The Canadian Club of Halton is proud to have had so many excellent past events. We have welcomed speakers from a broad spectrum of topics and expertise. Speakers present at the Oakville Conference Centre. Please consider joining us for an upcoming event.
2024
• Kathleen Wynne – is a former Canadian politician who served as the 25th premier of Ontario and leader of the Ontario Liberal Party from 2013 to 2018. Her talk “Leading with Optimism in 2024: The Challenges and the Necessity“
•Dr. David Novog, PhD, Professor and NSERC Industrial Research Chair, Co-Director of McMaster Institute for Energy Studies, “What’s new in nuclear and its role in a greener future.”
• Dr. Rob Goodman, PhD, Assistant Professor Politics and Public Administration, Toronto Metropolitan University, Not Here – Why American Democracy is Eroding and How Canada Can Protect Itself. View Photos
• Terry Fallis traced the roots of his ninth novel, A New Season, and shared personal insights about the story. Terry is the winner of numerous awards for his novels including two Stephen Leacock Memorial Medals for Humour, in 2008 for his debut novel The Best Laid Plans and in 2015 for No Relation. View Photos
• Dr. Blair Bigham, MD MSc DTMH FRCPC DRCPSC – Dr. Bigham practices emergency and critical care medicine at McMaster University Hospital, in Hamilton, and is an award winning health journalist. Death Interrupted – How Modern Medicine is Complicating the Way We Die. View Photos
2023
• Lisa Raitt Vice-Chair Global Investment Banking at CIBC | Former Minister of Transport, Labour, and Natural Resources Canada’s Long Term Economic Growth – Can Political Parties Work Together? View Photos
• Adam Shoalts – Explorer, Writer – Adam Shoalts is a professional adventurer and the author of four national bestselling books. His latest book is Where the Falcons Fly. View Photos
•Dr. Tracy Rogers – Director of the Forensic Science Program at UTM and Associate Professor of Anthropology, Forensic Anthropology; the Real “Bones”
•Hilary Brown – Broadcaster, Correspondent, and Journalism Pioneer; Author of War Tourist: Memoirs of a Foreign Correspondent View Photos
•Kristin Phillips – Educator, Retired Principal, Pedagogical Reformer; Author of For the Love of Learning: A Year in the Life of a School Principal. View Photos
•Dr. Raymond Gottschalk MB ChB, FRCP(C) Medical Director & Quality Advisor, Sleep Disorders Clinic, Hamilton; Assistant Clinical Professor, McMaster University. Dr. Gottschalk will offer insights to something we all do daily – sleep! View Photos
•Darrell Bricker, PhD CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs; Author of six national best-selling books including his latest, Next: Where to Live, What to Buy, and Who Will Lead Canada’s Future View Photos
2022
• Kevin Donovan – Chief Investigative Reporter, Toronto Star; Author of The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman
• J.D.M. (James) Stewart – Canadian History Teacher at Bishop Strachan School; Author of Being Prime Minister – captivating and humorous stories about the daily lives of Canada’s prime ministers
• Ted Barris, Award-Winning Journalist, Author and Broadcaster with his latest book Battle of the Atlantic: Gauntlet to Victory
2020
• D’Arcy Jenish, Journalist and Author – The Making of the October Crisis: Canada’s Long Nightmare of Terrorism at the Hands of the FLQ View Photos
• Ted Barris – Award-Winning Journalist, Author and Broadcaster with his latest book Rush to Danger: Medics in the Line of Fire View Photos
2019
• Peter Hohenadel – Former Director, Agriculture and Food The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair – “My 12-Minute Walk To The Country: Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Agriculture and Food” View Photos
• Teresa (Terry) Bennett, MD, FRCPC, PhD – Assistant Professor, McMaster University; Child Psychiatrist, McMaster Children’s Hospital; Co-Director, McMaster Autism Research Team “Learning from Children and Families Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder” View Photos
• Dr. Brian Goldman, MD, MCFP(EM), FACEP – ER Doctor at Mount Sinai Hospital, CBC Radio Host, Healthcare Pundit – “The Power of Kindness: Why Empathy Is Essential in Everyday Life” View Photos
• Dolf DeJong, Chief Executive Officer – Toronto Zoo; Former Vice President & General Manager – Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Centre – “Conservation at a Crossroad” View Photos
• Darrell Bricker, PhD – CEO, Ipsos Public Affairs; Author of five national best-selling books including his latest, Empty Planet: The Shock of Global Population Decline View Photos
• David Galbraith, Ph.D., FRCGS Head of Science, Royal Botanical Gardens – “Natural and Cultural Heritage in our Landscape: Connecting People, Plants and Stories at RBG” View Photos
• Terry Fallis, winner of numerous awards for his novels including two Stephen Leacock Memorial Medals for Humour, in 2008 for his debut novel The Best Laid Plans and in 2015 for No Relation. His 7th book, Albatross, was released this August and quickly hit the Canadian best seller list. View Photos
2018
• Dr. David Posen, MD – Best-Selling Author, Motivational Speaker and Consultant on Stress & Change Management – “Authenticity: A Guide to Living in Harmony with Your True Self” View Photos
• Ken McGoogan – Award-Winning Author, Historian, Travel Writer, Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Explorers’ Club – “Dead Reckoning: The Untold Story of the Northwest Passage” View Photos
• Trevor Cole – Award-Winning Journalist, Novelist and Non-Fiction Author – “The Whisky King: The Remarkable True Story of Canada’s Most Infamous Bootlegger and the Undercover Mountie on His Trail” View Photos
• Craig McDonald – Vice President, Winemaking, Andrew Peller Limited (Peller, Trius, Wayne Gretzky & Thirty Bench in Ontario; Calona, Sandhill, Red Rooster, Black Hills, Grey Monk & Tinhorn Creek in B.C.); Senior Winemaker – Trius Winery; Ontario Winemaker of the Year 2008 & 2016 – “Marrying the Art of Winemaking with the Business of Wine” View Photos
• Ted Barris – Award-Winning Journalist, Author and Broadcaster – The Dam Busters: Canadian Airmen and the Secret Raid against Nazi Germany. View Photos
• Blair Roblin, LLB, MBA, MA, PhD, CBV – Researcher, Writer, Business Advisor, Board Director –“Our Aging World – The Seniors’ Tsunami” View Photos
• Travis Steffens, PhD, Evolutionary Anthropology (U of T) – Executive Director, Planet Madagascar –“Lemurs, Forests, and People: Building Sustainable Forest Communities in Madagascar” View Photos
2017
• Marc-André Bernier, Manager of the Underwater Archaeology Team and Underwater Archaeologist, discussed The Sir John Franklin Expedition and Parks Canada’s Archaeological Missions in the Canadian Arctic, including the discovery of HMS Erebus and HMS Terror. View Photos
• Dr. Julia Upton, MD, FRCP(C) – Staff Physician, Clinical Immunology & Allergy, Hospital for Sick Children; Assistant Professor, Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto. “Food Allergy: Why, and What Can Be Done?” View Photos
• Hon. Hugh Segal, O.C., O.Ont – Master of Massey College; Senior Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs and the Canadian and Foreign Affairs Institute; former Conservative Senator; Author of Two Freedoms: Canada’s Global Future View Photos
• Dr. Linda Penn, PhD – Canadian Research Chair in Molecular Oncology; UHN Director, Office of Research Trainees; Senior Scientist, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre; Professor, Department of Medical Biophysics, U of T – “Understanding Cancer and Personalized Medicine” View Photos
• Lindy Mechefske – Food Columnist, Kingston Whig-Standard; Editor, The Word, Kingston WritersFest; Food Blogger & Cook; Author of Sir John’s Table: The Culinary Life & Times of Canada’s First Prime Minister View Photos
• Dr. Charles Tator, OC, CM, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FACS Professor of Neurosurgery, University of Toronto; Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital; Director, Canadian Concussion Centre – “A Brain Surgeon’s Advice for Saving the Brains of our Kids and Grandkids, and for Saving the Games We Love” View Photos
• Franco Vaccarino, PhD, FCAHS – President & Vice-Chancellor, University of Guelph – “My Vision for Canada 2067: Our Strength of Diversity and Common Purpose” View Photos
2016
• Dr. Sean Wharton, MD, Wharton Weight Management Clinic – “Obesity in Adults”
• Stephen Leahy, Award-winning International Environmental Journalist – Author of Your Water Footprint: The Shocking Facts About How Much Water We Use to Make Everyday Products
• Dr. Janet Rossant, CC, PhD, Senior Scientist & Chief of Research Emeritus in the Developmental & Stem Cell Biology Program – SickKids Hospital; 2015 Canada Gairdner Wightman Award Recipient – “Stem Cells: Hype vs. Hope”
• Dr. Adrian Upton, MD, FRCP(C) – Paediatric & Adult Clinical Neurologist; Director Regional Epilepsy, Diagnostic Neurophysiology and Neurology Clinics, Hamilton Health Sciences Centre; Professor Emeritus Division of Neurology, McMaster University – “Augmenting the Brain”
• Linda Rutledge, PhD – Research Associate, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton NJ – “Fossils to Genomes: Protecting The Eastern Wolves of Algonquin Park” View Photos
• Bob Rae – a senior partner at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP where he works with First Nations across Canada as legal counsel, advisor, and negotiator; Ontario’s 21st Premier 1990-1995; Interim Federal Leader of the Liberal Party 2011-2013 – “Mending Hearts, Mending Treaties” View Photos
• Dr. David Goldbloom, OC, MD, FRCPC – Senior Medical Advisor, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; Professor of Psychiatry, University of Toronto; Author of How Can I Help? A Week in My Life as a Psychiatrist. View Photos
2015
• Charles Burton Ph.D, Brock University – “Canada-China: the Way Forward”
• David Evans, Ph.D, Curator, Royal Ontario Museum, “Hunting Dinosaurs in Western Canada”
• Anita Anand LLM – University of Toronto – “White Collar Crime & Punishment”
• Plum Johnson, Author of They Left Us Everything
• Dr. Rick Paulseth, MD, McMaster – Parkinson’s Disease
• Gillian Niblett, Certified Tea Specialist
• Dr. Hertzel Gerstein, MD, McMaster – Diabetes
2014
• Jason Tetro: “The Germ Guy” – Microbiologist, Author, Researcher
• Stephen Cornish, Executive Director, Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders Canada
• Ian Hamilton, Burlington-based award-winning Author of the popular Ava Lee novels
• Dr. Jeff Ennis, MD, Medical Director, The Ennis Centre for Pain Management
• Tilda Shalof, RN, Staff Nurse & Author, Medical-Surgical ICU, Toronto General Hospital
• Dr. Pierre Meulien, PhD, President & CEO, Genome Canada
• Richard Gwyn – Author of “Nation Maker: Sir John A. Macdonald 1867-1891”
2013
• Duff Conacher, LL.B., Founding Director of Democracy Watch
• Dr. Rick Adachi, MD – “Osteoporosis”
• Jeff Surtees, CEO & Legal Counsel, Trout Unlimited Canada
• Ray Kong, Senior Vice President, Ipsos Reid
• Mark Lukowski, CEO, Christian Children’s Fund of Canada – “10 Lessons I Learned from People Living in Poverty”
• Robert Rotenberg, Criminal Defense Lawyer and Author of Detective Ari Greene novels
• André Picard, Public Health Reporter, Globe and Mail
2012
• Dr. Anne Braun, MD – “Depression in the Elderly”
• Dan Bortolotti, Writer & Editor, Author of Wild Blue
• Anna Olson, Celebrity Chef and Cookbook Author
• Charlotte Gray, Chair – Canada’s History & award-winning author of 8 non-fiction books
• The Honourable Frank Iacobucci, Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
• Stewart Lunn, PhD, Senior Environmental Advisor, Imperial Oil
• Hans Gerhardt, Award-winning Hotelier; President/Managing Director, Toronto’s Sutton Place Hotel (1986-1994)
2011
• Dr. Christopher Patterson, MD, Chief, Geriatric Services, Hamilton Health Sciences
• Maureen Jennings, Author of the popular and acclaimed Detective Murdoch novels
• Dr. Brian Goldman, Emergency Physician at Mount Sinai Hospital; CBC Radio host of White Coat, Black Art
• Lauren Baker, PhD, Director, Sustain Ontario – The Alliance for Healthy Food and Farming and Lorraine Johnson, Author of City Farmer: Adventures in Urban Food Growing
• Franklyn Griffiths, Senior Research Fellow at the Canadian International Council
• Neil Alexander, President, Organization of Candu Industries
• Mike Tennant, producer, co-creator/writer, CBC Radio’s award-winning The Age of Persuasion
2010
• Gerald Butts, President & CEO, World Wildlife Fund Canada (now Senior Political Advisor to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau)
• Dr. Zafar Adeel, Director, United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health & Chair, UN-Water
• Bridget Stutchbury, PhD, Professor of Biology & Canada Research Chair in Ecology and Conservation Biology, York University
• Darryl Brooker, Winemaker, Hillebrand Estates Winery
• Alan Borovoy, General Counsel Emeritus, Canadian Civil Liberties Association
• Antoni Cimolino, General Director, Stratford Shakespeare Festival
• Nadine Hughes, Entrepreneur, Cooking Instructor, Award-Winning Cookbook Author, TV Personality
2009
• Dr. Peter Kevan, PhD, Professor of Environmental Biology, University of Guelph
• Dr. Colin Ellard, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo
• Rudyard Griffiths, Co-Founder, The Dominion Institute
• Petra Cooper, Chair, Ontario Cheese Society and Founder & President, Fifth Town Artisanal Cheese Company
• Dr. David Goldbloom, MD, FRCPC, Senior Medical Advisor, Education & Public Affairs, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
• Sally Armstrong, Human Rights Activist, Journalist, Author
• Captain Doug Morris, Air Canada Pilot, Author
2008
• Dr. Ken Arnold, MD, President, Ontario Medical Association
• Dr. Christian Burks, President & CEO, Ontario Genomics Institute
• Dr. Massimo Marcone, University of Guelph
• Harry Walker, Walker’s Chocolates
• Michael Killip, Chef/Owner, The Twisted Fork Restaurant
• Dr. Michelle Gagnon, Head of Geriatrics, St. Joseph’s, Hamilton
• Robert Bateman, Wildlife Artist, Environmentalist, Naturalist
• Ken Ogilvie, Executive Director, Pollution Probe
• Ken Petrunik, Chief Operating Officer, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
