Christine Whelan FEO, August 3, 2023, VOL. 4 ISSUE 25
The Fall Lecture Series for 2023, hosted by Lifetime Learning Niagara will be more accessible to Fort Erie this year.
Lifelong Learning Niagara (LLN) is a third-age learning organization providing programs and experiences for adults 50+ living in the Niagara Region and beyond. The goal is to present stimulating and enlightening educational programs and events that appeal to a broad range of interests.
Lectures will be held on Tuesdays, September 26 to October 31, from 10 am to noon except for the October 31st lecture which will begin at 9:30.
Chair of the LLN Board, Joan McCurdy Myers, spoke on the variety of topics provided. “I think most people will find topics that interest them. In the comments from members, I’ve read, ‘Even if you think something isn’t going to interest you, once you get there, it often does.”
Joan explained the speakers are experts on the topics but are aware the presentations are for the general audience and will be geared accordingly.
Third Age
The topics and speakers chosen are a result of being plugged into a system of resources. “We also belong to a larger group called the Third Age Network (TAN), consisting of groups like ours from around Ontario and beyond. So, they all have speakers and suggestions. It’s a great, supportive group that is happy to share ideas about speakers.”
Joan explained ‘third age’. “The term comes from France — troisième age — a post-retirement life stage when one wants to continue to learn. We may have finished with what our formal education had prepared us for but our brains are still here. We need to use them.”
She added, “One of the slogans we’ve used in the past was, ‘Feed your brain.'”
Reaching out to Fort Erie
“Our target is the whole region. We’re really trying to reach out to the Greater Fort Erie area.”
The live lectures were located in St. Catharines in the past. “We only did live lectures up until COVID. For some people, that made it really difficult or impossible to attend. So, the benefit of Zoom during the pandemic was that people could watch from home and we received positive feedback about the easy access.”
Now that the world has Zoom options, the lectures’ reach is broader. This also provides the option for those who enjoy watching the presentation in the comfort of their own homes, and maybe even in their pajamas.
But for some, they were still missing the in-person experience.
“So, with the Fort Erie outreach, we are going to try experimenting to see if we can combine the two ways.”
She talked about the additional idea of partnering with a location and inviting people to get together in a smaller group to watch a Zoom presentation and have a discussion afterward.
About this fall’s series, Joan explained, “The first three will be in St. Catharines but at a different venue, at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canal Centre. Then the second three will be via Zoom. We’ll see how this works.” In the winter, the lectures will be offered via Zoom only.
Joan really appreciates the comments that are written and uploaded to the website, “It brings me so much pleasure when I see them. One of the things we often read is the comment expressing their surprise that the lectures they find most interesting were the ones they really didn’t have an interest in.” The ones that were interesting were not expected.
The Fall Lecture Series 2023
September 26 (In-person)
Music Therapy to Enhance Cognitive and Physical Health. Presented by Rachael Finnerty, Registered Psychotherapist, Music Therapist Accredited, Music Therapy Academy Founder. Learn about the ‘science’ of music for wellness, and music activities that can enhance emotional, cognitive, and physical wellbeing.
October 3 (In-person)
Was your Grandparent a Home Child? Presented by David Hemmings, Local Historian and Author. Over 100,000 children were sponsored to immigrate to Canada, including the Niagara region, from 1868 to 1932. Were your (great) grandparents one of them and what were their circumstances once they arrived in Canada?
October 10 (In-person)
Arts in Community: a Cross Country Perspective. Presented by Colleen Smith, CEO FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Arts experiences are unique from place to place in Canada yet they all have the ability to draw people together to inspire and entertain. From Nova Scotia to Alberta, Indigenous communities to islands in the Atlantic, we will look at unique arts practices that define ‘place’.
October 17 (Zoom)
Why has NATO endured? Understanding NATO’s long history, from the Cold War to the Russian Invasion of Ukraine. Presented by Dr. Tim Sayle, Associate Professor of History, Director of International Relations Program, University of Toronto. NATO was established after the Second World War to prevent the world from falling back into general war. This lecture will examine the historical connections between NATO’s Cold War and the crises of today, and offer an explanation of why NATO endures.
October 24 (Zoom)
Preparing for the Next Pandemic: What do we need to do? Presented by Dr. Gerry Wright, Director of Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats, McMaster University; Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences; Michael G. DeGroote Chair in Infection and Anti-Infective Research. Pandemics, epidemics, and outbreaks of infectious diseases are predictable and will continue to occur in the future. Going forward from COVID-19, we must find ways to link clinical and biomedical advances with social and community networks to address infectious disease threats rapidly.
October 31 (Zoom) (Note: This lecture starts at 9:30 am)
Climate Change Near You: What Happens when it’s out of control? Presented by Dr. Liette Vasseur, Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University. Are we confused between the terms climate and weather? Can we blame everything on climate change? This presentation will explore these issues and look at what is happening in the Niagara region, what is expected, and what we can do about it.
Cost
“One of our goals is to keep the cost reasonable,” the LLN Chair is happy to share. “If you went to all six lectures in the series, it would be $60. And that’s cheaper than going to the movies.”
The membership is free. “With a membership, you get information through email,” She added, “But we don’t bombard people.”
History
Following a successful lecture offered by Brock University in October 2014, some interested seniors met to discuss how to initiate a self-managed group to provide learning opportunities for adults in the Niagara region.
Lifelong Learning Niagara (LLN) was established in 2015 as a not-for-profit third-age learning organization managed by a volunteer Board of Directors, becoming incorporated in July 2015.
Following two promotional lectures in the spring, they offered their first series of six lectures in the fall of 2015 at the Armenian Community Centre in St. Catharines.
In their first year of operation, they held three member-only events: meet the Board, a peer-to-peer workshop, and a short lecture/social time to celebrate their first year.
Since then, Lifelong Learning Niagara has offered two lecture series each year with speakers covering a variety of topics, as well as special events where their members meet and socialize.
Joan explained the meaning of the Lifelong Learning Niagara logo. The curly blue and green lines represent the lakes and the river that surround the Niagara Region.
LLN will be at the Seniors Stepping Out Seniors Fall Festival at the Fort Erie Lions Senior Centre (Douglas Heights), 265 High Street on Wednesday, September 13, from 11:30-3:00
Registration for the fall lecture series, running on Tuesdays from September 26 to October 31, will open on August 15 at 9:00 am.
The key information — who Lifelong Learning Niagara is and details about the lecture series including registration — can be found on their website, llniagara.ca
