BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//YP Speakers Series - ECPv6.17.4.1//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for YP Speakers Series REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20270314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20271107T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260320T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260320T190000 DTSTAMP:20260316T185802Z CREATED:20260316T184737Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T185802Z UID:2537-1774033200-1774033200@ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com SUMMARY:Saving Species: The Role of Zoo Science in Wildlife Conservation DESCRIPTION:Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The world is experiencing a biodiversity crisis that threatens ecosystem stability and\, ultimately\, human health and wellbeing.  Zoos are uniquely positioned to help reverse the trend through applied science\, public education\, and conservation breeding programs.  At the Toronto Zoo\, our work focuses on advancing innovative approaches in species reproduction to bolster recovery efforts for Canadian species at risk.  By integrating assisted reproductive technologies and cryobanking\, we are building the tools needed to support sustainable populations and secure long‑term conservation outcomes. \nBIOGRAPHY \nDr. Gabriela Mastromonaco integrates cutting-edge research\, higher education\, and applied wildlife conservation to translate science into impact. With more than 25 years of experience in reproductive biotechnologies across livestock and wildlife species\, her career is driven by a commitment to comparative reproductive biology and species recovery. She earned her PhD from the University of Guelph in the Department of Biomedical Sciences\, where she developed a strong foundation in translating reproductive science into practical conservation solutions. Gabriela joined the Toronto Zoo over two decades ago and spent more than 15 years as Manager of Reproductive Sciences\, leading innovative research programs that addressed fundamental questions in the reproductive biology of non-domestic species and directly informed conservation management. Now serving as Chief Science Officer at the Toronto Zoo\, Gabriela provides strategic scientific leadership across the organization. She has built multidisciplinary and international collaborations that advance species recovery strategies both ex situ and in situ\, integrating science\, animal well-being\, and field conservation. A dedicated educator and mentor\, Gabriela holds adjunct appointments at four Canadian universities and leads an active research program\, training the next generation of scientists and conservation leaders while shaping the future of conservation science globally. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ← Previous Speaker\n \n \n \n \n Next Speaker →\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join our email listJoin our email list to get an email advising you of our next event\, as well as a reminder email thirty minutes before each event with a link to watch online\, for those unable to attend in person. \n \n \n \n \n \n Success!\n \n \n \n \n First Name\n \n \n \n \n Last Name\n \n \n \n \n Email\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Send Me A Reminder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu. URL:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/event/saving-species-the-role-of-zoo-science-in-wildlife-conservation/ LOCATION:Cameron Hall\, 1585 Yonge Street\, Toronto ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Web_Banner_no_header_March20.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260417T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260417T190000 DTSTAMP:20260418T022932Z CREATED:20260408T180716Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260418T022932Z UID:2549-1776452400-1776452400@ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com SUMMARY:Building Culture: Restoration & Additions to Massey Hall and Koerner Hall DESCRIPTION:Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Marianne McKenna\, founding partner of KPMB Architects\, reflects on her career creating cultural spaces\, including The Royal Conservatory’s Koerner Hall\, Massey Hall\, the Jenny Belzberg Theatre\, and the Yale Repertory Theatre. \nBIOGRAPHYMarianne McKenna\, the 2025 RAIC Gold Medalist\, is a founding partner of KPMB Architects and an Officer of the Order of Canada. She is internationally known for her leadership on major cultural landmarks\, including the Royal Conservatory of Music’s TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning and Koerner Hall\, the revitalization of Toronto’s historic Massey Hall\, the renewal of Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis\, and the Jenny Belzberg Theatre at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Her approach balances deep respect for architectural legacy with contemporary interventions that support new uses\, improved performance\, and broader public access. She is a passionate advocate for design excellence\, sustainability\, and community‑building through architecture. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ← Previous Speaker\n \n \n \n \n Next Speaker →\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join our email listJoin our email list to get an email advising you of our next event\, as well as a reminder email thirty minutes before each event with a link to watch online\, for those unable to attend in person. \n \n \n \n \n \n Success!\n \n \n \n \n First Name\n \n \n \n \n Last Name\n \n \n \n \n Email\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Send Me A Reminder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu. URL:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/event/2549/ LOCATION:Cameron Hall\, 1585 Yonge Street\, Toronto ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Web_Banner_no_header_March20.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260508T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260508T190000 DTSTAMP:20260429T185501Z CREATED:20260429T165258Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260429T185501Z UID:2579-1778266800-1778266800@ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com SUMMARY:An Unorthodox Journey to the Published Land DESCRIPTION:Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n The conventional road to publishing entails writing a book\, finding an agent\, and then landing a publisher. Easier said than done. Terry Fallis – not by choice – adopted a different approach. His unorthodox but charmed journey to the published land is funny\, enlightening\, and hopeful to those harbouring the desire to write a book. From the bleak and discouraging early days when no publisher would even send him an automated rejection letter\, to winning a major literary prize\, signing with Penguin Random House/McClellend & Stewart\, and living his dream. Now\, nearly twenty years later\, with nine national bestsellers\, multiple awards\, a TV miniseries\, a stage musical\, and over 1\,100 book talks under his belt\, Terry shares his literary origin story with humour\, heart\, insight\, and a love for the writing life. \nBIOGRAPHYA two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour\, Terry Fallis is the award-winning author of ten national bestsellers – six of them #1 bestsellers – all published by McClelland & Stewart/Penguin Random House\, including his latest novel\, The Marionette. His debut novel\, The Best Laid Plans\, won the 2008 Leacock Medal\, the 2011 edition of CBC Canada Reads\, and was adapted as a six-part television miniseries\, as well as a stage musical. He won the Leacock Medal a second time in 2015 for No Relation. His eleventh novel\, An End in Itself\, will be released in November 2026. Terry has written for Maclean’s\, Canadian Geographic\, Reader’s Digest\, Leaside Life\, Toronto Life\, The Globe and Mail\, the National Post\, and the Toronto Star. He also teaches in the Creative Writing Program at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n ← Previous Speaker\n \n \n \n \n Next Speaker →\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join our email listJoin our email list to get an email advising you of our next event\, as well as a reminder email thirty minutes before each event with a link to watch online\, for those unable to attend in person. \n \n \n \n \n \n Success!\n \n \n \n \n First Name\n \n \n \n \n Last Name\n \n \n \n \n Email\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Send Me A Reminder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu. URL:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/event/an-unorthodox-journey-to-the-published-land/ LOCATION:Cameron Hall\, 1585 Yonge Street\, Toronto ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Web_Banner_no_header_May_8-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260605T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260605T190000 DTSTAMP:20260529T134305Z CREATED:20260528T161215Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260529T134305Z UID:2601-1780686000-1780686000@ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com SUMMARY:In Search of the Sea-Kings: the lost Kingdom of Man and the Isles\, 1079-1275 DESCRIPTION:Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Nine hundred years ago\, in the central Middle Ages\, a small island became the nexus of a maritime empire ruled by formidable sea kings.  Although this resembles something from J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth\, or George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones\, in fact\, the island is the Isle of Man in the middle of the Irish Sea\, which lay at the heart of the largely forgotten medieval maritime kingdom of Man and the Isles. In this talk\, Brock University Professor of History Dr. R. Andrew McDonald introduces the medieval Isle of Man and the Norse-Gaelic Vikings / sea kings who dominated the western seaways of Britain between the 1070s and 1260s. \nBIOGRAPHYDr. R. Andrew McDonald is Professor of History at Brock University in St Catharines. He has a longstanding interest in medieval Manx and Hebridean history and has published widely in the field. His books include A Visitor’s Guide to the Medieval Kingdoms of Man and the Isles (2023)\, The Sea Kings: The Late Norse Kingdoms of Man and the Isles\, c. 1066–1275 (2019)\, Manx Kingship in its Irish Sea Setting (2007)\, and The Kingdom of the Isles: Scotland’s Western Seaboard c. 1100–c. 1336 (1997). He is also co-editor with Angus Somerville of The Viking Age: A Reader (4th ed. 2025). His passion for the history of the region is matched by his enthusiasm for exploring historical sites\, and he has made many visits to Man and many of the Hebridean islands. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ← Previous Speaker\n \n \n \n \n Next Speaker →\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join our email listJoin our email list to get an email advising you of our next event\, as well as a reminder email thirty minutes before each event with a link to watch online\, for those unable to attend in person. \n \n \n \n \n \n Success!\n \n \n \n \n First Name\n \n \n \n \n Last Name\n \n \n \n \n Email\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Send Me A Reminder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu. URL:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/event/in-search-of-the-sea-kings-the-lost-kingdom-of-man-and-the-isles-1079-1275/ LOCATION:Cameron Hall\, 1585 Yonge Street\, Toronto ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Web_Banner_no_header_June_5.png END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20260930T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20260930T190000 DTSTAMP:20260930T175743Z CREATED:20260921T180131Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260930T175743Z UID:2623-1790794800-1790794800@ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com SUMMARY:250 Years of Fending Off the Americans DESCRIPTION:Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n In her book\, He Did Not Conquer: Benjamin Franklin’s Failure to Annex Canada\, Madelaine Drohan\, tells the story of American designs on Canada during the colonial period focusing on Benjamin Franklin who not only hatched one plan after another to join Canada to the American colonies and later to the United States\, but even was dispatched by the Continental Congress in early 1776 at age seventy through the wilderness to Montreal to try to rescue a faltering occupation by American forces and persuade the Canadians to become the fourteenth colony.  In this lecture\, Drohan will tell this dramatic story and reflect on why it is not better known today\, on either side of the border\, while suggesting that “a better understanding of what happened 250 years ago would help Canada shape relations with its powerful – and increasingly unstable – neighbour.”  Joining Madelaine Drohan will be historian Greg Koabel who will offer his insight into several other occasions over the past 250 years when American expansionism threatened Canada’s sovereignty\, and how Canadians responded at the time. \nBIOGRAPHIESMadelaine Drohan spent most of her journalistic career as a foreign correspondent\, reporting on Europe for the Toronto-based Globe and Mail and then on Canada for the London-based Economist.  She is senior fellow at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs\, University of Ottawa\, and is on the advisory council of the Canadian Institute for Historical Education.  Madelaine Drohan lives in Ottawa. \nGreg Koabel holds a PhD from Nottingham Trent University in the field of early modern English history\, and has taught European history and European politics at the University of Regina. He is the writer and host of The Nations of Canada Podcast\, and also the author of The Making of Canada: An Epic History in Twenty Extraordinary Lives\, (Sutherland House Books\, 2025).  Greg Koabel Greg lives in Toronto\, Ontario. \nCopies of both Madelaine’s and Greg’s books will be available for sale and signing.  This event is co-sponsored by the Canadian Institute for Historical Education\, www.CIHE.ca. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ← Previous Speaker\n \n \n \n \n Next Speaker →\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join our email listJoin our email list to get an email advising you of our next event\, as well as a reminder email thirty minutes before each event with a link to watch online\, for those unable to attend in person. \n \n \n \n \n \n Success!\n \n \n \n \n First Name\n \n \n \n \n Last Name\n \n \n \n \n Email\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Send Me A Reminder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu. URL:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/event/250-years-of-fending-off-the-americans/ LOCATION:Cameron Hall\, 1585 Yonge Street\, Toronto ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/CIHE_Banner-scaled.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Toronto:20261016T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Toronto:20261016T190000 DTSTAMP:20261013T142241Z CREATED:20261005T164711Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261013T142241Z UID:2677-1792177200-1792177200@ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com SUMMARY:The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges\, New Flavours\, and the Blank Spots on the Map DESCRIPTION:Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Why is it that we’re sometimes drawn to the blank spots on the map—or\, more prosaically\, to ordering unfamiliar dishes at a restaurant? In this talk\, journalist Alex Hutchinson will dig into the ancient patterns of human migration and modern theories of neuroscience that explain the itch to discover new things\, expressed not just on the slopes of Everest but in the ways we work\, play\, and live. New evidence also suggests that having an exploratory mindset has a powerful impact on brain health. To navigate what scientists call the explore-exploit dilemma\, then\, the best approach is to be “optimistic in the face of uncertainty”— even if it means getting lost sometimes. \nAlex Hutchinson is an award-winning science journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of Endure and The Explorer’s Gene. He is a regular columnist for the Globe and Mail\, Outside\, and Canadian Running on fitness\, endurance\, and outdoor adventure\, and his writing also appears in publications such as The Atlantic\, the New York Times\, and Canadian Geographic. Before journalism\, he completed a PhD in physics at the University of Cambridge then worked as a quantum computing researcher with the U.S. National Security Agency. He also competed as a long-distance runner for the Canadian national team. He lives in the west end of Toronto\, focusing his exploring efforts along the banks of the mighty Humber River. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n ← Previous Speaker\n \n \n \n \n Next Speaker →\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Join our email listJoin our email list to get an email advising you of our next event\, as well as a reminder email thirty minutes before each event with a link to watch online\, for those unable to attend in person. \n \n \n \n \n \n Success!\n \n \n \n \n First Name\n \n \n \n \n Last Name\n \n \n \n \n Email\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Send Me A Reminder\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Donations at the door or when you watch online are voluntary and only partially cover program costs. If you agree that continuing education is worth the investment\, we’d love to hear from you.\n \n DONATE NOW\n \n \n \n \n \n A new browser tab will open the Yorkminster Park Canada Helps donation page\, please select YP Speakers Series from the dropdown menu. URL:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/event/the-explorers-gene-why-we-seek-big-challenges-new-flavours-and-the-blank-spots-on-the-map/ LOCATION:Cameron Hall\, 1585 Yonge Street\, Toronto ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://ypspeakersseries.yorkminsterpark.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Web_Banner_no_header_Oct_16-2.jpg END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR