Talks
John Fraser: Integrity in the Fourth Estate: Ensuring Media Remains Ethical and Honest in a Digital Age, on Wednesday, April 12 at 10:15 a.m. (Spring Talk #1) at Innis College, 2 Sussex Avenue.
John Fraser is a renowned Toronto journalist, editor, author and scholar. His adventurous career has taken him from being the Globe and Mail’s “eyes on the ground” in China in the late seventies, to facilitating ballet dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov’s defection to the West, to being the beloved Master of Toronto’s Massey College . It is in his current role as Executive Chair of the News Media Council that he will assist us to better understand the world of control, ethics and honesty in today’s media.
Read MoreProfessor Ann Shteir – Women and Plants: A Fruitful Topic – Summary Winter Forum #5
Our brush with botany came early. Remember those primary school drawing lessons, the collections of native field flowers, the glorious autumn leaves pressed in waxed paper? Those who took it a step further, who were hungry for a deeper scientific understanding, then worked harder and longer to discover and achieve, despite societal obstacles, are the…
Read MoreJan Wong – My Half Century with China: Reflections from the Cultural Revolution to COVID to Xi Jinping – Summary Winter Forum #4
The timing couldn’t have been better. At the moment the House of Commons was embroiled in arguments over China’s alleged tampering in Canadian elections and as international concerns were growing about whether it would arm Russia in its war against Ukraine, Jan Wong provided her unique perspective on the last 50 years of Chinese history in ALLTO’s fourth winter forum.
Read MoreSpring Talks 2023 Are Coming!
The Spring Talks 2023 begin every Wednesday from April 12th until May 10th with a great line up of speakers. Talks are held this year at Innis College in the Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue. We encourage Academy Members to bring a friend and introduce them to the Academy. The charge for non-members is $10…
Read MoreProfessor Ann Shteir – Women and Plants: A Fruitful Topic on Wednesday, March 15 at 2:30 pm (Winter Forum #5)
Professor Ann Shteir, professor emerita, York University recently edited and published “Flora’s Fieldworkers: Women and Botany in 19th Century Canada” ( 2021) (McGill/Queens Press). She and her team uncovered about ten neglected women who contributed to botany in Canada during this era. Some collected seeds; some developed gardens; some wrote guides to plants; some made…
Read MoreMichael Layton – Personal Reflections Reaching Net Zero Housing Standards – Summary Winter Forum #3
This forum presented Mike Layton’s personal reflections on reaching net zero housing standards. Mike is now devoting much of his time to energy savings issues with respect to climate change. Mike gave an inspiring talk about how he and his family have converted their century-old Toronto house from a fossil fuel guzzler scoring 134 on…
Read MoreCathy Crowe – “Dying for a Home: The Chronic Crisis of Homelessness and Housing in Canada”- Summary Winter Forum #2
Cathy Crowe, a long-time “Street Nurse” who works in the area of social justice nursing, presented some important and timely issues in an Academy Winter forum at Tartu College. Her background in nursing homeless people, as well as advocacy, writing, and filmmaking, have provided her with significant insights which she shared in a very visual presentation.
Read MoreMichael Layton – Personal Reflections Reaching Net Zero Housing Standards on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 2:30 pm (Winter Forum #3)
Lessons learned by Mike Layton and his family on their journey to make their home fossil fuel free. Mike will share further information about the technologies used and incentives available to decarbonize. Mike Layton is a well-known Toronto politician. After three very impactful terms as a Toronto City Councillor, Mike chose not to seek re-election.…
Read MoreCathy Crowe – Dying for a Home: The Chronic Crises of Homelessness and Housing in Canada on Wednesday, Feb. 1 at 2:30 pm (Winter Forum #2)
Cathy Crowe is a long-time Street Nurse who works in the area of social justice nursing. She prefers to be known as “Street Nurse” even after a full career as advocate, writer, film maker, Atkinson Fellow, recipient of the Order of Canada, and six honorary doctorate degrees. Her experience in the issues of homelessness and housing policy has made her a well-known voice for the homeless and for social housing.
Read MoreLinda Woodcock and Sharyn Salsberg Ezrin – Presenting our Presenters – Summary Winter Forum #1
Linda took an interesting approach to the presentation as it was an imagined trip to see the dark sky events that have occurred recently. The first stop was to Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park to see a total eclipse of the moon which is on the lands of the Blackfoot people. Linda told us of the traditional celebrations for the Beaver moon (also called the Grandmother moon) of Algonquin people.
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