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News From CALL December 2025
| December Events | Blog |
Spirit Bear, photo by Sue Stretton, a member of the CALL Digital Photography Group
President’s Message
- Judy Hoad
I love the sunny days and wide-open spaces of Calgary, even in the shorter days of November. And this year, with the unusually warm days, I feel especially grateful that I live here. But my gratitude goes further. I am grateful that I live in a safe city and peaceful country with all the benefits those things bring.
As we enter December, we begin a month when many people come together and celebrate their cultures. Over the next few weeks, as the seasonal rush and arrival of winter weather create chaos and frustration, I will try to remember to slow down and celebrate how fortunate we are with friends and family.
CALL will also be celebrating the season. On December 15, CALL members will be sharing their skills and interests at an afternoon concert at Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church. Please join us to laugh and sing and share some cheer with your friends. Register at the CALL Café page.Stay well everyone. If you’d like to contact me, I’m available at info@calgarylifelonglearners.ca.
December Events
Science and Environment
Wolverine Research and Conservation in the Boreal Forest
Tuesday, December 2, 7:30–9:00pm
Online, via Zoom
Speaker: Dr. Matthew Scrafford
North American wolverines face a myriad of threats from human disturbance. Matthew discusses his work to better understand the ecology and management of wolverines in boreal forest landscapes affected by industrial development. He will highlight research on wolverine denning ecology, habitat selection, density, survival, physiology, trapping, and home ranges, and relate how this work has helped update management guidelines for the species.
Dr. Matthew Scrafford is an independent research scientist and adjunct professor at Lakehead University in the Natural Resources Management department. He received his PhD from the University of Alberta with a research focus on wolverine ecology in industrialized habitats in the Rainbow Lake and Birch Mountains in northern Alberta. Currently, he works to advance the understanding and conservation of wolverines and caribou in Alberta and Ontario.
Registration required. You must be a CALL member to register. For more information and to register go to the Science and Environment page.
CALL Café
Music, Spoken Work, Visual Arts
Monday, December 15, 1:00–3:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
For the first time, we invite you to come early to enjoy a special pre-concert musical performance. The pre-concert show will start at approximately 12:30 to welcome you as you go through the doors.
CALL invites you to enjoy performances and presentations by some of our many talented members at our Holiday Café.
The performances will begin at 1pm, and by 2pm, there will be time to mix, mingle and enjoy refreshments.
Members are asked to register for planning purposes. When you do, you may add up to four guests. Members of the public are welcome to attend at no cost.
CALL Volunteers’ Corner – where we thank a particular volunteer!
Volunteering Enables Annie to Follow Her Passion
- Gerri Lasiuk
A teacher during her working life, Annie joined CALL because she loved the idea of lifelong learning. During her first year in CALL, she and her husband sampled a few offerings, but “did not really take full advantage” of all that CALL had to offer. The next year, however, Annie jumped in with both feet and co-founded the Variety Book Club.
Annie LOVES the written word and has always been an avid reader. She had always wanted to join a book club so she could read new books and “unpack them with others” but didn’t know if she knew enough about setting up a group and leading the discussion.
Annie’s passion for reading won out and she and a friend volunteered to co-facilitate the Variety Book Club.
Before the book club began, Annie and her co-facilitator attended several sessions with an Area Coordinator, whose role is to help facilitators to develop new programs and provide ongoing support. This assistance was exactly what Annie and her co-facilitator needed.
In addition to helping with operational details like determining the group size, setting a time to meet, and finding a place to meet, the Area Coordinator also provided information about group facilitation.
Once the Variety Book Club was launched, many of Annie’s worries faded. Since CALL relies on peer learning, she quickly realized that “everybody has ownership.” Decisions about what books to read, who will facilitate a particular discussion, and the form of the discussions were made by consensus. When the co-facilitators were unsure of something or encountered a problem, the Area Coordinator was available to help find a way through.
At the beginning of each term of the Variety Book Club, Annie estimates that she spends two to three hours getting the group organized such as accepting registration requests, creating a participant list, establishing a waitlist, communicating with group members, and other details. Once the term begins, this time commitment usually decreases.
It has been six years since the Variety Book Club began and Annie believes that volunteering with CALL has been well worth it. She loves reading books that she might not have read on her own, and interacting with people of her own generation who bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to the discussions.
If Annie's experience encourages you to think about volunteering, contact our Volunteer Committee for more information: info@calgarylifelonglearners.ca
CALL Blog
Embracing the Possibilities of Elderhood: A Personal Journey
Old age — later life — golden years — post-retirement — third age — the third act — silver horizons — many terms abound trying to describe the later decades of life. We may have an easier time knowing what “childhood” and “adulthood” might be, but what is the lived experience of navigating these later years of life? I asked a friend and colleague, Gail Hinchliffe, to share her story of transition. I have long admired Gail during her career as she provided unique and creative living centres for older persons wanting a supportive environment. Gail shares her personal journey into the later stages of life: a stage she calls “Elderhood”.
The CALL Blog is public so please share with your family and friends. https://calgarylifelonglearners.ca/Blog
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If you have any questions or a topic that you would like to explore in our Blog, please contact us: info@calgarylifelonglearners.ca.
The CALL Newsletter
- Newsletter Team
Did you know that we appreciate receiving articles from our members? We are happy to publish articles that celebrate CALL. Your personal experience about how you have benefited would be a valuable contribution to this newsletter. Please send your ideas and suggestions for future issues to info@calgarylifelonglearners.ca. We reserve the right to edit submissions and to determine when submissions will be published.
CALL Newsletter postings 2025-26
- Dec 19
- Jan 30
- Feb 27
- Mar 27
- Apr 24
- May 29
- June 26
- Aug 21
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.