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News From CALL May 2026
| May Events | Notices | Programs | Blog |
Watercolour sketch by Anne Lefebvre, member of the CALL Sketch Club
President’s Message
- Judy Hoad
An interesting thing happened this month. We planned a volunteer appreciation event and then we cancelled it because so few were planning to attend. Was this a message or are people just busy? Or was the event unappealing? Or perhaps volunteering is not about recognition. Regardless, we have an opportunity to rethink our traditions and why people volunteer for CALL.
So, back to basics: a volunteer is an individual who freely offers their time, skill and services without expectation of financial compensation. People volunteer to provide service to others, to support a cause that is meaningful to them or to give back to communities, not-for-profits and other organizations.
Importantly, it isn’t recognition that builds volunteer participation. It is evident that volunteering brings joy by connecting people to purpose, builds friendships and improves physical and mental wellbeing.
Volunteers are critical to CALL. We are a volunteer run organization, from the Board of Directors to the Finance and Program Committees to the interest group facilitators. As we consider how to thank our volunteers, perhaps the answer is to just say it.
Each and every one of you can thank those at the membership table or in the kitchen, people behind the microphones or setting up tables, those who ensure rooms and venues are scheduled and volunteers who keep the website and newsletter current. Please say thanks!
So, thank you to each and every one of you for your volunteer contribution. You are the backbone of every event and CALL would not exist without you.
I can be contacted at info@calgarylifelonglearners.ca.
May Events
Science and Environment
Calgary's Urban Forest
Tuesday, May 5, 7:30–9:00pm
Online, via Zoom
Speaker: Meara Cairns
This presentation introduces Calgary’s urban forest, highlighting the environmental, social, and economic benefits trees provide, including biodiversity support, climate resilience, air quality improvement, temperature regulation, and psychological well-being. It explains what constitutes the urban tree canopy, outlines Calgary’s current canopy coverage and long-term growth target and emphasizes the shared responsibility between The City and private landowners, as most trees are located on private property. The presentation describes how public trees are protected and managed under City bylaws, clarifies homeowner responsibilities for private trees, and stresses the importance of planting the right tree in the right location.
You must be a CALL member to register. For more information and to register go to the Science and Environment page.
Health and Wellness
Resistance Training Can Change Your Life
Monday, May 11, 1:30–3:30pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: Dr. Saied Jalal Aboodarda, U of C
Resistance training is a vital intervention for healthy aging, offering musculoskeletal, metabolic, and psychosocial benefits. It helps counteract Sarcopenia by preserving muscle mass, strength, and functional capacity, thereby reducing frailty and fall risk. Metabolically, it improves insulin sensitivity and body composition, contributing to the prevention and management of Metabolic Syndrome, or the loss of muscle mass as one ages, and related cardiometabolic conditions. Psychosocially, resistance training enhances self-efficacy, mood, and quality of life. Its adaptability and measurable functional improvements also promote greater adherence, making it an effective and sustainable strategy for maintaining health and independence in older adults.
Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5 at the door). Registration is not required.
CALL Café
The Leighton Art Centre
Tuesday, May 19, 1:00–3:00pm (coffee to follow presentation)
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speakers: Staff of Leighton Art Centre
The Leighton Art Centre is a wonderful blend of art gallery, museum, and education hub. It is filled with art to admire and it provides an opportunity to learn. This 1952 home was designed by renowned artist A.C. Leighton, who helped to form the Alberta Society of Artists in 1931. It is now a fascinating centre of Alberta art, close to Millarville.
Staff of the Leighton Art Centre will speak on the many features of this Provincial Historic Resource. They will provide stories of this rather hidden gem which is a benefit to so many Calgarians.
CALL Café is open to members of the public at no charge. If you are bringing guests, please register how many you will be bringing.
Treks and Travels
Sailing Through History
Wednesday, May 20, 7:30–9:00pm
Varsity Acres Presbyterian Church, 4612 Varsity Drive NW
Speaker: David Phillips
After David and his wife bought a rundown yacht in the Netherlands, and worked like dogs to renovate it, the time arrived to start the Great Retirement Adventure. This is the story of that hair-raising first year where they learned on the job through storms and hazards that nearly broke their resolve. Having burned their bridges, however, they continued for another 13 years cruising the European coast from Portugal in the South to Bergen in the North, and St. Petersburg in the East to Ireland in the West. This was not just sailing but a voyage through history and cultures. Doggerland, the Goodwin Sands, nuclear waste recycling, and modern-day smuggling are some of the places and issues encountered in this first year. You will taste the salt on your lips when the evening is over!
No registration required. Members of the public are welcome to attend (at a cost of $5)
Notices
Special Offer for CALL Members to Attend the Alberta Ballet
Alberta Ballet is offering CALL members tickets to their upcoming ballet Notre Dame de Paris (April 30 to May 2) at a group rate (20% off). Email BoxOffice@albertaballet.com or phone 403-245-4549 if you would like to take advantage of the group offer and mention Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners. There is an educational component available for all patrons at every performance called "Dance Talks." The talks take place one hour before performance start time, and are led by the Artistic team, including Francesco Ventriglia our Artistic Director. Patrons get to hear the behind-the-scenes challenges of what it takes to bring the production to life and there is an opportunity for Q&A at the end. To learn more about it, go to the Special Programs page.
Judaism Then and Now
- Janet MacArthur, Programs
In early 2026, CALL members enjoyed an outstanding study program that took them from the world of the Torah to various diasporic Jewish communities; to the farms of the Ashkenazi Jews at Rumsey, Trochu, and Oyen; to community building and contributions to the city of Calgary from its establishment; to the activity of notable Calgary Holocaust survivors. We also learned about the place of Jewish people in a contemporary diverse Calgary. Rabbi Russell G. Jayne of Beth Tzedec (Conservative), Rabbi Menacham Matusof of Chabad Lukavitch (Hassidic), Rabbi Mark Glickman of Temple B’nai Tikvah (Reform), and Rabbi Nisan Andrews of House of Jacob (Orthodox) presented on various Jewish faith streams.
They guided us around their places of worship and explained many of the installations. We were even shown Torah scrolls one day. Rabbi Ilana Krygier Lapides, the “Rocky Mountain Rabbi” (non-denominational), discussed the impact of the Shoah (Holocaust) on herself and her family, emphasizing the resiliency of people deeply affected by it, but also the dark shadow it still casts.
Local writer Irena Karshenbaum, who emigrated from the USSR as a child, took us through much regional history of Jewish people in Southern Alberta. Many thanks to facilitators Tom Kerwin and Deborah Shnay.
CALL Membership – You Are CALL’s Best Ambassadors
- Maureen Osis, Communications
CALL is a volunteer-run organization that depends on membership fees as its primary source of revenue. Personal invitations are powerful. Encouraging friends to join is one of the most important ways you can help ensure CALL’s future as a strong and sustainable organization.
Now is a great time to join because there is a special membership bonus. Anyone who purchases an annual membership in May receives four free months: their membership runs from May 1 through August 31 to 2027!
Invite your friends to join and encourage them to browse the website looking at the Speaker Events they could attend in May.
There are also programs that continue through the summer months, such as:
- CALL to the Garden
- Tuesday City Walks
- Lawn Bowling
- Coffee by Zoom
- CALL of the Uke
Membership is also important for other reasons. CALL is powered by its members. New members bring fresh ideas and new skills to keep programs vibrant and relevant. New members expand the pool of potential facilitators, organizers, and volunteers.
Together, let’s ensure that CALL continues to grow as a welcoming community of curious lifelong learners. Invite a friend to join now!
Have You Registered for a Program or Event You Can’t Attend?
- Janet MacArthur
This is a friendly reminder to CALL members to "de-register" themselves from any CALL gathering requiring registration, if they find that they are unable to attend. This provides a waitlisted person a chance to come to our events.
Notice of Program Name Change
- Janet MacArthur
There is now a new title for one of the CALL program areas: "Human Studies" will replace "Social Science, Philosophy & Religion."
CALL Programs
Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra Open Rehearsals for Seniors
The CPO has 2 remaining open rehearsals for Seniors, Friday May 8, and Friday, May 22. CALL members may purchase entrance by contacting the CPO box office and pre-paying for your entrance.
See the CPO Rehearsals page for more information on how to register through the CPO and to register for the CALL coffee discussion.
Tuesday Walks in the City of Calgary
CALLing all walkers – past, present and those who would like to join us.
Tuesday, May 19, 9:30–11:30am
Location: tba upon registration
On May 19 the CALL Walk group celebrates its 10th anniversary of providing healthy exercise and friendship to its members. As lifelong learners, these healthy and fit group members have immersed themselves in the history of Calgary whilst exploring unique geographical features of the city’s communities. To celebrate their anniversary, the CALL walkers will re-trace their steps of the first organized CALL walk conducted on May 17 2016, through the communities of Elbow Park and Britannia, including a riverside path along the Trans Canada Trail beside the Elbow river. The walk will be approximately six kilometers. If you are a CALL member who is not currently a member of the Tuesday Walkers (not on our weekly mail out), please register with the Tuesday City Walks Facilitator.
Introduction to Zentangle
Our We♥2Tangle CALL members have been meeting all year to deepen learning of the meditative drawing practice called Zentangle. We have a diverse group, of about 20 members, some attending for 3 years and others joining as recently as January 2026.
The drawing was done by Sharon M, one of our members. If this art form looks interesting, you are invited to join us for a two hour class on June 1, 2026. For more information, and registration, please visit the Introduction to Zentangle® page to learn more about this program, and register.
CALL Blog
Gerontological Care Matters: A Snapshot of Early Programs in Calgary
I asked a group of former colleagues to share their stories of the roles they played in the development of geriatric/gerontological nursing and interdisciplinary education in Calgary. It became a great, collective trip down memory lane; for some of us, our work began almost 40 years ago. Each of us believed then, and do now, that Gerontological Care Matters. Why?
Because care of older adults is not intuitive; it is a specialized area of practice.
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: info@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 2026
- May 29
- June 26
- Aug 21
Meanwhile, be well, stay well in every sense of the word.