News From CALL March 2023

Photo by Della Ho, a member of the CALL Digital Photography Group

CALL’s Home at cSpace

-by Carrol Jaques, Chair CALL Operations Committee

CALL is thrilled to be a member of the cSPACE community. Located in the former King Edward School, a more than century-old historic building now occupied by an amazingly diverse number of artistic, cultural, and educational groups, cSPACE has been home to the Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners since 2019. The neighbourhood school closed in 2001 because of declining enrolment and then sat empty for 11 years before the City of Calgary organization, cSPACE, purchased the site. According to its website, “The creative hub at cSPACE is a playground for creativity, community, and collaboration. It is an arts hub, innovative venue and coworking space for Calgary to experiment, explore and spark change.”

The next time you are in Room 310, our home in cSPACE, look carefully at the old windows and chalkboards in Room 310 which were carefully maintained as the building was renovated beginning in 2015. By 2016, there were 29 tenants signed up to lease space in cSPACE including The Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners, a testament to the foresight of the CALL leadership.

If you haven’t taken the opportunity to explore the four floors as well as the theatre and the hallway galleries, it is time to do so.

Start on the first floor, noting the Aroma Café Bar which focusses on providing fresh coffee (Brewed, Americano, Latte, Cappuccino, and Espresso), hot chocolate, specialty teas, natural juices and tasty homemade style foods and friendly customer service. Plan to return here after you have explored the rest of the building.

As you progress from the First Floor to the Fourth Floor, make a note of the names on the doors. You will see studios, galleries, working spaces, offices of cultural organizations, and craft shops. Of note is the Alberta Craft Gallery on the Second Floor. Discover contemporary and traditional fine craft from Alberta-based artists working across ceramics, furniture, jewelry, wood, textiles, and glass. HOURS: Wednesday to Friday 11:00am–5:00pm: Saturday 10:00am–5:00pm

On the Fourth Floor, in addition to office space for other cultural organizations, you will find the TreeHouse, an inspiring space with natural light, mountain and city views, an outdoor deck, and a funky arts vibe.

Of special note are the Hallway Galleries on all four levels which showcase art with professional lighting and hanging systems. The exhibitions change regularly and are worth checking out every time you visit cSPACE for a CALL meeting.

The cSPACE Events Team have invited us to participate with other tenants in an Open House in May where we could meet other tenants and the cSPACE Team, provide the cSPACE Community with information on our programs, sell memberships, and generally take part in the Festivities (maybe cocktails and live music). We would need a few volunteers to gather information and set up display tables for program information and to sell memberships. When we have more details we will let you know how to volunteer.

February Events

CALL Café Online
Cyberthugs: Yes, They Are Out to Get You!

Monday, February 27, 7:00pm–8:30pm Online with Zoom

The speaker at the next CALL Café will be the well-known cybersecurity expert Tom Keenan. Tom taught Canada’s first computer security course in 1977, was involved in the creation of the country’s first computer crime laws and continues to share his digital security expertise in a variety of media. In his presentation, he will explain how the bad guys try to target you and what steps you can take to protect yourself.

You must be a CALL member to register but the registration process allows you to bring 1 to 4 guests.

To register and for more information, go to the CALL Café page.

Not So Common Law
Real Estate Title Fraud

Monday, February 27, 1:00–3:00pm on Zoom

Recent news stories have raised concern about real-estate title fraud, in which fraudsters steal ownership of a home in order to sell or mortgage the property, without the true owner’s knowledge.

In other cases mortgage fraud occurred where mortgages have been registered on a home without the owner's knowledge or consent to obtain the cash value of the mortgage.

Can this type of real estate fraud occur in Alberta? Are homeowners truly at risk of fraudsters selling their property out from under them? How can you protect yourself against fraud? Does the law offer any protection?

In this session we consider these what protection the Alberta Land Titles System has against fraud and whether homeowners should buy “title insurance”.

To join this Interest Group go to the Not So Common Law page and contact the facilitator.

March Events

Science and Environment
Greenhouse Gases from Ruminant Livestock

Tuesday, March 7, 7:30–9:30pm Online with Zoom
Speaker: Dr. Karen Beauchemin

It is estimated that approximately 3.6% of Canada’s total greenhouse gas emissions are due to enteric fermentation in domestic livestock. Dr. Beauchemin and her colleagues at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have established methods to measure these emissions from cattle, with a goal to develop strategies to reduce enteric methane produced as a by-product of digesting fibre. Reduced methane produced during feed digestion improves the efficiency by which dairy cows and beef cattle convert plant material into food for people.

Dr. Beauchemin was honoured as 2022’s Woman of Impact in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, by the Government of Canada.

For more information and to register, go to the Science and Environment page.

Intergenerational Speaker Series – Event 4
Framing our Memories

Wednesday, March 8, 11:00am–1:00pm
Lincoln Park Room (J301) Mount Royal University

In the final event of this four-part series we will create a space for participants to creatively express themselves, learn from other generations, discover models of storytelling and explore the beauty of leaving a meaningful legacy. Our guest speaker will be Doreen Vanderstoop, a Calgary based storyteller, musician, and writer who is Past President of Storytelling Alberta. She will describe their StoryShare program and will screen some of the recordings the organization has made to preserve the stories and memories of Calgary seniors. You do not need to have attended the other events in this series and all are welcome.

Registration is not being done through the CALL website but by MRU.

To register for this event, go to their Events page.

CALL Café Online: Alberta Votes 2023

Monday, March 13, 7:00pm–8:30pm Online with Zoom

The March CALL Café speakers, Lisa Young and Graham Thomson, have decades of experience observing and analyzing Alberta politics. In her presentation, Head to Head: Comparing the Policy Approach of the UCP and NDP, Lisa will identify the differences and the similarities of those policy positions. In his presentation, Stranger than Fiction: Alberta Politics in 2023, Graham will explain how we got to the present state of Alberta politics and where we are going. What are the choices voters will be offered in the forthcoming provincial election? Why does Graham think that Alberta politics is stranger than fiction? Register for the March CALL Café and find out.

You must be a CALL member to register but the registration process allows you to bring 1 to 4 guests.

To register and for more information, go to the CALL Café: page.

Treks and Travels
Peru: Macchu Picchu Maybe, BUT So Much More

Wednesday, March 15, 7:30–9:00pm Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Presenter: Sheila Evans

A visit to Peru is a visit to a vibrant people, conscious of their past but hopeful for the future. There is natural beauty and history, textiles and crafts to explore. Join Sheila Evans on a journey to what she found to be a fascinating and safe country. She will take you to Lima, Lake Titicaca and its reed islands, Cuzco and the Sacred Valley and other archaeological wonders such as Ollantaytambo, of which you may never have heard. And yes, Macchu Picchu.

Members of the public are welcome to attend at a cost of $5.

Friday, March 17, 1:00–3:00pm at Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW.

CALL members and guests are invited to an Open House. Mix, mingle, meet fellow CALL members, learn about CALL Interest Groups and events and enjoy some light refreshments.

Go to the CALL Open House page to register.

CALL Café Understanding Diversity of Smart Cities

Monday, April 3, 2:00pm at Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church.

The April CALL Café will feature Byron Miller, Professor of Geography and Coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Urban Studies Program at the University of Calgary. In his presentation, Byron will illustrate just how varied smart cities are by discussing the findings of a three-year comparative research project addressing smart city initiatives in Barcelona, Stockholm, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, Calgary, and Toronto. What to know more about the global phenomenon of smart cities? Save the date for Understanding the Diversity of Smart Cities, a CALL Café that will take place at 2 pm, Monday, April 3rd at Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church.

Registration for this in-person café will open on Tuesday March 14.

You must be a CALL member to register but the registration process will allow you to bring 1 to 4 guests.

For more information, contact Adrienne Kertzer.

Speaker Event Walking Made (un)safe: Identifying Barriers to Pedestrian Safety for Seniors

Monday, April 10, 1:30–3:00pm Sanctuary, Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church
Speaker: Amanda Bishop

Walking is a great form of health promotion linked to improvements in physical and mental health. But for all its benefits, the simple act of walking isn't always straightforward, convenient, or even safe. It can be downright scary! Despite everything that is already known about the risk factors seniors experience, there is little research or data on the specific barriers seniors face while walking and/or rolling.

Join Amanda Bishop for a conversation about her research that is using targeted community engagement and data collection strategies to better understand these barriers and to increase pedestrian safety for everyone.

Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5)

For more information go the Speaker Events page.

New Interest Groups

Still Life Drawing with Conté

Saturday, March 18th, 10:00am–1:00pm Room 310 at cSpace.

Artist and teacher Peter Greendale will facilitate a workshop in Conté, a traditional drawing medium with which artists create realistic drawings of classic still life objects using shading to give the impression of realistic volume.

No previous experience is required.

For more information and to register, go to the Still Life Drawing with Conté page.

Immediate Volunteer Needs

Health and Wellness Team

Many CALL members have expressed an interest in having more speaker events on Health and Wellness topics. As a member of the Health and Wellness Committee, your ideas would be heard. You would be willing to organize a speaker event. If you have never organized a speaker event, CALL will provide a mentor who will guide you through the process. Zoom expertise is not required. For more information, contact program@calgarylifelonglearners.ca

Your CALL Newsletter

The CALL Newsletter is our way to communicate what is going on in our community. It's a way to highlight events of interest, ‘peek behind the curtain of CALL’ and to give some general information about CALL groups and members.

You are invited to send your ideas and suggestions for future issues to newsletter@calgarylifelonglearners.ca. We reserve the right to edit submissions and to determine when submissions will be published.

CALL Newsletter dates for posting:

• Mar 17, 31
• April 14, 28
• May 12, 26
• June 16, 30

Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.