The peoples under Nazi occupation longed for the arrival of the Allied armies, but liberation could prove to be an ordeal in itself. Few places knew the mixed blessings of liberation better than the Dutch city of Nijmegen. Accidentally yet heavily bombed by the Americans in February 1944, and the scene of vicious fighting during Operation Market Garden the following September, Nijmegen found itself on the frontline for seven long months. Although free of the Germans, the city was occupied by another foreign army, the soldiers of First Canadian Army who held the Nijmegen Salient during the winter of 1944-45. Emerging from a long occupation, the citizens of Nijmegen endured privation, cold, and constant shelling while contemplating the uncertainties ahead. Emerging from the battles of the Scheldt, the Canadians rested and refitted for the final assault into Germany. With reference to official documents, the paintings of Alex Colville, and especially the diaries and accounts of Nijmegen’s inhabitants, this lecture will discuss the comparative experience of Canadian soldiers and Dutch civilians in a static and trying phase of the war rich in human interest.

In this lecture James Lockyer will be talking about his work, the causes of wrongful convictions and how to reduce their numbers in the future.

National best-selling author and professional adventurer Adam Shoalts takes us on the journey of a lifetime: a nearly 4,000 km solo odyssey by canoe across Canada’s Arctic. This harrowing expedition took almost four months to complete and years of preparation. Shoalts will share photos from his journey, which involved weaving through ice floes, facing down snarling bears and galloping musk-ox, and paddling under the midnight sun in a land as old as time. But also why we urgently need to save vast wild places while it’s still possible.