Professor Emeritus Christine Pawley presented a fascinating talk about Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol and how changes in the 19th Century affected his writing.Over 65 people attended and generously donated $350 for the Affordable Lunch Fund.

Learn something new in one short afternoon! Following our successful autumn series of lectures, we introduce you to our first four offerings for 2025. These are wildly different topics, but each presentation contains a close and interesting look at the subject of the day.

  • Third Wednesday of the month, 2 pm, SSAC Lunch Room
  • No advance registration
  • No cost, unless you wish to donate to our subsidized lunch program
  • Everyone welcome

Wednesday, January 15
Mike Healey
Professor Emeritus, UBC, Vancouver

“Geomancy, Dragons, and the art of the Japanese Garden”

Japanese gardens are renowned for their beauty and elegance, as well as their apparent natural qualities. The best gardens capture the essence of the six features of a perfect landscape: artfulness, seclusion, spaciousness, antiquity, waterways and borrowed scenery. Dr. Healey’s presentation will explore a number of famous Japanese gardens and discuss how these six elements are incorporated in each.

Wednesday, February 19
Eric Gorham
Professor Emeritus, Quest University
Squamish, BC

“How to Interpret the News”

Dr. Gorham will look at biases more insidious than “liberal/conservative” contributing to the decline of the mainstream media. He will also give tips on where to find a variety of reliable news sources and political ideas, and how to critically examine political news stories from both mainstream and non-traditional sources.

Wednesday, March 19
Eric Verspoor, Professor Emeritus, University of Highlands and Islands, Inverness, Scotland

“Fish Clans of Scottish Lochs and their Evolution after the Last Ice Age”

About fish and chips, Dr. Verspoor’s talk highlights new insights into cryptic biodiversity In freshwater fish, and how it evolves. The knowledge is gained from studies of Scottish lochs, exploiting modern methods of molecular analyses of DNA variation and the increasing computational power of computer chips.

Wednesday, April 16
Shauna Butterwick
Professor Emeritus, UBC, Vancouver

“Teaching Old/new Dogs (and their humans) new tricks: The Brain on Art”

Different parts of our brains are active when engaging in art making, be it doodling, collaging, painting, poetry or related pursuits. This leads to new opportunities for learning and healing. Dr. Butterwick shares research on how art-making leads to healing/learning and shares stories of her experiences as an educator working in community and formal educational institutions.