WINTER SERIES 2026
January 28th to February 25th
When: Wednesdays – January 28, February 4, 11, 18 and 25
All live lectures are in-person at 10AM at The Westdale Theatre.
Time: 10 AM
Cost: $55.00 for all 5 lectures (including the recordings)
Includes lecture, Q&A and post lecture recording available for 2 weeks after the live lecture.
Post lecture recordings are available only to full series paid registrants; they are not available for single event walk-in registrants.
Single event walk-in registrations are available (space permitting) for $15.00 cash payment per person.
Program: 50 minute lecture followed by a question and answer session.
- January 28 – Mohawk College: Our Community’s Hidden Gem
- February 4 – Surfing Down the White Water of Indigenous Literature
- February 11 – In Your Face: The Science of Face Recognition and First Impressions
- February 18 – Birding: Counting The Life Lessons
- February 25 – Hamilton’s Past, Present and Future in Steel: Is This Tradition Worth Preserving?
(Recorded lectures are password protected, available for anytime access up to 2 weeks after the live lectures. No extensions will be applied after the 2 weeks. Paid registrants will receive an email after each lecture with access details and the required password.)
Winter Series 2026
Registration is Open!
Registration closes Friday January 23th, 5PM.
Bring a Friend for Free to any one of the 5 Fall Lectures.
This is a great opportunity for you to have a friend come along and introduce them to the unique HTAL experience.
Each paid registrant is entitled to bring one friend to any One of the 5 Lectures.
We will register your friend as a “walk in” registrant when you arrive at The Westdale Theatre, for that day. Nothing extra for you to do when you register online for yourself.
Paul Armstrong
January 28th, 2026 – 10AM
Join Mohawk College President Paul Armstrong for an engaging look at the evolution of Ontario’s college system — from its early roots to the vital role it plays today in driving innovation, skills development, and economic growth.
The talk will explore the challenges facing colleges in a rapidly changing world and highlight how Mohawk College is meeting them head-on through new programs, partnerships, and bold plans for the future
Paul Armstrong became the 9th President of Mohawk College in July 2024.
A proud alumnus, Paul began his journey at Mohawk as a student in the late 1980s. After graduating with diplomas in Radiological Technology (1988) and Medical Diagnostic Ultrasound (1989), he returned to the college as a faculty member in 1992. In 2013, his contributions to health sciences were honoured with an Alumni of Distinction Award.
Over his 30-year career at the college, Paul has played a central role in shaping the college’s growth and direction, holding senior roles, including Vice President Academic and Chief Operating Officer, and guiding Mohawk through major initiatives and forging lasting partnerships that have expanded the college’s impact on students, employers, and the communities it serves.
Paul led the development of the college’s current strategic plan, with a strong commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. He was a founding member of Canadian Colleges for a Resilient Recovery (C2R2), a coalition of 16 institutions working to prepare Canadians for the low-carbon economy. He currently serves as Co-Chair of the C2R2 Governance Committee.
Paul’s extensive experience continues to serve the college well as he leads it through the transition and change affecting colleges and universities across Canada. He was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Colleges and Institutes Canada. Paul is also the Past Chair of the Board for Skills Ontario. He is also the former Chair of the Industry Education Council of Hamilton.
He holds an MBA from Queen’s University and has completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
Drew Hayden Taylor
February 4th, 2026 – 10AM
How a kid from a small First Nation in Ontario ended up travelling the world spreading the gospel of Indigenous Literature.
Come hear the Whens, Wheres and Whys you need to know about Contemporary Indigenous Storytelling.
Drew Hayden Taylor is an award winning playwright novelist, scriptwriter, and filmmaker.
Born and living on the curve Lake First Nation, he has done everything from performing stand up comedy at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC, to serving as Artistic Director of Canada’s premiere Indigenous theatre company, Native Earth Performing Arts.
The author of 36 published books, Drew’s next project is the television version of his best selling novel, COLD.
Cathy Mondloch
February 11th, 2026 – 10AM
Faces matter. How good are you at recognizing people you’ve encountered just a few times (e.g., at the gym)?
Why do some people look very trustworthy and others look threatening?
Why is it hard to recognize some faces when we travel internationally?
Dr. Mondloch will take us through the science of face recognition and first impressions, and why face perception matters.
She’ll explain what we know about how face perception develops across our lifespan—from infancy to old age, and the impact it has on our culture, security, travel and personal lives. Her Face Perception Lab at Brock University sits at the intersection of development, perception, cognition, and social psychology.
Learn all about faces from one of the world’s leading voices on this fascinating topic.
Cathy Mondloch is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Brock University where she directs the Face Perception Lab. Professor Mondloch is a globally recognized expert in face perception.
She has published over 100 scientific papers examining various aspects of face perception, including face recognition, emotion perception, and first impressions of personality traits. Mondloch is among the world’s top 2 percent of most-cited scientists, with over 100 peer-reviewed publications.
Her work attracted the attention of CBC’s The Nature of Things (In Your Face episode) and she served as an expert with the Canadian TV show To Catch a Killer, the goal of which was to solve cold cases.
Marcie Jacklin
February 18th, 2026 – 10AM
Bird watching is the fastest growing hobby in North America with over 11% of Canadian households reporting birdwatching as an activity in 2021. With many apps, people can learn about birds in their neighbourhoods, parks and all around the world.
Birding provides many benefits like intellectual and physical challenges and mental well being. A surprise to some people is how bird watching can contribute to the economy, conservation, and science.
Marcie Jacklin brings 35-years of experience with birds and people who care about birds all over the world.
Marcie began bird watching in 1989 and since then has recorded over 3550 species in 21 countries. She is the proud recipient of multiple local and regional awards including the Canadian Wildlife Foundation 2021 Stan Hodgkiss Outdoorsperson on the Year Award.
She served as the Regional Coordinator for Niagara for the 2021-25 Breeding Bird Atlas for Ontario. She has been doing Christmas Bird Counts since 1989 as well as being on the Board of Directors for the annual Birds on the Niagara (Canada) Winter Festival, the Ontario Field Ornithologists, the Buffalo Ornithological Society, and several local field naturalists clubs.
She has been interviewed many times including this CBC news show https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6516636
Keanin Loomis
February 25th, 2026 – 10AM
- Hamilton's Past, Present and Future in Steel: Is This Tradition Worth Preserving?
- Keanin Loomis Biography
Hamilton has been and still is known as Steeltown.
This talk will discuss some of the background on how Hamilton became known for steel, whether the label is still applicable today and whether this tradition is worth preserving.
As the current President of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, Keanin will be able to provide valuable industry insights in addressing this question.
Keanin is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and the College of William and Mary School of Law. He practiced construction litigation in Washington, DC, before moving back to Canada and falling in love with his wife’s hometown.
In 2013, he was named President & CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and was twice recognized as the top executive in the Ontario Chamber of Commerce network before joining the OCC as VP Member Services in 2023. He was named President and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction in June of 2024.
Keanin sits as a Director of the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority, having been appointed by the Federal Government.
He and his wife, Trish, are proudly raising their three children in Hamilton’s Lower City.