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News From CALL March 2026
| March Events | Programs | Volunteers’ Corner | Blog |
Watercolour sketch by Dorothy de St Jorre, a member to the Sketch Club interest group
President’s Message
- Judy Hoad
Many of us remember the 1967 song, “The Times They Are a-Changin”, by Bob Dylan. It was an era that was a time of great change and protest.
And again, “The Times They Are a-Changin”. Coming small changes include Daylight Saving Time (March 8), water restrictions (March 9 estimate), Spring (March 21), weather (hourly). We each have our own ways of adjusting to these common changes. And then there are external political changes and those that seem to explode out of the blue: violence in Mexico; fuel and power crises in Cuba; pending US attack in Iran; wide-spread protest movements; tariffs. These are the ones that create anxiety because they are unpredictable and out of our control. And frequently, they influence whether we speak out about our viewpoints or share our concerns. It is easy to isolate.
We all try to cope. And we are better able to cope if we have a community. At times like these, I am grateful to live in Canada and to have a network of friends.
And I am grateful that CALL provides opportunities to engage with others, learn about diverse issues and topics such as “Judaism Then and Now,” “Conflict is a Participant Sport", “The Importance of Judicial Independence”, and hear topical presentations such as “Energy Security: Humanity’s Top Priority" and “The Dawn of Competitive Party Politics in Alberta”.
And grateful that CALL supports members who gather to share music, play games, tell stories and explore their creative side.
The CALL community enriches lives. I hope it brings you joy and comfort and supports your resilience to deal with life’s changes. I can be contacted at info@calgarylifelonglearners.ca.
Take care and be well.
cSPACE Exhibition and Showcase Night
CALL opened the Room 310 door at cSPACE Marda Loop to promote our programs for cSPACE’s showcase night (open house) on February 12. This converted old sandstone school is now the creative hub and incubator at Marda Loop.
Guitar Jam and CALL to the Uke provided a musical background for displays by a variety of CALL facilitators and members. Science and Environment, the Speakers’ Series, the South Seas in Art and Film, Word Freaks, Finding Peace and Joy Within, and Medieval History were represented. Many thanks to all the participants who contributed to this opportunity to promote CALL.
March Events
Science and Environment
The Climate Crisis Is a Healthcare Emergency
Tuesday, March 3, 7:30–9:00pm
Online, via Zoom
Speaker: Dr. Phil Barber
Join Dr. Phil Barber for an insightful session on the critical intersection of climate change and human health. Discover why the climate crisis is not only a health emergency but a challenge to our survival. Learn how climate change’s non-linear nature and positive feedback loops can accelerate its impacts unpredictably. Finally, explore the urgent need for a sustainable healthcare model to reduce environmental harm and improve health outcomes.
Dr. Philip Barber is a stroke neurologist and Professor in the Departments of Clinical Neurosciences, Radiology and Community Health Sciences at the University of Calgary, and a member of the Calgary Stroke Program. His research focuses on how vascular risk factors and silent brain injuries contribute to stroke and dementia, and how we can use imaging and prevention strategies to protect brain health across the lifespan.
You must be a CALL member to register. For more information and to register go to the Science and Environment page.
Health and Wellness
Living with Schizophrenia – A Personal Perspective
Monday, March 9, 1:30–3:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: Schizophrenia Society of Alberta
Schizophrenia Society of Alberta (SSA) clients living with schizophrenia provide educational presentations to a variety of groups across Alberta. These presenters are employed by SSA through our supportive employment program.
Each presentation provides information about schizophrenia while program presenters share their personal experiences and challenges, educating the community to reduce stigma.
Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5 at the door). Registration is not required.
CALL Café
Staying Human in the Age of AI
Monday, March 16, 1:00–3:00pm Coffee to follow presentation
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: Michelle Freer
Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how decisions are made across industries. In this session, Michelle will provide a grounded overview of AI and why it matters now. Drawing from her doctoral research in Generative AI and training through the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute’s AI Pathways program, she will explore key questions around safety, impact, and human oversight. The session will offer space for reflection on how we can approach AI adoption responsibly, as it becomes embedded in everyday life, along with practical examples and considerations to take forward.
Michelle Freer, MA, PMP is a Product Practice Leader at ENMAX and a Doctoral Candidate in Generative AI at Golden Gate University. She specializes in digital strategy and product transformation within regulated industries, with a growing focus on explainable and responsible AI. With a background spanning portfolio leadership, product development, and entrepreneurship, Michelle bridges executive strategy and technical delivery to help organizations adopt emerging technologies with rigor and impact.
Members are asked to register for planning purposes – add up to 4 guests when you register. Open to Members, Guests and the Public.
Treks and Travels
Between Delays and Gales: Photographing the Faroe Islands
Wednesday, March 18, 7:30–9:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speakers: Paul Fesko and Owen Tobert
Faroe Islands, photographed by Paul Fesko
This presentation traces a photographic journey to the Faroe Islands—bookended by flight delays, shaped by a six-day photo workshop, and tested by hurricane-force winds. What emerged in between was a rare chance to slow down, adapt, and photograph a landscape defined by weather, light, and resilience. Through images of cliffs, villages, waterfalls, and fleeting moments of calm, this slideshow explores how unpredictability can sharpen both observation and intention. The Faroe Islands reveal themselves not all at once, but in fragments—between storms, between clouds, and between plans—rewarding patience with moments of extraordinary beauty.
No registration required. Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5)
Programs
History and the Arts
The South Pacific: Mutiny, Musicals, Pearl Harbour
Wednesdays March 18, 25, 10:00–12:00pm
cSPACE Marda Loop, Room 310, 1721 29 Ave SW
Come with us on a voyage through the South Seas in art, film, and imagination. We visit the South Pacific and explore the history of the Polynesian islands near Tahiti and compare that history to what Hollywood wrote. The real Mutiny on the Bounty is a fascinating story which will be reviewed, but the story becomes even more interesting when one considers that three Hollywood movies have retold the story, not always very accurately. Those films are a great story in themselves and highlights will be presented. And the musical South Pacific had a real history based in World War II, romance and racism that was overcome. That film will be discussed with film clips and used as an entry into the story of the Pacific War from Pearl Harbour to its eventual conclusion.
Participants’ opinions and questions on these stories and these films are not only welcomed, but we hope will become a discussion that is the focus for most of these presentations. Participants may even win ‘big-time’ prizes like laminated film history bookmarks which we – or more accurately, Chat GPT – have created.
Participants may sign up for one or both sessions being offered on Wednesdays March 18 and 25, 10:00 - 12:00 pm. The facilitators are Malcolm Rennie and Neil Watson. (Please see biographies below)
Session ONE: Mutiny and Myth – Hollywood’s South Seas. The story of the mutiny on the 1789 Royal Navy ship “Bounty" is covered.
Session TWO: South Pacific – Musical Notes of the American Dream James A. Michener’s Pulitzer Prize winning novel Tales of the South Pacific was a work that struck a chord with post WWII America, and led to the standout musical South Pacific. Both will be covered.
Facilitators Malcolm Rennie and Neil Watson both have Master’s Degrees in History from the University of Calgary. Malcolm has taught European History Advanced Placement for most of his career and now is a substitute teacher for the CBE; Neil taught Legal History for the University of Calgary Faculty of Law for ten years and was a practicing lawyer for his long career. Both now are guest lecturers for Norwegian Cruise Lines and have four series of talks approved for four different cruises in 2026. See the History and the Arts page to register.
Read it Again
The Diviners, by Margaret Laurence
Mondays, 10:00–12:00pm, April 20, 27, May 4, 11
Girl Guide Centre, 2188 Brownsea Drive NW
For our fifth session we have chosen to return to Canadian literature with The Diviners by Margaret Laurence. This year marks the centenary of her birth, so it seems very fitting that we have chosen this novel, widely considered to be her most autobiographical. In it, Laurence examines small town social structures, the relationships between parents and children, feminism, the craft of writing and the meaning of home.
Please visit the Read it Again – The Diviners page for further details about this group. We welcome both those who are reading it for the first time and those who are re-reading it.
Finding Peace and Joy Within
Wednesdays, 10:00am–12:00pm, April 22 to June 17
cSPACE Marda Loop, Room 310, 1721 29 Ave SW
There is a universal human desire to be happy and to avoid suffering. For the wise, this desire extends to those we love and to our community. We try to fulfill this desire through external pursuits – family, career, service, hobbies, recreation, etc.
Thanks to modern technology we now have wealth, health, and social connection to an extent that our ancestors (and many in developing nations) could only dream of. Yet which of us is genuinely happy and free of suffering? Do you have the feeling that “something” is missing?
We have known since we were small children that we have a mind and a body. However, we have a third inner resource that we easily overlook, which can provide a source of uncaused joy and respite from suffering that is independent of our external circumstances.
Please join us at “Finding Peace and Joy Within” to have a direct experience with this resource to help you have a happier and more fulfilled life.
You can ask the facilitator questions by clicking the registration button on the Finding Peace and Joy Within page.Volunteers’ Corner
She Came for the Learning and Stays for the Fun
- Gerri Lasiuk
Leslie Dort was introduced to CALL by friends in 2018 and was attracted by CALL’s mandate to facilitate lifelong learning, as well as the diversity of programs and activities. She was particularly drawn to the social sciences and philosophy/religion interest groups.
Two years later when COVID drove us all into our homes, Leslie was on the Board of Directors. She and the other Board members scrambled to successfully move CALL programming into the online environment, while at the same time, troubleshooting technical challenges and managing privacy and security issues. Unfortunately, some peer learning organizations across Canada were unable to transition to online learning and had to cease operations. Leslie credits CALL’s ability to weather the COVID storm to the hard work and expertise of CALL volunteers, especially the Web Team. Although it was a difficult time, “there were lots of laughs” and it helped her appreciate the warm and lasting relationships she has forged with other CALL members.
Today, Leslie is the Coordinator for the CALL Café, a monthly speaker event followed by refreshments at Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church. Members of the Café Committee nominate speakers on a wide variety of topics, including the history of the Calgary General Hospital, the paintings of Lawren Harris, the life of a fighter pilot, and many more. Leslie’s role is to coordinate the work of committee members and ensure that all of the elements are in place.
Here is Leslie’s advice to CALL members who are looking for opportunities to volunteer:
- No matter how introverted or shy you may be, there are places for you to volunteer with CALL
- Not all volunteer activities are ongoing or time consuming – consider helping with a one-time event
- There is lots of support available for volunteers!
CALL Blog
Two Sides of the Double Helix: From Tracing Roots to Solving Crimes
In a previous post, “The Joy of Researching our Family History: Genealogy for Beginners”, guest author, Tara Shymanski, shared her personal and professional interest in researching family histories.
In this post, I will explore the fascination with personal DNA testing with a brief overview of the potential benefits and risks of testing for family research. Guest Author William Anhorn is a member of the Medicine Hat Genealogy Society. He is very interested in how often genealogy and history intersect and writes a monthly blog. He has thoroughly explored recent developments in Forensic DNA and given permission for us to reprint his article.
The CALL Blog is public so please share with your family and friends. It is easy to do. Just copy the URL https://calgarylifelonglearners.ca/Blog and paste into an email or text message.
If you are on Facebook, please follow us. https://www.facebook.com/CalgaryLifelongLearners/
Any questions or feedback, please contact me: blog@calgarylifelonglearners.ca. If you have a topic that you would like to write with me, I would welcome your interest.
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
- Mar 27
- Apr 24
- May 29
- June 26
- Aug 21
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.