BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//PROBUS St. Catharines - ECPv6.15.17.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:PROBUS St. Catharines X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://probusstcatharines.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for PROBUS St. Catharines REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260227T133000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20260210T215405Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T215405Z UID:6208-1772193600-1772199000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:PROBUS Lunch at Dalhousie Yacht Club DESCRIPTION:Join us on the last Friday of (almost) every month for lunch at the Dalhousie Yacht Club on the shore of Lake Ontario in Port Dalhousie. Arrive at noon for a beverage and enjoy lunch at 12:30. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/probus-lunch-at-dalhousie-yacht-club/2026-02-27/ LOCATION:Ontario END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260217T080000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260217T093000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20260210T214629Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T214629Z UID:6182-1771315200-1771320600@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:PROBUS Club Monthly Breakfast DESCRIPTION:Join us on the last Friday of (almost) every month for lunch at the Dalhousie Yacht Club on the shore of Lake Ontario in Port Dalhousie. Arrive at noon for a beverage and enjoy lunch at 12:30. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/probus-club-monthly-breakfast/2026-02-17/ LOCATION:Johnny Pastrami’s Diner\, 569 Lake St\, St.\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2N 4J1\, Canada END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260210T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260210T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20250403T145459Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260227T150011Z UID:5945-1770717600-1770721200@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Patrick Little - Lawyer\, St. Catharines Historian DESCRIPTION:Patrick Little – Lawyer\, St. Catharines Historian \n“Nino Donatelli: A Lifetime Restoring St.  Catharines’ Historic Buildings” \nDoug Gallaway introduced guest speaker Patrick Little\, a St. Catharines lawyer since the 1970s\, who talked about his long association with Nino Donatelli who has spent a lifetime transforming St. Catharines heritage buildings. \nPatrick said that Nino came from Italy as a child with his family and settled in St. Catharines and graduated from St. Catharines Collegiate. \nPatrick used a map to illustrate various areas of the city where Nino has stepped in to refurbish historic buildings which had fallen into neglect. Nino’s first activities were in Port Dalhousie. Patrick pointed out that Port Dalhousie\, once a thriving community at the north end of the Welland Canal\, suffered hard times when the canal entrance was moved further east to Port Weller. \nNino’s projects in Port Dalhousie included the Port Mansion\, the Soap House and Murphy’s Restaurant. Patrick said that well-known caterer Art Smith helped secure a patio licence that Nino helped turn into the largest outdoor patio in Canada with a capacity of 2\,000 people in the mid 90’s. The core properties were sold in 2003 to the firm that proposed a major tower development which has never seen the light of day. \nNino and Patrick’s one remaining holding in Port is the Port Dalhousie Pier Marina. Although it continues to thrive with still room to expand\, Patrick mentioned one plan that didn’t work out was when they secured a Riverboat to serve as a stationary restaurant at the marina. \nPatrick said that Nino was also one of the founders of Cat’s Caboose which he saw as filling a need as the first wings and beer pub around in 1976. \nSome of Nino’s most notable efforts have been in the Merritton area where buildings connected to the Domtar paper mills had been abandoned and left to slowly rot away. Nino was assured that the buildings were fundamentally sound and he set out to transform them. The first was for the Keg Restaurant\, which opened in 2002\, followed by the Stone Mill Inn which opened in 2005. \nNino also purchased Rodman Hall\, which sits on 12 acres of property. Built in 1856\, the building had a variety of uses but Nino restored it to its former glory and hoped to open a boutique hotel but that didn’t prove viable in St. Catharines and Patrick explained that it is now transforming into an exclusive recovery centre for short term respites. \nPatrick concluded his presentation by saying that Nino continues to search out older buildings that might be restored for new purposes. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Patrick for his in-depth knowledge and role in saving and restoring historic buildings and presented him with a gift certificate as a token of appreciation. \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/patrick-little/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/H.-A.-Patrick-Pat-Little.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260122T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260122T220000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20260210T213920Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T214154Z UID:6174-1769108400-1769119200@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Niagara Ice Dogs Hockey Game January\, 2026 DESCRIPTION:A number of our members attended a recent Niagara Ice Dogs hockey game. A good time was had by all! URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/niagara-ice-dogs-hockey-game-january-2026/ LOCATION:Ontario END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260113T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260113T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20241209T214256Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260201T133709Z UID:5863-1768298400-1768302000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Miriam Mitchell - Citizen Services Specialist\, Service Canada Government of Canada. DESCRIPTION:Miriam Mitchell – Citizen Services Specialist\, Service Canada Government of Canada. \nTopics that Miriam will be covering include:\n• Canada Pension Plan\n• Old Age Security\n• Guaranteed Income Supplement\n• Canadian Dental Care Plan \nSpeaker details some benefits on offer from Service Canada \nMiriam Mitchell\, our guest speaker representing the Canadian Government in the department of Citizen Services Specialist\, Service Canada\, was introduced by Ralph Steffen. \nMiriam\, a lifelong resident of Niagara\, has been involved in many community activities including the Lincoln and Welland Regiment Band and has been a government worker for over 30 years. She pointed out that Service Canada has four offices including the Passport office at the Pen Centre. Miriam’s presentation focused on three category areas: Canada Pension Plan (CPP)\, Old Age Security (OAS)\, and the Dental Plan. \nThe Canada Pension Plan began in 1966 and is funded by employers\, self-employed and mandatory employee payroll deductions and administrated by the Government.  Application for CPP pensions can be made at age 60\, 65 or 70. Higher payouts are available the later you apply for them up to age 70. Benefits depend on how much and how long you contributed. Miriam noted that if someone continues working\, they must continue paying toward CPP until age 65. \n \nShe added that enhanced payouts may be available in certain situations such as for a disability or for assisted child care. She pointed out that CPP offers a survivor’s pension to a surviving spouse or common law partner. \nThe Old Age Security Plan is funded by our tax dollars and is available and paid out once Canadian citizens reach age 65 or can be delayed until age 70 for a higher payout The OAS is available to Canadians living in or out of Canada. This plan also includes the GIS supplements plan for low-income residents. \nThe Dental Plan came into effect in 2024 and is available to all Canadian citizens who have a family income of $90 thousand or less per year and the plan must be reviewed and renewed every year. There are a number of dental services that are covered by this plan provided the dentist is registered with the Government. \nMiriam encouraged anyone wishing more information to go to the Government of Canada Website www.Canada.ca or call Service Canada. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Miriam for her very informative presentation.  Miriam declined the honorarium stating that Government policy prohibits employees from accepting gifts of any kind. \n  \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/miriam-mitchell/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/canada-wordmark-e1733854704906.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251209T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251209T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20241127T142008Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251231T161115Z UID:5850-1765274400-1765278000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Hugh Gayler DESCRIPTION:Topic:  “Seeing Canada by Train” \nJohn Senn introduced Dr. Hugh Gayler\, our club member\, who filled in as guest speaker. Hugh\, who retired from Brock University in the field of urban planning in 2010\, is an avid rail travel enthusiast and offered a PowerPoint presentation of his trans-Canada rail journey. \nHugh pointed out that the Canadian Pacific Railway was the first to complete a route from Toronto to Vancouver in 1885 followed by Canadian National Railway in 1914. \nHe said that VIA Rail took over passenger rail transport in 1977. The Rocky Mountaineer\, which caters to the tourist industry and runs between Vancouver and Banff\, began operation in 1990. \nHugh said that there has never been a true trans- Hugh Gayler describes his continental rail journey across Canada by rail. service in Canada as the eastern part of the country is served by separate rail lines. \nTalking about his own experience travelling from Vancouver to Toronto\, a trip which started on a Tuesday and ended on Saturday\, Hugh provided pictures of scenery along the way. He pointed out that\, because the train travels at night\, you see different mountain ranges depending which direction you are going. He said the trip can vary depending on the time of year and the weather. \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/to-be-confirmed/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Hugh-Gaylor-e1635714997727.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251111T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251111T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20241123T143312Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251201T174134Z UID:5847-1762855200-1762858800@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Hugh Gayler - "London: The Post-Imperial City\, 1945-2025" DESCRIPTION:Speaker: Hugh Gayler – Probus Member \nTopic: “London: The Post-Imperial City\, 1945-2025” \nSpeaker offers in-depth look at post-war London \nJohn Senn introduced club member Hugh Gayler as our speaker for November whose topic was London: The post imperial city. Hugh retired from Brock University in the field of urban planning in 2010. He travelled to London many times with student groups\, studied economics in London and on returning to Canada completed his PhD at the University of British Columbia. \nHugh began his presentation by remembering London’s war dead with a Power Point tour of various memorials and cenotaphs erected to pay tribute to veterans and civilians who lost their lives during combat in the two world wars. Evidence of bombing destruction still remains in parts of the city. \nHugh went on to talk about the decline of London after World War II. He said dock closures and industrial losses contributed to a drastic drop in population in the city of London. He explained that London is a capitol city with 32 boroughs.  Government is composed of the Greater London Authority and 33 smaller authorities. London’s population is now 9.1 million while the total metropolitan population has risen to 15.1 million\, making it the third largest city in Europe. \nHe said that the City of London still has its own police force while the other boroughs are served by the Metropolitan Police. \nHugh said that for years the city followed an anti-high-rise policy with decentralization of offices. This started to change when Canadian interests developed Canary Wharf in the financial district. Hilton built the first high-rise hotel overlooking Buckingham Palace in the 1970s and there followed a splurge of unique buildings which Hugh displayed in his photographic tour. The buildings included some given names such as the Gerken\, the Cheese Grater\, the Walkie Talkie and even the London Eye. \n \nHe indicated that London remains a cultural capitol with art galleries\, museums\, opera houses\, symphonies and city markets. He said that every book published in England is housed in the London Library. He added that Fleet Street is no longer the centre for newspapers as they have all moved out of the area \nHugh said that tourism is now a major financial contributor as the city has become a major cruise ship destination. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Hugh for sharing his in-depth knowledge of London through words and pictures. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/hugh-gayler/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Hugh-Gaylor-e1635714997727.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20251014T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20251014T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20240907T134049Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251031T143648Z UID:5767-1760436000-1760439600@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Jenna Wickens - CFS Counseling & Wellbeing as the MatureMinds Coordinator DESCRIPTION:Jenna Wickens – CFS Counseling & Wellbeing as the MatureMinds Coordinator \nTopic: The Future is Old: Confronting Ageism for Better Health and a Brighter Tomorrow. Speaker urges a positive approach to ageing \nBill Holman introduced guest speaker Jenna Wickens who works with CFS Counselling and Wellbeing. She believes that the future is old and\, in her role\, provides advocacy\, education\, programs\, volunteer opportunities and community resource consultation that support our intrinsic value as we get older. \nJenna studied community recreation at Brock University and Niagara College and recently earned a designation as a Certified Professional Consultant on aging. \nAgeism — a bias based on age — is one of the most accepted forms of prejudice. It shapes how we treat others\, how we see ourselves and how we age. \nShe said that the term ‘old’ is Jenna Wickens seen as a negative and noted that one in three have experienced ageism which relates to how we think\, feel and act toward others and ourselves. \nShe used the messages on many birthday cards to illustrate how stereotypes about aging can be reinforced and showed a brief video using the ‘best before date’ message as it might relate to people as they age. \nJenna pointed out that ageism is the only ‘ism’ that reveals prejudice toward our future selves. She added that ageism can be bad for your health and that studies have shown that people with positive feelings lived seven and a half years longer than those with a negative attitude. \nShe said that although retired people are some of the busiest people\, typical media messages on aging illustrate seniors as invisible\, extreme — being either weak and sick or superheroes — while most end up somewhere in between the two extremes. She said aging is also seen as a disease or disaster to be avoided. \nJenna said that we need to see growing old as an opportunity and not a liability. She also offered a few potential responses to people who make comments such as “you are looking good\, for your age.” \nShe closed with a quote from C.S. Lewis who said\, “You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Jenna for her presentation and provided her with a gift card in a token of appreciation. \n \n  \nAgeism speaker Jenna Wickens meets Probus member Bob Trinder who marked his 101st birthday in October. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/jenna-wickens-cfs-counseling-wellbeing-as-the-matureminds-coordinator/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Jenna-Wickens-e1723582620674.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250909T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250909T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20241127T221509Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251001T144016Z UID:5854-1757412000-1757415600@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Roddy MacKenzie\, author DESCRIPTION:Roddy MacKenzie – Canada’s Bomber Command in WWII. Churchhill’s Greatest Triumph \nCanada played vital role in WW II Bomber Command \nJoe Vanderkooi introduced guest speaker Roddy MacKenzie\, a retired Vancouver lawyer\, who spoke via Zoom\, about his book\, “Bomber Command: Churchill’s Greatest Triumph”. \nRoddy’s father\, Roland MacKenzie\, DFC of Calgary\, piloted a Lancaster as part of Bomber Command in 34 combat sorties over Nazi controlled Europe from April to August of 1944. Like so many veterans who survived the war\, Roland spoke little of his exploits\, but curiosity led Roddy into six years of researching\, speaking and writing about Bomber Command and finally publishing his book in 2023. \nOne of the first things that Roddy discovered was that very little was known about Bomber Command and what it achieved. He pointed out that Winston Churchill was convinced that the key to success in the war against Germany was going to be air superiority. Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon McKenzie King was in full agreement to the extent that Canada contributed $1.6 billion toward Bomber Command with much of that money going to build runways for training pilots from the U.K.\, Australia and New Zealand as well as Canada. Although Commonwealth countries made up the bulk of the crews\, crew members actually came from more than 60 countries. \nRoddy found that some of his best information about the impact of Bomber Command came from Germany. Even Hitler was said to blame the German Airforce’s failure to control the skies for Germany’s loss of the war. Roddy’s research uncovered the tremendous cost in aircrews and aircraft. One quarter of all Canadians in uniform who died in the Second World War were killed in Bomber Command. \nRoddy said that Canada played a major role in Bomber Command which included several strictly Canadian squadrons. Despite being a relatively small nation\, by the end of the war\, Canada boasted the fourth largest air force. Roddy said that he also learned that there were a number of false statements and reports about the efforts of Bomber Command. As an example\, he said that Joseph Goebbels added a zero to the total deaths in the bombing of Dresden claiming 200\,000 died instead of the actual number of about 20\,000. Roddy pointed out that the development of the Lancaster bombers led to much more precise targeting on bombing runs under the direction of Sir Arthur Harris\, Marshall of the Royal Air Force. \nFor his efforts in uncovering the story of Bomber Command\, Roddy has been recognized with a number of honors. He is Honorary Ambassador of the International Bomber Command Centre in the UK\, Honorary Member of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association\, a Life Member of the Bomber Command Memorial and Museum of Canada and a Member of the Bomber Command Association of Australia. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Roddy for his dynamic presentation and Roddy\, a Probus member in Vancouver\, offered to return his honorarium to the club. \nTo view a video of this presentation\, please click here. \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/roddy-mackenzie/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/MacKenzie.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250812T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250812T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20241122T163224Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T205340Z UID:5842-1754992800-1754996400@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Sara Nixon - Director of Community Engagement - The Brown Homestead DESCRIPTION:Sara Nixon – Community Engagement Manager – The Brown Homestead \nTopic: The Brown Homestead History \nBrown Homestead’s history began with Loyalist settlers \nHugh Gaylor introduced guest speaker\, Sara Nixon\, Director of Community Engagement for The Brown Homestead.  Sara grew up in Grimsby fascinated with the local history that surrounded her. She earned a Master’s degree in Public History from Carleton University and has been involved in museum and heritage history for the past 15 years. \nSara said that the oldest part of the Brown house\, built in 1796\, is the oldest house in St. Catharines. \nJohn Brown\, a United Empire Loyalist\, came to Niagara in 1783 arriving at Fort Niagara. Brown\, along with other Loyalists\, received land grants from the British Government in recognition of their role in the American Revolution and settled with his family in the Short Hills area where he was given 700 acres. He first built a log cabin before building a l-1/2 storey stone home for his large family on the property on Pelham Road which at the time was a stagecoach route. A large Georgian style addition was added in 1802. \nBefore he died in 1804\, John Brown owned a total of 900 acres and had cleared land to create a productive farm. \nWhen John died\, his son Adam took possession and converted the home into an inn and tavern as well as his home and it became a hub of community activity. When Adam died in 1851\, his son sold the property to Joseph Chellew who had 11 children and who made a number of changes to the building including adding a Victorian style porch across the front of the house. \nChellew also expanded the farm operation and added several outbuildings including a barn and dairy house. \nThe next owner was LaFontaine Powers\, who purchased the property in 1912 and added some modern conveniences. In 1979 Jon Jouppin purchased the home with the idea of restoring it to its original character. Since 2015\, it has been owned by the John Brown Heritage Foundation which was founded by descendants of the original homesteaders. In 2021 the name was changed to The Brown Homestead. \nSara illustrated some of the restoration work that continues on the house. Removal of layers and layers of wallpaper has revealed original stencils on the walls and floors which have been hand traced and replicated. \nSara said that the foundation has further plans to develop the property and is always looking for volunteers to assist with the many projects still in the works. \nDuncan thanked Sara for her informative talk and said a donation will be forwarded to the Foundation. \nClick here to view video of presentation URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/sara-nixon/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Sara-Nixon-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250708T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250708T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20241029T135210Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T205615Z UID:5811-1751968800-1751972400@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Danielle Rosenblum - Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides DESCRIPTION:Danielle Rosenblum – Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides – Community Partnerships Manager \n \nGuide dogs empower those with disabilities \nRudy Thiessen introduced guest speaker Danielle Rosenblum from the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides along with foster parents and their dogs – Karen and Casper\, Heather and Nixon and Jane and Lark. Danielle said that she has been with the Foundation for three and a half years and loves every minute. \nThe mission of the Lions Foundation is to empower Canadians living with disabilities to navigate their world with confidence by providing a dog guide at no cost and supporting them in their journey together. Danielle said the 40-year-old organization has two facilities. The main campus is in Oakville and the other is in Breslau. \nPuppies are bred at the Oakville facility and at eight weeks old are then raised by foster families for up to 14 months before being turned over to professional trainers. In about two years the dog is matched with a waiting client in one of seven different programs. The programs include Canine Vision\, Hearing\, Service\, Seizure Response\, Autism Assistance\, Diabetes Alert and Facility Support. Potential clients must attend in-person classes in Oakville where they get acquainted with the dog and are assessed by the trainers. \nDanielle said the foundation places about 250 dogs per year. With all the training\, care and follow-up support for clients\, the cost is about $35\,000 per dog. She pointed out that the foundation relies on donations to fund its work. She added that even with that number of dogs processed each year\, they are unable to keep up with the demand.\nShe said that the foundation is in the process of building a new 89\,000 square foot facility in Oakville to try to meet that demand. \nDanielle played a video that presented various testimonials from people explaining how their lives have been improved by their guide dogs.\nShe pointed out that a key part of the program is the volunteers who raise puppies during their first year or so and are responsible for teaching the puppy basic obedience and house training\, socialization in different environments and attending puppy classes and vet visits. One of the volunteers\, Karen\, referred to herself as a serial puppy raiser having raised about 25 dogs. \n \n  \nDuring a question-and-answer session\, Danielle suggested that about 65% of the puppies who start the program are successfully placed. You can learn more about the program at www.dogguides.com\nDuncan McLaren thanked Danielle and the volunteers for their presentation and for bringing their dogs with them and issued a donation to the Foundation on behalf of the Probus Club. \nClick here to view video of presentation \n \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/danielle-rosenblum/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Danielle-e1730485081780.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250610T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250610T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20240813T205728Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250630T155008Z UID:5755-1749549600-1749553200@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Lori Serafino-Harper - Manager of Audiology\, Speech & AAC and Terri Dean\, Audiologist DESCRIPTION:TOPIC: Hearing loss can be key factor in cognitive health. \nLori Serafino-Harper – Manager of Audiology\, Speech & AAC & Terri Dean – Terri Dean\, Audiologist \nHugh Learmonth introduced guest speakers\, Lori Serafino-Harper and Terri Dean\, both Audiologists working at the Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre in St. Catharines. Lori has been employed at Shaver since 1991 and since 2018 has been manager of audiology\, speech and AAC. Terri joined Shaver in 2010. \nLori gave us a quick history of the only rehabilitation facility in the Region. She pointed out that plans are in the works to expand the facility with a new building to be erected behind the present building which was constructed in 1930. \nThe Hotel Dieu Shaver facility treats 1200 inpatient admissions and over 25\,000 total outpatients every year. They have 134 beds\, 520 employees\, 33 medical staff and three full-time audiologists. Lori said they treat high and low intensity rehabilitation patients\, short term cases and end-of-life situations. \nShe said the name of the facility changed in 2005 when Shaver and Hotel Dieu combined and the governance and management was assumed by Hotel Dieu Hospital. \nThe audiology department\, which was established in 1972\, oversees all patients with hearing deficiencies. When testing indicates that a patient requires hearing aids\, they are assisted in determining which type is best suited for their needs. The audiology department can sell the hearing aids and then provides three years of follow-up service to make sure the patient is getting the best results possible. \nTerri focused on the auditory system with a short video\, explaining how the ear works\, or why it doesn’t work. She said that there are different types of hearing loss and each type requires unique approaches. Tinnitus is a condition causing internal sounds or buzzing and is not treatable. Intervention with testing can determine what type of hearing \nloss is involved and what type of hearing aid will be best suited to help the person. There are many different hearing devices to choose from when that time comes. Terri went on to talk about hearing loss prevention. Some types of hearing loss are caused by external conditions\, and you should avoid noisy and polluted surroundings and try to live a healthy lifestyle. \nTerri stressed the importance of intervention as hearing loss is a risk factor tied to cognitive health including social isolation and dementia. She also mentioned the statistic that people with hearing loss fall 2.5 times more frequently than normal. \nThe speakers fielded a number of queries during a Question-and-Answer period before Duncan McLaren thanked them for a very informative presentation. \nClick here for video of this presenation \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/lori-serafino-harper/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Lori-Serafino-Harper.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250513T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250513T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20240528T130953Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250602T191106Z UID:5708-1747130400-1747134000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Annemarie Hagan - Life of Mayor “Hurricane Hazel” DESCRIPTION:Annemarie Hagan \nTopic: Hazel McCallion a dominate force as Mississauga mayor \nHarold Nash introduced guest speaker\, Annemarie Hagan\, an award-winning curator and museum professional with over 35 years of experience. She has a B.A. in history from the University of Toronto and from 1998 to 2014 she was the manager of museums of Mississauga. Annemarie spoke extensively about Hazel McCallion\, affectionately known as “Hurricane Hazel\,” former mayor of the city of Mississauga. \nHazel was born in Montreal in 1921. She played professional hockey in the Gaspe Coast League. She worked for Canadian Kellogg Engineering and moved to Annemarie Hagan Toronto in the late 1940s as their office manager. Hazel married in 1951 and settled in Streetsville and entered the world of politics. She lost her only election in 1964 when she ran unsuccessfully for deputy reeve. She was elected to that post in 1967 and served as mayor of Streetsville from 1970-73. \nAnnemarie said that Hazel was strongly opposed to the amalgamation proposed by then Ontario Premier Bill Davis and Streetsville and Port Credit were the two strongest holdouts. But the creation of Mississauga finally took place\, and Hazel ran for mayor in 1978 and won 12 consecutive elections\, serving as mayor for 36 years until her retirement in 2014. \nHazel earned a reputation for her business friendly polices and was known by her critics as “the queen of sprawl” as she worked to attract business and investments to her city.\nAnnemarie noted that Hazel didn’t avoid scandals as she twice was cited for municipal conflict of interest infractions when she failed to declare her conflicts while voting on development issues including one instance involving her son. \nAnnemarie said that Hazel never toed any party line and ended up with good friends on both sides of the floor and enjoyed sharing the limelight with all sorts of celebrities. She remained active after her retirement and passed away in 2023 at the age of 101. \nAndy Redman thanked Annemarie for her extensive presentation on the life of Hazel. \n. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/annemarie-hagan/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Annemarie-Hagan.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250408T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250408T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20240212T153136Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250430T172933Z UID:5649-1744106400-1744110000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Adele Alfano - Autism Dog Services Inc. DESCRIPTION:Adele Alfano – Service dogs offer help to children with autism\n \nJoe Vanderkooi introduced guest speaker\, Adele Alfonso\, the fund development manager for Autism Dog Services overseeing fundraising and volunteers. \nAdele explained that there is a wide spectrum in people with autism. Some are highly functional and others\, at the other end of the spectrum\, are non-verbal.  One in 65 children have autism with some being diagnosed as young as two years of age.     Adele went on to say that Autism Dog Services was established in 2007 as a therapy service which includes seven people who work from their own homes. The service uses highly trained dogs as a way of reaching the innermost thoughts and actions for those who have autism and have placed 150 service dogs in southern Ontario.     Adele explained that Autism Dog Services has reliable puppy breeders who donate golden retrievers and labradors at about eight weeks which are placed with puppy raisers for 12 to 18 months. The foster families are responsible for socializing and exposing the pups to all different experiences to prepare them to become certified as service dogs. The dogs are assessed after 12 months and Adele pointed out that not all dogs make it through the program. \nShe said that certain breeds of dogs are chosen because they are very trainable and loveable. Larger dogs are used because they can restrain an autistic child who may be susceptible to running into traffic or having a tantrum. All costs are covered during the training period and Adele said that it can amount to about $25\,000 per dog. Adele said that many senior university students serve as raisers but others who have a love of dogs certainly can qualify. Autism Dog Services receives no government support so relies on fund-raising events. \nAdele introduced Andrea and her chocolate labrador therapy dog\, Aden. Andrea has a son with autism\, and she shared how having the dog changed her son’s demeanor for the better and allows him to do normal activities and to travel. Service dogs always wear a vest with specific ID badges when they are working and\, by law\, are admitted into restaurants and other public spaces. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Adele and Andrea for coming and bringing Aden to share their story about a life-changing service and presented them with a donation to Autism Dog Services. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/adele-alfano/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Image-from-Probus-Club-St.-Catharines-Presentation-Details-page-2.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250311T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250311T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20240711T114620Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250331T193718Z UID:5741-1741687200-1741690800@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Marcie Jacklin - The Owl Foundation DESCRIPTION:Topic: Owl Foundation has long history of helping raptors \nRalph Stefan introduced Marcie Jacklin\, a volunteer with the Owl Foundation\, a Rehabilitation Centre for wild owls and other raptors in Vineland at Jordan Harbour. \nMarci\, a former Brock librarian and active birder who earned a national award for enduring commitment to conservation\, said the foundation has two groups of owls – those that need long-term care and those that are nursed back to health and prepared for release back to the wild. \nThe Owl Foundation\, which was founded by Kay and Larry McKeever in the 1970’s\, is a registered charity. It is not open to the public but regular donors are invited once a year to observe the work that is being done. \nMarci pointed out that baby owls must even learn what species they belong to. Young or injured owls are rehabilitated back to good health and are then released as close as possible to their natural habitat. \nShe described some of the unique physical qualities of owls. Their large eyes don’t move but owls are able to turn their heads up to 270-degrees. They can both see and hear from great distances. Because most owls are active at night and have excellent camouflage plumage\, they can be very difficult to spot and Marci said your best chance of finding one is to listen for its sound. \nMarci played a variety of sounds made by different species but probably only an expert would recognize some of them as an owl’s call as they ranged from screeching to barking. \nMarcie listed the various types of common owls that can be seen in this area: Eastern Screech Owl which is just robin-sized\, Great Horned Owl\, Long Eared Owl\, North Saw-whet Owl\, Short-eared Owl\, Barred Owl\, Barn Owl and Snowy Owl which is becoming more common in Niagara.  She said nesting owls can be very protective and urged everyone to respect an owl’s space and not disturb or make them feel threatened. If you find an injured animal\, she recommended that you not touch it but notify an expert rehabilitator. \nJim Cameron\, a long-time contributor to the foundation\, thanked Marcie for her informative talk and presented her with a gift certificate in token of appreciation. \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/marcie-jacklin/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Marcie-Jacklin-e1740506340220.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250211T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250211T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20240124T163242Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250228T143523Z UID:5628-1739268000-1739271600@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Tom Herstad - Author DESCRIPTION:Tom Herstad – Author  – His book “2nd Line West” which is about a Lady who has “A Message For Us All” \nAuthor details process in telling mother’s inspiring story \nVic Cicci introduced guest speaker and author Tom Herstad who has been a hockey player\, coach\, outdoor adventurer\, a marketing and sales consultant and is a lighting designer by trade. \nTom\, who was born in Toronto but said that his family has roots in Niagara\, has spoken to 26 other Probus clubs to deliver the message about his mother’s life detailed in his book “Love\, Care and Share”. \nTom was just 12 years old when his father died suddenly just after he and his mother had enjoyed a dinner out. Tom’s mother\, Margie\, was 38 when she was left a widow with four children to care for. She fell into a deep depression and began drinking heavily. The depression lasted for three years before Margie discovered AA\, attended one meeting and never drank again. \nTom said that from that time on\, the spare bedroom in their home was rarely empty as Margie welcomed people in need into her home. After Margie died at the age of 73 in 2011\, Tom and his sister Julianne discussed the number of people their mother had taken in from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s and came up with 18 names and set out to find and interview them. \nThey collected interviews\, letters and videos over three years and agreed the story needed to be told. When Tom’s sister felt unable to put the story down on paper\, Tom agreed to take over. During the writing process\, he had the good fortune to connect with a number of people who provided encouragement and coaching along the way. \nDuring a trip to Mexico\, he met Tanya Freedman\, a publisher and writing coach who agreed to read his 68-page draft and provided further coaching. Bonnie Kogos\, a columnist with the Sudbury Star was impressed with the story and helped Tom rewrite the first edition. While Tom was continuing to work on the book\, he met Paul Saltzman\, a movie producer\, who encouraged him to seek financing to turn the story into a movie which will be released soon. \nDuring the process\, the title was changed from “Love\, Care and Share” to “2nd Line West”\, a reference to the location of their home. Tom said the current book\, which he had available for sale\, is actually the third edition. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Tom for bringing his mother’s inspiring story and presented him with a gift certificate as a token of appreciation. \nTo view Tom’s presentation on You-tube click here. \n \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/tom-herstad/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Tom-Herstad.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20250114T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20250114T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20240119T185610Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250211T205400Z UID:5612-1736848800-1736852400@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:William J. Thomas - Author DESCRIPTION:William J. Thomas – His most recent book “And That’s Why I Love Small Town Living!” a quaint and touching collection of stories set in a simpler time. \nWilliam Thomas finds humour in everyday incidents \nJim Cameron introduced guest speaker William Thomas\, a Canadian author\, scriptwriter with two Gemini nominations and a nationally syndicated humour columnist whose weekly columns appear in the Niagara daily newspapers as well as the Hamilton Spectator. He is also the senior writer for Canada’s Forever Young. \nWilliam said that he has spoken to more than 40 Probus Clubs and entertained the large turnout with some tales from his many speaking appearances where sometimes things did not go as planned. He listed the top 10 things Canadians fear including the fear of public speaking. \nHe provided some humorous examples of the behaviour of men which he wrote about in his book “Guys: Not Really Bright and Proud of It.” He also talked about funny incidents recorded in his book “The Dog Rules (Damn Near Everything)”. \nWilliam\, who at one time had his column appear in nearly 50 newspapers across Canada\, talked about other humour writers he has known and respected including Arthur Black. William said that he has become a voracious reader and emphasized the importance of reading and suggested that younger people may be causing themselves harm by spending so much time on screens. \nWilliam brought along copies of his latest book “And That’s Why I Love Small Town Living” that relates personal anecdotes from his life in Wainfleet\, Welland and Port Colborne. He autographed copies for fans following his presentation. \nDuncan McLaren thanked William on behalf of the club for his entertaining talk. \nTo view William’s presentation video click here. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/william-j-thomas/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/William-Thomas.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241210T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241210T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20231205T162427Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164930Z UID:5581-1733824800-1733828400@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:John Hewitt - St. Catharines hockey historian DESCRIPTION:John Hewitt – Topic will be “St. Catharines Hockey” and John will be offering copies of his book “Garden City Hockey Heroes”\, priced at $20.00 [cash only \nCity arena had long history with junior A hockey \nRick Kent introduced guest speaker John Hewitt\, a former high school history teacher and historian on Junior A hockey in St. Catharines\, whose book entitled “Garden City Hockey Heroes” provides a detailed history combined with extensive statistics of Junior A hockey in the city.  John also wrote “The Last Word\,” which described the heroics of the 1972 Summit Series. \nThe focus of John’s message was the history of the St. Catharines Garden City Arena. He noted that St. Catharines did not have an indoor arena or an artificial ice surface\, while other smaller nearby towns such as Thorold had opened its arena in 1936. It was during the depression and the city had no money to build one but in the fall of 1937\, a vote by the citizens pushed the city to agree to build an arena\, provided the citizens could raise half the estimated cost of $80\,000. \nJohn said that several influential businessmen led by Harry Carmichael helped to organize a fund-raising event which raised $106\,000\, more than enough to start construction.  A site was selected and the city hired Newman Brothers to construct the arena.  Construction started in early 1938 and by November the arena was built\, but without seating. \nA man called Touch Woods offered to pay to install the seating but later wanted his money back. John said that two exhibition games were arranged to cover the cost. First\, the Toronto Maple Leafs and then the Detroit Red Wings came to the city to play games against three Niagara Senior teams (one period against each team). The arena’s official opening took place on December 30\, 1938. \nOver the years many alterations were made to the building and in 1966 a $2.5 million update twinned the area with the Rex Stimers Arena next door and the original building was renamed the Jack Gatecliff Arena. The St. Catharines arena stood for 85 years until it was taken down in 2023. \nJunior A hockey came to this city in 1943 when Rudy Pilous established the Falcons as the first team to play in the new arena\, followed by the Teepees in 1947-62\, the Black Hawks in 62-76\, the Fincups 76-77 and\, 30 years later\, the IceDogs arrived in 2007. The Teepees won the Memorial Cup in 1954 and 1960. \n   Many of the hockey players who developed their skills in St. Catharines went on to play in the NHL and elsewhere. Some of the notables included Marcel Dionne\, Stan Makita\, Bobby Hull\, Elmer Vasko and others.  John said that in the 41 years of Junior A Hockey in St. Catharines\, a total of 124 players went on to play in the NHL\, some with Hall of Fame careers. \nDuncan McLaren thanked John for his excellent presentation. John\, who was accompanied by Ron Friesen\, later autographed copies \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/john-hewitt-st-catharines-hockey-historian/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/John-Hewitt.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241112T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241112T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230813T013643Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250212T002336Z UID:5432-1731405600-1731409200@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Paul Chapman - DESCRIPTION:Paul Chapman – Speaker \nTopic “Decoration Day a Precursor of – Remembrance Day  – A Remembrance of the Fenian Raids \nTim Kaye introduced speaker Paul Chapman\, a  graduate from Brock and from the University of Waterloo.  Paul\, a former urban planner with the city of St. Catharines\, talked about the history of Remembrance Day and offered a tribute to the Fenian Raids. \nPaul said that Decoration Day was first celebrated on June 2\, 1890\, as a form of protest by veterans of the Fenian Raids over the lack of recognition. November 11 was recognized as Armistice Day in1919 to mark the armistice ending the First World War. Armistice Day was officially recognized by an act of Parliament in 1931. In 1946\, the name was changed to Remembrance Day to recognize those who died in any conflict. \nPaul explained that the Fenians were Irish Catholics who wanted to free Ireland from British rule. Many of the Fenians were veterans of the American Civil War and their plan was to conquer Canada and trade it to England in exchange for home rule for Ireland. The Fenian forces began gathering in Buffalo in June of 1866 before crossing the Niagara River into Canada where they expected to be welcomed with open arms. \nCanada was still not a country and when the 1500 Fenians landed in Fort Erie\, they were well equipped. On the other hand\, the Canadian militia\, under the direction of Sir John A. Macdonald\, was poorly trained and poorly equipped with duties being assigned based on social and political position. The Canadian forces were made up of two groups – regular British forces and militia troops from Toronto. When the militia arrived\, the forces took heavy fire and casualties and retreated to Ridgeway. However\, the Fenians also retreated back to Buffalo fearing that the border would be closed behind them. \nCanadian press at the time and our history have characterized the battle as a victory for Canada. But\, Paul noted there were positives for Canada as an inquiry into the conflict led to the push for a united Canada. \nThe Canadian veterans from this uprising began organizing in an effort to gain recognition for those who lost their lives. Paul said his great grandfather\, Charles Chapman\, was a key figure in this push for recognition and became known as the father of Decoration Day. The veterans were finally recognized with medals and later\, the Province of Ontario issued land grants to the veterans. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Paul for his interesting look at our history\, especially noting the family connection. \nTo view Paul Chapman’s presentation video\, please click here. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/paul-chapman/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Paul-Chapman.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20241008T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20241008T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20231031T155632Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164931Z UID:5530-1728381600-1728385200@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Tom Owens\, St. George's Church DESCRIPTION:Tom Owens – “St. George’s Church history tied to growth of St. Catharines”. \nBill Holman introduced guest speaker Tom Owens and his topic “The history of St. Georges Anglican Church”. \nTom has an Honours BA from Carleton\, a Bachelor of Education from Queens and a Master of Education from Brock. He taught high school history and social sciences for 32 years in the Lincoln County/Niagara school boards. \nTom began his presentation with some background on the mythical or real St. George who lived back in the third century and was a martyr for his early Christian faith and he Tom Owens was believed to have been a Roman soldier warrior/saint. He became a patron Saint in the Church of England in the thirteenth century. There is today a St. Georges Chapel in Windsor castle. \nTom went on to talk about the historic St. Georges Church here in St. Catharines. The Church of England established a parish in St. Catharines in 1792. The first gathering of Christians here was in private homes and the first church building was erected in 1796 and was located near the site of the present CKTB building. This wooden building was destroyed by fire in 1836 and its replacement was built in 1840 on land purchased from William Hamilton Merritt on Church Street where it is today. \nTom distributed a diagram illustrating when various additions were built on to the original 40 by 60foot structure. The first addition came in 1845 when the steeple was added. He pointed out that a new steeple was constructed in 2016 to accommodate the 23 Carillon bells. A hall and other outbuildings were added in the 1900’s and they were connected to the main church in 1992. \nA cemetery behind the church was moved and relocated to Victoria Lawn in 1856 to allow the expansion although some of the tombstones\, including one for Paul Shipman\, remain around the outside of the church. Tom remarked on the number of tombstones naming young people and said that 21-25 was the median age of death in those early years. \nTom mentioned some of the features in the church such as the walnut wood screen carving just inside the front entrance\, the stained-glass windows dedicated to various local families\, church pew benches that had doors which are now used as wainscoting\, and the Casavant organ. \nTom concluded his presentation with a note of appreciation to many who provided insight into the history of St. Georges noting especially Walter Asbil and Ron Baum. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Tom for his presentation with a token of appreciation. \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/tom-owens/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/logo.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240910T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240910T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230926T171352Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164931Z UID:5497-1725962400-1725966000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Alex Olson - Senior Research Associate at the UofT's Centre for Analytics and AI Engineering DESCRIPTION:Alex Olson – Senior Research Associate at the UofT’s Centre for Analytics and AI Engineering  helps lift mystery surrounding world of AI \nDon Walker introduced his grandson Alex Olson who is a Senior Research Associate at the U of T’s Centre for Analytics and AI Engineering. Alex’s topic was titled “Ever wondered how Siri\, Alexa\, or Google Assistant seem to understand you?” \nAlex\, a graduate of the University of Edinburgh\, was able in reasonable layman’s terms to demystify the technology behind intelligent chatbots like ChatGPT. He compared traditional computer programs that know the characteristics of their inputs to AI programs that accept inputs that don’t conform to a set of rules. An example is languages and sentences\, it could be anything. Early AI software used a set of prewritten rules to make decisions and solve problems such as the program to recognize faces from cameras that began in the 1990’s. \nA newer generation of AI is based on machine learning where large numbers of examples or data is entered and the program imitates the way humans learn and gets better at producing a result. Alex explained that machine learning is similar to how babies learn through negative or positive feedback. He spoke about Artificial Neural Networks that teach computers to process data in a way that is inspired by the human brain. The neurons learn to watch out for specific things that can then be used to make predictions. But Alex added that neuron networks are not brains. Once a neuron network is trained\, it doesn’t keep learning. It is a type of machine learning process\, called deep learning\, that uses interconnected nodes or neurons (complex mathematical equations) in a layered structure that resembles the human brain. \nThis is the basis of new language models such at ChatGPT. The new Apple iPhone runs neural networks directly on the phone using special processors from Nividia (accounting for its surge in value over the years). \nAI is producing benefits such as data analysis of a large number of surgeries to guide decision making on present day surgeries. Also\, governments and companies are catching up to using AI to give insight into past performance when developing regulations and business strategies. \nAlex said that many people express deep concern about the future of AI around such things as job displacement\, concentration of power and societal impact. He however remains optimistic that neural networks are tools that can be used for positive applications. He concluded by saying that AI is a tool we need to understand and guide responsibly. \nThere were many questions for Alex on manipulation of photos and videos\, medical assistance and self driving cars. Alex gave an example of eyeglasses available today that have cameras and software that can guide a sight-challenged wearer to the location of an item. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Alex for his informative presentation of a very complex topic that our \nmembers could well understand. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/alexolson/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Alex-Olson.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240813T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240813T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230814T171227Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164931Z UID:5442-1723543200-1723546800@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Angela Cancellara - Alzheimer Society Niagara Region DESCRIPTION:Angela Cancellara – Alzheimer Society Niagara Region. Programs to help those with dementia \nAngela Cancellara clears the mystery around aging and dementia \nHerb Woods introduced guest speaker\, Angela Cancellara\, Public Education Coordinator\, Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region whose presentation is on dementia and programs available to help those with the disease. She pointed out that the number of people living with dementia in Canada is increasing and the Alzheimer Society is a very valuable part of our community. \nAngela has a degree in Community Health and her role at the Alzheimer Society has provided her with the opportunity to educate and support care partners and people living with dementia. \nAngela discussed how our brain works\, and the oxygen/nutrients required for its maintenance. She used the simple act of answering a telephone to show how the brain uses perception\, decision making\, motor skills and social skills for such basic everyday tasks. She described how our brain changes as we age and gave several examples of normal aging and not normal aging such as social engagement and not remembering names and faces. \nNormal aging\, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)\, and dementia are cognitive states encountered in older adults. She said that 40% of people over 65 experience some form of memory loss with no cognitive loss; MCI has cognitive loss but no impairment of daily living; dementia shows cognitive loss with impairment of activities of daily living. Angela pointed out that dementia is not just an old person’s disease as there are limited cases of young onset dementia. \nDementia is an overall term for a set of symptoms that are caused by disorders affecting the brain. These include Alzheimer’s Disease (60-80%)\, Vascular Dementia (15-25%)\, Lewy Body Dementia (5-10%)\, Frontotemportal Dementia (5-10%)\, Huntington’s Dementia and Parkinson’s Dementia among others. \nAngela pointed out that there are unavoidable risk factors such as age\, gender (women are more likely to suffer dementia than men) and genetics. \nShe said that early diagnosis is important as some causes are reversible such as elevated cholesterol\, thyroid problems\, diabetes and medications. Angela urged people to make healthy choices by choosing nutrient-dense foods\, giving your brain challenges and increasing physical activity.  Most important is to stay socially engaged and manage stress by finding pockets of joy every day. \nThere is hope for the future. Angela said that 40% of cases could be prevented and many more delayed through awareness and lifestyles. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Angela for helping us understand dementia and how we can help ourselves and others. The message was timely as evidenced by the numerous detailed questions. \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/angela-cancellara/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Angela-Cancellara.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240709T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240709T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230814T154459Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164931Z UID:5439-1720519200-1720522800@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Emily Liefl\, Outreach Manager Niagara Region "Seniors community programs" DESCRIPTION:Emily Liefl\, Outreach Manager Niagara Region “Seniors community programs” – Seniors community programs \nMany services available to Niagara’s seniors \nAndy Redman introduced Emily Liefl\, Outreach Manager at Niagara Region Senior Services. Emily spoke on the range of services offered by NRSS and their importance in today’s community as in Canada the population of seniors 65 and older is projected to nearly double in size from 2.4 million in 2017 to 4.6 million in 2041. In Niagara\, 11\,400 individuals are living with a diagnosis of dementia according to the Alzheimer Society of Niagara. \nThe Seniors Community Programs include Long-term Care Services and Assisted Living Services. All are aimed at helping older adults to stay connected\, be active and keep learning. \nTwo new Community Hubs will be added in 2024 and 2025 — the Gilmore Community Hub in Fort Erie (Fall 2024) and the Linhaven Community Hub\, currently under construction on Ontario Street in St. Catharines. These hubs will house Seniors Community Programs. \nOutreach Services connect Community Workers who can assist older adults to find and access programs and supports that help them to live independently and safely at home. Seniors Exercise programs aim to maintain and improve balance\, strength and endurance for older adults and those at increased risk of falls. \nThe Ambulatory Rehab Program Partnership of community and healthcare providers offers outpatient ambulatory rehabilitation with a 12-week wellness program of health promotion/education/exercise sessions. \nThe Adult Day Program\, available across Niagara\, is designed to help older adults stay physically active\, cognitively stimulated and socially connected. The Respite Companion Program provides an in-home respite companion for persons living with Alzheimer’s or other progressive dementia and their care partners. \nThe Wellness Services include\, in addition to group exercise\, virtual wellness guest speakers on a variety of health and wellness topics related to healthy aging. Emily also mentioned Hotel Dieu Shaver Hospital which provides professional services including physiotherapy\, occupational therapy and speech language pathology. \nEmily pointed out that the many services are available to older adults 60+ who reside in Ontario and have a valid Heath Card. While many of the services are free\, there is a nominal charge for some. \nConcerned about a senior? The Niagara Gatekeepers program works to identify at-risk older adults and link them with community support agencies. More information about all the services is available at www.niagararegion.ca/seniors. \nDenis Woods thanked Emily for her presentation noting most of us haven’t used these valuable programs yet but certainly some of us will in the future. URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/emily-liefl/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Emily-Liefl.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240611T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240611T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230625T192238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164931Z UID:5390-1718100000-1718103600@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Lori Gill - Founder and clinical director of (ATTCH) Niagara DESCRIPTION:Lori Gill – Founder and clinical director of (ATTCH) Niagara \nTopic:  “An introduction to the neurobiology of trauma and how ATTCH Niagara is meeting the need for the treatment of complex trauma within the Niagara Region”\n \nATTCH Niagara works to heal trauma from bad experiences \nDuncan McLaren introduced Lori Gill\, founder and clinical director of the Attachment and Trauma Treatment Centre for Healing (ATTCH) Niagara. She is a registered psychotherapist\, Certified Trauma Specialist\, Consultant\, Supervisor and trainer and a Certified Compassion Fatigue Specialist. ATTCH is a non-profit providing free and low-cost trauma specialized therapy to individuals who could not otherwise afford it. Its mission is healing life’s hurts through awareness\, compassion\, and self-care. \nLori’s presentation was titled Healing Life’s Hurts. She discussed the brain’s critical development during the first five years of a child’s life. During the first year\, the brain grows more rapidly than through the rest of one’s life. It is also susceptible to adverse childhood experiences including intergenerational transmission of trauma through as many as four generations\, that’s from one’s great grandparents. The experiences witnessed as a child mirror the adult’s actions and experiences. \nLori said that as many as one in four youth will experience potentially traumatic experiences and she pointed out that emotional abuse can damage the brain more than physical abuse. \nShe said that regulating the nervous system is very important to ongoing resiliency and optimal development.  To that end\, ATTCH Niagara incorporates various holistic wellness practices to increase attention span\, regulate the body and mind and to optimize the ability of clients to regulate their emotions and behaviours. \nATTCH Niagara specializes in the impact that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES) have on the brain\, body and nervous system. ACEs account for many of the traumatic experiences suffered by people throughout their lives. These experiences affect how your brain works. “Flipping your lid” means that feelings get so big that you lose control of your ability to think and act clearly. You may start screaming\, acting restless\, trying to run away from a situation\, feeling numb\, unable to move\, feeling unable to control your reactions. \nIn her PowerPoint presentation\, she illustrated the hand-brain model coined by Dr. Daniel Siegel showing how the brain and body are connected. \n \nBoth brain hemispheres are affected. The left and right brain don’t integrate and work together – there is no cooperation between the two hemispheres. ATTCH diagnoses brain function to help people understand trauma’s impact on their life and give them programs and actions to control and manage their problems. \nMore information about the work of ATTCH Niagara is available at www.attchniagara.com \nDuncan thanked Lori for her informative presentation on a topic not well understood but likely experienced directly or indirectly by most people. \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/lori-gill-attch/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/lori-gill.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240514T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240514T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230814T114728Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164948Z UID:5435-1715680800-1715684400@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:John Arnone - author DESCRIPTION:John Arnone  Topic: Us and Them: Canada\, Canadians and The Beatles NEW updated book \nSpeaker details many links between Beatles\, Canada \nBob Henderson introduced author John Robert Arnone whose topic was the story of the Beatles’ and their many connections to Canada.  John\, who lives in Victoria Harbour\, Ontario\, is a self-confessed passionate Beatles’ fan and spent years researching ties between the Beatles and Canada. \nJohn said that one of the Beatles’ first public performances was interrupted when a fight broke out between rowdy Canadian soldiers in the Top Ten Club in Hamburg\, Germany that required police and tear gas to quell. John’s quest to tell the Canadian side of the Beatles’ story began when he noticed errors in references to the Beatles’ appearances in this country during a tour of a Beatles museum in Liverpool. \nJohn noted that George Harrison had both an uncle and sister living in Canada and John Lennon’s mother resided in Toronto. \nJohn highlighted numerous Canadians who came into contact with the Beatles in the early days including Carrol Levis who hosted the Talent Discovery Show in the UK where the Quarrymen in 1957\, with John Lennon\, Paul McCartney and George Harrison\, failed to impress.  The group changed its name to Johnny and the Moondogs and auditioned for the talent show again in 1959 but once again failed to impress. After Ringo Starr joined the group they encountered a woman from Hamilton in Mayfair\, London who spiked their sugar cubes with LSD providing them with their first exposure to drugs.  Possibly as a result\, their music evolved into classics like Strawberry Fields Forever and the Rubber Soul Album and the rest is history. \nJohn’s book titled “Us and Them” details the long history of connections between the Beatles and Canadians including the Decker Dash at the Winnipeg airport when the Beatles’ plane stopped for refueling only to have the airport overrun by fans leading to the foursome stepping foot on Canadian soil for the first time. Harry Saltzman from St. John\, N.B.\, long-time producer of James Bond films\, passed on producing the first Beatle movie\, A Hard Day’s Night in 1964.  One of the most interesting was Lillian Shirt\, a Cree from Northern Alberta who was protesting housing opportunities for Indigenous peoples in Edmonton.  A local radio station contacted Lillian and said that John Lennon wanted to support her and had asked to speak to her.  When they spoke\, she repeated words to John that her grandmother had often said to her.  These words were “Imagine if there was no hate\, if we loved each other\, loved one another\, that there would be no war between us”. John asked for permission to use the words and they likely helped inspire Lennon’s famous song “Imagine”. \nDuncan thanked John for speaking to the club and making us aware of these Canadians who were part of the Beatles legend of the 50’s\, 60’s and 70’s. \n  \n   URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/john-arnone-author/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/John-Arnone-photo-LR.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240409T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240409T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230617T201626Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164949Z UID:5368-1712656800-1712660400@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Randy Klaassen - Training Officer CASARA Niagara DESCRIPTION:Randy Klaassen – Training Officer CARES – CASARA Niagara \, \nTopic:  “Civil Air Rescue Emergency Service (CASARA Niagara)\n \nLocal organization plays key role in search and rescue \nRudy Thiessen introduced guest speaker Randy Klaassen\, who was accompanied by Rick Kaczkan\, from the Civil Air Search and Rescue Association Niagara\, (CARES–CASARA)\, which is based at the Niagara District Airport. \nRandy’s topic was the Civil Air Rescue Emergency Service and its role in both air and ground search operations across Ontario. Randy and Rick brought their Yellow Cube Van (“The Pig”)\, their operations vehicle with radio comms\, and extended an invitation to anyone interested to view their equipment. \nRandy\, who is a training officer with CARES Niagara\, said the organization became operational in 1977. CARES Niagara is a founding member of CASARA National and is now part of a Canada-wide organization. \n \nCASARA is a registered non-profit organization with community volunteers who are trained to professional standards in the many aspects of search and rescue. Randy reviewed their role in supporting Canada’s Search and Rescue (SAR) program and to promote aviation safety and SAR awareness. \nSAR operations are conducted by various means of air and ground\, visual and electronic search for missing aircraft\, persons and vessels. Ground search activities (“ground homing”) are generally electronic searches for aircraft emergency location transmitters (ELTs) that are present on all commercial and private aircraft. \nThey support the RCAF in training and searches anywhere up to the Arctic as called upon. Their team comprises spotters who are trained “eyes in the sky” for visual and electronic searching\, navigators who are skilled in search patterns and pilots who are trained for low-level SAR flying. They also have adopted Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (drones) that have a pilot and observer. They use software that identifies particular colours in photos such as blue objects in a forest. Generally\, each member has 10 hours of ongoing training for each hour worked. \nTraining sessions are held September to June at the Niagara District Airport. Training covers a wide variety of topics including aviation safety\, meteorology\, first aid\, navigation\, survival techniques and search methods using visual and electronic skills. CASARA Ontario works with the Ontario Provincial Police\, the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Coast Guard among others. \nRandy\, using a PowerPoint presentation\, illustrated the difficulty of spotting a downed airplane in a densely wooded area even while flying at low heights. \nCASARA is funded by the Department of National Defence and by community donations.  Randy pointed out that more information about the organization is available at www.casaraniagara.ca \nDuncan McLaren thanked Randy for his most informative presentation on this critical aspect of Canadian aircraft safety. \n \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/randy-klaassen-cares/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CASARA-logo-e1687268318274.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240312T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240312T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230509T185439Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164949Z UID:5346-1710237600-1710241200@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Dominic Ventresca & Koby Vanyo\, St. Catharines - Older Adult Centres DESCRIPTION:Dominic Ventresca & Koby Vanyo\, St. Catharines – Older Adult Centres \nOlder Adult Centres – The City of St. Catharines offers a variety of recreation and leisure programs at our three older adult centres! Make new friends\, get involved\, volunteer and keep your mind and body active with our many opportunities.\n \nTopic:  Older Adult Centres – The City of St. Catharines \n         \n Seniors urged to maintain active and healthy lifestyle \nAndy Redman introduced Domenic Ventresca whose topic was “Making a Difference in Aging:  For Ourselves and for our Community”.  Dominic studied gerontology at the University of Toronto and had a 36-year career administering long-term care and community services for Niagara Region. He continues to apply his learning through volunteer roles as chair of the Age-Friendly Niagara Council Board (AFNC)\, as director on the board of the Ontario Association of Councils on Aging and as a member of the St. Catharines advisory committee on older adults. \nDominic pointed out the world is facing a situation where there are more older people than children and more people at extreme old age. AFNC addresses questions like how do we foster better health and well-being in older age and address challenges and opportunities.  And will population aging be accompanied by a longer period of good health and sustained sense of well-being and extended periods of social engagement and productivity or more illness\, disability and dependency? \nThe World Health Organization emphasizes that health and well-being are determined not only by our genes and personal characteristics\, but also by the physical and social environments in which we live our lives. \nThe World Health Organization Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities connects communities world-wide with the common vision of making their community a great place in which to age\, focuses on action at the local level\, fostering full participation of older people and the promotion of healthy and active ageing membership of approximately 850 communities in over 40 countries covering over 230 million people. \nOlder adults are valuable contributors to the community.  Dominic noted approximately 38% of the Niagara population is 55 years and over\, compared to 33% for the rest of Canada. Current Niagara population growth is from commuters and retirees moving to Niagara. Most of today’s older adults are well\, active\, healthier and living longer to unprecedented levels\, all of which provides for great opportunities. Older adults make up many of the volunteers for local organizations\, and donors to local causes. Baby Boomers control the bulk of wealth and spending; they spend 66% more on goods and services than millennial households. \nDominic emphasized that older adults should modify what can be modified over their life course with personal lifestyle choices like healthy diet\, activity\, social relationships. Brain health and dementia risk reduction recent research has shown that there are several actions you can take to promote brain health and delay or prevent cognitive impairment. Things such as proper sleep\, diet\, exercise habits\, lifestyle choices\, and level of brain activity can all affect how your brain functions.   Research supports that engaging in several healthy lifestyle behaviours could prevent or delay up to 40% of dementias and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s by up to 60%. \nThe Age-Friendly Niagara Council’s vision is for an age-friendly Niagara community for all ages.  Its mission is to foster a caring community that optimizes quality of life as people age. Visit the  website www.agefriendlyniagara.com to find out more information. \nDominic was accompanied by Koby Vanyo\, programs supervisor for older adult centres in St. Catharines\, who detailed a host of opportunities to get and stay involved in a wide variety of activities. \nHarold Nash\, who is in his 90’s\, thanked Dominic for his presentation and his emphasis on the importance of active aging. \n  \n  \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/simone-phelan-koby-vanyo-st-catharines-older-adult-centres/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Dominic-Ventresca-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240213T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240213T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230318T161400Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164949Z UID:5278-1707818400-1707822000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Rochelle Bush - Tubman Tours DESCRIPTION:Rochelle Bush – Tubman Tours\,\n \nTopic: Links to Underground Railroad and Black history unveiled \nDuncan McLaren introduced Rochelle Bush whose topic was the Underground Railroad in Niagara and the Black presence in St. CatharinesRochelle is the owner and primary guide of Tubman Tours Canada and is a trustee and resident historian of the Salem Chapel\, BME Church. Her presentation celebrated Black History Month 2024. \nRochelle talked about the Niagara Freedom Trail and its many characters\, events\, and locations.  She traced Black history from Carter G. Woods\, who founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History\, to the establishment of Negro History Week in the USA in 1926 and Canada in the 1950’s to the establishment of Black History Month\, every February since 1976. \nRochelle told the stories of Elijah McCoy (the real McCoy) who invented the lubricating cup\, Mathieu da Costa\, who was an Afro-French member of the exploring party of Samuel de Champlain and was the first recorded free Black person to arrive in Canada\, and Olivier Le Jeune who was the first recorded slave purchased in New France. \nThe Niagara Freedom Trail was established in 1995 and honours the thousands of African American slaves who found freedom in Canada. The Underground Railroad aided an estimated 40\,000 slaves in their escape to the northern American states\, or ultimately to the freedom of Canada. Fort Erie was a popular crossing for freedom seekers because of its proximity to Buffalo along with Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. \nRochelle told the story of Josiah Henson who was an author\, abolitionist\, and minister. Born into slavery\, in Maryland\, fearing that he would be separated from his family\, he escaped and hiked from Kentucky to Upper Canada in 1830 with his wife and four children\, and founded a settlement and laborer’s school for other fugitive slaves in Upper Canada. \nShe spoke of many historic figures including Harriet Tubman who had ties to St. Catharines. Tubman\, for a time a member of the Salem Chapel BME Church\, who\, after escaping slavery\, made some 13 missions to rescue approximately 70 enslaved people\, including her family and friends\, using the network of antislavery activists and safe houses known as the Underground Railroad. Reverand Anthony Burns\, an escaped slave\, gained his freedom in Canada and briefly served at the Zion Baptist Church now located on Raymond Street. \nRochelle told the story of the Chloe Cooley incident. Chloe was sold by her enslaver and was to be sent back across the Niagara River to a new owner in New York\, but her loud protests drew attention and although she wasn’t rescued her abduction played a key role in the passage of the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada in 1792. Slavery was eventually abolished throughout most of the British Empire in 1833 and Emancipation Day\, held each August 1\, marks the date in 1834 when the act came into effect. \nRecently\, on February 3\, 2024\, Parks Canada unveiled a historical plaque outlining the Chloe Cooley story\, to be installed at Queenston Heights. \nRochelle also talked about Richard Pierpoint who came to Canada\, served as a British soldier\, fought with Butler’s Rangers\, raised a Colour Corps and received a land grant in what is now St. Catharines. \nShe pointed out that the Fugitive Slave Act passed in the United States in 1850 meant that any Black people living in the northern states could be accused of being runaways\, captured and returned to enslavement. This increased the urgency to seek safety north of the border. \nDuncan McLaren thanked Rochelle for her very interesting and extensive presentation of this part of Niagara’s history and asked for a show hands of members who would be interested to taking one of Rochelle’s tours. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/rochelle-bush/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Rochelle-Bush.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20240109T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20240109T110000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20230309T152453Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250131T164949Z UID:5267-1704794400-1704798000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Susan Gram - Niagara chapter of the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society DESCRIPTION:Susan Gram\, – Niagara chapter of the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society \nTopic:  Hereditary hemochromatosis – a genetic\, metabolic disorder that results in iron overload\n \nHereditary blood disorder affects many Canadians \nDuncan McLaren introduced Susan Gram of the Niagara chapter of the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society. Her topic was hereditary hemochromatosis — a genetic\, metabolic disorder that results in iron overload. Susan has hemochromatosis and told her personal journey with this condition. \nSusan explained that HHC is one of the most common genetic disorders in Canada\, affecting one in 300 Canadians. The disorder causes the body to retain too much iron from dietary sources that builds up in various body organs such as liver\, pancreas\, heart\, pituitary gland\, joints\, and endocrine glands. It affects both men and women and is most prevalent in those of European and Celtic descent but can be found in other ethnic backgrounds as well. \nSusan said that HHC cannot be cured but added that most of the complications are preventable with early testing\, diagnosis\, and treatment. \nShe pointed out that\, until recently\, most general practitioners believed the disease was extremely rare and patient’s symptoms were overlooked or attributed to other causes. Some of the general symptoms include chronic fatigue\, loss of body hair\, thyroid problems\, sudden weight loss\, personality changes\, arthritic pain\, and bloating. \nHereditary Hemochromatosis is caused by defects in the gene called HFE. Screening blood tests for Ferritin levels must be specifically ordered by a physician\, but DNA testing can confirm whether or not an individual with elevated transferrin saturation and serum ferritin has HHC. \nSusan said that one in nine Canadians are carriers of the disease. She said a person must inherit two defective copies of the HFE gene — one from each parent — for hemochromatosis to occur. \nTreatment involves removing blood from the patient. When the body creates new blood\, excess iron is drawn from other organs and tissues. \nSusan said that in her own case\, the blood letting brought her levels back to normal with no organ damage. People with hemochromatosis must maintain their lower iron levels for life with periodic blood removal. She said that this blood can often be donated to Canadian Blood Services through blood donor clinics. \nSusan urged everyone to be vigilant in looking at items like diet supplements that can in heavy in iron. The society is based in Richmond\, B.C.\, and more information is available on the website www.toomuchiron.ca \nDuncan thanked Susan for her informative talk and presented a donation on behalf of PROBUS to the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society. \n \n  \n  URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/susan-gram-niagara-chapter-of-the-canadian-hemochromatosis-society/ LOCATION:Lions Hall\, 732 Niagara Street\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2M 7W7\, Canada CATEGORIES:2024 Past Speakers,Speakers ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Susan-Jones-Gram.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20231219T083000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20231219T100000 DTSTAMP:20260404T064226 CREATED:20221202T174032Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221202T174032Z UID:5106-1702974600-1702980000@probusstcatharines.com SUMMARY:Men’s Breakfast DESCRIPTION:Our club group breakfast is at 8:30 at Johnny Pastrami’s on Lake St in the Club Heidelberg building near Lakeshore Rd.  Johnny offers a great breakfast at very reasonable price and lots of coffee refills (decalf or straight up). \nPlease use the side entrance. Lots of parking \nDon’t be shy – bring a friend. A great way to introduce him to our club. \nArt Currie URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/mens-breakfast-19/ LOCATION:Johnny Pastrami’s Diner\, 569 Lake St\, St.\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, L2N 4J1\, Canada CATEGORIES:Activities,Men's Breakfast ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/breakfast-e1634689423955.png END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR