Monthly Meetings
Unless advised otherwise, meetings are normally on the 2nd Thursday eve of the month at Fairfield Senior’s Centre from September through to May.
Our Speakers
A popular part of our Monthly meetings, our speakers are both thought provoking and interesting.
General Meetings
We are back in September. Hope you had a great summer 😎
We will meet at Fairfield Senior’s Centre in person on Thursday, September 10 at 6:30 pm. This will be our traditional Interest Group Sign-up Meeting. If you are a returning member, you can reconnect with old friends. If you are new or considering joining, we’re glad you are coming!
Please bring a mug for tea or coffee.
Normally our in-person meetings start at
7.00 pm – Snacks and social time, then welcome and introductions.
7.30 pm – Our Speaker followed by business meeting. Bring your own mug.
There will be name tags for new members to pick up.
2026-2027 Land Acknowledgement
We meet on land in Etobicoke and acknowledge that this land is the ancestral home of the Wendat, Anishinaabe, Houdenosaunee, most recently the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and which is still the home for many indigenous people from across Turtle Island. We support the Truth and Reconciliation process, and hope that diverse peoples may better share the land, its wealth, and incredible resources. We are grateful to learn, understand and grow alongside Indigenous peoples.
Our 2026-27 Inspiring Speakers
October 8, 2026:
Speaker: Colonel Melanie Lake, MSM, CD
Colonel Melanie Lake graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a degree in Chemical Engineering and a Masters in Defence Studies.
She has served in all three Combat Engineer Regiments in Canada, including as the Commanding Officer of 2 Combat Engineer Regiment in Petawawa, ON. Col Lake has served as an instructor at the Canadian
Forces Leadership and Recruit School, a Human Intelligence operator, Senior Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff and oversaw Engineer Operations and Plans at the Canadian Joint Operations
Command.
She deployed to Afghanistan three times under NATO’s International Security Assistance Force and on two domestic operations including as the Joint Task Force Commander for Operation WINISK. In March
2021, she assumed command of Operation UNIFIER, the Canadian Military Training Mission in Ukraine. She was awarded a Meritorious Service Medal for her work as the Task Force Commander as well as citations from Ukraine’s Minister of Defence, Commander of the National Guard of Ukraine, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine. She was sanctioned by Russia in 2022 for her role in training the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In 2024, she was named one of Canada’s Top Women in Defence.
Col Lake served for three years as the CAF Senior Advisor to Canada’s Ambassador for Women, Peace and Security with Global Affairs Canada and subsequently as the Deputy Director of the Directorate of
Canadian Army Personnel Management (CA G1). She currently serves as the Joint Force Engineer for CAF’s new Joint Force Command. She recently completed her 3 year term as Deputy Chair of the NATO
Committee on Gender Perspective Executive Committee and is a member of the Women in International Security-Canada Advisory Council. She is passionate about centering people in every security issue. Col Lake is a mom to a very spirited young daughter named Avi.
November 12, 2026:
Topic: Women in
the Modern and Past Space Industry.
Speakers: Katerina Osztertag and Li Granite from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada (RASC) Toronto Centre.
Katerina Osztertag is a physics and astronomy teacher with a background in observational astronomy. She holds a B.Sc. in Astrophysics from McMaster University and an M.Sc. in Astrophysics from Liverpool John Moores University. Her research focussed on the optical and polarization properties of blazars, using data from the Liverpool telescope in the Canary Islands. In addition to her research and teaching, Katerina works as a Visitor Experience Attendant at the David Dunlop Observatory and volunteers with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, where she is passionate about astronomy education and public outreach!
Li Granite is a current M.Sc. student at the University of Edinburgh, focusing on Archaeology and Classics, with a focus on Ancient Archaeoastronomy. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Toronto, where her publications include “Collaborative Archaeology: A Cognitive Case” and “Hildegund and Joseph”. As part of her speaking series, Li has taken part in a multitude of Canadian campaigns nationwide including Pathways for Education, Tim Hortons, and Advocates in Motion amongst others. She is the recipient of the University of Toronto’s Howard Ferguson Award and the University of Waterloo’s Certificate of Distinction.
For more information about the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Toronto Centre see: https://rascto.ca
January 2027:
Topic:
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February 2027:
Topic:
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MARCH 2027:
Topic: Our Annual Resolution Meeting
Please join us for this Annual Resolution Meeting.
April 2027:
Topic: