Third Age Learning Kitchener-Waterloo

In his presentation “Canada’s Economy After Trump: What Comes Next?” economist Jim Stanford will explore President Donald Trump’s erratic trade actions and threats to annex Canada—actions that are causing enormous uncertainty and damage to Canada’s economy. He will review Trump’s (false) claims about the nature of the Canada-U.S. trade relationship and will consider what is required for Canada to build a national economy that is truly sovereign, value-added, and sustainable. This last lecture in our winter series will be presented via Zoom on Tuesday, March 3, at 1:30 p.m. Watch your email inbox for the link. For details, visit tal-kw.ca/lecture-series/being-canadian-today.

What do we know about Alexander Henry? Most of what we think we know about this eighteenth-century fur trader is wrong and is based on assertions by an English con artist. Henry’s actual biography is stranger than fiction, and the myths we’ve come to believe about him tell us much about the issues that Canada faces today, including relations with Indigenous people, continental and international trade, and the importance of factuality. Join Dr. Mark Humphries for an exciting detective story that reveals hidden truths about the Canada’s collective past. This lecture, titled “Stolen Words: How a Con Man Rewrote the History of Canada's Northwest,” will be presented via Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 24, at 1:30 p.m. Watch your email inbox for the link. For details, visit tal-kw.ca/lecture-series/being-canadian-today.

Universities have been in the news lately, as they grapple with a bewildering set of issues and challenges ranging from budget deficits to demographic “cliffs,” protests and the limits of free speech, and the rapid spread of artificial intelligence. This presentation “Universities Under Pressure” will look past the headlines to better understand what’s happening on our campuses, and what it means for students and Canadian society. The speaker is Marcus Shantz, president of Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo. Subscribers to TAL-KW’s winter 2026 season, “Being Canadian Today,” will have access to this presentation via Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 1:30 p.m. Watch your email inbox for the link. For details on this presentation, visit tal-kw.ca/lecture-series/being-canadian-today.

A key pillar of the Liberal government’s policy platform in the October 2015 election was a substantial increase in immigration, aimed at boosting the Canadian economy. In 2024, the government reversed course, with new caps and regulations, and revisions to immigration targets. What economic lessons are to be learned from Canada’s 2015-2024 immigration experiment? In this lecture, economics professor Mikal Skuterud will answer these questions and offer a roadmap for regaining public confidence in Canada’s immigration system. Subscribers to TAL-KW’s winter 2026 season, “Being Canadian Today,” will have access to this presentation via Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 1:30 p.m. Watch your email inbox for the link. For details on this presentation, visit tal-kw.ca/lecture-series/being-canadian-today.

Can music connect people and build a more just society in Canada? Researcher, educator and singer Deanna Yerichuk believes it can. She will explore this theme in her upcoming lecture “How Canadian Artists Are Using Music for Social Impact.” In a country of great diversity in cultures, languages, abilities, geographies, music might seem like a surprising entry point to social change. Yet, community music offers an opportunity to create spaces of belonging and connection, to contribute to cultural reclamation and resurgence, and to develop artistry among diverse groups of people. Subscribers to TAL-KW’s winter 2026 season, “Being Canadian Today,” will have access to this presentation via Zoom on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 1:30 p.m. Watch your email inbox for the link. For details, visit tal-kw.ca/lecture-series/being-canadian-today.

Join us on January 27 for the third lecture in our series, “Being Canadian Today.” Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, from the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University, will speak on the topic, “How Trade Tensions and Consumer Shifts Are Rewriting Canada’s Food Economy.” His presentation will examine how trade tensions and consumer boycotts, especially during the US-Canada trade war, have disrupted food supply chains, impacted grocers and farmers, and spurred policy shifts. He will also explore new consumer trends as Canadians respond to growing economic and geopolitical uncertainty. This lecture will be presented only on Zoom on Tuesday, January 27, at 1:30 p.m., for subscribers to the winter 2006 series.

You might have had trouble buying season tickets for the Winter 2006 series because of a website malfunction. We apologize. The link is active again so you should be able to buy them now. These lectures will be presented only via Zoom. Once you have bought your ticket, you should receive a link to the upcoming lecture. If you don’t receive it, please contact the TAL-KW registrar by email at [email protected]. PLEASE NOTE: The deadline for purchase is Tuesday, Jan. 20 at 11:59 p.m. After that you will not longer be able to register. Go to:

TAL-KW | Centre in the Square

Nearly one-sixth of Canadians do not have access to a regular primary care provider. Those who do may struggle to schedule and attend appointments, and to gain access to other healthcare services. Dr. Meredith Vanstone, a professor and researcher in the field of medicine at McMaster University, will speak on "Primary Care in 2025: What Brought Us to This Point and Where Do We Go from Here?" She will offer a primer to the primary care system in Ontario, tracing the roots of many of today’s challenges to policy legacies and educational traditions. She will explore what is necessary to improve the quality and sustainability of the Canadian publicly funded healthcare system. This is the second lecture in the winter series “Being Canadian Today,” presented by Third Age Learning K-W. It will be presented only on Zoom on Tuesday, January 20, at 1:30 p.m. There is still time for you to buy season tickets for this and the remaining six lectures in the series. Visit tal-kw.ca for more information.

On January 13, in a lecture titled "Raise the Floor," Olympian and World Cup medallist Kelly VanderBeek will share about how representing the maple leaf on the world stage shaped her identity as a Canadian and deepened her understanding of what it means to serve something greater than oneself. Drawing from her journey, she will explore lessons learned from competition and connection, the power of facing fear, and the power of storytelling to build stronger communities. This is the first Third Age Learning K-W lecture in the winter series “Being Canadian Today.” It will be presented only on Zoom. You can still buy season tickets for this eight-part series. Visit tal-kw.ca for more information.

Mark it on your calendar—the Winter 2026 series starts Tuesday, Jan. 13! Our eight-week lecture series “Being Canadian Today” will feature leading experts from across the country exploring the distinctly Canadian experience at this pivotal time in history. From trade and immigration to healthcare and education, presenters will examine the core forces currently redefining who we are as a nation. The lectures will be presented virtually via Zoom, on Tuesdays at 1:30 ET. There’s still time to buy your season tickets. Visit tal-kw.ca for more information. (Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay)

January 5—the early-bird deadline for ticket purchases is coming soon! Don’t miss out on this excellent series, Being Canadian Today. Experts from across the country will explore topics relevant to our distinctly Canadian experience. The series begins January 13 and will be presented only via Zoom. More info here: https://tal-kw.ca/how-to-buy-tickets/ (Photo by Jevgeni Fil on Unsplash)