Speaker Schedule

"The Dawn of Writing in the Ancient World"

Dr. Barron was our speaker at our very first meeting back in October, 2024 -everyone loved her!  She's back! This time with another insightful presentation on the Dawn of Writing - how did it come to be, with her wonderful sense of humour!

How did mankind first learn to record his thoughts in writing? And why? These are some of the questions we will look at in this whirlwind tour through 4000 years of history as people of the Middle East developed the first forms of communication. Join us as we travel from clay tokens to Mesopotamian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphics, and eventually, thank goodness, the alphabet that we use today. Something to think about next time you sit down with a good book, or perhaps an e-reading tablet that is not so different than our ancient ancestors.

Dr. Amy Barron received her PhD at the University of Toronto in the field of Mesopotamian history and archaeology. Her doctoral thesis is entitled “Late Assyrian Arms and Armour: Art versus Artifact”. She has excavated in the Middle East and elsewhere and has travelled widely studying the archaeology of various remote parts of the world from Peru to China. She has also worked in the museum field for almost thirty years. Amy has taught ancient history and archaeology at the University of Toronto, classics at the University of Guelph, and presently leads the post-graduate museum studies programs at Fleming College.

"The Future is Now:  AI"

Google, Alexi, and Siri are mere infants compared to today’s AIs. Discover the ways AI is being used by seniors every day. You’ll see how AI works, the features of the most popular AIs, and how to get started. Amazement guaranteed!

We enjoyed Rob's presentation on a nostalgic look at the movies, last year.  He joins us again with his presentation on the world of AI:

Rob Smythe was a secondary school teacher of science, mathematics, computer science, and music, with a special fondness for physics. He has written several textbooks, including the astronomy unit for Ontario Grade 9 science, and six novels that, he says, few people have read. He has performed in such musical stage productions as Damn Yankees, West Side Story, and The Marriage of Figaro. He has directed close to a dozen high school musicals, and conducted bands and choirs. He is an enthusiastic movie lover, enjoying thrillers, musicals, mysteries, historical epics, and science fiction.

"The Forgotten Story of the Ontario Farmerettes"

Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz, a glimpse into the stories of young women who volunteered on Canadian farms during the Second World War.

Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz: Memories of Ontario Farmerettes, co-authored with Shirleyan English, was published in 2019. In 2024, a play was developed from the book and performed on two stages. A Farmerette stamp was introduced for Remembrance Day in 2024, thanks to Bonnie's lobbying.

Now, a 50-minute documentary film has been produced. Directed by Colin Field, We Lend a Hand: The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes tells the extraordinary story of a contingent of an estimated 40,000 teenage girls who volunteered on Canadian farms and helped to win the Second World War.

Bonnie Sitter makes her home in Exeter, Ontario.
Since retiring in 2008 she has co-authored 2 books " The Beauty and Bounty of Huron County" and "Agriculture Today: A Portrait of Family Farms in Ontario". More recently she self published a book titled "On The Wright Track: Memories From CPR School Car #2".
Discovering a tiny photo in January of 2018 resulted in her doing research and writing a magazine article for The Rural Voice about Ontario Farmerettes. A popular book titled "Onion Skins and Peach Fuzz Memories of Ontario Farmerettes" followed which was then developed into a highly successful play that was performed 35 times on 2 Ontario stages in 2024. Her campaign to obtain a Canadian Postage Stamp to recognize the Farmerettes was successful in Oct. 2024. Senator Rob Black helped push it across the finish line. Now the 50 minute documentary "WE LEND A HAND:The Forgotten Story of Ontario Farmerettes has won 10 awards and been accepted into 27 film Festivals. In the past year it has been screened more than 135 times. She recommends checking out welendahand.ca  to watch the trailer, read the bios of the Farmerettes interviewed, view upcoming events, read media and testionals etc. Bonnie  continues to collect Farmerette stories, newspaper articles and photos.