Category Archives: Meetings

Brantford news, Events, Meetings

The High Ladies: Feb speakers

February 26 General Meeting Speakers

The High Ladies began as two moms seeking a creative outlet separate from parenting and other responsibilities. Familiar with cannabis themselves, they bravely set out to open a conversation around mindful and respectful use of cannabis. Through a podcast format, they aimed to break down the stigma related to cannabis, and offer a mature and rational perspective on cannabis consumption. With the legalization of cannabis, they made it their mission to dispel myths about the industry and even help politicians understand its potential benefits and its contribution to the Canadian economy.

The High Ladies Podcast has gained national recognition with appearances on Breakfast Television, and awards such as Best Cannabis Podcast, a nomination for Barrie Women in Business Visionary Award, and they have published High Aspirations: A Commemorative Look at Canadian Cannabis.

The High Ladies, Annie Dillabough and Amanda La Touche, will share information such as what cannabis is, how it works, the difference between tcp and cbd, benefits and downsides of cannabis, and what to expect in a cannabis store. They approach this serious topic with humour and respect, aiming to educate and inform with accurate and documented facts about this still enigmatic topic.

*This meeting will be held on zoom, starting at 7:00 pm.

 

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January Speaker: Karen Stiller — the art and pleasures of memoir writing

This month Karen Stiller will speak to us about The Art and Pleasures of Memoir Writing.

Karen is a teacher of writing and a writing coach. Her work has appeared in publications like The Walrus, Reader’s Digest, Faith Today, and In Trust. For 22 years she was senior editor of Faith Today (Canada’s Christian magazine) and host of the Faith Today Podcast.

She has moderated the annual Religion and Society series at the University of Toronto, a debate series between leading atheists and theologians that seeks to generate critical conversations on matters of faith, society and public interest.

Karen has travelled extensively with her work and has written about life in refugee camps in South Sudan and Uganda, and community development projects in Senegal and Cambodia.

She has a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Non-Fiction and she is now working on a doctorate in The Sacred Art of Writing at Western Seminary in Holland Michigan. Her latest book, Holiness, published in 2023 explores how Holiness permeates our everyday messy lives.

Karen lives in Ottawa and has  three adult children.

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Guest speaker for November meeting: Dean de St. Croix

Dean de St. Croix introduces the fundamentals of artificial intelligence (AI), clarifying common misconceptions and exploring what AI is—and what it is not. Using familiar comparisons to technologies like Google search and social media algorithms, he explains how AI systems uniquely learn and adapt, setting them apart from the tools we use daily. Beyond the basics, Dean will discuss AI’s broader social and economic impact, highlighting its potential to transform industries and drive growth while addressing key concerns such as privacy, algorithmic bias, and workforce changes. This talk offers an overview at how AI is reshaping our future. (PS – this Bio was created by AI).

Dean de St. Croix is a professional Graphic Design and Brand Director with over 30 years of experience. Throughout that time he has worked with clients around the globe, building brands and selling products that range from Sporting Goods, Spirits, Cruise Lines, Travel and Institutional organizations such as Insurance, Banking and Investing. He has designed for numerous musicians including Loreena McKennitt. His designs have won awards in Canada, and the United States. He was born in Montreal, Quebec and moved to Brantford, Ontario at a young age. He now resides in Paris, Ontario.

Brantford news, Events, Meetings

Linda Schuyler, Our Speaker for the September 25th General Meeting

Photograph by V. Tony Hauser, photo credit must be given on all reproductions

As a young teacher in east-end Toronto, Linda Schuyler began creating short films with her classes, which led to her first very successful documentaries.  This initial foray into film production brought about her founding of the popular television series, The Kids of Degrassi Street, and a television franchise that spanned almost forty years. The Degrassi series launched the careers of many young Canadian actors, as well as addressing difficult issues that young people faced in their lives. In her 2023 memoir, The Mother of All Degrassi: A Memoir, Linda relates the inside story of her development of the Degrassi series, and why it was so important to her personally, as well as professionally.

Born in London, England, Linda moved to Paris, Ontario with her parents, Jack and Joyce Bawcutt, who became leaders of the Paris community. Linda attended Paris High School before venturing to the big city for university. Linda has always maintained ties to the local community, and said she is very happy to speak to CFUW Brantford, and meet the members of the club. Linda will bring copies of her book for those who might like to purchase it after the meeting.  We are honoured and excited to have Linda Schuyler as our speaker in September.

 

Brantford news, Meetings

Speakers for the 2024/25 General Meetings

The Program Committee is pleased to present the roster of speakers for upcoming season. They are:

September: Linda Schuyler, producer of the long-running television series The Kids of Degrassi Street.

October: Chuck Beach, environmentalist, and a leader in the local tree-planting movement.

November: Dean de St. Croix, an expert in the development of AI.
January: Karen Stiller, a teacher and author who leads workshops in memoir writing.

February: Madame High Ladies, experts in the ins and outs of cannabis use.

March: Stephanie McLarty, an award-winning entrepreneur whose business is the recycling of computer parts.

April: Brian Wood, curator the Alexander Graham Bell Homestead and expert in local history.

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April speaker: Living an authentic life, Joan Grundy

Living an Authentic Life
Joan Grundy is a charismatic speaker and inspiring writer.She has addressed many groups in the areas of spiritual growth, educational leadership and wellness.  She has a Masters degree in Theological Studies and background in psychology and counselling.
Before her retirement, Joan was employed as a department head of religion and family studies at a local Catholic high school.  There she chose to counsel the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer) students and to educate people about this issue.  In her thirties, she realized that she was gay but because of her Catholic upbringing and profession was not able to be authentic because she couldn’t live out her real sexual life in the confines of the Church.
This is a timely topic now with extreme groups objecting to schools offering support and resources to kids who are in the “sexual minority”.  I think Joan’s presentation should lead to some interesting discussion and thought.
Brantford news, Meetings

In March, we listen to three women refugees: Syria, Zimbabwe, Ukraine

The March program will showcase the accounts of three women, former refugees, who came to Brantford from different parts of the world (Syria, Zimbabwe, and Ukraine). The women will tell their stories through questions, such as what caused them to become refugees, what were some of their experiences in their home country, and what are the struggles they have encountered in adjusting to life in Canada. Mieke Schroeder, who has been involved in sponsorship of refugees for many years, will facilitate the program. We thank Mieke for organizing this program which will give us a greater insight into the journey that refugees take as they create new lives in Canada.

Returning of Ukrainian women and children from Syrian refugee camp 09
Returning of Ukrainian women and children from Syrian refugee camp 09