april - may 2019

​| HRM | Chester | Mahone Bay | Liverpool | Truro | 

HRM classes

1. Birds of Nova Scotia – Chris Field - THIS COURSE IS FULL
Birds of Nova Scotia – Chris Field
Tuesdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 23 to May 28
Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, Room 15, 6199 Chebucto Road, Halifax

Course Description
The course will introduce the student to the birds of Nova Scotia starting with a brief discussion of the evolution and ecology of birds. We then will look at keys for identifying the typical birds of NS by sight and by sound. An important question for all birders is how to assess the changes in bird populations due to changing environments. A next step is to identify the threats that birds face locally and when they migrate. We then look at land birds at risk in Nova Scotia and try to identify some possible underlying causes for their population decline. Hopefully and weather dependent, one of the classes will be conducted as a local field trip to enjoy our birds in their natural setting. I anticipate that two of the lectures will be facilitated by two local bird experts.
 
Instructor Biography
Dr. Chris Field is Professor Emeritus of Statistics at Dalhousie and has been an active birder for about 40 years. He has published several papers on birds in collaboration with Professor Ian McLaren, a well-known ornithologist at Dalhousie. Much of his most recent research has been on issues arising from the biological sciences. You can see his research interests and publications at https://www.mathstat.dal.ca/~field/wiki/doku.php.
​2. Our civil Engineering Heritage: from Living in Caves to Mega Projects – Bruce Adamson
Our Civil Engineering Heritage: from Living in Caves to Mega Projects – Bruce Adamson
Tuesdays 1:00 PM-4:00 PM (4 wks) Apr 30 to May 21
Captain William Spry Community Centre - CMPR, 16 Sussex Street, Halifax

​Course Description
Throughout the world there are many engineering landmarks, built hundreds or thousands of years ago, that tourists can visit. Taken in chronological order they illustrate the progression of materials and technologies available through the ages.  Some mark significant advances for their time.  With the assistance of travel photos, sketches, maps and technical explanation, this course presents a selection of marvelous works from the Stone Age to the present.  The course will be a travelogue seen through the eyes of an engineer with a love of history.  This course will run over 4 weeks instead of 6, and each class will be 3 hours.
 
Instructor Biography
Bruce Adamson is a civil engineer who practiced in Northwestern Ontario for 45 years, primarily as Regional Engineer with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources.  His work included river regulation, design and construction management of numerous dams, roads and bridges.  He taught courses across Canada and the US about proper design and construction of “fish friendly stream crossings”.  Bruce has a keen interest in engineering history.  He enjoys sharing the experience and knowledge learned with others.
​3. Spy School 301 - Ian MacVicar - THIS COURSE IS FULL
Spy School 301 – Ian MacVicar
Tuesdays 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 23 to June 4, no class on May 7
Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, Room 15, 6199 Chebucto Road, Halifax

Course Description
 Spy School 301, “The Psychology of Intelligence Analysis,” examines the psychological aspects of intelligence analysis, agent recruitment, deception, fake news/propaganda, military and political failures, and security planning.  Biases, distorted thinking patterns, and mitigation strategies, such as Structured Analytic Techniques are explained in historical context. Practical thinking exercises are used to illustrate the course content.
​
Instructor Biography
Dr. Ian MacVicar is the Director/Principal Analyst of Ian MacVicar Universal Security Intelligence Cognitive Solutions (I-MUSICS) Consulting, Inc., which hosts 15 networked consultants from military, police, business, legal, and healthcare backgrounds.  Dr. MacVicar is a Royal United Services Institute Nova Scotia Research Fellow, specializing in intelligence and security policy issues.  Dr. MacVicar has presented his research on cognitive traps (i.e., distortions in thinking) in security planning at conferences in the United Kingdom and Canada.  His SCANS SpySchool 101 and 201 lectures specialize in the history of intelligence, espionage, and associated legal oversight regimes.  He has published articles on leadership, human security, and the Responsibility to Protect doctrine.  Ian has also presented on how to develop psychological resilience in leaders to government and business audiences.  LCol MacVicar has served for over 40 years in the Canadian Armed Forces in Field Artillery, Chemical Biological Radiological Defence, Arms Control infantry, and as a Cadet Instructor.  He is a 2017 graduate of the Veteran Trainers to Eradicate Child Soldiers (VTECS) program, and his current research includes developing intelligence protocols for addressing the phenomenon of child soldiers.  He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Halifax Military Heritage Preservation Society, the Army Cadet League of Nova Scotia (Ex-Officio), and the Canadian Military Intelligence Association Halifax Chapter, where he acts as Director Academic Outreach.
4. Bach to Beatles: Evolution of the Guitar – Vladimir Sitnikov
Bach to Beatles: Evolution of the Guitar – Vladimir Sitnikov
Wednesdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) May 01 to Jun 05
‡ Sackville Public Library, 636 Sackville Dr, Lower Sackville ‡

​Course Description           
From Bach to Beatles is a musical journey that starts in Germany and Italy of Baroque period, moves around Western and Eastern Europe of Classical and Romantic Periods, with longer stop in Spain with Flamenco music. Next stop is Latin America with beats of Salsa, Samba and Tango. Last stop is North America, where students listen and learn great sounds of Jazz, Blues and Contemporary music. Each lesson is a mini concert, with live music played by instructor.
 
Instructor Biography
Vladimir Sitnikov is a professional musician, composer and guitar player. Before moving to Canada in 1997, Vladimir graduated from Rostov State Conservatory in Russia and toured across Europe with the Bis Band.
In Canada Vladimir continued his music career, performing classical and jazz guitar concerts all across Canada, including Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto and Dalhousie University in Halifax. He released 4 solo CD’s as well as collaborated with many other musicians, performing on TV and radio stations, including CBC.
Currently Vladimir plays concerts, teaches guitar at Talent Studio, and directs the Shining Lights Choir, all in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
​5. Claude Debussy and the Transition from Musical Romanticism to Modern – Walter Kemp
Claude Debussy and the Transition from Musical Romanticism to Modern – Walter Kemp
Wednesdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 24 to May 29
Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, Room 15, 6199 Chebucto Road, Halifax

Course Description
Claude Debussy’s encounters with the new movements of French and British poetry, literature, theatre, painting and aesthetics, and how his music helped shape 20th century creative arts. There will be examples from poetry and painting to illustrate his musical compositions. A knowledge of musical notation is not a prerequisite for this course.
 
Instructor Biography
Dr. Walter H. Kemp has a Ph.D. from Oxford University, an M.A. from Harvard, and a B.Mus. and M. Mus from The University of Toronto.  His musical career encompasses: founder-chair of the Music Department, Waterloo Lutheran University; retired full professor and Chair of the Department of Music, Dalhousie, and Director of the Dalhousie Chorale; former Director of Music Saint Paul’s Anglican Church and the Kings College Chapel. He is now Inglis Professor, University of King's College; Conductor of the Walter Kemp Singers; Choral Director Emeritus of the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo, and Honorary Vice-President of the Royal Canadian College of Organists. His principal present activity is as Artistic and Administrative Director of Opera Nova Scotia, conducting performances and giving free public lectures on opera.  He continues his over 30 years of service as broadcaster on Dalhousie’s campus community radio station CKDU-FM. He was presented the 2015 Portia White Award in recognition of his cultural service to the Province.
6. Nature Conservation – Martin Willison
Nature Conservation – Martin Willison
Wednesdays 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 24 to May 29
Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, Room 15, 6199 Chebucto Road, Halifax

Course Description
There are millions of diverse life forms on Earth, living together in complex inter-dependent communities. We live in the Anthropocene, a geological period marked by a spasm of extinction. In this course, we will examine why we need to reduce the rate of extinction and how we can do it. A holistic approach will be taken, integrating both natural sciences and humanities. The course will be richly illustrated with examples of nature conservation projects (such as protected areas and species recovery plans) with a special focus on Nova Scotia. Conservation of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity will be examined.
 
Instructor Biography
Martin Willison is a retired Dalhousie University professor currently appointed as an Adjunct Professor. In 1976 he was appointed as an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department and subsequently held a wide range of appointments including as Full Professor in Biology (Faculty of Science), School for Resource and Environmental Studies (Faculty of Management), and the Marine Management Program (Faculty of Graduate Studies). He has taught several courses for SCANS and enjoys the experience.
7. Astronomy Part 2 – Gary Welch
Astronomy Part 2 – Gary Welch
Thursdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 25 to May 30
Parkland Clayton Park, Cameron Hall, 114 Fairfax Drive, Halifax

​Course Description
Although Astronomy, Part 2 builds on the background presented in Part 1 you will still enjoy this course if you missed the first part.  Astronomy, Part 2 voyages into regions strange and wonderful, addressing some perennially fascinating questions such as: Are we alone? What is the fate of our earth?  What is dark matter?  We'll learn about the lives of stars, and about their bizarre deaths.  Why does a star explode in a supernova?  What are neutron stars, pulsars and black holes, and what convinces astronomers that they actually exist?  We'll examine our home galaxy - the Milky Way - and learn about the uncountable other galaxies of deep space.  Finally, we confront the universe as a whole: Cosmology.  How do we know that the universe is expanding, and what does “expanding” really mean?  Did the Universe have a beginning?  What will happen in the far future?  Is ours the only universe?
 
Instructor Biography
A native of California, Gary Welch immigrated to Halifax in 1974 to help found the astronomy program at Saint Mary's University.  He is now Professor Emeritus in the Department of Astronomy and Physics.  During his career at Saint Mary's Dr. Welch used telescopes in space and on earth to help understand the lives of galaxies.  He taught courses ranging from introductory astronomy for first-year arts majors to specialty topics for post-graduate students; he also enjoyed giving presentations to Metro area secondary schools as part of the Dalhousie University program Scientists and Innovators in the Schools.
8. Understanding Consumer Behaviour: Can People Make Better Choices in Life? – Tony Schellinck - THIS COURSE IS FULL
Understanding Consumer Behaviour: Can People Make Better Choices in Life? – Tony Schellinck
Thursdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 25 to May 30
Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, Room 15, 6199 Chebucto Road, Halifax

Course Description
Every moment of every day we are consuming goods and services. Consumption behaviour is our most predominant activity. Why do we consume particular products? Can we and others consume them in a way that is better for us and the world around us? By understanding some basic principles around consumer behaviour, you will be better able to appreciate why people purchase and consume the way they do. From a practical point of view, you should observe human behaviour differently after taking this course. There will be several opportunities to apply your knowledge and to undertake simple observational research during the course for those class members interested in collecting data for discussion and analysis in the classroom.
​
Instructor Biography
Tony Schellinck has a PhD in Consumer Psychology from the University of Illinois and taught Consumer Behaviour at Dalhousie University for two decades. During much of his career he applied basic principles of consumer behaviour in a wide range of areas, including work for the Consumers Association of Canada, the Advertising Standards Council of Canada, and the Canadian Standards Association. As well, he conducted research for many of Canada’s largest corporations. A recipient of the Financial Post Leader in Management Education award, he is currently CEO of Focal Research Consultants Limited conducting consumer research in countries around the world.
9. Understanding Human Evolution – Barnett Richling
Understanding Human Evolution – Barnett Richling  
Thursdays 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 25 to May 30
Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts, Room 15, 6199 Chebucto Road, Halifax

​Course Description
Ever since the first remains of “Neanderthal Man” came to light nearly 200 years ago, the steady accumulation of fossils, artefacts, and other types of evidence from Africa, Asia, and Europe has yielded a great wealth of knowledge of the human family tree, and with it, a good many surprises and unanswered questions. This course, six lectures altogether, offers a primer on the evolution of our species, Homo sapiens, a development whose beginnings reach back many millions of years. Starting with basic concepts of biological evolution, lectures move on to examine some key discoveries, past and present, and what they reveal about our common ancestry. At the same time, they will also consider what the unfolding story of our origins might tell us about what it is to be human.
 
Instructor Biography
Barnett Richling is an anthropologist of the old school, one who considers himself a general practitioner in a field grown too specialized for its own good. Most recently a professor at the University of Winnipeg, he also taught for many years at Mount Saint Vincent. Now retired, he is eternally grateful to be liberated from endless meetings and administrative busywork.
10. An Abbreviated Beginner’s Guide to The Florentine Renaissance – Greg Galbraith - THIS COURSE IS FULL
An Abbreviated Beginner’s Guide to The Florentine Renaissance – Greg Galbraith
Thursdays 1:30 PM-3:30 PM (6 wks) Apr 25 to May 30
Parkland Clayton Park, Cameron Hall, 114 Fairfax Drive, Halifax

Course Description
This course is a six-week visual romp examining the history and role that Florence played in the Italian Renaissance.  Beginning with Dante and ending with the death of Grand Duke Cosimo I in 1574, time will be given to the significant events, notable personalities, and the underlying spirit that spurred an expansion of thought, creativity and commerce that rivaled, if not surpassed, the Classical World. At the heart of the course will be the contributions of the Florentine painters, sculptors and architects whose works still entice 10 million tourists annually to Florence.
 
Instructor Biography
Greg Galbraith is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick who thoroughly enjoyed 34 years teaching secondary school English, history and physical education in Vancouver and Halifax. Early in his career he was asked to develop a new Western Civilization 12 course that radically changed his approach to learning and teaching. Being a visual learner who loves stories, he began taking art history courses and soon realized that images, particularly of art and architecture, greatly enhanced his students’ interest and ability to recall significant events/eras. Frequent trips to Italy, with and without students, fostered his passion for the Italian Renaissance, a topic he has lectured on frequently since retiring from teaching in 2014.
11. Around the World in 80 Days - a 19th Century Photographic Journey  - Alan Griffiths - THIS COURSE IS FULL
Around the World in 80 Days - a 19th Century Photographic Journey  - Alan Griffiths
Fridays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 26 to May 31
Parkland Clayton Park, Cameron Hall, 114 Fairfax Drive, Halifax

Course Description
At 8:45 P.M. on Wednesday, October 2, 1872, Fogg accompanied by his valet Passepartout set out by train to travel "Around the World in 80 Days." Such was the task of our intrepid heroes in the novel of Jules Verne as they strove to win a bet of 20,000 pounds. In this course there will be perils and excitement along the way as it follows the route they traveled through London, Egypt, India, Hong Kong, Japan, America and back to the UK. Instead of train and steamer tickets we will follow the route somewhat loosely, taking dangerous detours to ruins, meeting odd characters and participating in political upheavals and see the world through the photography of the time. We'll look into the history of photography in the different countries we tumble across and ponder why they were so different. It will be an enjoyable jaunt through the Victorian world of around 1872.
 
Instructor Biography
Alan Griffiths started out as a prehistoric archaeologist specializing in animal movements in Sardinia. Realizing that it is difficult to make a living in this field he moved into computer consultancy and academic research. He lectured at Sheffield University in the UK on Multimedia, was a visiting lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh and a Visiting Professor at the University of Massachusetts in addition to giving lectures widely. He has consulted for the British Library, NATO, IBM, Hewlett Packard and was the Chief Information Officer for an ill-fated dot com start-up in the USA.
He has been interested in photography for many years and created www.luminous-lint.com in 2005 to help explore the history in some depth. To date photographs from almost 3,000 organizations, photographers, photographic galleries and private collectors around the world have been included. This allows users to explore an ever-expanding online history through over 700 online exhibitions, numerous biographies, techniques, timelines and a visually rich website. Luminous-Lint includes over a thousand parallel and interlinked histories of photography and it is used by major institutions around the world.
12. Health and Health Care, a Critical Introduction – Rami Rudnick
Health and Health Care, a Critical Introduction – Rami Rudnick  
Fridays 1:30 PM-3:30 PM (6 wks) Apr 26 to May 31
Parkland at the Lakes - Phase 2, Kinross Hall Theatre, 122 Baker Drive, Dartmouth

Course Description
This course introduces critical thinking about health and health care (with suggested reading such as http://www.intechopen.com/books/bioethics-in-the-21st-century). This is interesting intellectually, to consider fundamental aspects of health and health care, and important practically, to use and advocate for health behaviors and services in a reflective manner. Each week addresses a distinct fundamental aspect of health and health care:
  1. Week one - Health concepts (e.g., distinguishing remission and recovery)
  2. Week two – Health values (e.g., balancing doing good and doing no harm)
  3. Week three – Health facts (e.g., reviewing health related evidence systematically)
  4. Week four – Health practices (e.g., using a mind, body, society formulation)
  5. Week five – Health policies (e.g., facilitating continuous quality improvement)
  6. Week six – Health experiences (e.g., learning from patient stories)
 
Instructor Biography
Dr. Abraham (Rami) Rudnick is a psychiatrist, a certified psychiatric rehabilitation practitioner, a PhD-trained philosopher, and a Professor at Dalhousie University, as well as the Clinical Director of the Nova Scotia Operational Stress Injury Clinic. He trained in Israel and at the University of Toronto, and immigrated to Canada in the mid-2000s. He has worked across Canada as a leader of mental health services and of health research, and he has contributed nationally and internationally to health related organizations. He has published more than a hundred peer reviewed papers and nine books about health, health care and related research, and has been awarded national and international awards for his health related leadership, particularly for his person-centered mental health work.
13. Showgirls, Secretaries, & Socialites: Women’s Roles in Classic Hollywood Cinema – Donna de Ville
Showgirls, Secretaries, & Socialites: Women’s Roles in Classic Hollywood Cinema – Donna de Ville
Fridays 1:30 PM-3:30 PM (6 wks) Apr 26 to Jun 07, (no class on May 17)
‡ Woodlawn Public Library, 31 Eisener Blvd., Dartmouth ‡

Course Description
Students will examine closely women’s roles depicted in films targeting the female audience during the Classical Hollywood era (1930-1960). Feminist film theory will be the principal lens through which we interpret these historic texts. The semester is divided by common themes and stereotypes found within the popular genres of this filmmaking period—Film Noir, Gothic Romance, and Melodrama.
 
Instructor Biography
Donna de Ville earned her PhD in Communication Studies at Concordia University in 2014. She has taught film and media studies courses at universities in the US and Canada and is currently a part-time instructor at Dalhousie University while working for the Lunenburg Documentary Film Festival. She has published work in Film History, Scope, Incite, the Canadian Journal of Film Studies, as well as a chapter in Cinema Inferno: Celluloid Explosions from the Cultural Margins.

Chester classes

14. So You Think You Can’t Draw - Harold Pearse
So You Think You Can’t Draw - Harold Pearse
Tuesdays 2:00 PM-4:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 23 to May 28
St. Stephen's Hall, 54 Regent Street, Chester

​Course Description
This course, a series of 6 two hour sessions, explores the history of drawing as well as theories and practices relating to the making of drawings and the history of teaching drawing to adults and children, amateurs and professionals. Each session will consist of an illustrated lecture and a “hands on” related activity. Participants will need a sketchbook and basic drawing materials (pencil, pen, sketch book). No prior art or drawing experience is necessary. With knowledge, guidance and practice, anyone can learn to draw.
 Weekly Topics:
  1. Why people draw: Drawing through the ages - an illustrated history; Introduction to daily sketchbook drawing.  Activity: Ice breaking drawing games; Exquisite Corpse (A Dadaist drawing strategy).
  2. How artists learn to draw: Drawing education from the 16th to the 21st centuries; Why people say “I can’t draw a straight line.” Exploring materials and concepts.  Activity: Line and Tonal Value as fundamental elements of drawing
  3. How a WWI cartographer revolutionized drawing education: Gesture and contour drawing theory and technique:  “The Natural Way to Draw”.  Activity: Gesture drawing and contour drawing of the human figure
  4. How and why children draw the way they do: Principles, characteristics and stages.  Activity: Drawing the human head (Portraits)
  5. Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain: The theory and the exercises.  Activity: Upside down drawing; Positive/negative space
  6. Draw like my Drawing Heroes: Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Conte for tone and volume.

Instructor Biography
​Dr. Harold Pearse is Professor Emeritus at NSCAD University and Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Alberta. With degrees in Fine Art and Education from UBC, Sir George Williams University (Concordia) and Dalhousie, he has over fifty years of experience teaching art and art education at the public school and post secondary levels. He has taught art education and drawing at NSCAD (1971- 2001) and the University of Alberta (2001 2015) and drawing at the Lunenburg School of the Arts (2016/18). As a practicing artist, he has had numerous solo and group exhibitions, with art work in public and private collections. He is particularly interested in the history of teaching drawing and is dedicated to daily sketch book drawing, a practice he began in 1988 and continues, filling over 100 books
15. Lawyers, Guns and Money: Issues in Contemporary Organized Crime - Angus Smith
Organized Crime - Angus Smith
Thursdays 2:00 PM-4:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 25 to May 30
St. Stephen's Hall, 54 Regent Street, Chester

​Course Description           
  1. Taking it to the street: the origins and evolution of organized crime in North America
    • Mafias
    • Tongs, Triads and taking care of our own
    • Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs
  2. “This is your brain…” – moral panic and the “war” on drugs…
    • From the French Connection to the Colombian Cartels
    • Cheap drugs – crack, meth and fentanyl
  3. Learning to follow the money – proceeds of crime and money laundering
    • The funding of organized crime
    • Dirty money
    • The laundry business
  4. Post 1991 – the end of history and the start of something new
    • The strange rise of Eastern European Organized Crime
    • Crime in the post-Soviet space
  5. Corruption, complicity and black money
    • Taking care of business: organized crime corruption
    • Cleaning up: how organized crime legitimizes itself
    • Live commodities: people, animals and more…
  6. New Worlds
    • Two houses: crime and terrorism
    • There’s no there, there: old crime, new technology

Instructor Biography
Angus Smith recently retired after 30 years in the Canadian intelligence community, a career that included work on Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and Eastern Europe, police corruption, organized crime, terrorism and national security.
Angus currently lives on the South Shore of Nova Scotia where he keeps bees and writes for a variety of publications including The Jewish Review of Books, Rural Delivery and The Police Chief.

Mahone Bay classes

16. Six Controversies Today - Norman Pereira
Six Controversies Today - Norman Pereira
Wednesdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 24 to Jun 05, no class on May 08 
Mahone Bay Centre, 45 School Street, Mahone Bay

​Course Description
This is a discussion class. Norman will introduce the topic for each class and participants will pick up the conversation and move it forward. A suggested list of Readings/Online Viewings will be provided in April.
The following are the proposed topics for this term.
  1. Donald Trump and his presidency
  2. Who is Vladimir Putin and what does he want
  3. Is the status of women in society changing?
  4. Is Islam a religion of peace? OR Is Islamophobia growing? If so, why?
  5. Free speech vs hate speech
  6. Israeli – Palestinian relations
 
Instructor Biography
Norman Pereira is Emeritus Professor of History and Russian Studies at Dalhousie University. His academic publications include three monographs and three dozen journal articles, mostly in the areas of political and intellectual history of Russia during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He particularly enjoys the lecture-discussion teaching format.
17. Around the World in 80 Days - a 19th Century Photographic Journey  - Alan Griffiths
Around the World in 80 Days - a 19th Century Photographic Journey  - Alan Griffiths
Thursdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 25 to May 30
Mahone Bay Centre, 45 School Street, Mahone Bay

​Course Description
At 8:45 P.M. on Wednesday, October 2, 1872, Fogg accompanied by his valet Passepartout set out by train to travel "Around the World in 80 Days." Such was the task of our intrepid heroes in the novel of Jules Verne as they strove to win a bet of 20,000 pounds. In this course there will be perils and excitement along the way as it follows the route they traveled through London, Egypt, India, Hong Kong, Japan, America and back to the UK. Instead of train and steamer tickets we will follow the route somewhat loosely, taking dangerous detours to ruins, meeting odd characters and participating in political upheavals and see the world through the photography of the time. We'll look into the history of photography in the different countries we tumble across and ponder why they were so different. It will be an enjoyable jaunt through the Victorian world of around 1872.
 
Instructor Biography
Alan Griffiths started out as a prehistoric archaeologist specializing in animal movements in Sardinia. Realizing that it is difficult to make a living in this field he moved into computer consultancy and academic research. He lectured at Sheffield University in the UK on Multimedia, was a visiting lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh and a Visiting Professor at the University of Massachusetts in addition to giving lectures widely. He has consulted for the British Library, NATO, IBM, Hewlett Packard and was the Chief Information Officer for an ill-fated dot com start-up in the USA.
He has been interested in photography for many years and created www.luminous-lint.com in 2005 to help explore the history in some depth. To date photographs from almost 3,000 organizations, photographers, photographic galleries and private collectors around the world have been included. This allows users to explore an ever-expanding online history through over 700 online exhibitions, numerous biographies, techniques, timelines and a visually rich website. Luminous-Lint includes over a thousand parallel and interlinked histories of photography and it is used by major institutions around the world.
18. How Books Can Change Your Life - Liz Crocker
How Books Can Change Your Life - Liz Crocker   
Fridays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 26 to May 31
Mahone Bay Centre, 45 School Street, Mahone Bay

Course Description
Why do some books touch us and others do not?  What do we mean by “taste” in reading?  What, if anything, motivates us to read beyond our favourite authors and genres?  What book(s) touched you as a child. and has (had) long term effects?  Are there some books that are dangerous … are there books that should be banned?  And if you had to live the rest of your life on a desert island, would you take something to help you escape or to ponder?  Participants will be invited to share books that have strongly resonated for them.
 
Instructor Biography
Liz Crocker is a business woman, writer, health consultant, and teacher. She is the owner of “Woozles”, Canada’s oldest children’s bookstore, which she so-founded in 1978.  Liz also co-founded and co-owned (until 2014) P’lovers, the Environmental Store, and Frog Hollow Books (1984-1987).  Liz has written two children’s books and hundreds of articles found in books, magazines, and newspapers. She is the co-author of “Privileged Presence: Personal Stories of Connections in Health Care”, and “Transforming Memories: Sharing Spontaneous Writing Using Loaded Words”. She been a board member for various environmental organizations, the Discovery Centre in Halifax, Halifax Dance, Neptune Theatre, Shakespeare by the Sea, and she has established the Child Life Program at the IWK Children’s Hospital.

Liverpool classes

19. History of Politics of the Oil Industry - Michael Collins
History of Politics of the Oil Industry - Michael Collins
Tuesdays 2:00 PM-4:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 23 to May 28
Trinity Church Hall, 196 Church Street, Liverpool

Course Description
A more or less, (and skimpy), history and politics of the liquid which fuels our society. Ambition, technical expertise, skullduggery, high and low diplomacy, treachery, military requirements, and capitalism “red in tooth and claw”.
  1. A quick run through the history of exploration and development of the industry. Heavy initial emphasis on North America.
  2. Standard Oil and the business genius of John D Rockefeller
  3. Russia, South Sea Trading and Hard Nosed Dutchmen. A quick trot along twister and devious paths.
  4. The Desert Kingdom. USA enters the Middle East and trades Iran for Saudi Arabia.
  5. World War and Industrial War. Japan and Germany risk all for the prize of ‘black gold’.
  6. Provisional: Suez 1956. Protecting oil supplies and the last gasp of Imperialism, USA cracks the whip and shows it does not need allies.  .
 
Instructor Biography
Dr. Collins studied at the University of East Anglia (Norwich) School of History and since coming to Canada has taught courses on the History of Clothing and Fashion, the British Industrial Revolution, The Soviet Union and 20th Century European History at Mount St. Vincent, Saint Mary's, Acadia and Dalhousie Universities as well as for SCANS.
20. Introduction to Canadian Law and the Legal System - Peter Leslie
Introduction to Canadian Law and the Legal System - Peter Leslie
Wednesdays 10:00 AM-12:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 24 to May 29
Queens County Museum of Justice, 137 Church St., Liverpool

Course Description
Objectives
  1. To provide a practical understanding of law and the legal system useful to people in their everyday lives;
  2. To improve understanding of the fundamental principles and values of our laws and legal system; and
  3. To examine and clarify attitudes towards the role that law, lawyers, law enforcement officers and the legal system play in our society.
This course is for general information and education only.  The contents of the course do not constitute legal advice or opinion.  No legal advice will be given on specific cases.  No warranty or guarantee is given on the quality, accuracy or completeness of any information provided.
Session 1
  • What is law and the rule of law?
  • Sources of Law – the Canadian Constitution, Division of Powers, Legislation and Regulation, Legal Precedent,
  • Dispute Resolution - the Court system and Lawyers, Judges
Session 2
  • Criminal Law and the Criminal Law System – the Criminal Code and regulatory offences
  • Crimes against Property and Crimes against the Person
  • Criminal Justice Process – the investigation, Proceedings Before trial, the Trial, Defences, Sentencing and Corrections
  • Constitutional Rights
Session 3
  • Torts – Civil Wrongs, Intentional Torts, Negligence, Strict Liability
  • The Civil Justice System – launching a tort claim, the pretrial process, the trial, the judgment, costs
  • Administrative claims – applications and process
Session 4
  • Consumer Law – Sale of Goods, contracts, warranties, credit and Banking, direct selling, telemarketers
Session 5
  • Family Law – marriage, parents and children, Foster care and adoption, separation and divorce, custody, financial support
Session 6
  • Aboriginal rights – treaties, aboriginal rights and land titles
  • Individual rights and Liberties – the Charter of rights, Freedom of Speech, Freedom of Religion, Equality rights, Human Rights Act
 
Instructor Biography
Peter Leslie grew up in Eagle Head and now resides 250 feet over the boundary line in the neighbouring community of West Berlin. He is a direct descendant of William Wentzell, the first settler of Eagle Head. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia University, a Juris Doctorate, a Masters of Business Administration and a Masters of Arts (litt.) from Dalhousie University. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society in 1985 and retired the end of 2015. He also qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA) in 1987. He spent his entire legal career with the Federal Department of Justice, the last 10 years as the Atlantic Regional Director. He is an avid genealogist and history buff and is currently co-chair of the advisory committee of the Queens Museum of Justice.

Truro classes

21. Making a Play -  Jon Peirce
Making a Play -  Jon Peirce
Tuesdays 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 23 to May 28
Douglas Street Recreation Centre, 40 Douglas Street, Truro

​Course Description
We will use our time together to study a short play and prepare it for informal performance.  The play will be "The Process," by N. S. playwright M. Clairmont.  The specific content of each class will depend on the size of the group and the class members' particular interests.  But we will definitely address the following:  1) Ways of reading a script. 2) Ways to make memorizing lines easier. 3) Basic acting technique.  4) The use of simple props.  5) Character study and development.  No previous acting or other theatrical experience is assumed, though those who have such experience are welcome.  While I will encourage everyone to try their hand at performing, those who feel they can’t are welcome to join in and assume other roles, eg. props, sets, costumes, etc..
 
Instructor Biography
Jon Peirce has been writing since his high school days.  After working as a reporter and assistant editor for his college paper, he worked as a reporter for the Springfield (Mass.) Union before coming to Halifax to do an M.A. and a Ph.D. in English at Dalhousie.  While in graduate school, he worked briefly as editor of the Amherst (N.S.) Daily News and read a number of his free-lance pieces on CBC Radio in both Halifax and Moncton.  He has taught at Susquehanna University, Central College, and Queen’s University, where he developed a writing program.  Active in the literary community in Ottawa, where he lived and worked for many years, Jon has facilitated a number of writing- and editing-related workshops for the Ottawa Independent Writers.  His book of essays, Social Studies, was published by Friesen Press of Victoria, B.C. in 2014.  He is also the author of Canadian Industrial Relations, an introductory industrial relations text which ran to three editions after its initial publication by Prentice-Hall Canada in 1999.  He is a professional member of the Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia.
For many years, Jon has run his own free-lance writing and editing business, Jon Peirce Editorial Services.  His articles, book reviews, and essays, on a broad range of subjects, have appeared in such periodicals as The Globe & Mail, Old Farmer’s Almanac (Canadian edition), Christian Science Monitor, Books in Canada, Toronto Star, Ottawa Citizen, Winnipeg Free Press, Kingston Whig-Standard, Dalhousie Review, Halifax Magazine, and Halifax Chronicle-Herald.
Jon has taught a number of writing courses as well as a Canadian Literature and Introduction to Poetry course for SCANS over the past few years.  An actor as well as a writer, he has appeared in five plays at Bedford Players, Dartmouth Players, and Theatre Arts Guild.  He’s currently working on two plays (both comedies) as well as a memoir and a second book of essays.
22. Dinosaurs - Milton Graves
Dinosaurs - Milton Graves
Thursdays 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 25 to May 30
Douglas Street Recreation Centre, 40 Douglas Street, Truro

Course Description
Dinosaurs are an extinct group of animals who lived for nearly 200 million years. Their descendants, the birds, surround us.  This course will introduce you to the biology and geology of dinosaurs. We will examine the evidence they have left behind and what we can deduce about the lives of these amazing animals.  How did they originate, diversify, and become extinct?   The course will end with a review of dinosaur museums that the students might want to visit.
 
Instructor Biography
Milton Graves retired from Dalhousie University in 2015 after 15 years of teaching Earth Sciences.  He has an MSc from Dalhousie University and worked as a geologist before teaching. He taught a second-year course entitled “Dinosaurs” at Dalhousie University for 10 years.
23. Insects and their Kin: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Andrew Hebda
Insects and their Kin: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Andrew Hebda
Fridays 1:00 PM-3:00 PM (6 wks) Apr 26 to May 31
Douglas Street Recreation Centre, 40 Douglas Street, Truro

Course Description
Come and explore the fascinating world of Insects (and their kin), learning where they came from, how they are put together and how they make their living.  Classes will cover such topics as the variety of sizes, shapes and forms, their ability to use their environments in ways quite different from us, as well as exploring the variety of shapes and patterns from across the world.  This will not just be limited to "insects", but also include Spiders, Centipedes, Millipedes and all sorts of other related groups (including ticks). We will explore their roles in our ecosystems (outdoor and indoor), some current bio-invaders brought to our shores, as well as possibly have a short "culinary" session.
 
Instructor Biography
Andrew Hebda is the Curator of Zoology at the Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History. He began his career with the Department of National Defence, holding a number of administrative and command appointments from 1971 to 1985. While serving, Andrew completed his B.Sc. at Carleton University and his M.Sc. at York University, both in Biology. He went on to work as a biologist in a variety of positions in both the public and private sectors. He became Curator of Zoology at the Nova Scotia Museum in 1995. Andrew enjoys the range of opportunities afforded by his museum work. On any given day, he might find himself studying any number of fish, molluscs, insects, mammals, reptiles or amphibians. He has done extensive research on fish and fish habitat, but is currently focussing on “at-risk” Molluscs.