With daylight savings happening this weekend and some sun and sidewalks coming into view, it sure seems like spring is actually on its way — a welcome sight to most of us, I am sure.
Along with the springtime comes the spring Third Age Learning series from Lakehead University’s Office of Community Engagement. This offering comes with the support of the Canadian Federation of University Women Muskoka.
The five-part series is titled China and the World and will explore China’s economy, recent history and culture with different experts speaking each week, all via Zoom.
Speakers will include academics and experts in different areas regarding China, as well as journalist and author Jan Wong, who wrote the book Red China Blues: My Long March from Mao to Now, which was named one of Time magazine's top 10 books of 1996. It remains banned in China. Her latest book is Apron Strings: Navigating Food and Family in France, Italy, and China (2017).
Also speaking will be former Orillians Derek and Susan Irwin, who were instrumental in launching the Lakehead Orillia campus in 2006. Twelve years ago, they moved their family to Ningbo, China, where Derek is now head of school in education and English at the University of Nottingham Ningbo, and Susan is a doula and a health-care liaison at a private clinic in Ningbo. They will be joined by their daughter, Georgia, who — after growing up in China and becoming fluent in Mandarin — chose to stay and pursue post-secondary education there.
This will be another fascinating and educational series from Lakehead’s Third Age Learning group. It starts March 30 and runs via Zoom for five Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. Cost is still $59. For more information and to register, click here.
Also recently announced, and usually a sign of February, but… COVID… is the Mariposa Folk Festival’s Evening of Blues and Gospel, with Lance Anderson and many friends. This year is the tenth anniversary of this incredible show, and it will be April 9 at the Orillia Opera House.
Lance has a lot of very talented friends, and they and he pull out all the stops every year at this amazing event. This year a young and mind-blowingly talented multi-instrumentalist, Quincy Bullen, will headline the show. Also featured are Ryan and Sam Weber, from The Hawks, Selena Evangeline, Andrew Stewart, Kevan McKenzie, and, of course, Lance himself.
Tickets are a ridiculously reasonable $30 and are available through the Orillia Opera House box office here. This show will likely sell out, so grab your tickets today.
