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Description

Most lectures are presented on Fridays at 10 a.m.-noon or 1-3 p.m. In the summertime, lectures are presented on Wednesdays only, at the same times.

For additional information on each lecture, please click on the ‘+’ sign.

Go back to MCLL Lectures

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Section(s) offered
Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Workshop
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
May 23, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
May 25, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 20, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenters: Howard King & Linda Sidel

This is non-threatening. There will be a Power Point Presentation, videos and a demonstration on some fun ways to stop an aggressor. Your participation is voluntary, but in the past, everyone participated. Be prepared to be surprised at what you really can do.

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
In-class Lecture
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
May 23, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
May 25, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 20, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Russell Chapman

Humour can take many forms, from the subtle to the sarcastic. In his novels, Mordecai Richler uses humour in a subversive way to undermine social expectations and conventions, by challenging various groups and their norms. Richler has been described as an equal opportunity insulter ridiculing conventional values, and not in a subtle way. His novels have created memorable characters and dialogues. We will examine this in selected novels and read the passages that can leave us both grinning and cringing.

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
French
Type
In-class Lecture
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
May 23, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
May 25, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 20, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Jean-Pierre Raymond

En français avec participation dans les deux langues officielles

Cette conférence examine l'invasion du Québec à travers les actions de la famille Lotbinière, notamment la construction du Fort Chambly et des remparts de Québec, le combat au Fort St-Jean et le soutien à la rébellion américaine.
 
This lecture is an account of the invasion of Québec through the eyes of the Lotbinière family, whose father-in-law built Fort Chambly and the Québec ramparts, the brother-in-law built Fort St-Jean. Future generations include his son who fought in Fort St-Jean, and his son-in-law who fought for the Americans. His brother became the first Catholic chaplain of the US Army. Lotbinière built Fort Ticonderoga and was sent by Vergennes to Boston to support the rebellion.

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
May 23, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
May 25, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 20, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Barry Lane

The Grand Dérangement, the deportation of 15,000 Acadians (French colonists) from Maritime Canada between 1755 and 1763 is one of the most poignant chapters in North American history, a story made famous by Longfellow’s epic prose poem Evangeline. With beautiful colour illustrations from a 19th-century edition of the poem, Barry Lane tells the dramatic tale of the expulsion, the arrival of “Cajuns” in Louisiana and Acadians’ partial return to the Maritimes.

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
French
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
May 30, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 01, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 27, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Ginette Charbonneau

En français avec participation dans les deux langues officielles

Parmi les nombreux maires qui ont façonné le destin de Montréal, certains ont eu un impact particulièrement significatif. La conférencière présentera une douzaine de maires montréalais et leurs actions déterminantes pour l'histoire de la ville.

Of the many mayors who shaped the destiny of Montreal, whether well-known or not, some had a particularly significant impact. Ginette Charbonneau, a Quebec educator with a deep passion for history and genealogy, will introduce us to a dozen Montreal mayors and explain how their actions were pivotal in the city's history.

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
In-class Lecture
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
May 30, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 01, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 27, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Prithu Mukhopadhyay

Loneliness is a universal emotion and not a personal failure. Science is clear, loneliness affects our physical and mental health. What can we do about it? The truth is each of us is unique. Instead of adopting habits, we can bring small changes to our habits. Each time we change our habits we develop a new identity. Our past must not dictate our present. Our present mindset will shape our future ones.

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
In-class Lecture
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
May 30, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 01, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 27, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Lewis Cattarini

The lecturer will screen the John Cromwell film (1951) starring Robert Mitchum and Robert Ryan, exposing the confrontation between two firebrands: a gangster and a policeman. Afterwards, the narrative's pervading sense of cynicism will be discussed as a theme of film noir.

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
May 30, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 01, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
May 27, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Jacques Lalanne

This lecture will explore the concept of fasting as an ancient therapy re-discovered in today’s world. Participants will enjoy a lively discussion led by an experienced practitioner. 

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Virtual Workshop
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
Jun 06, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 08, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 03, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Gordon Postill

A “Poetry Excursion” primes the pump for what really matters, getting us out of our heads and into our hearts. Using an understated delivery, the presenter will recite poems of universal appeal by renowned poets such as Mary Oliver, John Updike, and Jane Kenyon with themes like awe, sadness, affection, death, hope, and longing. Each poem will be recited twice for clarity, followed by ample time for personal introspection and shared reflections.
 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
Jun 06, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 08, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 03, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Neil Matheson

Discover the principles related to successful long-term financial investing from one of our members who recently retired from a career in institutional investing. Long-term investing involves extremely long investment horizons. In portfolio construction, asset allocation is the #1 determinant of return. The aim is not to beat the market! Don’t chase the next “big thing”. The aim is to meet your needs and to take only as much risk as is required to meet your targets. What are your goals?  Income? Legacy? Medical care? In personal retirements, total return after inflation may be the goal. There are no “right” answers… needs are different for different people.

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
Jun 06, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 08, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 03, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Iryna Malynovska

The lecture is devoted to the impact of speech manipulation on individuals and society as a whole. At the backdrop of the substantial illustrative material, various methods and techniques of speech manipulation in advertising, business, politics as well as everyday life are considered. The discussion focuses on how to recognize and control linguistic manipulations.

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
Jun 06, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 08, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 03, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Raymond Stern

There were significant differences between Ancient Greek and Roman Architecture - not simply with the built form but driven by the contrasting cultures which became expressed in stone. Whereas the Ancient Greeks sought sublimity in design, the Ancient Romans strove for an expression of power. Each had three basic design concepts, which will explain their priorities. There were fundamentally different patterns of life and architecture. This period greatly affected all walks of life, particularly the path taken by architecture, and still affects us today in many ways. This lecture will have a dynamic image-driven format.

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
Jun 13, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 15, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 10, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Alan Freeland 

This talk throws the spotlight on a towering figure who reshaped history, Catherine the Great. Rising to power at a time women were rarely allowed to lead; Catherine became one of the most remarkable and complex rulers of all time. Her reign from 1762 to 1796 saw bold reforms, artistic flourishing and a relentless drive to expand the Russian empire, including taking in southern Ukraine. Visionary, cunning, and unapologetically ambitious, Catherine set an example undoubtedly in Vladimir Putin’s mind. 

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
Lecture
Days
F
Time
10:00AM to 12:00PM
Dates
Jun 13, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 15, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 10, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Mark G. Peacock

How General Sir Arthur Currie came to be revered in Canada and Britain for his military and civilian accomplishments is the focus of this lecture. By exploring his character, mind, leadership and commitment to the ordinary soldier, we will learn about Sir Arthur’s contributions both on the battlefield and at McGill, including the Montreal Neurological Institute. Two darker chapters will also be dissected for the lessons they provide, along with his creative approaches to problem-solving.

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
In-class Lecture
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
Jun 13, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 15, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 10, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Christopher Neal

Montreal journalist and author Christopher Neal reviews the evolution, ruptures and change that mark our city's literary history, citing the work of selected writers, poets and playwrights, in both English and French.

 

 

Section Title
MCLL Lecture
Language of Delivery
English
Type
In-class Lecture
Days
F
Time
1:00PM to 3:00PM
Dates
Jun 13, 2025
Schedule and Location
Contact Hours
2.0
Course Fee(s)
Fee non-credit $10.00
Drop Request Deadline
Jun 15, 2025
Transfer Request Deadline
Jun 10, 2025
Withdrawal Request Deadline
No withdrawal request allowed after enrollment
Section Notes

Presenter: Wolfgang Schneider

Based on Andrea Wulf’s biography, we will explore the life of Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), a visionary German naturalist and polymath whose discoveries forever changed the way we understand the natural world. He is famous for his explorations in South America, his descriptions of nature as an interconnected web of life, and for warning of man-made climate change. His writings became the basis of ecology and climate science. He was also a global superstar, the most famous man after Napoleon according to his contemporaries; yet his name has been all but forgotten today in the English-speaking world.

 

 

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