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DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200811T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200811T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T171523Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211123T130648Z
UID:4052-1597140000-1597143600@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Zachary Rondinelli\, (PhD student in Educational Studies at Brock University)
DESCRIPTION:Doctoral study exams role of comics in learning \nDan Plunkett introduced guest speaker Zachary Rondinelli\, a Niagara Falls native\, who is a PhD student in Educational Studies at Brock University. Zach’s presentation and his research involves “Documenting Transactional Experiences with the Little Nemo comic strips.” \nZach\, who earned his master’s degree at Brock but also studied at Western and spent time as an English teacher\, said that his research at Brock looks at comics theory and pedagogy which involves studying what comics can offer society. The theory describes an approach to studying comics – what they say and how they say it. Comics pedagogy describes teaching with comics\, teaching about comics\, teaching through producing comics and teaching comics production as a means of processing and learning. \nZach bases his research on a comic titled “Little Nemo in Slumberland” which was produced by Windsor McCay and was published in the New York Herald from 1905 to 1911 and in the New York American from 1924 to 1927. \nZach said that the purpose of his research is to investigate how individual meaning is constructed between a reader and a text. \nHe is in the process of tweeting a new comic strip each day for 549 days. He offers his interpretation of the strip and seeks input from followers. At the end\, all the data he receives will be compiled into his master’s document. \nZach said that he disagreed with the common teaching philosophy of trying to determine what an author meant in a given passage and that it is more important to determine what the passage relays to the reader. \nZach listed a number of expected implications of his research including supporting the use of comics in learning. \nJohn Senn thanked Zachary for providing us with an inside look at the complex study involved in a master’s research and promised that a gift certificate will be in the mail for him. \nSee Zachary’s presentation on YouTube click here…
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/zachary-rondinelli-phd-student-in-educational-studies-at-brock-university/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Zach-Roninelli-194x300-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200714T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200714T120000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T175559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T164942Z
UID:4088-1594724400-1594728000@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Juliet Dunn\, (Singer\, Musician & Organizer)
DESCRIPTION:Dan Plunkett introduced guest speaker Juliet Dunn as an excellent singer\, musician\, organizer\, and a good friend. \nJuliet\, along with husband Peter Shea\, was the founder of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival which has experienced amazing growth during its relatively brief history but is facing new challenges now in the light of the COVID-19 epidemic. \nThe festival was honoured as best new festival in 2017 and was included among the top 100 festivals in Ontario in 2019.\nJuliet said the festival has been granted charitable status now meaning that it can issue tax receipts for donations. She revealed that various grants have remained stable through this shutdown period but sponsorship donations have dropped off dramatically. \nThe Niagara Jazz Festival\, which started out with events mainly in Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines was spreading throughout Niagara with ticketed events and many free stage performances. The festival backed educational events with a focus on young musicians with workshops geared to young people. The festival staged events at local wineries\, on the beach at Port Dalhousie and at the Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines. \nJuliet said that a study of the economic impact of the festival indicated that it generated almost $1.25 million for the region.\nJuliet and the other organizers have had to make changes on the fly in the new reality and they are working to adapt various events to COVID times. Since March they have put on 30 to 35 live stream concerts. In June and July\, they have been streaming the Niagara to New Orleans jazz con-certs to show the culture of New Orleans and to promote the Niagara Mardi Gras.\nJuliet admitted that she is not confident that we will see a return of large crowds at concerts either outdoors or inside any time soon. She said the restrictions forced by COVID-19 make for very uncertain times for musicians. \nJohn Senn thanked Juliet for her presentation and praised her ability to adapt.\nJuliet Dunn
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/juliet-dunn-singer-musician-organizer/
LOCATION:ZOOM\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, Canada
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Juliet-Dunn.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200714T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200714T100000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T172814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225401Z
UID:4057-1594720800-1594720800@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Ron Casselman\, (Probus Member)
DESCRIPTION:Antique waterfowl decoy collecting is big business \nJim Stangier introduced club member Ron Casselman who presented an illustrated talk about collecting handmade waterfowl decoys. \nRon\, who admitted that he was never a hunter\, said he got his first decoy back in 1977. He went on to describe some of the characteristics\, history and investment value of decoys. \nThe history of decoys goes back thousands of years. Ron said that North American natives made decoys\, they were used in early Egypt and in 1928 a discovery in Arizona indicated that decoys made of reeds and mud dated back 2000 years.\nRon said that harvest-ing of waterfowl was big business especially along the eastern seaboard of the United States and thousands of migrating waterfowl were harvested along the Atlantic flyway. \nThe interest in hand-carved decoys grew especially in eastern Canada and the U.S. He pointed out that there are two basic styles of decoys – dabble and dive – and they can be either hollow or solid. To be of value to collectors\, decoys must closely simulate the real things without necessarily being a perfect match. \nIn recent years the investment value has grown to the point where decoys appreciate at 10 to 15 per cent each year. Ron said that Joel Barber\, the first decoy collector\, wrote a book in 1934 and an original edition signed by the author was solid at auction for $9\,000 in recent years. The record price is $860\,000 for a decoy purchased 12 years ago but many older decoys are valued at three to five thousand dollars. \nRon said that Canadians were slow to recognize the value of decoys and many were bought by Americans. However\, there is now great interest especially in Ontario and the Maritimes and the Lunenburg and Mahone Bay are-as are recognized for high value decoys. \nAn auction house in the United States\, Guyett and Deeter\, specializes to dealing in waterfowl decoys.\nRon said various decoy shows are a great place to learn about decoys and collecting. He said form\, original paint and age are key factors in evaluating decoys. He advised that anyone interested in get-ting into the field should do their research and specialize in certain types. He also warned that there are great fakes that could look like the real thing but without the value to a knowledgeable collector. \nJohn Senn thanked Ron for giving us an insight into a field that most of us had little knowledge
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/ron-casselman-probus-member/
LOCATION:ZOOM\, St. Catharines\, Ontario\, Canada
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Casselman-Ron.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200609T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200609T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T183519Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225406Z
UID:4095-1591696800-1591700400@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Russ Milland\, (Probus Member)
DESCRIPTION:Rail history captured by famed photographers \nRuss Milland\, filling in as a last-minute speaker\, offered a short visual experience he titled the “Princes of Darkness” featuring photos of trains taken at night. \nHe started off with a series of photos captured by American photographer O. Winston Link who lived from 1914 to 2001. Link\, who had been a commercial photographer in New York\, devoted his time between 1955 and 1960 taking images to con-vey the end of steam propelled trains on the Nor-folk and Western Railway. The striking photos\, in both black and while and colour\, are now all property of the Link Museum in Roanoke\, Virginia. \nThe second photographer featured was Gary Knapp\, also from the American northeast who used a minimum of 13 flash units to take his night-time pictures. His collection\, which can be viewed online at RailPictures.net\, included Canadian Pacific and CN trains on rail lines in the United States. Russ had obtained copyright permission to include the photos in his presentation. \nThe final section of Russ’ slide show “Seizing the Night at the Toronto Railway Museum”\, included a variety of night photos taken by members of the Toronto Railway Historical Association capturing the evolution and operation of Roundhouse Park at the foot of the CN tower in downtown Toronto. \nGary Knapp’s photos of a CN train at a snowy Plattsburgh\, N.Y.\, station (top) and looking out from the Northfield Falls covered bridge in Ver-mont. Bottom picture is from the Toronto Rail-way Historical Association. \nThanks to Wayne Tester for the screen shots taken during the online presentation.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/russ-milland-probus-member/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200609T093000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200609T100000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T182715Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225411Z
UID:4091-1591695000-1591696800@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:David Merrit\, (Probus Member)
DESCRIPTION:Dave Merritt delivers message that words can indeed hurt \nJim Stangier introduced PROBUS club member Dave Merritt who in the past served as a leader-ship speaker for business and volunteer groups and was former director of the Florida Mental Health Association. \nDave gave a very insightful talk entitled “Words Can Hurt” and illustrated his presentation with his own cartoon-style drawings. He explained how words can be emotional abuse as children tend to believe what adults tell them especially if they are constantly negative and say things such as they are not good enough or make fun of them.\nHe pointed out that the old saying “Sticks and stones can break my bones\, but words will never hurt me” doesn’t apply especially with children. He said that continual put-downs and insults about physical appearance and intelligence by parents\, teachers and other children will affect a child’s behaviour. \nDave provided a list of actions that adults can consider to help break the chain of verbal abuse:\n1. Stop using negative words;\n2. Take a time out if you are upset;\n3. Talk about the problem with a trusted family member\, friend or professional;\n4. Take a parenting or discipline class; 5. Improve your own life. \nHe also provided suggestions of actions to help children feel worthwhile and confident:\n1. Spend time with the child;\n2. Be someone the child can count on;\n3. Protect them from violence;\n4. Praise their abilities;\n5. Teach them how to deal with failure;\n6. Help them to think about and solve their own problems;\n7. Respect their feelings and thoughts. \nIn closing\, Dave said the world would be a better place if we all used helping words and not hurting words.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/david-merrit-probus-member/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/David-Merritt.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200512T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200512T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T185309Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225416Z
UID:4100-1589277600-1589281200@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Jill Dennison and Sarah Orgra\, (Canadian Mental Health Association in Hamilton)
DESCRIPTION:Speakers offer tips on dealing with stress and anxiety \nAl Higgins introduced our online speakers\, Jill Dennison and Sarah Orgra\, mental health promotion and resilience facilitators from the Canadian Mental Health Association in Hamilton\, who talked about the timely subject of “managing stress and anxiety during COVID-19. \nJill\, using a power point presentation\, detailed definitions of stress and covered 10 points about mental health and stress. She pointed out that mental health is the capacity of each of us to feel\, think and act in ways that enhance our ability to enjoy life and deal with the challenges we face. \nShe said that older adults are often more concerned about physical issues. Depression affects five to 10 per cent of older adults but that number increases to 30 to 40 per cent in long term care facilities or in hospital. \nThe COVID-19 outbreak has brought extra challenges through social isolation\, financial insecurity\, worsening of chronic health problems\, increased use of tobacco or alcohol\, changes in eating or sleep patterns\, caregiver stress and burnout and even elder abuse. \nSarah offered ways of coping with stress during the pandemic. She said a key is to take a break from reading\, watching\, or listening to news reports. It is important to take time to de-stress and unwind. She added that it is important to connect with others and talk about how you are feeling. \nSarah said that it is critical to connect with a healthcare provider if stress affects your daily activities. \nHer list of suggestions included learning simple exercises to do daily\, trying to make a daily routine\, paying attention to your own needs and focusing on what you can control.\nSarah mentioned resources available for those who feel overwhelmed by extreme stress such as bouncebackontario.ca; seniors mental health clinic and outreach services at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton or COAST (Crisis Outreach And Support Team) or the Barrett Centre for mental health crisis support. \nIn conclusion\, Sarah advised that people could build resilience through a number of ways such as making connections; avoiding seeing crisis as insurmountable; looking for self-discovery; taking decisive actions; maintaining a hopeful outlook and taking care of yourself. \nShe said it is important to focus on positives and do what feels good for you. \nHugh Gayler thanked Jill and Sarah for their insights and excellent presentation. Al Higgins said that he would send the link out to members so that they could respond to an on-line survey about the presentation.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/jill-dennison-and-sarah-orgra-canadian-mental-health-association-in-hamilton/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Jill-Dennison-Sarah-Orgera.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200414T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200414T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T192559Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225421Z
UID:4114-1586858400-1586862000@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Joe Vanderkooi\, (Probus Member)
DESCRIPTION:Joe Vanderkooi presented a brief talk on memories of people he and his friend Noel encountered during a cross Canada bicycle trip in the early 1980’s. \nRiding from British Columbia\, Joe said the mountain scenery was spectacular\, but it was the people that made the trip so memorable. He talked about riding through a grasshopper infestation that literally coated the road. During a stop for lunch at a roadside restaurant they got into a conversation with a local man about farming in southern Ontario and described the long growing sea-son and variety of crops here. When they went to pay for their lunch the waitress told them there was no charge as the stranger had paid. \nJoe also recalled an incident from north of Superior as they struggled through never-ending hills when they met an old pickup truck swerving on the highway and three young men yelling at them out the window. The bicyclists got a bit nervous when the pickup turned around\, passed them and then stopped on the side of the road ahead of them and the three and waited beside their truck. Joe and his friend feared a confrontation but when they stopped\, they were asked about their trip and then offered a beer as the three were on their way to a party and had started early on their truck load of refreshments.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/joe-vanderkooi-probus-member/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Joe-Vanderkooi.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200310T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200310T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T190316Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225426Z
UID:4105-1583834400-1583838000@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Judge Robert Reid (Judge of the Superior Court of Justice for the Central South Region of Ontario)
DESCRIPTION:Judge offers behind the scenes look at the Ontario court system \nArt Currie introduced guest speaker Robert Reid\, Judge of the Superior Court of Justice for the Central South Region of Ontario. \nJudge Reid\, a former St. Catharines lawyer who was appointed to the Superior Court in 2011\, gave an interesting\, informative and sometimes humorous talk about the courts and judging. \nRobert explained that a judge must be free from pressure or influence from any source in making a ruling. He said that he must be cut off from outside groups and thus is unable to join service clubs or serve on any administrative boards as he did while being a lawyer. \nHe said that a judge’s ability to be neutral and show a lack of bias offers the protection that he or she is bound only by the evidence presented in court. The judge must listen to both sides of an issue\, be competent to write a ruling based on the evidence presented and the rule of law. He added that a judge must be able to defend his ruling especially to the losing side and also to the appeal courts. \nRobert stressed that all citizens are subject to the same rule of law and that no one is above the law.\nHe disputed the argument that judges who are appointed under the Canadian system are not held accountable in the way elected judges are in the United States. He said that judges in Canada are held accountable to support the reasons for their decisions while also being free of the pressures of seeking re-election. \nRobert said that the Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court in Canada with several branches within each province including the Provincial Superior Court and the Provincial Courts of Appeal.\nSuperior court judges preside over the most serious crimes such as murder\, large drug cases and sex crimes. He illustrated the range of cases he hears by telling of a time while awaiting a jury decision in a murder trial\, he was called upon to make a ruling on a case were a woman wanted to sue over a bad hair cut. \nThe Central South Region which Robert serves takes in all of Niaga-ra and west to Hamilton\, Simcoe\, Brantford and Kitchener and includes 1.5 million people. There are currently 247 Superior court positions in Ontario. Judges must retire when they reach age 75. \nTim Kaye thanked Robert for his informative presentation.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/judge-robert-reid-judge-of-the-superior-court-of-justice-for-the-central-south-region-of-ontario/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Judge-Robert-Reid.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200211T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200211T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T191543Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225431Z
UID:4108-1581415200-1581418800@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Tim Clutterbuck\, (President of Valbruna Steel ASW Inc)
DESCRIPTION:Tim gave a very interesting talk touching on the highs and lows in the history of steelmaking in Niagara and the products that were and are produced here. \nThe Welland facility was originally constructed in 1918 by Dillon Crucible Steel Alloy Company. In 1920 the Atlas Crucible Steel Company purchased the company. The facility was acquired by Roy Davis and Daniel Lanthrop in 1928 and operated under the name Atlas Steel Company. \nDuring the 1930’s Atlas steel produced specialty mining steel for gold mines. In 1939 the Canadian government invested millions of dollars in the facility to produce steel for World War II armaments and by 1948 Atlas Steels was regarded as the largest specialty steel company in the British Commonwealth employing 3\,000 people and ex-porting to 53 countries around the world. Through the 1950s the company added a stainless strip mill and a vacuum arc melting facility. \nThe arrival of the 1960s brought a series of ownership changes forced by financial issues. The expansion with a plant in Tracy\, Quebec in 1963 took some work away from Welland. Rio Algom Ltd.\, purchased the company in 1963\, sold to SAMMI of South Korea which in turn sold to Slater Steel in 2000. Slater was forced to liquidate some of its assets and demolished the East Main Street plant in 2007 and ASW Steel emerged in 2010\, with just 33 employees when Tim returned. \nDespite the changes\, the company enjoyed some good years with its specialized steel products with a capacity to produce more than 300\,000 tons of steel in the mid 1970s. \nTim said that the company has grown to more than 100 employees. The company is now owned by Valbruna Steel\, a privately owned company based in Italy. Tim said that the head of the family\, Nicola\, remains active and continues to look to the future although he is now 101 years of age. \nValbruna Steel is investing millions of dollars into the Welland operation and Tim is convinced the future looks bright.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/tim-clutterbuck-president-of-valbruna-steel-asw-inc/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Tim-Clutterbuck.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20200114T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20200114T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211030T191926Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211030T225438Z
UID:4111-1578996000-1578999600@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Brian Culp\, (St. John’s Cemetery in Jordan)
DESCRIPTION:Green burials one answer to concerns about environment \nDan Plunkett introduced guest speaker Brian Culp who oversees St. John’s Cemetery in Jordan. Brian\, who was accompanied by Rev. Pam Guyatt from St. John’s Anglican Church\, talked about burials in general and introduced PROBUS members to green burials. \nBrian said that St. John’s Cemetery\, which was established in 1841\, offers varied means of interment and disposition from traditional ground burial for caskets and cremation urns to a scattering garden to the more recent green burials. \nHe pointed out that provincial legislation enacted in 2012 brought cemeteries\, funeral directors\, transfer services and market suppliers all under the same laws. \nBrian said environmental groups have been pushing the idea of green burials. He said that there are 109\,000 cremations every year in Ontario with the bulk of those using gas. He pointed out that there are several methods of disposition of ashes. They range for disposition in a licensed cemetery\, to illegal scattering and\, if you have the money\, ashes can even be sent into space. \nGround burials traditionally require embalming\, a casket and concrete liner. Quoting figures from the United States\, Brian said ground burials annually use 30 million board feet of wood\, 90\,000 tons of steel\, 1.6 million tons of concrete and 800\,000 gallons of embalming fluid. \nIt is figures such as these that are behind the increasing popularity of natural or green burials. Brian pointed out that in a natural burial\, the body is wrapped in a shroud or bio-degradable casket so there is no conventional casket\, no concrete liner\, no chemicals and no headstone.\nBrian’s talk led to an extensive question and answer period with many members taking part. \nAndy Redman then thanked Brian for his knowledgeable and thought-provoking presentation.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/brian-culp-st-johns-cemetery-in-jordan/
CATEGORIES:2020 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Brian-Culp.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20191210T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20191210T100000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T170545Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T183935Z
UID:4162-1575972000-1575972000@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Russ Milland (Probus Member) "Newfie Bullet”
DESCRIPTION:Russ Milland goes in search of the Newfie Bullet \nFellow PROBUS member Russ Milland has a keen interest in steam locomotion and railways. \nRuss gave a very interesting and lively travelogue presentation titled “In Search of the Newfie Bullet”\nbased on his trip to Newfoundland and his search for stories and remains of the Newfie Bullet passenger train.d took 5\,600 photos during their 2013 visit. \nThe trip wasn’t all about trains and Russ showed pictures of some of the high-lights and points of\ninterest in the St. John’s area including such things as Signal Hill\, the Coastal Railway Museum\, The Battery and Quidi Vidi. \nRuss pointed out that the Newfoundland narrow gauge railway was completed in 1897 and ran until 1988 – the longest narrow-gauge railway in North America. The choice of a narrow gauge\nwas a cost-saving measure. When Newfoundland joined Canada in 1949 the railway\nwas taken over by the CNR. The Newfie Bullet ran between St John’s and Port aux Basques\, a distance of 548 miles with a travel time of 28 hours in 1900 and 23 hours in 1969. The railway was given its nickname during World War II by American soldiers because of its slow speed. \nRuss had a list of nine locations of locomotives to view and was able to visit four of them including\nthe museum at Corner Brook where he viewed steam locomotive No. 593 which went\ninto service in the 1920s. It is one of nine preserved locomotives. CNR\nsustained heavy losses for many years running the railway and in 1988 the\nFederal government offered Newfoundland a new trans-Canada highway in exchange\nfor the railway. The old railway bed has been converted to a 549-mile walking\ntrail named T’Railway Provincial Park. \nRuss also recommended many other places worthy of a visit such as Gros Morne National Park\, L’Anse aux Meadows\, Fogo Island and Quirpon\, a small island in the far north which features a lighthouse and a bed and breakfast. \n 
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/russ-milland-probus-member-newfie-bullet/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Russ-Milland-212x300-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20191112T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20191112T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T172104Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T184003Z
UID:4165-1573552800-1573556400@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Brian Narhi\, tips for tracing family roots
DESCRIPTION:Brian Narhi provides tips for tracing family roots. \nDuncan McLaren introduced Brian Narhi of St Catharines who chairs the St. Catharines heritage\nadvisory committee and is a historian for Toronto based Archeological Services Inc. Brian has been\nawarded a Lieutenant-Governor’s Heritage Award for Lifetime Achievement. \nBrian began his presentation with an introduction to genealogy 101 stressing the importance of\nstarting with what and who you know by talking to living relatives and then working backwards. He\nwarned that you must never blindly trust what others have shared on the internet.\nHe added that it is important during your research that you credit the sources of your information\nso\, if needed\, you can return to that source to confirm what you found. \nHe said that a good starting point in your research is in family documents such as family bibles that may list births\, baptisms\, marriages and deaths.\nHe said other sources could include burial records\, gravestones\, old letters\, old newspapers\,\ncensus records\, historical atlases\, city directories and land registry records.\nHe pointed out that land registry records go back to 1795. Niagara-on-the-Lake had the second land registry office in Ontario although many of the early records were lost during the war of 1812. \nBrian said that the Special Collections Section on the second floor of the St. Catharines Central Library is an excellent source for genealogy records especially in Niagara.\nHe also pointed out that many Ontario land registry records can be accessed free of charge\nthrough the online website Onland\, Information available includes subdivision maps from the 1820s to the present; deeds from 1796\, mortgages\, indentures and naturalization records. \nDan Plunkett thanked Brian for his knowledgeable and interesting talk on family history
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/brian-narhi-tips-for-tracing-family-roots/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Brian-Narhi-Head-crop.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20191008T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20191008T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T173044Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T184010Z
UID:4169-1570528800-1570532400@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:David Cowan\, Friends of Beaverdams Church
DESCRIPTION:Beaverdams church restoration a lengthy and costly project \nBob Halfyard introduced guest speaker David Cowan\, a well-known organist in Niagara\, who was appearing in his role as President of the Friends of Beaverdams Church. David\, a native of Thorold\, illustrated his talk about the historic church with pictures showing various stages of the restoration work done over the past seven years. \nProviding some background\, David said that the church\, a clapboard two-storey building\, was built in 1832 in the New England meet-ing house style. The original congregation was Methodist Episcopal and most members were Loyalists from New Jersey who arrived after the American Revolution. The first minister was Dr. Egerton Ryerson\, the founder of Ontario’s education system. \nDavid said that the church boomed until the building of the second Welland Canal that left the church somewhat isolated and the congregation dropped to about 25 members. In 1879 the interior was altered to make it suitable for a public meeting place. In the period from 1890 to 1987 the building was used only for a Sunday School. \nIn 2008 the building was sold by the United Church of Canada to Thorold for $1. In 2013 the Friends of Beaverdams Church was granted Non-Profit corporate status under the umbrella of the Ontario Historical Society. The following year the group purchased the church and cemetery from Thorold for $2. \nA new\, historically accurate\, metal roof was in-stalled in 2015 and work was started on the resto-ration of the original foundation which involved rais-ing the building\, installing concrete blocks and fin-ishing it off using some of the original rubble stone. \nThe next major project involved replacing 26 windows that were custom made to match the orig-inal 1832 style. The exterior clapboard siding was then replaced giving the building a like-new ap-pearance from the outside. \nDavid pointed out that much work remains to be done on the inside. All that work does not come cheaply. David said his group has raised and spent more than $250\,000 so far and the total restoration could eat up another $300\,000. \nThe building\, on Marlatt’s Road in Thorold\, enjoys both municipal and provincial heritage designation.\nFuture uses will include weddings\, art shows\, smaller concerts and historical and heritage events.\nIf anyone wishes more information about the project they can check out the website at http://friendsofbeaverdamschurch.com \nDavid was thanked for his presentation by Bryan Brodie.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/david-cowan-friends-of-beaverdams-church/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/David-Cowan-e1635701707678.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20190926
DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20190928
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20210804T031320Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T181429Z
UID:2934-1569528000-1569614399@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Fall Car Rally
DESCRIPTION:Co-convenor Robin Fancott makes presentation to Joan and Hugh Learmonth\, the winners of the 2019 PROBUS Fall Car Rally. Runners- up \, Don and Carol McAlpine\, are flanked by Robin and co-convenor\, Ted Higgins\, who plotted an enjoyable drive in the country.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/fall-car-rally/
CATEGORIES:Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/carrally2.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190910T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190910T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T174927Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T184020Z
UID:4174-1568109600-1568113200@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Dr. Michael Olson\, Department of Chemistry and Biology\, Ryerson University
DESCRIPTION:Cancer researchers seek solutions to hundreds of different mutations \nDon Walker introduced the guest speaker\, his son-in-law\, Dr. Michael Olson\, who is a professor at Ryerson University in the Department of Chemistry and Biology.\nMichael is a graduate of the University of Alberta\, where he got a Bachelor of Science degree in Genetics. He then went to the University of Toronto and obtained a PhD in Pharmacology.\nMichael became the head of his own research laboratory at the Institute of Cancer Research in London\, and later took up a position at the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute in Glasgow\, Scotland. In 2018\, he was awarded a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair and moved to Ryerson University. \nMichael began by defining how cancers are different from normal tissues and organs and described how advances in genetics have revealed that cancer is much more complicated than we originally believed. There are two basic types of cancer-causing genetic mutations\, loss of tumour suppressors (the brake pedals) and increased activity of oncogenes (the gas pedals). \nInstead of there being one type of cancer at each site\, such as lung cancer\, there are hundreds of different cancers because of the large number of mutations to tumour suppressors and oncogenes. This knowledge explains why some patients with cancers at a specific site respond to therapy\, while other patients don’t. It’s because their collection of genetic mutations are different. This detailed knowledge makes it possible to design new drugs that target cancers better by aiming at the specific genetic changes. \nMichael spoke about an international study that looked at the survival of cancer patients in Canada\, several European countries\, Australia and New Zealand. Encouragingly\, cancer patients in Canada had some of the best survival rates in the four cancer types studied\, and the survival rates in Canada improved over a 10-year period. \nWhen trying to find out why cancer patients did better in some countries\, two factors were identified. The first factor is the attitude that patients had when they were diagnosed with cancer. In countries where cancer was met with a positive attitude the survival rates were better.\nThe second factor was how likely a family doctor was to refer a patient for testing or consultation with specialists the first time that a problem was presented by a patient. \nFinally\, Michael talked about some of the research that his lab has carried out in the past few years. Because of his interest in how cancer cells spread throughout the body\, a process called metastasis\, he collaborated with drug discovery experts to develop drugs that could block cancer spread. In collaboration with a brain tumour specialist\, the drug they discovered was found to reduce the spread of brain tumour cells after radiation treatment\, meaning that the combination of radiation plus drug was more effective than either treatment on its own. \nBruce Knicley thanked Michael for his informative presentation and gave him the usual token of appreciation.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/dr-michael-olson-department-of-chemistry-and-biology-ryerson-university/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190813T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190813T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T175802Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T184028Z
UID:4177-1565690400-1565694000@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Lynn and Jim Miller\, trip to Peru and Machu Picchu
DESCRIPTION:Speakers offer photographic journey to Machu Picchu \nWayne Tester introduced his daughter Lynn Miller and her husband Jim and provided some background for the presentation on their trip to Peru and Machu Picchu. Lynn and Jim took the pictures during their trip in 2015 while Wayne did the editing and composing of the program match-ing pictures with the pan flute music of Ecuadorian Leo Rojas. \nLynn and Jim first visited Cusco\, located in southeastern Peru\, a city with a population of more 400\,000 which was once the capital of the Inca empire. Their journey from there took them to what is called the sacred valley where they viewed massive salt mines. \nThe final goal of their trip was Machu Picchu\, the Incan Citadel set high in the Andes Mountains\, about 80 kilometres northeast of Cusco. Jim and Lynn’s photos illustrated the sophisticated dry-stone walls in the buildings constructed around 1450. \nDuring a brief question and answer session\, Jim pointed out that the Inca civilization lasted only about a century before the Incas were conquered by the Spanish and the population was wiped out by disease. \nThe ancient settlement is about 3\,000 metres above sea level and both Lynn and Jim said they were able to cope with that elevation\, but Lynn said she didn’t follow when Jim took a challenging Inca trail that allowed him to get photos from high above the main site. \nJim said their trip was arranged through a company called Geo Adventures and they looked after all their needs. \nJoe Vanderkooi thanked Jim and Lynn as well as Wayne for their combined efforts to produce such an engaging show and presented Jim and Lynn with a token of the club’s appreciation.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/lynn-and-jim-miller-trip-to-peru-and-machu-picchu/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Lynn-and-Jim-Miller.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190709T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190709T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T205501Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T205501Z
UID:4185-1562666400-1562670000@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Danny Lamb\, The Power of Music
DESCRIPTION:Andy Redman introduced July’s guest speaker\, Danny Lamb\, saying that he had known Danny from the time he was born and surprised Danny by presenting him with a couple photographs taken when he was an infant. \nDanny’s talk was on the Power of Music in my Life and he began his presentation by performing a song he wrote called “Champion”. Danny\, who was born in St. Catharines and grew up in St. Davids\, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus at the age of three and had to have a shunt implanted to drain cerebrospinal fluid from in and around his brain. At first\, the problem did not interfere with his passion for sports and especially soccer\, but he was finally forced to give up the sport after breaking the shunt. \nThere are four types of spina bifida which is characterized by the incomplete development of the brain\, spinal cord and/or meninges (the protective covering around the brain and spinal cord). The exact cause of spina bifida remains a mystery. In Danny’s case\, a malformation resulted in a blockage of cerebrospinal fluid resulting in damaging pressure on the brain. \nDenied sports\, Danny turned to music and a Rotary exchange to Brazil taught him that he could communicate through music even though he couldn’t speak Portuguese. \nHe returned home believing that he could use music to connect with young people and spread the word about hydrocephalus and spina bifida and got involved with Hydrocephalus Canada and has taken part in music workshops around the world. \nHe has used his musical talents to encourage people to meet their challenges through groups such as PUSH (People United for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus)\, the Music and Lives movement\, WE.org and www.asongacity.com \nDanny said the goal of the Music and Lives movement is to help kids find what their next steps will be through music. He mentioned one young musician who got to perform in Las Vegas just days after graduating from Grade 8.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/danny-lamb-the-power-of-music/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Danny-Lamb.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190625T110000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190625T130000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20210804T030349Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20210804T030816Z
UID:2927-1561460400-1561467600@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Touring World of Orchid Growing
DESCRIPTION:PROBUS members and spouses were treated to an excellent tour of CosMic Plants in Beamsville in June. Neil van Steekelburg\, co-owner of the opera- tion with his brother Mike\, led the tour through the massive greenhouse and processing building on Bartlett Road providing details about the nearly two -year time frame involved in developing tiny plants into flowering orchids ready for sale. Neil\, shown holding two young plants\, pointed out the vital role of precise climate control required for various stag- es of growth of the plants. \n\n\n\n\nGreenhouse flowers make up a huge portion of the agricultural economy in Niagara and you will have the opportunity to learn about one portion of that thriving business with a tour of CosMic Plants in Beamsville on June 25. \nAl Higgins and David Merritt have arranged for a tour of the CosMic greenhouses on Bartlett Road where brothers Neil and Mike Steekelburg grow thousands of orchids. The tour is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Tuesday\, June 25. \nSign up with Al or David at the June meeting.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/touring-world-of-orchid-growing/
CATEGORIES:Events
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190611T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190611T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T210005Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T210227Z
UID:4188-1560247200-1560250800@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Adam Shoalts (Explorer)
DESCRIPTION:Young explorer recounts trip across Canada’s Arctic \nAdam Shoalts\, a native of Fenwick\, who graduated from Brock and received a PhD from McMaster University\, has undertaken a number of expeditions for Canadian Geographic. \nAdam talked specifically about two books that he has written. The first\, titled Alone Against the North\, recounts his amazing solo 4\,000-kilometre journey across Canada’s Arctic and the second\, A History of Canada in Ten Maps\, follows the history of exploring and mapping the expanse of Canada. \nAdam\, who said that he has had a passion to be in the woods from an early age\, has explored and photographed his way around the world and\, in particular\, has sought out places were few other humans have travelled. \nIllustrating his talk with photos\, Adam talked about the challenges of crossing the Arctic. He said much of the Hudson Bay lowlands are swamp and bog. He set out from Old Crow in the Yukon in May and reached Baker Lake\, Nunavut in September. \nAlong the way\, he worked his way up stream on the Coppermine River\, made portages around rough water and sometimes was forced to stop for a day or two because of high winds. He also talked about the opportunity to photograph wild animals that were not used to seeing humans. His experiences included a face-to-face encounter with a muskox as he peeked out from his tent. \nIn his second book\, Adam\, the explorer in residence for the Royal Canadian Geographic Society\, provides background and context to 10 early maps of Canada starting with a Viking map showing part of Canada and Greenland. \nAs more of the west was discovered by the likes of Cartier\, Champlain and McKenzie\, maps be-came more detailed and more accurate. Adam said that maps prepared by David Thompson\, in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s\, are precise even by to-day’s standards.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/adam-shoalts-explorer/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190514T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190514T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T210624Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T210624Z
UID:4191-1557828000-1557831600@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Juliet Dunn Executive Director\, Artistic Producer \, TD Niagara Jazz Festival.
DESCRIPTION:Festival brings world-class jazz musicians to Niagara \nDan Plunkett introduced guest speaker Juliet Dunn who is Executive Director\, Artistic Producer and co-creator of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival. \nJuliet\, who has an impressive musical career in her own right\, gave an informative and lively talk about the non-profit organization and the more than 50 shows and events which it stages during the year to promote jazz and jazz musicians. \nJuliet spent 13 years in Paris\, France before returning to Canada. She spent two years performing with the Shaw Festival\, formed her own jazz band and\, with husband and musical partner Peter Shea\, performed as a lead jazz vocalist around the world. \nThe idea for the Niagara Jazz Festival evolved and rap-idly grew. The first annual festival was held in 2014 and in its fourth year it won the award as Best New Festival in Ontario. \nThe festival brings Canadian and internationally acclaimed jazz musicians to Niagara with con-certs\, educational initiatives\, activities and free events. Each year the festival has continued to expand with events such as the youth program called Jazz 4 the Ages and a world music event called World Music on the Beach. \nLast year the festival boasted 265 musicians and 77 performances from various bands. \nThis year’s lineup includes Niagara’s Summer Mardi Gras in Port Dalhousie and World Music on the Beach at Lakeside Park in July. \nJuliet said that the Festival partnered with the Performing Arts Centre to present the Music of a Charlie Brown Christmas. A Live\, Learn Jazz series is scheduled for those interested in learning more about jazz music in a fun atmosphere such as at various local wineries. \nYou can find out more about the festival and the many events scheduled for this year by going to www.niagarajazzfestival.com
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/juliet-dunn-executive-director-artistic-producer-td-niagara-jazz-festival/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Juliet-Dunn-e1635714372417.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190409T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190409T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T211213Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T211213Z
UID:4194-1554804000-1554807600@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Chris Esposito\, Osteoporosis Canada in Niagara.
DESCRIPTION:Osteoporosis is a disease that affects men as well as women \nEmil Knebel introduced guest speaker Chris Esposito who has had an extensive background in volunteer work and has spent 10 years working with Osteoporosis Canada in Niagara. \nChris said that she was pleased to be able to speak to a group of men because osteoporosis is so often considered a woman’s disease but affects men as well. She pointed out that one in three women and one in five men will suffer a broken bone from osteoporosis. \nShe said that there is no single cause of osteoporosis which is a thinning of bones as they be-come porous and thus much weaker. She said that family history or certain medications can be factors. \nTo emphasize the seriousness of broken bones\, Chris pointed out that approximately 30\,000 hip fractures occur in Canada each year and proportionately more men than women die within one year of that fracture. \nShe said that osteoporosis is difficult to detect and is often not discovered until someone suffers a broken bone as the result of a minor injury such as a stumble or fall. She emphasized the importance of everyone over the age of 65 having a bone density test and said that anyone with certain risk factors should have a test sooner and with more frequent follow-ups. \nThe results of the test then serve as a baseline to compare bone density at a later date. She said that patients should obtain a copy of the results and keep for their own record. She pointed out that an initial bone density test is covered by OHIP and is both safe and painless. \nThere is some good news. Certain drugs are available to help increase bone mass. An active life style is key to having healthy bones. Walking\, stress resistance\, weight training and building core strength are all key to maintaining strong bones. She said that Vitamin D helps bones absorb calcium but cautioned that it is possible to get too much calcium if you are taking calcium supplements along with a healthy\, balanced diet. \nShe said that it has been shown that bone density numbers can be reversed with a healthy diet and regular activity. Chris pointed out that astronauts on extended trips to space have to maintain a regular exercise program to combat osteoporosis. \nNote: If members would like more information about calcium in their diet\, they can check out a document produced by the Dietitians of Canada which provides a detailed listing of food sources of calcium.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/chris-esposito-osteoporosis-canada-in-niagara/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Chirs-Esposito-e1635714715355.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190312T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190312T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T211724Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T211724Z
UID:4197-1552384800-1552388400@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Hugh Gayler\, (Probus Member) High-rise towers
DESCRIPTION:High-rise towers haven’t always enjoyed universal acceptance \nBob Henderson introduced his long-time friend and Brock University colleague Hugh Gayler whose presentation at the March meeting was entitled The Sky-scraper and high-rise living in the western city. \nHugh pointed out that the sky-scraper is not necessarily a modern invention with the pyramids and medieval towers in Italy being very early versions. He said that buildings in Europe were limited to five-to-six storeys. Chicago\, which Hugh said was home to the first high-rises\, boosted a 16-storey building in the late 1880’s. \nAfter World War I\, New York’s Chrysler Building briefly held the title of world’s tallest until it was surpassed by the Empire State Building in 1931. The Rockefeller Centre\, built during the Depression\, added to the New York skyline. \nHugh pointed out that tall and elaborate buildings were an expression of power in the 30’s and illustrated the point with a picture of the Chicago Tribune building which was completed in 1925. He said that trains played a key role in the development of high-rise office buildings because they provided the transportation to bring workers into the downtown core. \nWhile high-rises were becoming common in North America\, there was opposition to them in Europe. He pointed out that the Eiffel Tower was not well received in Paris and was supposed to a temporary attraction. Almost all buildings in Paris were restricted to seven storeys. In London after World War II\, the growing economy meant that office buildings put up quickly soon proved to be inadequate and had to be replaced. Hugh pointed out that Centre Point\, the first true high-rise in London sat empty for many years in the 1960’s. How-ever\, bombed out areas of the city were ripe for modern development despite opposition. \nThat opposition to high-rise living was given more ammunition by the 2017 fire at the Grenfell Tower which claimed 72 lives. But growth continued in areas such as Canary Wharf. \nHugh said that cities look for distinguishing features in structures and illustrated with pictures of such buildings at the Toronto City Hall\, the city’s black towers opened in 1966 and\, of course\, the CN Tower. Newer towers in London have been given names such as the Gherkin and the Cheese Grater\, based on their appearances. \nHe said the newest trend in New York is too tall\, skinny condo towers which appeal to the super rich.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/hugh-gayler-probus-member-high-rise-towers/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past 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:20190212T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190212T230000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T212128Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T212128Z
UID:4199-1549965600-1550012400@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:David Merritt\, (Probus Member) William Hamilton Merritt
DESCRIPTION:William Hamilton Merritt was a man of many talents \nOur guest speaker David Merritt appeared in costume as his ancestor William Hamilton Merritt who\, as a soldier\, merchant\, promoter and politician\, played an important role in the history of Niagara and especially in the development of the Welland Canal. \nWilliam\, the son of Thomas Merritt\, was born in 1793 in Bedford\, New York but came to Canada in 1796. In 1808 he went to Bermuda with his uncle where he studied ship-ping. When he returned to Canada\, he farmed in Grantham Township\, be-came a merchant opening a store and also joined the militia. \nHis life took another change in 1811 with the outbreak of war between Canada and the United States. Merritt fought in the battle of Queenston Heights and was captured at Lundy’s Lane. After the war\, David related that William went into partnership with his brother-in-law Charles Ingersoll to open a dry goods store and in 1817 he purchased a mill site opening both a grist mill and saw mill on Twelve Mile Creek. \nAs a business man he saw the need to link the Great Lakes to transport goods to Western Canada and in 1893 organized meetings of the Welland Canal Company. He travelled far and wide\, including going to England\, to raise the necessary funds for the ambitious project. \nDespite numerous setbacks\, the first two schooners travelled from Lake Ontario to Buffalo in 1829 and the following year the canal was completed to Gravelly Bay\, what is now Port Colborne. \nDavid pointed out that\, although it is less well known\, William was also heavily involved in railways. He pushed for international rail links and was active in rail lines between Detroit and Buffalo. \nMerritt held the position of magistrate for Niagara District from 1817. He entered the Upper Canadian assembly for Haldimand in 1831 and\, in 1860\, resigned from the assembly and was elected to the Legislative Council for Niagara.
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/david-merritt-probus-member-william-hamilton-merritt/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/David-Merritt.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20190108T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20190108T110000
DTSTAMP:20260417T104531
CREATED:20211031T212534Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20211031T212534Z
UID:4202-1546941600-1546945200@probusstcatharines.com
SUMMARY:Natalie Green\, Project Manager - (Clean up Niagara River)
DESCRIPTION:Our guest speaker this month was Natalie Green\, the project manager for the Niagara River Remedial Action Plan. \nNatalie\, who admitted to having a passion about the Great Lakes and the Niagara River\, said the river has a long history of pollution problems going back to the 1880’s because it was the first river to be heavily harnessed for power. \nIn the early part of the 20th century\, the Niagara River\, the 58 kilometre connecting channel between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario\, was one of the most de-graded places in North America. The first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement was signed by the United States and Canada in 1972 and was revised in 1978\, 1987 and 2012. \nIn 1987 the Niagara River was identified as one of the 43 Great Lakes’ Areas of Concern. A Remedial Action Plan was developed for each Area of Concern. Although the river is listed as a binational area\, Natalie pointed out that each side of the border has its own action plan. \nThe Remedial Action Plan is a community-based partnership to restore and protect water quality. The project is funded by the federal and provincial governments in partnership with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. \nNatalie said that all areas of concern use 14 indicators to measure\, what is called beneficial use impairment or BUI\, to determine the health of the Niagara River. These indicators include such things as restrictions on fish and wildlife consumption\, degradation of fish populations\, the condition of sediment-dwelling insects\, the presence of algae\, beach closings and restrictions on drinking water. \nShe indicated that current monitoring indicates that there may still be contaminant issues in the area of Lyons Creek. \nShe said that one of the main challenges remaining along the river is the loss of coastline wet-land habitat to encourage fish populations along the upper river. In a move to reverse this loss\, ash trees and old Christmas trees have been placed along the shoreline to create wetland areas where fish can lay their eggs. \nOn-going studies and monitoring programs play a big role in helping eliminate remaining areas of concern. \nMuch more information is available at the web-site: www.ourniagarariver.ca
URL:https://probusstcatharines.com/event/natalie-green-project-manager-clean-up-niagara-river/
CATEGORIES:2019 Past Speakers
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://probusstcatharines.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Natalie-Green.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR