Land O' Lakes Speakers' Forum

The Speaker's Forum is organized by the Cloyne and District Historical Society and Lions Club of Land O' Lakes partnership. Starting in April and extending to September, expert speakers will be invited to talk on a variety of general interest topics. A different speaker and topic will be chosen each month. Topics will include Art and Art Restoration, Geology and Local Mines, Armed Forces Cargo and Search and Rescue, Climate Change as well as Financial Investing. Truly, this event has something for everyone!

We acknowlege generous funding for this event from the County of Lennox & Addington Activation Fund! Thank you for your support!

Speakers will begin at 7 pm with a Q&A ending at approximately 8:30. Doors are open at 6:30 pm.

Attendance is free. Space is limited so register early.

April 12, 2023: The evening will start at 6:15 pm with the Inauguration of the Friendship Arch. Beginning at 7 pm, Art Consultant Ray Charbonneau will discuss what is art, art restoration, how to properly hang art and should you buy art.

May 10, 2023: Cayla Darling will be replacing Garry Smith as our guest speaker. Garry is experiencing an unexpected illness. We wish him a speedy recovery. Cayla Darling has over three years of experience in the environmental field in restoration, invasive species management, Species-at-Risk and vegetation monitoring, and GIS analysis. Cayla is an Certified Ontario Wetland Evaluator and has completed several delineations with Blazing Star.

June 14, 2023: LCol Dana Sliwinski is a Commanding Officer of the RCAF and will speak on International Cargo. LCol Jean-Paul Landry is Commanding Officer of 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron, RMC and will speak on Search & Rescue.

July 12, 2023: Dr. Robert McLeman is an expert on Climate Change . He will discuss what effects Climate Change will have on Eastern Ontario and specifically the Land O' Lakes region.

August 9, 2023: Constable David Yome has been a police officer for 15 years. He will be speaking on fraud on how to avoid fraud that is so prevalent in our community today. Constable Yome is currently the OPP Community Safety/Media Relations/Marine Office for the County of Lennox & Addington.

September 13, 2023: Jacqueline Power is the Assistant Vice-President of Tax and Estate Planning at Mackenzie Investments. Every individual needs to prepare a will and appoint an executor, and people often appoint their children as both executors and beneficiaries. Join us for more details on how to properly gather up the estate assets, pay the debts of the deceased, and divide what remains of the estate among the beneficiaries.

Ray has spent 40+ years working in the Fine Art industry. Based in Toronto his work has taken him all over North America and beyond. He has had the pleasure of working with galleries and museum as well as private, corporate and government art collections. His experiences also include working with artists, curators, registrars, archives, exhibitions, auctions, appraisals, designers, architects, framing, conservation, installation, lighting, packing, moving, and storage.

What is fine art? Are art gallery openings the same as in the movies? How much is something worth? What is the right height to hang a painting? What are the most expensive things you have worked with? Should you buy art?

Cayla Darling has over three years of experience in the environmental field in restoration, invasive species management, Species-at-Risk and vegetation monitoring, and GIS analysis. Cayla is an Certified Ontario Wetland Evaluator and has completed several delineations with Blazing Star. She has experience in conducting Environmental Impact Studies and has coordinated several large-scale vegetation monitoring projects.

In her spare time Cayla likes to hike, camp, kayak, and curl up with a good book.

LCol Dana Sliwinski is Commanding Officer of Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron, Royal Military College of Canada. Sliwinski has completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiology from McGill University. She is a recent graduate of the Joint Command and Staff Program at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, Ontario, and also holds a Masters of Defense Studies from Royal Military College of Canada. She will speak on the role played by the Royal Canadian Air Force Squadron in international Cargo and the challenges and procedures.

LCol Jean-Paul Landry is Commander of 424 Transport & Rescue Squadron, Royal Military College of Canada. LCol Landry is a graduate of the Joint Command and Staff Program and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Defense Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada. LCol Landry will speak on Search and Rescue across Ontario, Canada, Europe and the united States the planes used in the missions, challenges and procedures.

Dr. Robert McLeman is Professor of Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University. He specializes in research on the impacts of climate change on people and communities in Canada, and has authored multiple reports and studies on climate change in eastern Ontario. He is a Coordinating Lead Author for the most recent Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Ontario’s climate is changing rapidly. Winters are becoming shorter and milder, summers are becoming hotter and drier, and the weather generally is becoming more extreme and less predictable. What are the implications for forests, water, and biodiversity in the Land O’Lakes, and how will it affect the economic and social wellbeing of the people who live and vacation here? Using lots of local examples, Professor McLeman will answer these questions and suggest options for building a climate-resilient community.

Dr. McLeman was also instrumental in the formation of Rinkwatch.org

RinkWatch is a citizen science research initiative that asks people who love outdoor skating to help environmental scientists monitor winter weather conditions and study the long-term impacts of climate change. Launched by researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University in January 2013, participants from across North America have submitted information about skating conditions on more than 1,400 outdoor rinks and ponds. In addition to contributing valuable data to environmental science, RinkWatch has become an online community for people who love making backyard and community rinks.

I have been a police officer for 15 years and I am pleased to speak about fraud and public safety.

I started out policing in 2008 with the RCMP in Stettler Alberta, where I was a general duty officer and school resource officer. I then transferred to Wetaskwin Alberta where I was a Integrated Traffic Services (ITU) officer doing traffic enforcement in partnership with the Alberta Sheriffs. I then transferred to Toronto, Ontario where I was a Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) officer doing investigations into terrorism and threats to Canada. I then retired from the RCMP and joined the OPP moving back to Ontario. I have been with the Lennox and Addington County OPP for almost three years where I am now the Community Safety/Media Relations/Marine Officer.

Jacqueline Power is Assistant Vice-President, Tax and Estate Planning at Mackenzie Investments. Jacqueline joined the team as a Bilingual Specialist in 2011 and has been with Mackenzie Investments for over 20 years. Jacqueline works with financial advisors to help them with their tax and estate planning needs. She regularly meets with advisors and investors to do presentations and to answer their questions and provide updates on recent tax and estate changes. Jacqueline has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.

This session covers all the executor’s role, duties, liabilities, and compensation, as well as who to consider for appointment. Every individual needs to prepare a will and appoint an executor, and people often appoint their children as both executors and beneficiaries. Join us for more details on how to properly gather up the estate assets, pay the debts of the deceased, and divide what remains of the estate among the beneficiaries.