Speakers

Ellin Bessner spoke about her book about over 17,000 jewish Canadians who fought in World War II.  They faced a particularly brutal fate if captured by the Nazis and identified as Jewish. Thoughts from Fiona Ferguson John Palmer introduced our speaker Ellin Bressner who gave us a very heartfelt talk on the topic Canadian Jews, the military and World War II. It is a topic very dear to her heart because she became aware that she had had nine family members serving in the war, including a woman, but none had talked about it. Ellen explained that many Jewish people fought in the … Read more

Angie Sandow OCTOBER”S SPEAKER – Angie Sandow  report by Fionna Ferguson Born with a visible disability, Angie is an inspiratonal speaker. She believes that there is no such word as can’t although she pointed out that someone had told her that the one thing she couldn’t do was make love to him, but Angie believes that everyone is a superhero and has lived her life without rules. She did not want people feeling sorry for her and didn’t look at her life as one of hardships, and she isn’t afraid to laugh, and she certainly made us laugh Born in Montreal she moved … Read more

SEPTEMBER’S SPEAKER- Katie Sawyers   Larry O’Donnell reactions Katie Sawyers was the guest presenter at our Thursday September 12th meeting. She is the coordinator Age-Friendly Caledon Project Lead and Human Services for the Town of Caledon for the last 8 years. Katie gave us an overview of the Age Friendly Caledon Action Plan 2021-2031. Currently, 16 % of the Caledon population is over 65. The main focus goal of the plan is envisioning a safe, welcoming and inclusive community that celebrates the diverse needs of all residents, regardless of age. She presented an historical timeline of progress to date from 2015 … Read more

Katie Sawyers, the Age-Friendly Coordinator for the Town of Caledon, will be presenting the Age-Friendly Caledon Action Plan. This presentation will cover the key deliverables of the plan and highlight the various services and supports available for residents aged 55 and older. The focus will be on how these initiatives are designed to help residents age well and comfortably in their own homes and communities, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to maintain a high quality of life as they age.

The guest speaker for our June 13th meeting is Gordon MacGregor. As a Pre-planning Consultant, Certified Executor Advisor and accomplished author on Estate and Bereavement matters, Gordon is well versed in settling estates. Gordon provides a wealth of knowledge and passion through his educational workshops that helps in making things easier for executors and loved ones alike in proper estate planning. Gordon has presented well over 80,000 seminar and workshop attendees and his innovation and expertise readily shines through.  

Even though the speaker could not make it,  our president pulled a talk out of his hat.  The question session was very active. Here are Heather Woodley’s reactions: At the Probus May meeting the featured speaker was our president, Larry O’Donnell, who is an authority on purchasing both new and used vehicles. SOME TIPS ON GOING TO A CAR DEALERSHIP Before making an appointment at a dealership prepare a list of any considerations you may have, the options you want, your budget range, and the taxes that must be paid. Have high expectations of the salesperson: someone who listens, is respectful, and … Read more

Angie was to speak on Thursday May 9th meeting,  but could not make it.  She will  speak another date. Angie is an inspirational speaker, author, musician and breast cancer survivor. Her inspirational topic will be about getting inspired and eliminating the word “can’t” from our vocabulary.

David Nairn, the artistic director for Orangeville Theatre was the guest speaker at our April meeting. He has served in his current role for twenty-five years. The theatre was formed in 1994. He noted that personal stories are important to share. The main existence of a “theatre” is to tell stories. David helps to facilitate these stories on stage. Story telling is extremely important. He discussed in some detail the works of Shakespeare and the elements of his story telling. David is a very experienced artistic director. He discussed the many steps from taking a play as an idea to … Read more

Dr. Sherri Cox Comments by Heather Woodley Did you know that there is a National Wildlife Centre in Caledon? At the March Probus meeting Dr. Sherri Cox told us of the founding of this centre ten years ago. Dr Cox, a wildlife veterinarian,  is the founder of the NWC. At a small field hospital on highway #124 Dr. Cox and other wildlife veterinarians seek to save wildlife that are sick, injured, or orphaned.  They have performed surgery on birds that have swallowed fish with hooks in them, animals that have been shot with arrows or bullets, and animals that have … Read more

Takeaways from the talk by Heather Woodley: 10 Steps to Improved Health