Inspired Hibernation: Rethinking Winter Pastimes!
This event is offered livestream
Tuesdays February 6, 13, 20 and 27th, 1:30 – 3:00
This 4-part series in February will inspire you to make the most of this 2024 winter! Explore new pastimes, or revisit past interests… reading, travel, fitness and folk art, with knowledgeable and passionate speakers.
This series is easily accessible on Zoom. The link will be sent a week before the first session. The series will be recorded and available for a month following the end of the series.
Please join us on Zoom each Tuesday in February from 1:30 to 3 pm. to rethink your winter pastimes… no matter where you are in the world!
February 6: Painting from the Heart
Janet Ness, Local Artist and Entertainer
Join Janet as she explores the lives and styles of Maud Lewis and Rufus Porter, two folk art painters who shared their perspective of life through painting on unusual surfaces.
Both self-taught artists, one made his living going great distances house-to-house painting murals and portraits. The other never travelled more than 30 miles from her home.
Through their individually developed skills of folk-art painting, Canadian Maud Lewis captured the heart and soul of the things she loved and the world around her in paintings of ordinary life. American Rufus Porter transformed walls into scenes of his beloved New England, bringing the magnificence of the landscape to life with his use of perspective.
Be sure to have a pencil close at hand so you write down ideas that interest you. To conclude, Janet will share some simple ways to delve into the methods of both artists.
February 13: Staying Fit at Home at Any Age
Josh Hewett, Fitness Expert and Author
If you find staying fit a challenge, this session will underscore the benefits/risks of why it’s so important.
Josh Hewett is passionate about taking a holistic approach to health, and using exercise to increase strength, improve function, mobility and posture, while reducing risk of injury and physical discomfort. During this session, he will introduce the key considerations related to physical fitness for seniors: mobility, strength, cardiovascular fitness, balance, breathing, and nutrition. Josh will also demonstrate 4-5 basic movements in simple exercises for the audience to do at home.
February 20: Navigating the New World of Travel
Maryam Siddiqi, Travel Editor and Journalist
As a long-time travel editor, Maryam Siddiqi closely follows and writes about travel trends and how to travel successfully and responsibly. Please join her to hear a very current update on the travel landscape for Seniors today, and how to make your travel enriching, safe and magical, even in these uncertain times.
February 27: Not Your Grandmother’s Library
Pamela Pal, Alison Shroeder and Lauren Jessop, Barrie and Wasaga Beach Public Libraries
Embrace a new era of learning and leisure at your local library with our informative and engaging session! Discover new opportunities with your public library! From digital resources to creative endeavors, our session will show you the ways that libraries have adapted to meet community needs. Learn about e-books and audiobooks, delve into educational databases, and get acquainted with tech-savvy tools for research and leisure.
Speakers
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Janet Ness
Janet has always led an active and involved life teaching elementary school, singing professionally, creating personal art at home, and participating in as much community theatre as she could possibly squeeze in.
She currently enjoys her busy schedule of directing and designing sets for Kempenfelt Community Players’ productions. She is the vocalist of Barrie’s 18-piece “Baytowne Big Band”, the jazz group “Getting 2BA Habit” and the rock and roll favourites dance party band, “Cadillac Crew.” When painting at home she likes to work in acrylics and watercolour using colours she hopes will brighten environments and elevate moods.
She loves to cook, play mahjong, and enjoy her backyard on a beautiful warm and sunny afternoon. -
Josh Hewett
Josh Hewett is a certified personal trainer, fitness professional, public speaker, author, and the owner of Top Form Fitness. He has been working in the fitness industry for over 20 years and has helped hundreds of people reach their health and fitness goals.
His qualifications include personal training certifications, a degree in Kinesiology, and experience training a wide variety of clients both privately and with various organizations. He has worked with clients at their homes, private studios, fitness clubs, high performance training centers, rehab facilities, and his own private home studio.
Josh believes in a holistic approach to health and wellness, integrating mindful movement, body awareness, breathwork, and nutrition to improve one’s physical health as well as mental and emotional wellbeing. He is passionate about using exercise to increase strength, improve function, mobility and posture, while reducing risk of injury and physical discomfort. See more about Josh on his website, www.Top-Form-Fitness.com -
Maryam Siddiqi
Maryam Siddiqi is an award-winning lifestyle editor and writer based in Toronto. She focuses on cities, culture, wellness and the social impact of travel. She is a regular contributor to The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Elle Gourmet among other publications, and has appeared as a travel expert on CBC News Network and CBC radio. She has 20 years of experience leading teams in content creation as an editor. You can follow her on Instagram @Discover Provenance.
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Pamela Pal
Maryam Siddiqi
Maryam Siddiqi is an award-winning lifestyle editor and writer based in Toronto. She focuses on cities, culture, wellness and the social impact of travel. She is a regular contributor to The Globe and Mail, Toronto Star and Elle Gourmet among other publications, and has appeared as a travel expert on CBC News Network and CBC radio. She has 20 years of experience leading teams in content creation as an editor. You can follow her on Instagram @Discover Provenance.Pamela Pal
After spending 13 years in the magazine publishing industry as the Editor-in-Chief of four different titles including the internationally distributed Oxygen Magazine focussing on women’s fitness, the arrival of small children caused Pam to relocate and reconsider her priorities and career interests. An avid reader, Pam had not spent significant time in libraries since post-secondary days. Visiting her local library and then volunteering raised her awareness of what modern libraries provide their communities. A newfound interest in supporting her municipality led Pam to work at the library and fast track learning opportunities, including a Masters of Library and Information Science, as well as the Public Library Leaders program. Pam has worked in the library industry for 12 years in different roles, including five years as the CEO of Wasaga Beach Public Library. As the CEO, she has managed some major changes including a new brand, website and as of late January, the opening of a new larger facility.
Pam is passionate about libraries and the role they play in their communities. As far as she is concerned, libraries are unsung superheros; they bravely overcome societal obstacles while consistently bolstering their municipalities through education, enlightenment, and entertainment. There is more going on at the library than just borrowing books. -
Alison Shroeder
Alison Schroeder is the Director, Customer Experience at Barrie Public Library. She has a Masters of Information Studies form University of Toronto. Alison is responsible for supervision and management of the public facing services of the library including circulation, information services, public use of facilities, programming, outreach and Information Barrie. She implements, monitors, evaluates and enhances library services to ensure they meet the public’s needs and the strategic goals of the library.
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Lauren Jessop
Lauren Jessop is the CEO at the Barrie Public Library. She has a Masters degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Western Ontario. At the Barrie Public Library, Lauren is responsible for working with management and the Library Board to advocate for the library, set strategic directions, disperse the budget as directed by the Board, and to ensure the Library is providing a high level of library service.