THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION
FOR
THE ADVANCEMENT OF LITERATURE
SCIENCE AND ART
( HAALSA )
Established 1857
Celebrating 158 years of educational endeavour in Hamilton
Free Public Lectures
2015–2016 Series
Dates, Titles, Authors and Abstracts
All lectures will start at 8:00 pm and be presented in
Room 1A1, Ewart Angus Centre
McMaster University Medical Centre
except where noted
Paid parking is available on the McMaster campus
To inquire about a possible cancellation check our website or phone 905-527-0080
Printer-friendly donation, membership and join-our-email-list forms are available at
http://www.haalsa.org
© 2015 The Ham ilton Association (HAALSA)
Ham ilton Association Lectures, 2015–2016
Saturday, September 12, 2015
The Shakespeare Experiment: A
Seduction in the Form of an Essay
by Sky Gilbert
From 2008 to 2010, Guelph University students
became actors, technicians, designers, directors and
dramaturges in The Shakespeare Experiment, exploring practical and theoretical considerations of masculinity and femininity and cultural context in both
production and performance of Shakespearean plays.
The project innovator, Sky Gilbert, describes its
evolution and its philosophical implications.
Sky Gilbert is an acclaimed writer, director, and
drag queen extraordinaire. He was co- founder and
for 18 years artistic director of Toronto’s Buddies in
Bad Times Theatre (North America’s largest gay and
lesbian theatre), has won numerous awards for his
theatre work and in 2014 had a Toronto street named
in his honour. He holds a University Research Chair
in Creative Writing and Theatre Studies at the
University of Guelph.
Saturday, October 3, 2015 *
A New Golden Age of Dinosaur
Discovery
by David Evans
A bonanza of newly discovered dinosaur species
found in the field and in existing museum collections, continues to enhance our understanding of
dinosaur diversity, their living conditions and how
they evolved.
Dr. Evans, Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology
in charge of dinosaur research at the Royal Ontario
Museum, and Associate Professor at the University
of Toronto, talks about new research and his own
fieldwork as a dinosaur “hunter”.
* Annual General Meeting, 7:15 – 7:45 pm
Open to all. Only m em bers m ay vote.
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Lens Above Lens: Aerial
Photography in World War I
by Gordon Beck
The Great War was the first to make extensive use of
aerial photography. This new, vertical perspective on
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the world would change it forever. By war’s end,
information from the millions of photographs taken
would support everything from camouflage detection
to our modern method of map creation.
Gordon Beck, map specialist in the McMaster
University library, and frequent lecturer on WWI
cartography, is currently working with Canadian
Geographic magazine on a documentary of World
War I scheduled to be shown this year.
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Special Event: Mozart & Music
by David Bowser
In partnership with the HPO (Hamilton Philharmonic
Orchestra)’s Mozart Festival, an exciting Tuesdayevening talk at the David Braley Health Sciences
Centre, by Mozart scholar David Bowser, enriched
with demonstrations by an HPO musician.
David Bowser is Founder and Artistic Director
of the Mozart Project and conducts the Toronto
Mozart Players. He is Music Director and Conductor
of the Hart House Chorus and the Oakville Choral
Society. David is also a composer, university instructor, vocal coach and an active guest conductor. He
will conduct the McMaster Chamber Orchestra this
Fall.
Seating for this presentation is limited. RSVP
the HPO at 905-526-7756. Note the location: Downtown, the north-east corner of Main St West and Bay
St North. Nearest city parking lot: entrance on Bay
between Main and King.
Saturday, December 5, 2015
Getting from There to Here:
A Writer’s Roadmap
by Jill Downie
Jill Downie was born on the equator and, after her
childhood in Guyana, lived in England and on the
Channel Island of Guernsey. However she has spent
most of her life in Canada. She studied at Bristol
University and the Sorbonne, has degrees in both
languages and education and has been a published
author since 1980. Her award-winning writing has
included historical novels, plays, biographies and
currently, the Moretti and Falla mystery series.
Looking back, she explores the link between her
writing life and her geographical path, in particular
Ham ilton Association Lectures, 2015–2016
the mystery of the Greek Widow who lived in early
nineteenth-century Ancaster. Getting here from there
is not as haphazard as she once thought, and more
meaningful than she first imagined.
The 16th Dr. John Rae Lecture
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Winnipeg to Hudson Bay
by York Boat
by Kevin Mustard
For nine weeks in the summer of 2001, a volunteer
crew of seven men and one woman retraced the
1,200 kilometre (750 mile) voyage from Winnipeg to
York Factory made countless times by fur traders of
the Hudson’s Bay Company during the 1840s. With
recreated fur trade equipment, food and clothing, and
using a replica of a 40-foot-long wooden York boat,
they attempted to ferry 1,800 kg. (4,000 lbs) of cargo
to Hudson Bay.
Kevin Mustard, a member of that expedition,
will give his personal account of the arduous and
sometimes perilous journey. Filmed by Canadian
producer Jamie Brown, the story aired on PBS and
History Television as the living history miniseries
“Quest for the Bay.” Mr. Mustard is a former Hamilton secondary school history teacher and trainer for
Canadian Armed Forces cadets.
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Facing Our Nemesis: Aging and
Death
by C. David Rollo
Slowing the pace of aging could in one stroke reduce
a plethora of conditions, entailing enormous research
efforts, medical costs and social impacts, such as
Alzheimer’s, cancer, Parkinson’s, Type II diabetes,
blindness, and heart disease. Although aging remains
an elusive foe, scientists are making great strides in
identifying the processes and mechanisms involved.
Dr. Rollo’s research team has studied the promising
effects of a special dietary intervention aimed at five
key mechanisms of aging on the health and lifespan
of both normal and abnormally aging mice.
Dr. Rollo is a Professor of Ecology and
Physiology in McMaster’s Dept. of Biology.
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Saturday, March 5, 2016
Polar Vortex, El Nino, The Blob:
What’s up with our Weather?
by Chris Scott
Social media have changed the communication of
weather information, with exotic terms once used
only by meteorologists now seen in mainstream culture. But what’s really behind this scientific jargon?
Is our weather actually getting more extreme? How
does climate change fit within the context of our
daily weather?
Chris Scott, Chief Meteorologist for The
Weather Network, has degrees in atmospheric
science from York University and the University of
Michigan.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Healing Ourselves: Defining Human
Stem Cells for Clinical Impact
by Mick Bhatia
Canadian scientists in the 1960s found that cells capable of regeneration of the blood and immune system
came from one rare type, a “stem cell”. We now
understand that stem cells can be found in nearly all
human tissues and organs, and play an integral part
in the body’s ability to heal itself through tissue repair. Subsequent research has encompassed, among
other objectives, the role of stem cells in determining
cell fate and affecting tumour growth. Dr. Bhatia, a
leading stem cell researcher, will define and describe
human stem cells, including recent work involving
how cell types can be changed from one type to another and how this “cell reprogramming” is forming
the basis of drug discovery and personalized
medicine for the future.
Dr. Bhatia is a Professor of biochemistry and
biomedical sciences and Director of the McMaster
Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute.
Ham ilton Association Lectures, 2015–2016
Our Awards Program
Maitland Banting
Silver Quill Award
One or more awards totalling $250 are offered each
year for exceptional command of language, to one or
more winners in the Hamilton Public Library’s
Power of the Pen short-fiction competition for teenage writers. This award, first granted in 1987, commemorates the late Maitland Banting, who championed and nurtured recognition of young writers.
Entry forms at any branch of the HPL.
Young Musician Award
One award of $250 is offered each year to a teenage
musician for excellence in performance with any instrument used in an orchestra, including piano, with
emphasis on musicianship and interpretation. Administered in partnership with the Dundas Valley
Orchestra, the award includes an invitation to perform with the DVO during the orchestra’s upcoming
season. For eligibility details contact the DVO.
Page 3 of 4
About the Hamilton Association
Established in 1857 as the “Hamilton Scientific
Association”, HAALSA is one of Canada's oldest
non-profit cultural organizations. Our founding
members include Arctic explorer Dr. John Rae, our
second President.
Many prominent Hamilton and area organizations began with or drew early support from the
Association, including the Hamilton Public Library,
the Art Gallery of Hamilton, the Royal Botanical
Gardens and McMaster University.
HAALSA gratefully acknowledges the support of
McMaster University, which has granted the Association standing as an accredited outside organization.
The Association also gratefully acknowledges the
support for our lectures during 2015 provided by the
Hamilton City Enrichment Fund.
Young Poet’s Award
One or more awards totalling $250 are offered each
year for exceptional command of language, to one or
more winners in the Hamilton Public Library’s
Power of the Pen poetry competition for teenage
writers. Entry forms at any branch of the HPL.
da Vinci Science Fair Award
One or more awards totalling $250 are offered each
year to a teenage entrant in the Bay Area Science and
Engineering Fair for creativity combined with sound,
demonstrated understanding of the scientific method.
See the BASEF website for registration details.
Executive Council 2015-2016
Ms Vivian Lewis
Prof. Anthony Petric
A receipt for income tax purposes
is issued immediately after
the end of the calendar year
in which the donation was received.
CRA Charitable Business Num ber
11923 6651 RR0001
Past President
Ms. Aurelia Shaw
Secretary ‡
Mr. David Keane
Treasurer, Webmaster
Mr. Michael Jefferson
Councillor, Science Fair
Ms. Karen Anderson
Councillor
Ms. Kathryn Ball
Councillor
Mr. Peter Banting
Councillor
Ms Karleen Dudeck
A donation for membership
and/or in support of these awards
will always be welcome.
President †
Councillor, Social Media
Mr. Marvin Gunderman
Councillor
Prof. Kenneth Rosenthal
Councillor
Ms. Bernadette Ryan
Councillor
Ham ilton Association Lectures, 2015–2016
All lectures w ill be presented in
Room 1A1
Ew art Angus Centre (EAC) ,
McMaster University Medical Centre
Page 4 of 4
For more information about the Association, a
campus map to the EAC, or to inquire about a
possible cancellation, visit our website at
except where noted
w w w .haalsa.org
( See Special Event : Tuesday, Novem ber 24 )
Paid parking is available on campus.
Free parking is available on
some neighbouring streets.
or telephone
†
905-521-9438 or
‡
905-527-0080
Donation, membership and join-our-emaillist forms are available on our w ebsite.
Our Postal Address
HAALSA Secretary
c/o 42 Head St
Hamilton, ON L8R 1P9
Follow Us On
Facebook: Hamilton Association
Tw itter: @HamLitSciArt