Upcoming Meetings

  • Monthly Meeting with Dr. Gary Bruce and John Neu

    • January 29, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    One of our members, John Neu, will be presented with the France Medal of Honour. It is officially known as the Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur and is the highest decoration bestowed by the French government. Created by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, it is awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to France, including Allied soldiers who fought for the country’s liberation during World War II.

    John, who served with distinction during the war, is being recognized by the France Embassy, for his bravery and pivotal role in the Allied efforts to free France from Nazi occupation. As one of the dwindling number of living WWII veterans, this honor underscores his enduring legacy and the gratitude of the French nation for his sacrifices.

    Following this award ceremony, Dr. Gary Bruce will be speaking to us about:

    "The Return of Nazism?"

    Professor Bruce is the recipient of the 2007 Distinguished Teacher Award at the University of Waterloo.

    He has been teaching undergraduates and graduates in the history department at the University of Waterloo since September 2003.

    The courses taught by Professor Bruce include the Holocaust, Nazi Germany, and graduate seminars on modern European history.

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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  • Monthly Meeting with Noah Irvine

    • February 26, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    Mental illness is not a character flaw.
    It's an illness like any other illness.

    Noah Irvine is a young adult and his life has been anything but “normal.” When he was five, his mother died by suicide. When he was 15, his father died by prescription drug overdose. In childhood, he witnessed domestic violence. He has a learning disability. He has CPTSD.

    Today he is a mental health advocate and writer. He writes about all this not to earn your sympathy. He writes about it because they are simply facts of his life. They are simply situations he has learned to live with. These events shaped the course of his life and made him the person he is today.

    Noah is a neighbour of ours; he is from Guelph, Ontario.

    PERSONAL VIGNETTE: Also in this meeting, Mike Titizian will be delivering his personal vignette.

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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  • Monthly Meeting with Kevin Matsui

    • March 26, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    Kevin Matsui is the Managing Director of the Centre for Advancing Responsible and Ethical Artificial Intelligence (CARE-AI) at the University of Guelph.

    It is CARE-AI's mission to advance multidisciplinary AI training and research, and its responsible application to improve life.

    Kevin leads efforts to grow the Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Deep Learning and Data Science community on campus at U of G and ensuring that it is well connected externally.

    Kevin has spent many years in High Performance Computing (HPC) and the software industry in a variety of management roles including consulting, technical support and training combined with an educational background in engineering and business.

    PERSONAL VIGNETTE: Also in this meeting, David Shaw will be delivering his personal vignette.

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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  • Monthly Meeting with Alexandra Allen

    • April 30, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    Hospice 101 — More Than a Bed

    Alexandra Allen is from Hospice Waterloo Region, some notes from her:

    For the past three decades, Hospice Waterloo Region has been supporting people and their loved ones through life-limiting illness, death and bereavement through a number of community programs, and in the past three years has expanded support to include a 10-bed hospice residence.

    However, most people really don’t know what hospice palliative care is and/or how we can support someone who is dying and their loved ones.

    We invite you to join us as we explore what hospice palliative care is and what Hospice programs and services look like in the Region of Waterloo and surrounding townships.

    PERSONAL VIGNETTE: Also in this meeting, Wayne Heffernan will be delivering his personal vignette.

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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  • Monthly Meeting with Luigi Calabrese

    • May 28, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    Tech Trends, Innovations, Threats, and Dirty Little Secrets: Empowering Older Adults in the Digital Age

    Luigi Calabrese, President of Frontier Networks Inc., is a seasoned leader in the tech industry.

    With a focus on advocating for older adults, Luigi collaborates closely with law enforcement agencies in Canada and the USA, including the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS), the RCMP, and the Department of Homeland Security, to combat fraud and vendor abuse targeting seniors.

    As a sought-after speaker, Luigi is renowned for his ability to demystify technology and engage audiences with humour and relevant examples. Luigi is a passionate advocate for older adults, tirelessly working to promote pricing fairness and advocate for reforms to protect older adults from exploitation and abuse.

    In an era where technology is meant to simplify our lives but often complicates them, Luigi Calabrese discusses the latest trends in mobile devices, sensors, and wearables, focusing on enabling seniors to age comfortably at home.

    He also addresses the pressing issues of data privacy threats, hacking, and navigating the complexities of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) schemes to ensure seniors stay safe and empowered digitally.

    Get ready for a fun, adventured filled talk full of examples. You don't need to be technical (or tech savvy at all) to enjoy this discussion.

    PERSONAL VIGNETTE: Also in this meeting, Don Bark will be delivering his personal vignette.

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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  • Monthly Meeting with Professor Stuart Phillips

    • June 25, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    Kinesiology and Aging

    Professor Stuart Phillips is a Distinguished University Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Skeletal Muscle Health.

    His research focuses on the interactions of nutrition and exercise for optimal muscle function and quality of life in aging populations.

    He is a full Professor in Kinesiology and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Medicine at McMaster University. He is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. His research is focused on the impact of nutrition and exercise on human skeletal muscle protein turnover. He is also keenly interested in diet- and exercise-induced changes in body composition.

    His research is funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the National Science and Engineering Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research, the US NIH, the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the USDA.

    He currently has more than 33000 career citations and 400 original scientific research and review papers.

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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  • Monthly Meeting with Mayor Jan Liggett & Doug Craig

    • July 30, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    Doug Craig, one of our club members and Regional Councillor will be interviewing Mayor Jan Liggett.

    Jan Liggett was elected to her first term on Cambridge City Council to represent Ward 4 in 2014, sitting on the Economic Development Advisory, Cambridge Arts Theatre and Core Areas Revitalization Advisory Committees as well as part of the Water Billing Appeals Committee and the Post Office Steering Committee.

    After 8 years as the Ward 4 Councillor, Jan Liggett was elected as Mayor for the 2022-2026 term.

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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  • Monthly Meeting with Ted Barris

    • October 29, 2025
    • 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM
    • Portuguese Club, 870 Townline Rd, Cambridge, ON

    Battle of Britain: Canadian Airmen in their Finest Hour

    Ted Barris will tell us about the gripping and heroic story of fighter pilots defending the skies over Britain from unprecedented Nazi attack.

    For 113 terrifying days in 1940, Nazi Germany’s air force, the Luftwaffe, threw everything it had at Great Britain in hopes of early victory in World War II.

    The task of defending southern England from airborne attack fell to pilots in the Royal Air Force, supplemented in their darkest hour by more than 100 flyers from Canada.

    These Canadians, some from famous families, some straight off the farm, served in forty-seven different Battle of Britain squadrons.

    On Dec. 29, 2022, the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada, announced 99 new appointments to the Order of Canada, including Ted Barris, C.M., “For advancing our understanding of Canadian military history as an acclaimed historical author, journalist and broadcaster.”

    LUNCH BUNCH: After the meeting, all members are invited to have lunch (at their own cost) at a local restaurant. A great way to get to know your fellow members.

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