Julia Zarankin is an award-winning, Toronto-based writer, birder, lecturer, and cultural tour guide. Julia will be talking about the importance of rediscovering the magic of our common birds. Not only do these birds deserve our respect (and awe!), but they also teach us to feel more present and connected to our local environment. Featured rockstar…
This group will meet to extract the wit and wisdom in politics, business, finance, culture, literature and science from this influential international journal. Subscription copies can be delivered by mail (phone 1-800-456-6086) or electronically (economist@neodata.com). At each session, the group selects about eight articles and the discussion is begun by the proposer of each article…
Nobel Prizes for Science and Medicine have been awarded since 1901. In this workshop, participants will explore the winners in the four categories: Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and the additional Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences (in Memory of Alfred Nobel). Participants will investigate what the winners discovered and what the impact of the…
New this year!This workshop will help you go beyond the headlines to explore the complex issue of climate change and its global impact. Grounded in science and cutting-edge research, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of the science behind climate change, its current and projected effects on the environment, and the societal challenges it presents.…
New this year!Lucille Ball, Milton Berle, Johnny Carson, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Gleason, Mary Tyler Moore, Ed Sullivan, Alan Alda, Bea Arthur, Carroll O’Connor, Elvis Presley, Aretha Franklin, and Sammy Davis Jr. These are just some of the legendary performers who defined the golden age of entertainment. These stars from the world of TV, film and…
Songs are a vital part of our lives. First, participants will give presentations on their choice of performers (e.g., Tiny Tim, the Beatles, Mel Torme), composers (e.g., Cole Porter, Jim Webb, Lennon & McCartney), historical period or favourite songs. Second, we can choose to sing the songs we discuss acapella or with accompaniment. Just listening is welcome…
At the start of each session the participants suggest topics from the recent newsworthy of further discussion. The discussion of each topic starts with a brief introduction by the person suggesting the topic followed by a general discussion. Facilitators Joan Bartel has lived in four countries, ending up happily in Canada. She enjoyed a long…
New this year!This workshop explores what makes companies tick. How should success be defined? Are there behaviours, conditions or opportunities that tend to generate winners? Focus will be placed on specific corporations and leaders. Corporations: Corporations today control budgets larger than the GDP of many countries. Some relative newcomers have succeeded masterfully, like Microsoft and…
Memoir, unlike autobiography, is the art of reminiscing about particular events, people and/or time periods in our lives and is becoming increasingly popular. As in previous years, participants will present extracts from their own writing. Ideas/prompts are offered to stimulate writing in class and provide a source for longer pieces. Time will be given to…
Can democracy be saved? Join us for a wide-ranging discussion about democracies; how they flourish and how they fail. How do democracies become dictatorships and how do dictatorships become democracies? What is populism and when did it start? Can a single, strong leader have a significant impact on the course of a country? Each participant…
A short story is a love affair; a novel is a marriage. Short stories are one of the oldest types of literature and are a growing and important aspect of contemporary literature. We will learn about significant and influential contemporary short story writers as well as focus on Irish short story writers. We will discuss…