History Takes Centre Stage at Algonquin College Virtual Speaker Series
Posted on Wednesday, August 3rd, 2022
Canada’s worst day of World War ll highlights the Algonquin College virtual speaker series as the country marks the 80th anniversary of the ill-fated Dieppe raid. In a single day, more than 900 Canadian lives were lost on August 19, 1942 while another 3,460 Canadian soldiers were wounded and almost 2,000 were taken prisoner.
Author Hugh Brewster has written two books about the Dieppe raid and has joined other researchers in poring over the details of the disastrous mission and pondered why it had to happen. Brewster will share new insights into the raid through stories he was told when he befriended several Dieppe veterans during his research and his visit to the French port of Dieppe where the massacre occurred. His presentation is scheduled for Thursday, August 18.
Two nights earlier, on Tuesday, August 16, the College’s speaker series will mark the 45th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley. The ‘King of Rock and Roll’ almost exclusively performed in the United States, but on three occasions in 1957 he travelled North of the border where he was greeted by enthusiastic Canadian audiences. Author Brandon Yip has researched and written about the three Canadian tour stops in Toronto, Ottawa and Vancouver and will share stories about the Elvis Canadian experience and why it was controversial.
On Wednesday, September 14, author Christopher Dummitt presents “Knowing Too Much about a Dead Canadian Prime Minister” when he digs into the life of Canada’s longest serving head of state, Mackenzie King. The diaries of Mackenzie King exposed the very private life of the Prime Minister and Dummit believes it led Canadians to rethink the boundaries between the public and the private and what counts as important information in judging public figures.
The final presentation in the history series will cover the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 when American President John F. Kennedy and Soviet Union Premier Nikita Khruschchev squared off over Cuba. It is often referred to as “13 Days in October,” a time when the world held its breath as the two leaders threatened nuclear strikes. In his presentation on Thursday, October 13, journalist Andrew Cohen questions why it happened, what we learned from this terrifying brinkmanship and six decades later, whether we could be facing another nuclear crisis over Ukraine?
The Algonquin College Speaker Series has been bringing interesting people, including authors, journalists, scientists and high-profile public personalities to the Pembroke Campus for more than 25 years. Speaking events have historically been held on campus, but since the COVID-19 pandemic began, the campus has moved to a virtual speaker series platform which makes the series more accessible to anyone who has internet connectivity.
Tickets for any of the upcoming speaker series are available online and all of the virtual presentations are being made available free to seniors 60 years of age and older. All of the presentations begin at 7 p.m. (EST)
(Posted by Jamie Bramburger, Manager of Community and Student Affairs)
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