Professor Nick Eyles
Canada Rocks: 4 Billion Years of Environmental Change
The land we call Canada has a long geologic history. We are a nation whose peoples and rocks have all come from ‘someplace else.’ The land we call Canada is a vast confederation of far-travelled crust brought together by plate tectonic collisions since the first small landmass formed about 4 billion years ago. Some of the oldest rocks and landscapes on the planet, one of its largest meteorite impact craters, its richest mines, the clearest evidence of the beginnings of life, the disappearance of mountain ranges and oceans, and dramatic changes in climate – these have all been part of this amazing geologic journey.
BIOGRAPHY
Nick Eyles holds a Ph.D and D.Sc. and has been at University of Toronto at Scarborough since 1982. He has over 40 years’ experience of geological field work around the world from Antarctica to the Arctic using that knowledge to better understand the history (and future) of planet Earth and Canada. He has written several hundred research papers, 5 award-winning books and hosted 2 five-part documentary series with CBC’s Nature of Things on Canadian geology and world geology with David Suzuki. He has awards from leading learned societies and sits on the board of the Georgian Bay Land Trust.

Kathleen Wynne will share her perspective on what happened in the election in June 2018 and the actions of the Ontario government since then. As former Premier, she has a personal and a political take on the forces that are influencing government policies and decisions. She believes that we are in a period of tumultuous public discourse here in Ontario but that we are not alone. Many of the same forces are at play in the United States, in Europe and beyond. What is most important, she feels, is that people who care about our democracy, our institutions and the well-being of our communities come together to make sense of our political landscape. Kathleen believes that this discussion is not a partisan one but one based in a shared vision that government can be a force for good in people's lives. She will talk about why that discussion is more important now than it has been for a generation.

The term Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been in use since the 1950s, referring to the ability of machines to simulate or augment human intelligence. Notions of AI have long since captured our collective imagination in science fiction. From 2001: A Space Odyssey's Hal 9000 (the original Siri/Google Home/Alexa) to the sentient humanoids of Blade Runner and Star Trek, we have developed utopic, dystopic and fantastical notions of AI's potential. But how does AI work in the real world and how does it differ from that of science fiction lore? You might be surprised at just how many ways you interact with AI each and every day. In the coming years, new developments in AI will continue to change the way we all live, work and play. Please join our panel for an engaging discussion on Artificial Intelligence and its broad-reaching impact on the future of humanity.

We are seeing a concerning trend in the world today - the total number of large-scale disasters and crises is rising, while the total amount of funding available is falling. Humanitarian organizations are struggling to respond and save lives.
To keep up with this shift, we need to innovate. We need to find new and powerful solutions to some of the world's toughest problems. From distributing low-cost water purification units that produce safe drinking water for an entire year, to operating mobile water purification systems to the most remote locations, to installing bomb blast window film to protect vulnerable civilians trapped in war zones, to constructing permanent homes with strong, durable and environmentally friendly bricks made from compacted soil, to operating drones to provide better information to rescuers and responders, GlobalMedic is using innovative solutions to protect the health and dignity of families affected by disaster and crisis.
Biography
Rahul Singh founded the David McAntony Gibson Foundation (GlobalMedic) in 1999 to honour the memory of his best friend who tragically lost his life in 1998. Combining a passion for humanitarian assistance with a frontline emergency perspective - having been a paramedic since 1988 - Singh developed GlobalMedic's unique operational mandate of providing efficient and cost effective disaster relief in the immediate aftermath of a catastrophe using professional emergency workers.
GlobalMedic teams have deployed on 193 missions in 63 countries following natural disasters and complex emergencies. Delivering of water purification equipment, installing of field hospitals, and running innovative programs like RescUAV, Singh continually strives to develop Canadian innovation in order to save lives.
Singh has received a number of accolades for his humanitarian work over the years, including the Humanitarian of the Year Award in 2006, the Order of Ontario in 2012, and the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. Singh as also been named on Time Magazine's List of the 100 Most Influential People.

The 1928 Persons case, declaring women to be legal "persons", eligible for appointment to Canada's Senate, is one of the most important constitutional decisions in Canadian history. This lecture will consider the case in its political and social context and examines the lives and views of the people behind it - Emily Murphy, Nellie McClung and the other members of the "famous five," the politicians who barred women from the Senate, the lawyers who argued the case, and the judges who decided it.

The Holocaust was central to Western memory and institution building for the entire second half of the twentieth century. It informed the post-war international liberal order we long took for granted, including the creation of the United Nations, an organization that has been central to global stability, and the International Criminal Court, the first tribunal with a mandate to seek accountability for the world’s most heinous crimes. Yet the collective memory of this unprecedented historical event has always been controversial. Today, more than seventy years after this rupture, it is vital to examine how Holocaust memory has altered over the decades, and where it may be headed in the future. Erna Paris’s lecture will explore the social and cultural implications of shifting public memory and the staying power of the so-called lessons of the Holocaust.

There’s enough DNA in all your cells to stretch from Earth to Saturn 9 whole times! But what can all that genetic information really tell us? Apparently – at least according to popular personalized genomics kits being sold online – everything from your health risks to your ideal music playlist or romantic partner… And while your DNA is rich and full of instructions for building and maintaining our bodies, the latest genetics research suggests we’re putting the cart way ahead of the horse, with potentially dangerous consequences. Let’s get up to date on the latest research, and discuss future ethical concerns we need to be considering in policy and health discussions today in this friendly but informative session.

From Tokyo to Canberra, from Warsaw to Westminster, prime ministers are more often removed from power by their own backbenchers than by voters in general elections. In Canada, the idea of MPs wielding that kind of power shocks experts and the public alike. Today the parliamentary system thrives all over the world, but every country's parliamentary system has its unique quirks and conventions. Historian Christopher Moore, author of 1867: How the Fathers Made a Deal invites us to consider Canada's parliamentary culture in world context.

Almost no sporting event captures the imagination like an Olympic Games. Unlike Soccer's World Cup or the NFL's Super Bowl, there's a whole smorgasbord of different sports and disciplines on display. And you get to cheer for your own country to do well. What's not to love? But not all is gold medals and glory. The Olympics has morphed from an idealistic 19th century idea to a 21st century corporate juggernaut. Along the way it has picked up elements of fascist spectacle, capitalist ideology and unrestrained nationalism. Within those problematic realities, there still exist the moments of inspiration, joy and tragedy. How to watch and enjoy the good stuff while not forgetting the bad stuff?

What’s it like being a comedy writer? Are you always laughing? Are there snacks? In brief: challenging, no and occasionally. Join Kevin White as he shares what goes into making successful and unsuccessful TV comedies because he’s done both. Having written and show-run comedies such as THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES, CORNER GAS, SCHITT’S CREEK and KIM’S CONVENIENCE, Kevin will take us behind the scenes to describe how an idea is developed into a half hour of award-winning TV comedy. Or more often, a half hour of comedy most people have never heard of. Come share some laughs, some awkward pauses and if we’re lucky, snacks.

Anti-Black systemic racism is defined as the policies and practices rooted in Canadian institutions including education, health care, and justice that mirror and reinforce beliefs, attitudes, prejudice, stereotyping and/or discrimination towards people of Black-African descent. The term ‘Anti-Black Racism' was first introduced by Dr. Akua Benjamin, a Ryerson Social Work Professor as part of her PhD thesis. This moderated panel discussion will focus on illuminating the ongoing reality and impact of anti-Black systemic racism on Black/African/Caribbean Canadians with focus on understanding the intersectionality of the church and faith. The discussion will be candid and aspires to not only inform but also to serve as a catalyst for further dialogue and action to dismantle all forms of anti-Black systemic racism.

During COVID, the number of Toronto citizens who are affected by homelessness grew greatly. Currently, twenty percent of visits to the St. Michael’s Hospital Emergency Department are by those experiencing homelessness and many more are part of a growing number of vulnerably housed individuals. People who live in shelters were more likely to be affected by COVID – both the virus and by the decreased support services in the community. In addition to lack of permanent housing, many have medically and socially complex concerns, such as food insecurity, complex mental health conditions, addictions, and poverty. Dr. Snider will discuss the various ways that the department has had to adapt during COVID for all patients and how they are working with their community partners to change and improve the care that they provide.