Speaker Meeting

Speaker Meetings are informative presentations by knowledgeable guest speakers on a wide variety of topics related to emerging technologies. 

When:
Held on the 3rd Wednesday of each month, September - June
Meetings run from 9:30 - 11:30, with a coffee break / social time mid-morning.

Where:
Downtown Community Centre, Multi-Purpose Room upstairs

Topics:
See below for information about this month, as well as upcoming and past speakers.

Club members are encouraged to use the City of Kitchener's Active Net portal to register for all club activities. Instructions to do this can be found on this Active Net Instruction Guide for Members.

November Speaker Meeting

Guest Speaker: Sunita Pereira, Hearing Care Counsellor, Canadian Hearing Services

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 9:30 a.m., DCC Multipurpose Room

Topic: Hearing Health/Communication and Technology: What’s New and What Can Help

Join us for an informative and practical presentation on hearing health, communication, and today’s technology. Sunita Pereira, Hearing Care Counsellor at Canadian Hearing Services, will share helpful information about the latest tools and technologies that can help us stay connected and confident in everyday life.

Whether you’ve noticed changes in your own hearing, support someone who has, or are simply curious about what’s available, this presentation will have something for everyone. Sunita will talk about simple strategies we can use ourselves, as well as digital tools and technology that are easy to access and use.

It’s amazing how many helpful resources are right at our fingertips…from features on our phones and tablets to apps, alerting devices, and other technology that can make communication easier at home and out in the community.

Come out, bring your questions, and discover some practical ideas that could make everyday communication a little easier. We’d love to see you there!

A Review of PAST SPEAKERS and TOPICS

2026 - 2027:

September - Dr. Cosmin Munteanu, Schlegel-UW Research Institute in Aging - Technologies for Aging Gracefully

October - Riley Shortt, The Museum - Hellow Mr Robot - Learning with Ozobots. More about Ozobots here.

2025 - 26:

September - Chanakya Ramdev - Sweat Free Telecom

October - Visit and Tour of Communitech 

November - Kevin Matsui, UGuelph - Artificial Intelligence 

December - Madeleine Kong, KPL - Online Library Services

January - Susan Watt, KTC - Real or Fake: How to Tell the Difference Online

February - cancelled due to weather

March - KTC Executive, MISinformation and DISinformation: How to Tell Fact from Fiction in the NEWS (This link will take you to the slides we used for this presentation. All of the video and resource links can be found in the slides.)

April - Susan Watt, KTC - Safe and Savvy Online

May - Tony Grace, CTV Kitchener News - Technology's Impact on TV Journalism

June - Danielle Krisman, Schlegel-UW Research Institute in Aging - Members for Life - Supporting Club Members and Friends Through Memory Changes

2024 - 25:

September - Dr. Carla Fehr, UWaterloo - Who the Computer Sees: Race, Gender and AI

October - Lucy Santos, KPL - An Introduction to Smart Home Technology

November - Dr. Linda Lee, Schlegel-UW Research Institute in Aging - Dementia: What It Is, and How To Reduce Your Risk

December - Jenn Gerynowicz, Techie Nesters - Creating Comfort and Joy Around Technology

January - Peter Rasberry - Shutters and Sensors and Shooting Modes

February - John Handby (retired) - Artificial Intelligence - The Future is Now

March - Nicole Amaral, Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab - Welcome to the Digital Kitchener Innovation Lab

April - Video Call Alternatives to Skype (no guest speaker this month)

May -  Dr. Josephine McMurray, WLU - Your Watch Knows Where you Are - but SHOULD IT? - Exploring Location-Tracing Technologies in Long-Term Care

June - Constable Joshua Rhab, WRPS - Internet Safety

A valid Kitchener Group Card is required to attend in person meetings. Kitchener Group Cards are now on sale online, by phone, or in person at any Kitchener Community Centre. They are good for unlimited visits for many ongoing groups at any City of Kitchener Community Centre.