Oct. 20 – Ken McGoogan – “Shadows of Tyranny – Defending Democracy in an Age of Dictatorship”
Ken McGoogan worked as a journalist at major dailies for two decades, served as chair of the Public Lending Right Commission, and recently received the Stefansson Medal from The Explorers Club. He has taught writing in the MFA program at University of King’s College in Halifax and won a teaching excellence award from the University of Toronto. Ken sails as a resource historian with Adventure Canada. Ken has published seventeen books, among them several bestsellers. He has won the Pierre Berton Award for History, the Drainie-Taylor Biography Prize, the Canadian Authors’ Association History Award, the UBC Medal for Canadian Biography, and an American Christopher Award for “a work of artistic excellence.” His latest book, Shadows of Tyranny: Defending Democracy in an Age of Dictatorship, was an INDIES Book of the Year Award finalist in the U.S.
Shadows of Tyranny – Defending Democracy in an Age of Dictatorship draws on this sense of looping history to show how figures like Donald Trump replay many aspects of the authoritarianism that spread in the middle of the last century. Calling not only on Orwell and Atwood, but also on H.G. Wells, Yevgeny Zamyatin, Jack London and Hannah Arendt, McGoogan traces the ways democracy succumbed to paranoia, polarization, scapegoating and demagoguery less than a hundred years ago. These same forces, he argues, are now driving a far-right movement in the United States that seems devoted to using Trump’s warped charisma as a “wrecking ball” to clear the way for autocracy, closely resembling the dictatorships that stoked the Second World War.
Oct. 27 – Brian Carwana – “The Papacy Thru the Ages”
Brian Carwana is the Executive Director of Encounter World Religions. For over two decades, he has brought people to mosques, synagogues, temples and Wiccan covens while teaching classes on religious literacy and on how being conversant about diverse religious, secular and spiritual identities can help us to better understand our neighbours, colleagues and even the evening news. The highlight of his year is the Encounter’s annual summer Discovery Week where participants learn about 11 different religions through classes and about 20 site visits to explore sites, observe ritual and meet community leaders.Brian has a PhD from the University of Toronto, is an Associate for the Canadian Centre of Diversity and Inclusion, and blogs about religion at his personal site at ReligionsGeek.com.
The Papacy Thru the Ages – The Catholic Church is simply one of the most enduring and influential institutions in human history. It has shaped politics and the forming of kingdoms on the one hand; and, on the other, it has guided the understanding of marriage and sexual intimacy for billions of people. In this talk, we will look at some of the key popes, their impact on history, and how the papacy has developed and changed over time.
Nov. 3 – Kevin Donovan – “The Billionaire Murders – The Mysterious Deaths of Honey and Barry Sherman”
Kevin Donovan is the Toronto Star’s Chief Investigative Reporter, an author and podcast host of Billionaire Murders and Death in a Small Town. His focus is on journalism that exposes wrongdoing and effects change. Over more than three decades he has reported on the activities of charities, government, police, business among other institutions. Donovan also reported from the battlefields in the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan following 9/11. He has won three National Newspaper Awards, two Governor General’s Michener Awards, the Canadian Journalism Foundation award and three Canadian Association of Journalists Awards. As the Star’s editor of investigations for many years, Donovan led many award-winning projects for the paper. He is the author of several books, including Secret Life: The Jian Ghomeshi Investigation and the Dead Times (a fiction novel).
The Billionaire Murders – Barry and Honey Sherman appeared to lead charmed lives. But the world was shocked in late 2017 when their bodies were found in a bizarre tableau in their elegant Toronto home. First described as murder-suicide — belts looped around their necks, they were found seated beside their basement swimming pool — police later ruled it a staged, targeted double murder. Nothing about the case made sense to friends of the founder of one of the world’s largest generic pharmaceutical firms and his wife, a powerhouse in Canada’s charity world. Together, their wealth has been estimated at well over $4.7 billion.
There was another side to the story. A strategic genius who built a large generic drug company — Apotex Inc. — Barry Sherman was a self-described workaholic, renowned risk-taker, and disruptor during his fifty-year career. Regarded as a generous friend by many, Sherman was also feared by others. He was criticized for stifling academic freedom and using the courts to win at all costs. Upset with building issues at his mansion, he sued and recouped millions from tradespeople. At the time of his death, Sherman had just won a decades-old legal case involving four cousins who wanted 20 percent of his fortune.
Nov. 10 – Dr. Tim Cook – “The History of Remembrance Day”
Dr. Tim Cook, CM, FRSC is the Chief Historian and Director of Research at the Canadian War Museum. He is the author and editor of 19 books. Dr. Cook is also editor of the UBC Press Canadian Military History series, a member of the Historic Sites and Monuments Board, and a frequent commentator in the media. He is a member of the Royal Society of Canada and the Order of Canada.
Tim’s talk will start with the war, moving forward through Armistice Day, but also talk about war and loss, and symbols like the poppy, the Silver Cross mothers and more.
Nov. 17 – Maria Chester – “Picasso and his Muses: Wives, Goddesses and Doormats”
Maria Chester studied Fine Arts and Art History. She is a Professor of Pre-Columbian Art. She is multilingual and enjoys travelling. She taught in several South American universities as well as private institutions. She is a Senior Lecturer, tutoring annual courses on Art History for BEA – Berwick Educational Association. She also works for Berwick Visual Arts, delivering conferences linked to art exhibitions complemented with guided tours in Berwick upon Tweed, England. In May 2018, she was made a Visiting Research Fellow at the CAUA Research Centre for International Elderly Education, Shanghai, China. She became an Accredited Lecturer of The Arts Society in October 2018. Maria was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina but travelled the world and is multilingual and she can talk in Spanish (her mother tongue). Since 2003, Maria has lived in the Scottish Borders.
Pablo Picasso could be identified with the Minotaur who needed to be fed with the flesh of a virgin. Maria will examine his life and passions. She will then look more deeply at his love affairs and marriage from 1900 to 1943 and then will cover his partners from 1943 to 1973. Some of his partners were fine artists (Dora Maar, Françoise Gilot), others came from nobility (Olga Khlokhova), others were just young and fresh (Marie-Thérése Walter, Jacqueline Roque). He must have been a true charmer of women. Clever, intelligent women lost their senses over Picasso, others committed suicide, and only one not only survived his spell but later got married and had a child. It is astonishing that the older he became, the younger his partners had to be.
Nov. 24 – Beatriz Nogueira e Figueira – “Meet Your Nocturnal Neighbours: The Bats of Ontario”
Beatriz Nogueira e Figueira is a dedicated bat biologist and emerging voice in conservation science, specializing in the ecology and physiology of migratory bats. A graduate researcher at the University of Waterloo under the supervision of Dr. Liam McGuire, her work focuses on the endangered Silver-Haired Bat during its migration—an understudied yet critical period in the species’ life cycle. Her research addresses key knowledge gaps with the goal of informing meaningful conservation action.
Passionate about science that makes a difference, Beatriz has shared her work at international conferences and has received multiple academic awards recognizing her research excellence. Beyond the lab and field, she is committed to public science education and community outreach, having organized conferences and events designed to engage both scientific and general audiences.
As an early-career scientist, Beatriz is driven by a vision of connecting people with nature through education, and advancing research that supports the long-term protection of Canada’s most vulnerable wildlife.