SPEAKERS (click to summary in newsletter)

2024

January –  Emma Fitzgerald,  From architect to illustrator 

2023

December –  Ashlie Corcoran, Artistic Director of The Arts Club - Life Cycle” of a Play

November –  Associate Chief Justice,  Heather Holmes - Court System – Particularly, Changes from COVID

October –  Dr. Larry Barzelai -   Why Climate Change is the most important issue we have to face. 

September –  Ashley Gowanlock - “My Opportunities Just Dress Up As Obstacles"...chooose joy no matter what obstacles you may face"!

July –  Melanie Galloway - Preventing Falls Using humour & demos, Melanie offered insights all aspects of fall risks and the best ways to reduce them. Falls put more seniors in hospital than any other kind of injury.

June –  The Honourable Risa Levine - Afghan Women Judges in Canada Risa worked with judges across Canada & around the world to help judges escape retribution when the Taliban took over Afganistan

May –  Sharon Davis - Philanthropy: Give and Take Sharon started the Canadian chapter of Room to Read & talk about her philanthropy experiences.

April –  Cecelia Reekie - My Journey from Truth to Reconciliation Author, School Trustee, & local advocate, Cecelia talked about her life & ways to reconciliation.

March –  Douglas Justice - Ornamental Cherry Trees in Vancouver Douglas is with the UBC Botaical Gardes & presented Vancouver's Cherry Blossom Trees

February – Sheryl MacKay - Life on the Air A CBC icon for many, Sheryl talked about journey, from her start in the Maritimes to retirement/podcast future. Many fun stories ensued 

January –  Patti Shales Lefkos - Nepal One Day at a Time the journey Patti & her partner work to bring schools to Nepal

2022

November – Trish Smith, CM OBC is a Canadian lawyer and Olympic rower who was elected president of the Canadian Olympic Committee. She sits on the International Council of Arbitration for Sport. She included an update on a Potential Indigenous-led Bid for the 2030 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

October – Dr. Stanley Hamilton, C.M., O.B.C. Building a Better Regulator to Protect Public Interests and Promote Trust in BC’s Financial Services 

September – Stanley Alan Ridley, BSc (Hon) Eng, MSc (Eng), DIC, C.Eng, MICE TOPIC: Global Warming & Climate Change; Perspectives on World Energy. Stan oversaw many hydroelectric projects in thirty countries on five continents, and talks about the crisis we now face.

August – Joost Bakker, Architect TOPIC: Vancouver – "Evolving Public Space"  His passion for enhancing the public realm such as the internationally recognized Granville Island. A fourth-generation architect and a founding partner of the DIALOG Vancouver studio, Joost focuses on innovative urban design, mixed-use, institutional, and cultural projects. 

July – Geoff Mynett – Geoff qualified as a Barrister in England, in 1973 requalified as a British Columbia Barrister and Solicitor. TOPIC: Dr. Wrinch and Pioneer Medicine on the Skeena River – For the forty years that started in 1871, Hazelton, a small town on the Skeena River. When Dr. Horace Wrinch arrived there in 1900, he was the first resident doctor, and his wife Alice was the first nurse, in an area that stretched from Atlin, near the Yukon border, to the Cariboo and from the BC coast to Edmonton. 

June – Zulie Sachedina, General Counsel & Chief Legal Officer Topic: "Globalization; Health Care Challenges in the post-COVID World"

May – Hilary Letwin, Curator West Vancouver Museum of Art “The life of Cornelia Hahn Oberlander”

April – Madeleine Shaw, "How Social Entrepreneurship is changing the face of business and philanthropy".

March – Dr. Penny LeCouteur – Molecules That Changed History. There are a number of molecules that have changed history. Penny will discuss why and how “Napoleon’s Buttons” came to be written and review why the seventeen molecules chosen made it into the final version 

February – Trevor Heaver a graduate of Oxford University and Indiana University. Professor Emeritus, U.B.C. was head of the transport and logistics programs. Headed Int'l Assoc. of Maritime Economists and World Conference on Transport Research. TOPIC: "What are the ships that we normally see at anchor? What is going on in shipping?"

January – Speaker is from the UK and is speaking on Dyslexia and the foundation of Helen Arkell

2021

December – Dr. Sebastian Marino – University of Cambridge. Studying exocomets from the driest place on Earth the discovery of thousands of exoplanets over the last decade has revealed that planetary systems are ubiquitous and incredibly diverse.

November – Martha C. Piper, O.C., O.B.C., Ph.D. Topic: Lessons on Leadership. Dr. Martha Cook Piper, President Emeritus of The University of British Columbia, will share stories from the book 'NERVE: Lessons on Leadership from two women who went first' which she co-authored with Dr. Indira Samarasekera, O.C., Ph.D., President Emeritus, University of Alberta.

October – Julie Veloo – Making a Difference –  One Child at a Time – In 2010 Julie and Chelven Veloo moved to Mongolia, from Hixon BC, for the mining industry and took many warm coats & blankets knowing the need by less advantaged people living in minus 25-degree winters.

September – Holman Wang Topic: His Creative Journey Through the World of Publishing "My Cozy Classics"

August – Cassandra Bequary – A Musician – My life and the route to the V.S.O.

July – Lynne Quarmby, Watermelon, Snow and Climate Chang

June –  Dan Levitt, Adjunct Prof. on Aging, SFU Disrupt Ageism!

May – Catherine Johnson, The InSight Mission: Looking into Mars’ Deep Interior

April – Nurjehan Mawani, Afghanistan, protecting the gains of equality

March –  Egon Davis, Horticulturalist – Container Gardens

February – Valerie Jerome –  Is Change in our Future Racism in Our Schools

January – Dave Doroghy –  Bee Keeping and his book Show Me The Honey

2020

December – Scott McIntyre, Co-founder and retired CEO of Douglas and McIntyre Publishing Co. In the Shadow of Two Empires: Creating a Canadian Literature

November – -Darcy Gaechter –  Kayaking Source to Sea on the Amazon River –  4,300 miles in 148 days

October – Paul Evans Phd. SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY & GLOBAL AFFAIRS, U.B.C. Canada and China: Any Way Forward?

September – Michael Geller, Architect, So where are we going to live next. And where will our children and grandchildren live?

August – Angela Elster, C.E.O., V.P. Vancouver Symphony Orchestra -The Resilient Symphony: Transformative Opportunities throughout a Global Pandemic

July – Anne Giardini, Executive, Lawyer, Corporate Board member, and Writer, Women & Power

June – Linda Fawkus of GLUU Technologies

May – Cancelled

April – Cancelled

March – Erin Williams Senior Program Manager at the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada – Preparing Canadian Youth for the Asia Pacific Century

February – Robb Lucy– How will you be Remembered. A Definitive Guide to Creating and Sharing your Life Stories

January – Dr. Cheryl Wellington CM, is a Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at UBC. Her research interests focus on dementia, traumatic brain injury, cerebrovascular dysfunction, and lipoprotein metabolism

2019

December – Peter German, Ph.D., Author of “Dirty Money”

November – -Dr. Gillian Siddall, President of Emily Carr University of Art & Design –  Great Northern Way Campus

October – Michelle Kim, Author& Film Maker– Storytelling & Korean Aesthetics

September – Christopher Gaze and Dr. Paul Budra You Are Quoting Shakespeare –  And Don’t Know It!

August – -Ken Cameron Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies at Simon Fraser University– Global Citizenship: Lessons from the Life of a Canadian Planning Pioneer.

July – Dr. Tammara Soma – Solving Food Waste in Canada: Thinking outside the Bin

June – Jessie Adcock is the City of Vancouver’s Chief Technology Officer –  Smart Cities: The City of Vancouver’s Digital Journey

May – Dr. Joost Schokkenbroek, Exec. Dir. Vancouver Maritime Museum – Setting a New Course for the Vancouver Maritime Museum

April –  Paul Evans, Professor in the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs at UBC.– Canada and China: Stormy Weather or Climate Change? 

March – Nancy McKinstry, founder of Minerva Foundation for BC Women, an organization dedicated to supporting women throughout British Columbia –  Women Helping Women

February – Mike Harcourt served as Premier of British Columbia 1991-96 and prior to that mayor of Vancouver. He brings experience and enthusiasm when speaking on the importance of creating vibrant, sustainable cities and communities.

January – Her Honour, The Honourable Janet Austin, The Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia

2018

December – Linda Fawcus, Founder & CEO of Gluu Technology Society,–  Talk on Cyber hacks. A behind-the-scenes look at how they happen, and tips on how to protect yourself from online crime

November – John Atkins, civic historian, heritage consultant and author The Life of a Building, a history of the Old Continental that sat at the foot of the Granville Bridge

October – Dr. Lance Barrett-Lennard, Director Marine Mammal Research, Vancouver Aquarium. Vancouver Aquarium and his research work in the Marine Mammal Program

September – Margaret Catley-Carlson, Running Out of Water? Global Water Resource Management

August – Michael Kluckner, President of the Vancouver Historical Society and Chairs the Vancouver Heritage Commission Julia Henshaw: An Extraordinary Life. 

July – Louise Lathey, Seized Animal Liaison Administrator BC SPCA: Prevention and Enforcement

June – Dr. Steve Morgan, Director of the UBC Centre for Health Services and Policy RESEARCH Research. Founder Pharmacare 2020, –  The case for universal pharma-care in Canada

May – Dr. John Helliwell, Professor Emeritus Economics U.B.C. “Happiness”

April – Mark Savard: Development Officer, Covenant House –  “Covenant House:–  Helping Homeless Youth One Person at a Time “

March – Speaker: Nick Versteeg –  “From Baker to Film Maker” 

February –  Bill Millerd, Artistic Director, The Arts Club Theatre –  “My Life in Theatre"

January – Scott Clark, Executive Director of Aboriginal Life in Vancouver Enhancement (ALIVE Society) –  Reconciliation in Action –  Our Place

2017

December – Professor Larry Beasley, CM, BA, MA, Hon LLD, FCIP, RPP Topic: Vancouver Planning Issues, Including Housing Affordability

November – Judy Graves – concerns for the homeless in Vancouver

October – Ann Webb, Associate Director and Rob Brown Project Director, Vancouver Art Gallery The Future is Now

September – Lyn Grants on Maria Sibylla Marian – A Woman Ahead of Her Time

August – Kelly Tweeddale, C.E.O Vancouver Symphony and the Vancouver Symphony School of Music – "Imagine the Orchestra of the Future"

July – Pam Cooper and Michael Connidis – Art of Change Ringing: The Bells of Holy Rosary Cathedral

June – Maria Howard, CEO, Alzheimer's Society

May – Dr. Brian Job, UBC, Political Science –  "North Korea Nuclear Weapon: Donald Trump said “it won't happen” but will it?"

April – Karen Flavelle, C.E.O. Purdy’s Chocolates – "The Sustainable Cocoa Program at Purdy's"

March – Dr. David Sweet, UBC – "Dental Forensics"

February – Johanna Wagstaff, meteorologist, CBC

January –  Rita Beiks, Curator YVR Airport – "YVR's Art"

2016

December –  Matthew Carter, Great Northern Way Trust – "New Universities Campus"

November –  Lynne Platt, U.S. Consul General – "What's Happening?"

October –  Susan Troesch, effects of pharmaceuticals  "Polypharmacy"

September –  Dr. Judy Illes, neuroethics/assisted death

August –  Jane Macdougall, recycling

July – Martin Haulena, Vet, Vancouver Aquarium

June – Gordon Gerrard, Assistant Conductor, VSO

May  – Andre Gerolymtos, SFU "Poli-Sci" – Turkey, its relationships as it drifts towards Conservative Islam

April – Sandra Singh, Vancouver Public Library’s chief librarian

March –  Rudy Buttingol, Knowledge Network

February –  Tamara Vrooman, CEO VanCity

January –  Rob Butler, crows

2015

December –  Erick Lichte, Chor Leone

November –  Dr. Margaret McGregor, UBC, Senior Medical Care

October –  Jane Pickering, Vancouver City Planning (sub for Brian Jackson)

September –  Dr. Jaymie Matthews, UBC, astrophysics

August –  Holman Wang, kids books

July – Dr. Helen Paterson, University of Sydney, Australia, – "Forensic Psychology"

March –  Dr Peter Ramsay, QC. Ramsay, Lampman, Rhodes, Nanaimo – "Death is not the end"