas Lunch

2019
January    Danny Catt – “Arctic Mysteries, Arctic Magic”

February   Claire Newell – “An Insider’s Guide to the Best Trips Ever”

March       Glen Parker – Salmon on the North Shore – the Impact of Climate & People”

April          Gerry Van Wyck – “Three Great Women Composers”

May            Colleen Wheeler & Jennifer Lines – “Women in the Theatre”

June           Dr. Elizabeth Elle – “Determinants & Impacts of Pollinator Diversity – A Plea
for Bees’ Needs”

DATE 2017-2018               SPEAKER

2017
September          Anne Webb & Rob Brown – Vancouver Art Gallery

October      Nicola Cavendish – Personal Reflections

November  Kate Bird – 100 Years of Vancouver History

December Christmas Lunch

2018
January       Jacqueline Way – Founder of “365 Give”

February    Dr. Peter Ross – Plastics in our Oceans”

March       Dr. Robert Butler – “Society of Crows”

April            Dr. Andre Gerolamatos – Middle East

May             Christopher Gaze – Bard on the Beach

June           Adelene da Soul, Poet aka Bertha Clark

DATE 2016-2017               SPEAKER

Sachi Kuri – Women in Leadership Roles

               Hon. Marion J. Allan – “What is Elder Law?”

               Maria Howard – “Dementia Friendly Communities:  Staying Connected”

               Teresa Nicassio – Food As Medicine

               Dr. Andre Geralomatos – The Modern Middle East

               Cpl. Peri Mainwaring – Avoiding Fraud & Identity Theft

               Dr. Daniel Kalla – St. Paul’s Hospital, ER Surgeon & Author

               Jon Lumers – Proportional Representation

DATE 2015-2016               SPEAKER

               Hon.  Robert Bauman – Legends & Myths About Our Supreme Court

               Dr. Heaver – The World At Your Door:  Vancouver Port & Shipping

               Dr. Andre Geralomatos – the Syrian Refugee Crisis

               Craig Cameron:  Senior Counsel – Aboriginal Rights Before the Courts

               Dr. Ken Ashley – The Science Behind Climate Change

               Iain Drummond – Facial Forensics

               Dr. Paul Budra – How Shakespeare Became Shakespeare

               Cathy Peters – Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

               Linda Fawcus:  The Internet of Things

DATE 2014-2015               SPEAKER

               Fran Jare & Brent Gubbels – Enlightening Our Knowledge of Jazz

               Barbara Brink – Serving Your Community

               Jonathan Oldman – Issues Pertaining to Downtown Eastside

               Dr. Derek Gregory – The Wounds of War

               Diane Purvey & John Belshaw – authors of “Vancouver Noir”

               Tom Price – The Knowns & Unknowns of the CPR

               Dr. David Wood – Heart Specialist par excellence, VGH

               Dr. Thomas Oxland – Orthopedic Biomechanics

               Kucki Low – South Africa’s first female pilot

DATE 2013-2014     SPEAKER          

               Peter Lietch – North Shore Studios

               Dr. Andre Gerolamatos – Middle East

               Judy Rodgers – Experiences of a Past City Manager

               Brenda Plant – ED, Turning Point Recovery Society

               Dr. Michael Kobel – Epigenetic Embedding

               Yulande Faris & Guest:  Adelene da soul (poet par excellence)

               Jackie Kllosterboer – Surviving the “Big One”:  Preparedness

              James McCormack, UBC Prof., Pharmaceutical Sciences:  Recognize Medical
aaaaaa Myths

DATE 2012-2013               SPEAKER

               Barbara MacGillvray – Getting in Touch with your Family History

               Susan Archibald – Vancouver Acquarium

               John Clague – Ocean Rise in a Warming Climate

               Vicki Gabereau – Media Host

               Claude Giroux – Kay Meek Centre

               Peter Miller – Origins & Activities of North Shore Heritage Society

               Alison MacLean – Photojournalist (Afghanistan)

               Dr. James Kennedy – “Drugs:  Your Friend or Your Foe”

               Fran Jare & Brent Gubbels – “Jazz Exemplified”

DATE 2011-2012               SPEAKER

               Helen Wilkes – Letters from the Lost

               James Wright – Vancouver Opera

               Neil Boyd – Criminologist

               Bernadette Woit – Personal Preparedness & You

               Brenda Benham – How to Avoid Investment Fraud

               Sally Armstrong – Writer & Women’s Rights Activist

               Judith Marcuse – Arts for Social Change:  Communities in Action

               Nicole Garten-Jones – Estate Planning

               Christopher Gaze – Bard on the Beach

DATE 2010-2011               SPEAKER

               Judy Savage – Lion’s Gate Hospital Foundation

               Leila Getz – Vancouver Recital Society

               Andre Gerolamatos – The End Game in Afghanistan

               Dr. Laird Birmingham – Causes of Eating Disorders

               Bramwell Tovey – Vancouver Symphony

               Dr. Max Cynader – Enhancing the Plasticity of the Brain

               Jennifer Simons – Nuclear Dangers and Nuclear Disarmament

               Kim Bolen – Vancouver Sun

               Margaret Catley-Caarlson – World Water Management