2022 Past Events
Festive Dinner | December 19, 2022
On Monday, December 19, The University Women’s Club Toronto held its first in-person Festive dinner in three years in the beautiful main floor lounge at the University Club located at 380 University Avenue.
With 63 members and some guests in attendance, the mood was very festive indeed with wonderful company, great food, wine, raffles, awards, songs and much good cheer. An amazing way to start the holiday season.
flower workshop | November 28, 2022
In late November, our member and Real Estate Agent, Lily Contento, presented a wonderful workshop on flower arranging. It was held together with the members of the Helliconian Club, in their lovely hall in Yorkville.
We learned why beautiful flower arrangements are such an important part of successful house sales, but more importantly, we learned how to make them ourselves.
Lily prepared 3 gorgeous arrangements, and explained each step in detail. We learned how to make big showy arrangements in large vases, smaller tied arrangements, as well as shorter arrangements that would be appropriate for a table centrepiece. We learned that you should always start with the greenery, and add several different types of flowers in odd numbers, starting with the largest flowers and progressing to the smallest.
Lily's "assistant" and co-worker James, also made a very lovely arrangement by following her instructions.
Several lucky members won the beautiful completed arrangements. And all attendees were given gifts of potted plants, as well as a gift box.
The workshop was thoroughly enjoyed by all attendees who asked many questions.
Thank you to Lily for all her effort in preparing the workshop, as well as her generosity in providing the gifts.
thomas fisher rare book library tour | november 25, 2022
On November 25th, members toured the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, one of the most fascinating libraries in Canada!
ANNual business meeting | november 12, 2022
The Annual Business Meeting was held at the Faculty Club on November 21st at 5:30 pm. Members heard presentations about our finances, and other key operations of our Club.
A presentation was made to Marg M, thanking her for her valuable contributions to the Club over the years as the Treasurer and the Convenor for Bridge.
The meeting concluded after about an hour. Most of the attendees stayed on after the meeting to enjoy dinner at the Faculty Club, which was a nice finish to the evening.
- Wendy
INTERNATIONAL DINING | NOVEMBER 16, 2022
Everyone had a wonderful dinner at The Pearl, an elegant Chinese restaurant located in the Queen’s Quay Terminal at Harborfront. (We had a smaller turnout than anticipated due to illness and inclement weather.)
- Arlene K
SPEAKER: ARLENE CHAN | november 14, 2022
Our final Speaker event of 2022 took place on Monday, November 14, when we welcomed Toronto author and historian Arlene Chan as our guest speaker. Author of seven books about the history and culture of the Chinese in Canada, Arlene has a gift for illuminating the experiences, stories, cultural celebrations and traditions of Toronto’s Chinese community.
Arlene’s mother, Jean Lumb, who was the first Chinese Canadian to receive the Order of Canada, was the central theme of Arlene’s talk. Arlene illustrated her presentation with dozens of wonderful and rare photographs which vividly brought Jean Lumb to life, the Lumb family and the early days of Toronto’s Chinatown.
Members in the audience had some lively questions and comments for Arlene and quite a few were delighted to be able to share special moments from the past when they met Arlene’s mother, crossed paths with other members of her family, or visited the renowned Lumb family restaurant in Chinatown, Kwong Chow. Arlene’s fascinating talk left us all thinking about the special place that the vibrant Chinatown community has played and continues to play in Toronto’s history.
- Pam H
SPEAKER: ROSE DYSON | OCTOBER 17, 2022
On Monday, October 17, our guest speaker was Dr. Rose Dyson, Toronto-based author, educator, public speaker and activist. As the President of Canadians Concerned About Violence in Entertainment and the author of the book, “Mind Abuse: Media Violence and its Threat to Democracy”, Rose has carried out extensive research and amassed a wealth of knowledge about the pernicious effects of violence in popular culture and the media. In her talk, Rose illustrated the many ways in which violent online gaming, disaffected youth, and violence in schools.
Rose’s presentation was followed by a lively question and answer session, with audience members contributing many thought-provoking points to the discussion about media violence and its effects.
Speaker: Honourable Marvin Zucker | September 14, 2022
On September 14, 2022, UWC was happy to bring back in-person speaker events at the Faculty Club, with a talk by the Honourable Marvin Zuker, former Justice in the Ontario Court of Justice. Until his retirement in 2016, Marvin Zuker presided in the Ontario small claim, family and criminal courts, and he currently teaches in the Department of Leadership, Higher and Adult Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. He is the author of a number of books and articles examining the interaction between the law in Ontario and the more disadvantaged or vulnerable members of our society, such as women, children, disabled persons, and prison inmates. Taking inspiration for his talk from the words of Ruth Bader Ginsburg to “Fight For The Things You Care About”, Marvin outlined the many ways in which the fight for equality for women and children continues today. In recalling for us his many years of activism in the cause of women’s rights, he was able to point out the areas in which the law has changed over the years to improve the lot of women in Ontario, and also how there still remain many areas in which there has been little change over the decades.
Marvin noted that he has a special interest in improving educational opportunities for women, and so was very complementary about the work that UWC Toronto is doing through its advocacy group and scholarship program to further education for women. Marvin kindly provided us with a copy of his talk in pdf form. If you would like a copy, please email info@uwctoronto.ca and ask that Pam Horton forward one to you.
international dining: nove trattoria | september 21, 2022
The international dining group enjoyed a wonderful dinner at Nove Trattoria on September 21
scholarship reception | june 15, 2022
June 15 was certainly a most memorable evening. 100 scholars, family members, school staff and UWC Toronto members gathered to celebrate and honour our past and current scholarship recipients. What a delight to meet so many of our scholarship recipients, their families and supporters. Of our 39 scholars, 21 from over four years were able to attend. The room was filled with so much joy and so many smiles.
SPEAKERS: KATE CHUNG AND THEA KURDI | JUNE 13, 2022
“THE CRISIS IN ACCESSIBLE HOUSING – FOR ALL OF US”
On June 13, 2022, our guest speakers on Zoom were Kate Chung and Thea Kurdi, who collaborated in presenting “The Crisis in Accessible Housing – For All Of Us.”
Kate, a community activist who chairs the Housing Committee of the Older Women’s Network and co-chairs the Accessible Housing Network, opened up the talk. She presented us with some interesting facts about the shortage of accessible housing for Canadians who, because of aging or disability, are unable to find housing that is barrier-free, adaptable and accessible.
Thea, who is an accessibility and universal design consultant for the built environment and the President of the design firm DesignABLE Environments, followed with background information on Canada’s commitment to provide accessible housing, referring to the international, national, provincial and municipal legislation that governs housing standards. Thea introduced us to the concept of universal design in housing: the development of a set of design principles that make housing accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of age and ability.Thea rounded out her talk by showing us numerous photographs of successful residential projects that have used universal design to achieve the goals of accessibility, adaptability and “visitability,” creating environments that not only work successfully as homes for disabled persons but also work to welcome disabled persons as visitors.
Kate and Thea’s presentation was both interesting and informative, challenging us to think differently about disability and housing accessibility for all.
- Pam
annual general meeting | may 30, 2022
Our Annual General Meeting was held at The Faculty Club on May 30, and was very well attended. Presentations were given by Wendy McCallum, Susan Le Roy, Chris Ward, Marianne Anderson, Cindy Bromley and Susan Freeman. The meeting flowed smoothly and was concluded in less than one hour, which left time for everyone to mingle and get to know each other better. Many UWC members stayed to enjoy dinner in the Pub, which made a nice finish to the evening.
zoom speaker: amanda bittner | may 16, 2022
Our guest Zoom speaker on May 16 was Professor Amanda Bittner, a political psychologist, author and researcher who teaches at Memorial University in Newfoundland. In “Polarization of Politics and Voters’ Perceptions of Party Leaders”, Amanda led listeners through the fascinating research that she has been conducting on how voters in Canada, the U.S., Britain, Australia and New Zealand perceive political leaders and how those leaders are evaluated by the public on the basis of character and competence. Amanda explained that while sometimes the results of her research are unexpected, one reliable trend in recent years is clear: people who are “partisans” in support of a particular party or set of policies are becoming increasingly polarized about party leaders. A lively discussion about this trend followed Amanda’s talk, with Zoom participants observing how the trend applies to recent political leaders in Canadian and the U.S.
OUT and about: Cabbage town | may 13, 2022
A group of us enjoyed a wonderful tour of Cabbagetown in May, led by a guide from the ROM. Many thanks to Elizabeth Mowat and Heather Mitchell for their work.
zoom SPEAKER: GENEVIEVE GRAHAM | APRIL 19, 2022
On Tuesday, April 19, 2022, our Zoom speaker was Genevieve Graham, well known Canadian novelist and best-selling author of over a dozen books filled with Canadian history, romance and adventure. Already a great favourite of our UWC book club members, Genevieve was glad to answer questions about her inspirations and writing processes. It was fascinating to hear how an established author such as Genevieve puts together original ideas, historical research and vivid imagination to create the magic of a best-seller.
Genevieve introduced us to her most recently published novel, Bluebird. Moving from World War I in Europe, to postwar Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties, to current day Windsor, Ontario, it tells the story of a young nurse, a soldier and an intriguing family secret that resonates throughout many generations. Armed with extra inside information from Genevieve, our Thursday Morning Book club is looking forward to discussing another of her novels at its June meeting. Genevieve’s The Forgotten Home Child tells the moving true story of the thousands of destitute British Home Children who were shipped to Canada before World War II as a source of labour for Canadian farms and households. Check the “What’s On” pages of our next newsletter for further details about the Thursday Morning Book Club’s June meeting.
- Pam
out and about: Gardiner museum | April 8, 2022
The entry to the exhibition by Shary Boyle was an unexpected blue velvet curtain that led us into the theatre of her mind. Outside the Palace of Me was an interesting look at the forces that create our inner and outer selves. Masks, ceramic sculptures, and a coin-operated dancer were just a part of this exhibition. A monumental figure called Whiteness that shook her head from time to time couldn’t be missed. The whole presentation was intriguing and thought-provoking as a variety of themes were explored. A good time was had by all, and lunch at lovely and bright Clay Restaurant was delicious!
- Elizabeth Mowat
PUB NIGHT | MARCH 24, 2022
We had a fabulous turnout at our Pub Night in March!
OUT & ABOUT AT THE MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART | MARCH 17, 2022
On March 17th, a group of 17 members visited the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). On our guided tour we saw three exciting new exhibits, Jeffrey Gibson’s colourful and playful “I Am Your Relative”, Shirin Neshat’s “Land of Dreams” which featured incredibly powerful black and white photo portraits and Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ light filled “Summer” (including a floor installation made of candy!).
We highly recommend MOCA (and don’t miss a stop at the delightful café after for a pastry and coffee to complete the visit.)
- Marianne
ZOOM SPEAKER: DOROTHY MAZEAU | FEBRUARY 22, 2022
Community advocate, former architect and practicing realtor Dorothy Mazeau is the founder of Golden Home-Sharing Connections and its online database, Golden Girls Canada. Dorothy is an enthusiastic proponent of shared-home living, a housing solution for single mature adults looking for an economical, environmentally friendly, and community based way to share living space. In Dorothy's talk, "An Introduction to Home-Sharing", members learned what home-sharing is all about and discovered the benefits of engaging in this lifestyle.
Out and about: grange park | january 30, 2022
On January 30th, members braved the winter cold for a tour of Grange Park, led by Marianne.
ZOOM SPEAKER: ROSEMARY SADLIER | JANUARY 31, 2022
Author, educator, consultant and social justice advocate, Rosemary Sadlier has been instrumental in promoting the recognition of Black history and experience in Canada. As President of the Ontario Black History Society for 22 years, Rosemary played a central role in establishing Black History Month in Canada, which celebrates its 26th anniversary in February of 2022. Rosemary also worked to formalize the annual celebration in Ontario of August 1 as Emancipation Day, commemorating the 1834 abolition of slavery in Canada and other British colonies. She is at the forefront of a host of initiatives aimed at raising the awareness of Canadians, in particular young people and students, about Black history in this country.
ZOOM SPEAKER: LESLIE BECK | JANUARY 10, 2022
Leslie Beck is one of Canada’s leading nutritionists. A Registered Dietitian, she has authored twelve best-selling books about nutrition and healthy eating, and is a recognized authority on food issues, writing the weekly Food for Thought column in The Globe and Mail. Leslie is a sought-after commentator on television and radio and regularly contributes to CTV news and CBC radio. Her science-based recommendations and advice on diet and nutrition have helped thousands of individuals achieve their nutrition and diet goals.