Prior Recent Speakers

Members were enlightened by a couple of local not for profit organizations that with the help of dogs and horses help those with special needs.  Adele Afano from the Autism Dog Services Inc., outlined their work in training service dogs to assist those with autism.  We were fortunate to meet one of their service dog in training along with his handler.  Carol Stanton and Marn Lawton volunteers for TEAD, a therapeutic riding centre gave us a better understanding how individuals with disabilities benefited from the programs they offered.

Dusty Vacon, Head of CAP (Cancer Assistance Programme) gave a enlightening speech on their organization that is instrumental in helping cancer patients and their caregivers in the Greater Hamilton area.

In showcasing their writing authors have given members insight into their latest work.  Ted Barris (“Rush to Danger” nonfiction work) brought to life the dangers that medics face on or near the frontline.  Professor Mark Rector ( “Oh Canada, our Home and Inventive Land" nonfiction work) gave members several Canadian inventors who, by their inventions changed the course of history.  Finally, Lorraine Sommerfeld (freelance contributor to the Hamilton Spectator) regaled us with stories behind the stories that she has written in her weekly column, “Motherlode”.

Hamilton Police Services have been very generous in allowing their staff to speak to us.  Two Officers from the Hate Crimes Unit spoke about their efforts in identifying those incidents where a level of hate has been displayed by an individual and if that individual is at some point convicted of a crime where there is evidence that hate was a motivating factor then this information is brought to the attention of the Judge who is tasked in sentencing the individual.  A Sergeant from the Arson Unit of the Hamilton Police Services gave an interesting talk on what his unit does.  Along with handling the suspected arson cases he  is also responsible for the Drone Unit.  He spoke of where and when the unit  utilizes drones.  A drone demonstration was a hit.  A Detective and Senior Support Officer spoke about protecting vulnerable individuals from those who commit fraud and other scams.  They outlined the types of fraud cases that they see and in turn what actions someone can take to reduce their chances of becoming a victim.  Councillor Ted McMeekin outlined the homeless situation in Hamilton and provided general comments on provincial versus city politics.  

Civic engagement is an important issue for members so we much appreciated representatives of the Hamilton community speaking at our meeting.  John Best - Editor in Chief of the Bay Observer spoke at length concerning the problem that local news reporting has when competing with that of social media.  

Bev and Dan Bednis from Hamilton Alliance for Tiny Shelters, gave an interesting talk on the difficulty and promise of providing temporary shelters for homeless individuals.  Scott Peck, Deputy Chief Admin Officer and Director of Watershed Management Services of the Hamilton Conservation Authority gave us insight into the responsibility of the Authority and how the Authority works for us.  Vito Scro, a previous mayoral candidate for Hamilton, delved into the inner workings of politics, at all levels of government.  He gave an interesting comparison between Hamilton and Clark County Nevada, two similar sized communities.  This comparison included the various problems each community has and how their municipal governments are working towards solving them

Travelogues are always enlightening so Rick Keir and Christina Jonas’s presentation of their trip to Antarctica and Easter Island aboard the National Geographic Resolution was a treat.

Over the decades technology has rapidly changed the way we live and how we work.  Tim Speed-Caser gave us a clear example of this by showcasing his career as a civil aviation engineer and how the work has changed over the decades.   

A topic, always of interest to members is legal issues relating to their own lives and that of their families.  Eric Nanayakrara, managing partner of Regency Law Group was there to expand our knowledge in this area.