Please join your BURA Executive for our monthly coffee club. Be sure to let us know that you plan to attend by registering below. Catch up with colleagues for some lively conversation on any topic you wish.

Date: Wednesday June 3, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Ostin’s Restaurant 327 Ontario St, St. Catharines ON
Register by: Wednesday May 27, 2026

Prepare for the adventure of a lifetime! Niagara Takes Flight is a brand new, fully immersive flying theatre ride that takes you to the skies for a breathtaking journey along the Niagara River corridor.

You’ll soar across 56 kilometers of parkland, from the shores of Lake Ontario to edge of Lake Erie, as breathtaking landscapes unfold beneath you. Gliding over swirling rapids and steep rock faces, past lush forests and through dramatic battles that changed the course of history all before getting closer than ever to the thundering Horseshoe Falls.

Conveniently located beside Table Rock House Restaurant, enjoy a three-course lunch perched on the brink, and enjoy a locally sourced and internationally inspired menu with the breathtaking Niagara Falls as your backdrop

PLEASE NOTE THAT NIAGARA PARKS REQUIRES THAT WE PLACE A CAPACITY LIMIT ON THIS EVENT AND IT IS NOW FULL. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN BEING ADDED TO A WAITLIST FOR CANCELLATIONS, PLEASE EMAIL [email protected]. WE WILL GET BACK TO YOU REGARDING AVAILABILITY TOWARDS THE END OF MAY. APOLOGIES FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE THIS MIGHT CAUSE.

Follow this link to see a video of the attraction.

Visit the web site for more information.

Event Details

• Date: Wednesday June 17, 2026. This event has a limited capacity. Please register on or before Friday, May 29 at 4 p.m. Registration will close at this time, or before if the event capacity has been reached.
• Time: Arrive: 10:30 – 11 a.m. check-in. Ride takes off promptly at 11, Lunch at 11:30
• Cost: $60.00 or $65.00 for the steak lunch option. Price includes taxes, gratuity andf admission to Niagara Takes Flight. This price is a 25% discount for BURA members!
• Location: Table Rock House, 6650 Niagara River Parkway, Niagara Falls, Ontario
• Parking is free with a ticket validation at Table Rock Restaurant. The parking lot is adjacent to Table Rock House. Please bring your parking ticket with you to the event. A parking lot shuttle service will be available for members who need it.
• Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] for assistance.
• Table Rock House Luncheon Menu
  Chef’s Soup of the Day, bread and butter, seasonal dessert feature, fresh brewed coffee, decaffeinated coffee, hot tea, milk, or soft drink.
  Entrée Choice Of:
  Roasted Chicken Supreme – pinot jus, seasonal vegetables and potatoes
  OR
  Baked Atlantic Cod – gremolata glazed, riesling dill cream sauce, seasonal vegetables and potatoes
  OR
  Smoked Mozzarella Ravioli – fire roasted tomato sauce, arugula, shaved parmesan
  OR at an extra charge
  8oz New York Striploin Steak- seasonal vegetables and potatoes

• • Alcoholic beverages are not included; however, members can order and pay for alcohol at their table.

To check for availability, please email [email protected]

Join your BURA colleagues and Brock University President Lesley Rigg for the annual university update. Dr. Rigg will review the current year and look ahead to share her thoughts on where we are and where we’re going.

Event Details:

• Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Please register on or before Tusday, April 7 at 4:00 pm.
• Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Presentation: Following lunch.
• Cost: Free, courtesy of Brock University, limit one guest per person.
• Location: Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Atrium, 15 Artists’ Common, St. Catharines ON
• Parking: Paid parking is available at the Garden Park/Carlisle Street Parking Garage, entrance is on Garden Park. There is also on-street paid parking on St. Paul Street and paid parking at the Meridian Centre using the HonkMobile app.
• Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
• For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected]

Cinema Paradiso introduced by Dr. Elias Polizoes

Enjoy lunch and a matinée film at the Niagara Artists Centre Microcinema Lounge introduced by Brock Prof. Elias Polizoes. Lunch will be catered by Valentino’s Italian Food Market

About Elias Polizoes

Dr. Elias Polizoes is a lecturer at Brock University in the Modern Languages department. He holds Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of Toronto and also studied at the University of Siena.

About the Film

Cinema Paradiso is an Academy award-winning Italian film written and directed by Giuseppe Tornatore. Set in a small Sicilian town, this 1988 coming-of-age comedy-drama has been cited as one of the greatest films of all time, and a world cinema classic.

Description:

Cinema Paradiso is a warm, nostalgic Italian film about a man reflecting on his childhood and the small-town movie theatre that shaped his love for cinema. Through memories of friendship, loss, and the magic of movies, it celebrates how art can deeply influence a life.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Wednesday, March 18 2026. Please register on or before 4:00 pm Friday March 13, 2026. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am Lunch: noon Film Presentation: Following lunch
    • Cost: $22 per person inculing tax and gratuity.
    • Location: Niagara Artists’ Centre, 345 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines
    • Parking: Parking available on site. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for transportation assistance.
    • Menu
      • Garden Salad
      • Sandwich (choice of):
        • Italian Assorted on a Ciabatta Bun
        • Prosciutto Provolone on a Ciabatta Bun
        • Mortadella & Provolone on a Ciabatta Bun
        • Ham & Swiss on a Ciabatta Bun
        • Grilled Vegetable on a Ciabatta Bun
      • Water, coffee, tea, dessert
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected]

With Audiologist Terri-Lynne Dean

Recent research suggests early treatment of age-related hearing loss can reduce the individual risk of developing dementia by seven per cent. It is also one of the easiest factors to address. However, the timing of intervention matters – addressing hearing loss earlier in life could help protect brain health decades later: a recent study found that while hearing aids significantly reduced dementia risk in participants under 70, the same degree of benefit was not similarly observed for those 70 years and older.

The relationship between hearing loss and dementia risk is complex and multifaceted opening many emerging opportunities to impact cognitive health across the age span. February’s event will feature Terri-Lynne Dean, an audiologist with the Hotel Dieu Audiology & Hearing Aid Clinic, who will discuss hearing loss as the most modifiable risk factor for dementia from a practical perspective.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Tuesday, February 24 2026. Please register on or before 4:00 pm Friday February 13, 2026. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am Lunch: noon, followed by the presentation.
    • Cost: $15.00 per person, includes taxes and gratuity.

    • New Location:

      Anchor Pointe Dining Room, 540 Ontario St., St. Catharines, ON

    • Parking: Parking available on site. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for transportation assistance.
    • Menu
      • Lasagna
      • salad
      • homemade bread
      • cookies & squares
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

• • • With Prof. Blayne Haggart

      In April 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney led the Liberals to an unexpected victory, based largely on his promise to stand up to the United States and to protect Canadian sovereignty in an increasingly unstable continent and world. One year into US president Donald Trump’s second term is as good a time as any to assess Carney’s and Canada’s record, and what challenges face the country in the coming year, and beyond.

      

      About Prof. Haggart… Blayne Haggart is Professor of Political Science at Brock University. A former reporter and economist, his professional and academic careers have addressed, among other things, trade and monetary policy, digital policy and intellectual property rights, with an abiding focus on issues of political and economic power, especially Canada’s relationship with the United States. He wrote his first book, Copyfight: The Global Politics of Digital Copyright Reform (University of Toronto Press, 2014), to answer a question that has returned with a vengance: How much policy autonomy can a small country like Canada exercise in the shadow of the world’s superpower? His subsequent work has focused on internet, digital, data and knowledge governance, including two edited volumes and The New Knowledge: Information, Data and the Remaking of Global Power (with Natasha Tusikov, Bloomsbury, 2023). He is currently working on a book on reclaiming Canadian economic nationalism for the 21st century (under contract to Lorimer Press, due for publication in late 2026).

      Event Details:

      • Date: Tuesday, January 27 2026. Please register on or before 4:00 pm Tuesday January 20, 2026. No refunds will be given after this date.
      • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am Lunch and entertainment: noon
      • Cost: $40.00 per person, includes taxes and gratuity.
      • Location: Holiday Inn and Parkway Suites Conference Centre, 327 Ontario St, St. Catharines, ON L2R 5L3
      • Parking: Parking available on site. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for transportation assistance.
      • Menu
        • DIY Sandwich Board
        • Artisan Soup of the Day
        • Mixed Gourmet Greens, Assorted Dressings
        • Classic Caesar Salad with Rustic Homemade Croutons
        • Pasta Salad
        • Selection of Fresh Breads, Rolls
        • Assortment of Selected Deli Meats and Sliced Cheeses: Turkey, Ham, Salami, Marble, Swiss and Cheddar, Tuna Salad, Egg Salad, Chicken Salad
        • Chef’s Choice of Dessert
        • Freshly Brewed Coffee or Tea
      • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

       

Please join your BURA colleagues for a fun and festive afternoon of fellowship and entertainment. This is your last chance of 2025 to catch up with old friends and enjoy holiday entertainment.

About Caitlin… Caitlin Miller is a Niagara local singer & songwriter who has been performing at various live venues since 2019. In 2023 she graduated from the University of Windsor with a BFA in Acting. Her styles range from 60s era tunes, to contemporary music and originals. From rock, to pop, to country, folk and indie, Caitlin performs something for everyone to enjoy, on acoustic guitar with accompanied singing.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Monday, December 8 2025. Please register on or before 4:00 pm Monday December 1, 2025. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am Lunch and entertainment: noon
    • Cost: $44.00 per person, includes taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Club Roma, 125 Vansickle Rd, St. Catharines, ON
    • Parking: Parking available on site. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for transportation assistance.
    • Menu
      • Assorted Dinner Rolls and Butter
      • House and Caesar Salad
      • Penne Primavera
      • Roasted 9-cut Chicken
      • Seasonal Vegetables
      • Roasted Potatoes
      • Assorted Cookies, Mini
      • Cheesecakes and Pastries
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected]

Explore the historic Welland Canals through the Historic Welland Canals Mapping Project.

With BURA member Colleen Beard!

Hunting for buried ships and close calls with coyotes, Colleen will share her stories about creating the Historic Welland Canals Mapping Project (HWCMP) that portrays the First, Second, and Third canals. Having hiked all three routes of the canals from one end to the other, she has documented a comprehensive inventory of canal remnants which has resulted in a unique web-map application – considered to be the most detailed account of historical remains. Although most features have been bulldozed or left for ruin, many of the second and third canal features have survived if you know where (and how) to look.

Enjoy an illustrated tour of the historic canals while she demonstrates how to use the HWCMP to optimize the user experience, describes the best hiking routes, and recounts stories of terrorist attacks and other interesting finds. Participants will take away a better understanding of canal history they can explore on their own, from both an armchair and on the ground.

About Colleen

Colleen Beard is Map Librarian Emerita, Brock University. She holds a BSc degree in Physical Geography and Geology from Brock with a concentration in the cartographic sciences, and a Masters of Library and Information Science from University of Toronto. During her 34-year tenure as Head of the Map, Data an GIS Library, she developed a passion for the historic Welland Canals and now advocates for preserving and educating the public about our local heritage. Her web map application Historic Welland Canals Mapping Project (HWCMP) is an attempt to do just this. Combining historical maps and digital mapping technologies, also known as HGIS (Historical Geographic Information Systems) research, has resulted in a showcase of canal remnants and a historical glimpse into the past.

BURA and the Lifelong Learning Niagara team up to present author and explorer Adam Shoalts.

Adventurer Adam Shoalts joins us to share the story of his latest expedition, his quest to retrace the route of lost explorer Hubert Darrell, who vanished in Canada’s western Arctic in 1910. Shoalts’s newest book, Vanished Beyond the Map, unravels the mystery of Darrell’s disappearance. This entertaining presentation is co-sponsored by Lifelong Learning Niagara and Brock University Retirees’ Association.

About Adam

Brock grad Adam Shoalts is a professional explorer and national bestselling author. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society for “extraordinary contributions to geography” and in 2017 completed a nearly 4,000 km solo journey across Canada’s Arctic.

A geographer and historian, he holds a Ph.D. from McMaster University, has participated in numerous archaeological digs, and undertakes solo expeditions in the most remote wilderness areas. He is the Westaway Explorer-in-Residence of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and in 2016 was named a national champion of the Trans-Canada Trail.

Join your BURA friends and colleagues for our first event of the season.

Bring your Badger pride and be part of a game that continues to make Brock history!

The Steel Blade Classic hockey game will kick off BURA’s 2025-26 events schedule. It has been 26 years since the inception of the fan-favourite event that now annually draws thousands of people to the Meridian Centre in the heart of downtown. That tradition will continue Friday, Sept. 19 when the Brock Badgers men’s hockey team faces off against the Guelph Gryphons at 7 p.m.

BURA members and a guest can attend the game and enjoy access to, and seats on the 4th floor VIP alumni section, complimentary stadium snacks, and access to a private bar. A limited number of tickets are available for a discounted price of $30 per person (regular price $40).

Join your BURA friends and colleagues for our final event of the season.

Enjoy lunch, a tour and tasting at this terrific Niagara location at a reduced rate (save $22.50 per person)! Register below.

About Spirit in Niagara – Spirit in Niagara Small Batch Distillery is built on a deep-rooted farming legacy. Founder, Arnie Lepp, comes from a family that has farmed in Niagara for four generations. The Lepp family has been cultivating the region’s rich soil for decades, growing some of Niagara’s finest tender fruit—peaches, nectarines, plums, pears, apricots, and cherries—on over 200 acres of farmland. Farming isn’t just a profession for the Lepp family; it’s a way of life, deeply connected to the land, the seasons, and the bounty Niagara provides.

Over the years, Arnie saw a challenge facing the industry—nearly 10% of Niagara’s tender fruit was going to waste each season, not because of quality, but simply because it was slightly overripe or had fallen before harvest. With his lifelong passion for farming and sustainability, Arnie saw an opportunity: instead of letting this perfectly ripe fruit go unused, why not turn it into something exceptional?

That vision led to the creation of Spirit in Niagara, where they craft premium small-batch spirits using the ripest, most flavourful fruit from their orchards. The lineup includes Juiced Up Gin, Juiced Up Vodka, and a variety of eaux de vie made from farm-fresh fruit, as well as Canadian Whisky, Mixed Mash Whisky, and Canadian Brrrbon from local grains—all produced with the same dedication to quality and tradition that has defined the Lepp family’s farming legacy.

Spirit in Niagara, believes in sustainability, community, and honouring Niagara’s agricultural heritage. By repurposing fruit that would otherwise go to waste, they not only craft spirits with incredible flavour, they support local farmers and protect Niagara’s farmland for future generations. Inspired by vintage fruit crates and the history of Niagara’s fruit industry, Spirit in Niagara pays tribute to the past while creating something new.

Rooted in tradition, crafted with care, and made from the land—Spirit in Niagara captures the essence of Niagara in every bottle.

Menu:

Salad Choices (ONE OF)

• • • Fresh Spinach Salad (V) – Spinach, seasonal fruit from our farm, goat cheese, candied walnuts, with raspberry vinaigrette
    • Caesar Salad – (V) – Romaine wedge, crispy pork belly (omit for vegetarian), Heritage Cheddar Cheese

Entreé Choices (ONE OF)

• • • RAVIOLI paired with Juiced Up Gin (V), Pillow pasta dumplings with Niagara Gold filling, foie gras sauce (omit for vegetarian), horseradish chips, & Ontario sumac
    • PICKEREL paired with Plump Nectarine Eau de Vie – Potato galette, shiitake mushrooms, SiN Juiced Up Vodka cream sauce & caviar
    • CORNISH HEN paired with Canadian Whisky – Tender, boneless, & stuffed. Charred Brussels sprouts with maple, truffle root purée, potato souffle, hen velouté
    • WHISKY SHORT RIBS paired with Canadian Brrrbon, Hasselback potatoes layered with cheese & crispy pork belly, roasted shallots, SiN Canadian Whisky demi-glace

Dessert (coffee or tea, water at the table)

• • • NOT YOUR TRADITIONAL CARROT CAKE paired with Canadian Whisky (V) – Warm spice cake with ginger & sumac, chocolate gelato, black pepper icing. Alcohol Beverages – Members ordering alcoholic beverages at lunch will order at the table and pay the server.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Pease register on or before 4:00 PM Wednesday, June 11. No refunds for cancelations after this date. 
    • Time: Arrive to check in: 10:30-11:00 am, Tour/Tasting: 11:00 am (tour will begin promptly at 11), Lunch: 12:00 noon
    • Cost: $75 per person including tax and gratuity.
    • Location: Spirit in Niagara, 458 Lakeshore Rd, Niagara-on-the-Lake
    • Parking: Free parking is available on site. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

Join your BURA colleagues and Brock University President Lesley Rigg for the annual university update. Dr. Rigg will review the current year and look ahead to share her thoughts on where we are and where we’re going.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025. Please register on or before Thursday, April 16.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Presentation: Following lunch.
    • Cost: Free, courtesy of Brock University, limit one guest per person.
    • Location: Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Atrium, 15 Artists’ Common, St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Paid parking is available at the Garden Park/Carlisle Street Parking Garage, entrance is on Garden Park. There is also on-street paid parking on St. Paul Street. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected]
      Event Definition Form

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BURA is pleased to present a panel of two local first-time authors: Nancy Taber and Lori Littleton. Dr. Neta Gordon from the Department of English Language and Literature, Brock University, will guide the discussion.

While the authors will certainly talk about their recent novels, the focus of this event is on the process and experience of being a first time author: how each got to the starting point, how they prepared themselves, what motivated them, the highs and lows of the process, finding a publisher, experiencing the promotional process and what they take away from the whole experience.

Speakers

Dr. Nancy Taber is a professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Brock University. Her debut novel is entitled “A Sea of Spectre.”

On the choppy coastline of Prince Edward Island an ocean-phobic detective evades the deadly lure of a phantom ship by delving into her family’s history and harnessing her matrilineal powers of premonition. “Debut novelist Nancy Taber deftly braids three timelines together, each as engaging and fully drawn as the other. With whip-smart contemporary dialogue and moving, evocative historical writing, she brings to life three different generations of Acadian women in a riveting, crackling, chilling mystery.” (Goodreads)

Lori Littleton may be known to many as a former councillor for the City of St. Catharines. Her debut novel is entitled “ In Repair.”

Caitlin’s world crumbles when she loses her job as a graphic designer, a career that defined her for over a decade. Just when she feels most lost, her first love, Stuart, unexpectedly reappears after vanishing from her life 15 years ago. His return opens old wounds and presents Caitlin with a tantalizing glimpse of a different future. Caught in a whirlwind of emotions and doubt, Caitlin grapples with the weight of past mistakes and the uncertainty of her present.

Moderator

Dr. Neta Gordon teaches and engages in research in the Department of English Language and Literature at Brock University. She has a number of books to her credit, the most recent, Bearers of Risk: Writing Masculinity in Contemporary English-Canadian Short Story Cycles Bearers of Risk, focuses on contemporary Canadian short story collections by male authors. Working from an interdisciplinary perspective, her current work focuses on the life and works of Canadian novelist and playwright Anna-Marie MacDonald.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025. Please register on or before 4:00 pm Thursday March 6, 2025. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am Lunch: noon, Presentation: 12:30 pm
    • Cost: $40 per person. Includes taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Holiday Inn and Suites, 327 Ontario Street, St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Parking available on site. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for transportation assistance.
    • Menu
      • Soup: Artisan Soup
      • Entrée: Grilled Free Range Chicken Breast, Dijon Velouté, Potato du Jour & Seasonal Vegetables
      • Dessert: Chocolate Mousse served with Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee & Tea
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected]

Enjoy lunch and a matinée film at the Niagara Artists Centre Microcinema Lounge. Lunch will be catered by Mahtay Café and Lounge.

Movie

Drive Back Home is an award-winning Canadian film staring Alan Cumming, Charlie Creed-Miles and Clare Coulter.

Description: In the winter of 1970, a cantankerous, small-town plumber from rural New Brunswick drives his beat-up work truck 1000 miles to Toronto to get his estranged, gay brother out of jail after being arrested for having sex in a public park. The two men are then forced to drive back home together at the behest of their hard-nosed mother.

Although dark at times, Drive Back Home has warmth and humour and is described as “a love story between two brothers who didn’t like each other.”

Menu (bag lunch)

• • • Garden Salad
    • Bagel Sandwich
    • Sea-salt Chocolate Cookie
    • Tea and Coffee

Event Details:

• • • Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025. Pease register on or before February 11 at 4 p.m. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 noon, Movie Presentation: Following lunch.
    • Cost: $22 per person, which includes taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Niagara Artists Centre, 354 St Paul Street, St. Catharines, ON L2R 3N2
    • Parking: Paid parking is located at the multi-storey parking lot on Carlisle, entrance is on Garden Park. There is also on-street paid parking nearby on St Paul Street.
    • The NAC is a 3-minute walk from the St. Catharines Bus Terminal.
    • Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

With Professor Rahul Kumar

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming higher education, reshaping how we teach, learn, and uphold academic integrity. This talk will highlight AI’s capabilities and limitations, the challenges of detecting AI-assisted work, and policy responses from universities worldwide. The concept of postplagiarism will be introduced, offering insights into reframing academic integrity in an AI-enabled future. Attendees will also consider scenarios for the future of teaching, learning, and integrity in higher education. The session will conclude with an open Q&A to foster dialogue on this critical topic.

About Rahul…

Dr. Rahul Kumar is an assistant professor at Brock University. His research focuses on the changing PSE sector, specifically on the quality of education, artificial intelligence in education, academic integrity, international students, postplagiarism, and ethics. He has worked at Brock University in several capacities for over 30 years.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Please register on or before 4:00 pm Tuesday January 14, 2025. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am Lunch: noon, Presentation: 12:30 pm
    • Cost: $40 per person. Includes taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Holiday Inn and Suites, 327 Ontario Street, St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Parking available on site. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for transportation assistance.
    • Menu
      • Soup: Chef’s Soup
      • Entrée: Grilled Free Range Chicken Breast, Chicken Velouté, Potato du Jour & Seasonal Vegetables
      • Dessert: Chocolate Mousse served with Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee & Tea
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

Please join your BURA colleagues for a fun and festive afternoon of fellowship and entertainment. This is your last chance of 2024 to catch up with old friends and enjoy holiday entertainment by BURA favourite, Caitlyn Miller.

About Caitlin… Caitlin Miller is a Niagara local singer & songwriter who has been performing at various live venues since 2019. In 2023 she graduated from the University of Windsor with a BFA in Acting. Her styles range from 60s era tunes, to contemporary music and originals. From rock, to pop, to country, folk and indie, Caitlin performs something for everyone to enjoy, on acoustic guitar with accompanied singing.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Monday, December 9 2024. Please register on or before 4:00 pm Monday December 2, 2024. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am Lunch and entertainment: noon
    • Cost: $36 per person. Includes taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Club Roma – Gemini Room B – 125 Vansickle Rd., St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Parking available on site. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for transportation assistance.
    • Menu
      • Caesar salad
      • Main Entrée: Club Roma’s Home-made Lasagna
      • Dessert: Ice Cream Crepes with Berries, Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaffeinated Coffee & Tea
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

With Dr. Sammy Winemaker…  Dr. Winemaker is the co-author of the new book ‘Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest’ and co-host of the podcast ‘The Waiting Room Revolution,’ which are designed to empower patients and families facing a life-changing diagnosis. Based on researching and caring for thousands of patients, she will share 7 keys that can activate patients, families, and providers to have a better illness journey.

About Dr. Winemaker… Dr. Sammy Winemaker is an Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Family Medicine, in the Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University. She teaches palliative care to health care professionals. She won the Ontario College of Family Physicians Award of Excellence in 2010, the Elizabeth J. Latimer Prize in Palliative Care in 2018, and the Dr. S. Lawrence Librach Award for Palliative Medicine in the Community in 2019. link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brocku.ca%2Fretirees-association%2fevents%2Fevent-registration-page-2%2F”]

With Ian MacKay…

Many of us know of Amelia Earhart only as a flyer who disappeared sometime in the first half of the 20^th century, and that her fate is a great, enduring mystery. There are also a sizeable number of conspiracy theories explaining that mystery, ranging from a popular one based on the plot of 1943 movie starring Rosalind Russell and Fred MacMurray to the usual suspects: aliens and foreigners.

The truth is more straightforward. Today, there is an enormous weight of individual but interlocking pieces of evidence that precisely outline her fate. What is more shocking is that many influential people had strong suspicions within days of her disappearance as to where she ended up in plenty of time to have rescued her and saved her from a truly miserable fate – and they were right! But incompetence, prejudice, lack of communication, and the hierarchical nature of command let her down. This story is a classic case of the truism “Never attribute to conspiracy what can be explained by ego, stupidity, incompetence and bad luck.” The evidence that pointed to the spot in 1937 still points there, but is supplemented by a great deal of evidence discovered in 1940, plus a wealth of evidence assembled in the past 30 years. Join us for a story full of twists and turns and many surprises, to say nothing of the irony.

About Ian MacKay…

Ian is retired from a 40-year career as professor in the Department of Linguistics, University of Ottawa, where he taught in both official languages. Much of his research involved the acquisition of pronunciation when learning a second language at various starting ages. In Spring 2023, Cambridge University Press published his most recent textbook titled Phonetics and Speech Science, which covers the sounds of human speech with reference to linguistic, anatomical, aerodynamic, acoustic, and perceptual foundations. His 2014 textbook on the acoustics of speech, published by Allyn & Bacon, remains popular. In addition to the topics covered by these two textbooks, Ian also taught a graduate seminar on the origins of human language.

For more than a decade and a half Ian has been closely following developments in the search for Amelia Earhart’s fate, informed by careful, science-based research from an American interest group centred on historic aircraft. While textbook writing is no tutorial for a would-be novelist, Ian is attempting to write a historical novel based on the famous venture during which Earhart disappeared. But, while a novel demands at least some fiction, Ian’s talk on Earhart sticks to the facts as best they can be determined.

Ian was raised in Vancouver and spent summers in the BC interior. He has been a resident of Vancouver; Quebec City; Cincinnati, Ohio; Kingston, Jamaica; and Ottawa.

Ian lives with his wife Jo-Anne and greatly misses the dogs they used to share their lives with. He enjoys reading, travelling, writing, handyman stuff (major or minor), fixing things, dinner parties (as host or guest), trying out weird recipes, and generally trying to think of ways to make things better.

With Nick Baxter-Moore…

According to Joan Baez, who might be expected to know about such things, “The hardest song to write is a protest song.” Nonetheless, many of her contemporaries from the 1960s on – singers, songwriters, and singer/songwriters – contributed to the genre. To support her thesis, some of their songs have stood the test of time while others are long forgotten. Many protest messages have been misunderstood and others satirized and subverted. This “illustrated” talk surveys the history of the protest song from the 1930s to the present day, exploring how protest songs work and how their form has changed over time.

About Nick Baxter-Moore…

Before retiring in 2020, Nick Baxter-Moore taught at Brock for 35 years, first in Political Science, then in the Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film. Along the way, he was chair of both departments, director of Canadian Studies, director of the Graduate Program in Popular Culture, and Associate Dean of Social Sciences. And, along the way, he developed a course on “Politics and Popular Music,” which he taught in various forms for 25 years, and which serves as background for today’s topic.

Among popular music-related publications, Nick co-edited The Routledge Companion to Popular Music and Humor (2019). His chapter in the collection is on humor in protest music. He is currently editing a book on benefit concerts and has published articles and chapters on various aspects of Canadian popular music, on Ray Davies and the Kinks, Stan Rogers, John Fogerty and CCR, Bruce Springsteen fans. His latest article, “Band Chemistry” (co-authored with Thomas Kitts), examines the forces that keep rock groups together – or drive them apart. He has also recently co-authored a number of articles comparing the political values of Canadians and Americans which goes to prove the old adage that you can take the professor out of Political Science, but … .

Please join your fellow retirees to wrap up the Brock University Retirees Association year with a BBQ and live music performed by Caitlin Miller, a local guitarist and singer.

About Caitlin… Caitlin Miller is a Niagara local singer & songwriter who has been performing at various live venues since 2019. In 2023 she graduated from the University of Windsor with a BFA in Acting. Her styles range from 60s era tunes, to contemporary music and originals. From rock, to pop, to country, folk and indie, Caitlin performs something for everyone to enjoy, on acoustic guitar with accompanied singing.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Friday, June 7, 2024. Pease register on or before 4:00 pm Thursday, May 30. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, .
    • Cost: $24.00 or $27.00 / person including taxes and gratuity, depending on meal selection,
    • Location: Pond Inlet, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines ON.
    • Parking: Free parking is available in Lot 1 during the summer. This is closest lot to the venue. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

With Dr. Charles Conteh
From farm produce to advanced food and beverage manufacturing, the agriculture and agrifood sector forms one of Niagara’s core economic drivers.  The presentation will provide a portrait of the growth and development of this sector in the region, linking and comparing it to provincial and national trends.  Beyond the numbers, it will tell the story of a sector that has navigated fluctuating currents of advances in science, technology, and innovation over several decades to shape and enrich Niagara into the region we know today.  There is little doubt agribusiness will continue to play a vital role in driving the socioeconomic prosperity of the region.  The presentation will conclude with some reflections on the institutions and policies that support the sector, offering recommendations on further leveraging its assets for greater resilience in a rapidly changing world.

Please join your BURA colleagues for this entertaining and informative presentation about the changes being seen in Niagara Agri-business.

About Charles
Charles Conteh is a professor in Brock’s Department of Political Science and serves as director of the Niagara Community Observatory (NCO), a university-based public policy think tank working in partnership with the Niagara community to foster, produce and disseminate research on current and emerging issues.  He enjoys backyard gardening, landscaping and walking Niagara’s trails with his dog in his leisure time.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Pease register on or before Tuesday, May 7. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Presentation: Following lunch.
    • Cost: $37.00 per person, including taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Holiday Inn, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Free parking is available on site. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected]

Join your BURA colleagues and Brock University President Lesley Rigg for the annual university update. Dr. Rigg will review the current year and look ahead to share her thoughts on where we are and where we’re going.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024. Pease register on or before Thursday, April 18.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Presentation: Following lunch.
    • Cost: Free, courtesy of Brock University, limit one guest per person.
    • Location: Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Atrium, 15 Artists’ Common, St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Paid parking is available at the Garden Park/Carlisle Street Parking Garage, entrance is on Garden Park. There is also on-street paid parking on St. Paul Street. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

SOLD OUT!

Niagara will experience a rare total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to hear from Professor Barak Shoshany who will discuss solar eclipses in the context of astronomy, physics, history, and more. He will explain about the different types of eclipses, why they are so rare, and what you can expect to see during an eclipse. He will also talk specifically about the upcoming total solar eclipse which will be seen from St. Catharines and other regions in Canada, and how to watch it safely.

Luncheon Menu

• • • Fire-roasted tomato chipotle soup
    • Grilled free-range chicken breast, watercress sauce
    • Potato du jour
    • Roasted root vegetables
    • Raspberry chocolate mousse
    • Coffee, decaffeinated coffee, and tea

About Professor Shoshany

Barak Shoshany is a theoretical, mathematical, and computational physicist. He is an Assistant Professor of Physics at Brock University, where he recently won the Faculty of Mathematics and Science Award for Excellence in Teaching. He is also a Sessional Lecturer of Computational Science at McMaster University. His research focuses on the nature of time and causality in general relativity and quantum mechanics, as well as symbolic and high-performance scientific computing. In his spare time he is also a multi-instrumentalist and composer.

Event Details:

• • • Date: Wednesday, March 13, 2024. Pease register on or before March 6. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Presentation: Following lunch.
    • Cost: $37.00 per person, including taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Holiday Inn, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Free parking is available on site. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

REGISTER HERE

Enjoy lunch and a matinee film presentation of the 2023 British romantic comedy “Rye Lane” (TRAILER) at the Niagara Artists Centre Microcinema. Bring your sweetheart (or just come on your own) and enjoy a lunch catered by Rise Above Restaurant – a very popular local vegan restaurant.

Lunch Menu

• • • Includes wrap, salad, dessert, and tea or coffee

Event Details:

• • • Date: Tuesday, February 13, 2024. Pease register on or before February 8. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Movie Presentation: Following lunch.
    • Cost: $30 per person, including taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Niagara Artists Centre, 354 St Paul Street, St. Catharines, ON L2R 3N2
    • Parking: Paid parking is located at the multi-storey parking lot on Carlisle, entrance is on Garden Park. There is also on-street paid parking nearby on St Paul Street.
    • Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

Registration is closed

Please join us for lunch and a presentation by Francine McCarthy, a leading researcher on freshwater and marine sediments. Francine will discuss the unique attributes of Crawford Lake, Ontario that have led to its selection by the Anthropocene Working Group as the proposed ‘golden spike’ to define the Anthropocene epoch. She will also highlight the social implications of defining a geologic epoch based on human impact. Canadian Geographic has called Francine “a key mover and shaker in what is possibly the biggest geological announcement of our generation.”

For additional (free) information on the Anthropocene, please visit the Canadian Geographic magazine article and an explanatory YouTube video.

About Dr. Francine McCarthy
Francine is a Professor of Earth Sciences, a Core Member of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, and an Associate Member of Biological Sciences, at Brock University. She is also a Research Associate at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Lunch Buffet Menu

• • • Grilled Garlic Buttered Rustic Baguette
    • Mixed Gourmet Greens
    • Grilled Chicken Rigatoni with Roasted Bell Peppers
    • Pesto Alfredo Penne Primavera in Fresh Tomato Sauce
    • Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni in a Rose Sauce
    • Assorted Dessert Squares, Bars, and Brownies
    • Freshly Brewed Coffee, Decaf, and Tea

Event Details:

• • • Date: Thursday, January 11, 2024. Pease register on or before January 5. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Presentation: Following lunch.
    • Cost: $35 per person, including taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Holiday Inn, 327 Ontario St., St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Free parking is available on site. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

REGISTRATION IS CLOSED

Join your BURA friends and colleagues for some holiday cheer and lively entertainment. A delicious family-style lunch will be served. Great holiday music will be provided by Brock’s own Don Cyr and Sophia DeLuca (piano and vocals).

Join us for a fabulous festive festival of good cheer!

Menu
Assorted dinner rolls with butter
Family style house salad
Family style Farfalle pasta with Marinara sauce
Family Style Meatballs & Italian Sausage
Ice Cream Bombette

Event Details:

• • • Date: Thursday, December 14, 2023. Pease register on or before December 7. No refunds will be given after this date.
    • Time: Arrive for lunch: 11:30 am-noon, Lunch: 12:00 Noon, Entertainment: During and following lunch.
    • Cost: $40.00 per person, including taxes and gratuity.
    • Location: Club Roma (Gemini ‘B’ room), 125 Vansickle Rd, St. Catharines ON
    • Parking: Free parking is available on site. Transportation can be arranged for members. Please contact [email protected] to arrange for assistance.
    • For any other questions about the event, please contact [email protected].

Registration is closed