By Norm Weitzel (1996-2013) Roy Williams (2014-2019) and Hugh Lindsay (2020- 2025)
INDEX – Click to select history for a specific year.
1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
1996
The idea for our club was first conceived by the Rotary Club of Vancouver in late 1996 when the President Tom Calkin embarked on a program to explore the possibility of founding a PROBUS Club to serve the area of Vancouver and West Vancouver.
Paul Harris Fellow John Hoyle was given the assignment and John enlisted fellow Rotarian Fred Cotton to work on the project.
On October 23, 1996, Fred arranged a meeting at the Hollyburn Country Club in West Vancouver and invited 12 friends who had shown an interest in the formation of the club.
Several key issues were addressed at the initial meeting including the decision to form a club for men only with an initial target of 100 members from the west side of Vancouver and West Vancouver.
The importance of speakers to the success of the club was recognized and ideas for speakers and topics were forthcoming.
All present agreed to bring additional “prospects” to the next meeting to be held in the west side of Vancouver.
It is interesting to note that among the initial group were several members of future management committees and four honourary life members, Brice Macdougall, Fred Cotton, John Hoyle and Doug Lambert.
1997
On January 21, 1997, 35 future Charter Members met at the Stanley Park Pavilion, which was selected as an ideal venue for the club as it was well located to serve both Vancouver and West Vancouver members.
Fred Cotton chaired the meeting and welcomed Tom Calkin, Rotary President, who was an honoured guest. Fred gave a brief report on the progress of forming the club
and appointments were made to both Management Committee and committee chairs.
The meeting was turned over to Brice Macdougall who chaired the first Speakers Committee. Brice introduced David Mitchell as the club’s first speaker. As a result of his excellent presentation on the current state of politics in Canada, Mr. Mitchell was subsequently invited to speak to the club on several other occasions.
By February 1997, a formal application for registration as a PROBUS Club was undertaken and on February 11, 1997, Tom Calkin and John Hoyle signed a certificate to certify the PROBUS Club of Vancouver a duly accredited club registered with the PROBUS Centre, Canada Inc. The Rotary Club of Vancouver was listed as sponsor.
The Charter Meeting of the club was held on May 20, 1997, with approximately 60 Charter Members in attendance. Annual dues were set at $40 with a meeting fee of
$4 per member.
In attendance were David Kerr, Rotary District Governor and representatives of PROBUS Canada and PROBUS Clubs of Langley and Victoria, BC.
Roy Williams chaired the initial Nominations Committee and presented the first slate of officers of the club as previously circulated, and received full approval of the membership.
Mel Endelman of the Vancouver Rotary Club presented our Charter to our first PROBUS President, Fred Cotton and the club was officially recognized by PROBUS Canada.
By the summer of 1997, club activities became popular, with a golf tournament, tours of Roberts Bank and BC’s new fast ferries. Out-of-town trips were initiated and 2 busloads of members toured the Boeing plant in Seattle. Gordon Thom welcomed bridge players to join Rotarians in this social activity.
1998
By September 15, 1998, the first Annual General Meeting accepted Nominating Chairman Roy Williams’ report, and Pidge McBride became the club’s second President.
Speakers continued to impress the membership with the future Premier Gordon Campbell addressing the club in November. In December the first luncheon of the club was held following the December 15th meeting.
1999
By January 1999, membership had reached 200 bringing us to the capacity of the original venue in Stanley Park. Options considered included “capping” membership and developing a “wait list”, or finding a larger meeting facility. The option of establishing another club was also discussed. In the interim the meeting room was reconfigured with theater style seating.
In April Reg Whynott, newly elected President of PROBUS Canada, reported that John Morris had stepped down from his position at PROBUS Canada and was to be honoured with the title “President Emeritus” of PROBUS Canada.
In June 1999, the club was informed that PROBUS Canada had grown to 96 clubs and over 10,000 members nationwide.
John Reynolds M.P. addressed the club in June, on the current situation of the Reform Party and its move to form a united “alternative” party.
In September 1999, Roy Williams, future Honourary Life Member, was elected President of the club. At that meeting the club encountered its first speaker “Noshow” and fellow member Leo Sauve was enlisted to step in and speak on his recent trip to Russia. It was well-received and served notice of the valuable resource of members of the club and their ability to speak on short notice. Other speakers heard during the year included Michael Walker, who spoke on healthcare, and internationally renowned architect Arthur Erickson.
2000
In May 2000, membership was capped at 231 having maximized the capacity of our park location, and a waiting list was established. Activities included our third annual golf tournament and 2 bus tours to the Seattle Air Museum, Minter Gardens and a Saturna Winery tour.
In July, Reg Whynot informed the Club that there were now 15 PROBUS Clubs in BC and 105 across Canada with national membership totaling well over 11,000.
In September 2000, John Hopkins became our fourth President. At our October meeting Mel Endelman, Assistant District Governor of Rotary, spoke briefly congratulating Fred Cotton and John Hoyle for their part in establishing the club. Mel had presented our club with our charter at our inaugural meeting in 1997.
Brice Macdougall stepped down from the chair of the Speakers Committee in October. He had held that position since the beginning of our club, but as newly elected President of the Rotary Club of Vancouver he felt unable to hold both demanding positions. John Hopkins asked our founding President, Fred Cotton to step in and the critically important position remained in competent hands.
A highlight event in October was a charter flight to Fort McMurray, Alberta and a tour of the Syncrude Oil Sands Project. A less successful but eventful activity was an overnight visit to Sechelt, followed by a cruise of the channel. Unfortunately the cruise came to an abrupt stop when the boat motor failed. Good humour was shown by all participants.
Other successful tours included a train trip to Lillooet, boat cruise up Indian Arm to the Wigwam Inn, and an enjoyable trip to see the tulips at La Conner.
2001
2001 began with our traditional President’s Luncheon and the popular David Mitchell addressed the club for the second time. He entertained the membership with wonderful stories of what he referred to as “wacky politicians” in BC politics.
Brice Macdougall was awarded the Clubs first Honourary Life Membership for his contribution as our first Speakers Chairman.
The Vice President delivered a brief report on the annual BC PROBUS Clubs conference in Chilliwack, BC. There were now 117 PROBUS Clubs in Canada and 19 in BC.
In September 2001 charter member Norm Weitzel was elected as the clubs 5th President. In October Doug Lambert arranged for our new meeting location, the HR McMillan Planetarium and Space Center. The original meeting venue at Stanley Park was scheduled for extensive renovation and it was recognized that we had outgrown it. The move to the Centre would better meet our future needs.
In 2001 Pidge McBride, our second President, was elected to represent BC on the board of PROBUS Canada.
A further major appointment was that of Past President Roy Williams to, the position of Editor of our monthly newsletter, a position he would hold for 13 years providing invaluable service to our club.
It was a year of outstanding speakers including Allan McEachern, former Chief Justice of BC, and the popular former Lieutenant Governor of our province, Garde Gardom, who was introduced by a ‘skirl’ of the pipes as he stepped to the podium.
2002
The year began with our President’s Luncheon held at The Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Our Speaker was fellow member Art Jones who spoke on the early years of TV in our province.
The Highlight of the Luncheon was the presentation of a Honourary Life Membership to Fred Cotton our founding President and tireless worker on behalf of our organization from its beginning.
In September 2002, Don Farquhar became the Club’s 6th President.
Several outstanding speakers in the year included Jack Poole, chairman of the Vancouver Bid Corporation, which was responsible for successfully bringing the 2010 Winter Games to Vancouver/Whistler, Christopher Gaze, artistic director of Bard on the Beach, and Martha Piper, President and Vice Chancellor of UBC. The dynamic Ms. Piper received the first standing ovation in our club’s history.
During the year it was recognized that we had created a parking problem on the lot as our meeting conflicted with those attending the concert at the nearby Academy of Music. In the interest of being a good neighbour at our new location, we changed our meeting day to the 2nd Tuesday of the month.
2003
Tom McCusker was elected as the club’s 7th President in September 2003. A busy fall period followed with Vancouver police chief Jamie Graham, Jonathan Manthorp of the Vancouver Sun and Bob Ackles, President and CEO of the BC Lions addressing the club.
Chris Lee organized a historical tour of Vancouver’s Chinatown with a delicious lunch to follow. Earlier in the year we enjoyed tour of False Creek and the Roundhouse community center.
In May, the club was host to the annual PROBUS BC convention at the Tsawassen Inn in South Delta, conveniently close to the ferry terminal. Past President John Hopkins served as chairman of the convention assisted by a hardworking committee of fellow members.
During the year, led by director Pidge McBride, our club was pleased to assist in the formation of two additional clubs, the Vancouver Women’s Club and the North Shore Men’s Club. Our club provided a loan of $700 to the North Shore Club, and John Hoyle and Norm Weitzel worked with their Management Committee.
2004
2004 began in January with Vancouver’s own Rock’n Roll Hall of Famer Red Robinson as featured speaker at the President’s Lunch.
Doug Lambert was presented with a Honourary Life Membership having served the Club as House Chairman since the beginning of our Club in 1997.
Additional tours included a boat and coach tour of Harrison Hot Springs and a visit to the historic Orpheum Theatre with Dal Richards as tour conductor.
At our AGM in September 2004, future Honourary Life Member Gordon Thom was elected as the 8th President of the club.
During the year other prominent speakers included Colin Hansen, BC Minister of Finance and the popular Carol Taylor who addressed the controversial topic “Public broadcasting in today’s environment”.
John Atkin, who has conducted several PROBUS city tours, addressed the club as did Dr. Timothy Bell and Dr. Earl Drake, a recognized expert, spoke on his experiences representing our country in China.
2005
At our President’s Luncheon in January 2005, our speaker was Larry Beasley, Vancouver city planner who spoke on the changing face of Vancouver.
In March 2005, Roy Williams, editor of our newsletter, announced the beginning of delivery of the monthly newsletter by e-mail.
In April of 2005, at the initiative of Fred Cotton, a group of 15 members and wives took off on a wonderful 17-day tour of China. They flew to Shanghai, cruised on the Yangtze, and visited Xian and Beijing. Highlights included the Terracotta Warriors, the Great Wall and the Three Gorges Dam. It was a once in a lifetime experience for all.
Dennis Creighton was elected our 9th club President in September 2005. His unique humour added to a most successful year. Activities were varied and included a Valentine Luncheon, a golf tournament, a walking tour of Hycroft and Shaughnessy, Minter Gardens, a scenic boat tour aboard the Princess Louisa and a heritage walking tour of Steveston.
Jim Taylor, one of Canada’s top sports writers, entertained and informed us on his subject at our last meeting of the year.
2006
At the June meeting the President called upon Gordon Thom to make a surprise presentation to his long- time friend in Rotary John Hoyle. John was presented with a Honourary Life Membership for his leadership in the initial founding of the club and serving as its first Membership Chairman.
Jack Farley became our 10th President in September 2006. The wide list of club activities included a paddlewheel trip from New Westminster to historic Fort Langley, a tour of the BC Cranberry Festival, the Valentine Luncheon and a special tour of a private classic car collection in Richmond. We took a Sea to Sky field trip and attended a special exhibit, “Totems to Turquoise” at the Vancouver Museum. Chris Lee arranged another enjoyable city tour of the Vancouver East Side and Gastown. A four night repositioning cruise on a Holland America ship was a highlight during the year.
Speakers included Dr. Jack Blaney of the International Joint Commission, John Nightingale of the Vancouver Aquarium and Dr. Paul Evans who addressed ”China and its Global Rise”.
2007
One of our own, Chris Lee was pressed into service to speak at our President’s Luncheon in January 2007, as our speaker was prevented from attending due to snow conditions on Vancouver Island. Our scheduled speaker, Roger Piecas was pleased to address the club later in the year.
In September 2007, Ted Daem accepted the challenge of serving as the clubs 11th President and introduced a tradition of sharing a joke at our meetings.
During Ted’s term the duties of all executive positions were formalized and this will be of great value in years to come as newly appointed chairmen have a clear understanding of their responsibilities.
Further work was done in digitizing club financial records and newsletter.
Several outstanding speakers included Bramwell Tovey, conductor of the Vancouver Symphony, David Hahn, CEO of BC Ferries and a surprisingly popular presentation by Dr. Gail Anderson, an entomologist of renown, who introduced our members to the role of forensic science in solving criminal cases.
Popular outings during the year included the Vancouver Shipyards and a wonderful tour of the Vancouver and District watershed.
2008
At our AGM on September 2008, Past President Ted Daem presented Roy Williams, charter member, past President and current editor, with a Honourary Life Membership in recognition of his outstanding contribution to our club.
George Adams became our 12th President in September 2008. Under his direction member participation was a priority and guiding this was the underlying purpose of PROBUS, namely “to stimulate thought, interest, and activities at a time of life when it is easy to become complacent and self-centered”.
We had a number of excellent speakers during the year including Michael Byers who spoke on Arctic sovereignty and the enjoyable team of Chuck Davis and Dal Richards who entertained us with stories of Vancouver’s past.
Activities ranged from tours of the Railway Museum in Squamish, Vancouver’s Orpheum Theatre, Butchart Gardens and sailing aboard HMCS Vancouver in dense fog.
A first for our club was holding a “debate” between the two mayoralty candidates, Peter Ladner and Gregor Robertson. Our own John Tennant was called upon to serve as moderator and did an excellent job.
In the fall of 2008 Fred Cotton invited Eric Hayne and Ken Yule to coffee at the
White Spot on west Georgia Street, in what turned out to be a planning meeting for a book club. The first monthly meeting of the PROBUS Fred Cotton Book Club took place there on December 5, 2008.
2009
In January 2009, our annual President’s Luncheon was held at Point Grey G&CC and we were treated to a lively presentation by the Vancouver Canadians Baseball Club. It was a great start to our 13th year. A night at the ballpark was also arranged, to be held in August.
Other activities included a sold-out tour of Vancouver’s new convention center and an enjoyable visit to the UBC botanical gardens.
On a sad note our popular Valentine’s Luncheon was cancelled in February due to the sudden death of our founding President and honourary life member Fred Cotton. Fred was a dynamic force in our club and his great loss was felt personally by the entire membership. He will always be remembered for his many contributions, which greatly shaped our club.
With the loss of Fred Cotton, the club was fortunate to have David Scott step forward to head up the Speakers Committee. As a result, our tradition of outstanding speakers was maintained.
These included: Colin Hansen, BC Minister of Finance, Dr. Brian Day, past President of the Canadian Medical Association and the informative Doctor Andre Gerolymatos of SFU who discussed the topic “Islam Today”.
In September 2009, Nick Thornton became the 13th President of our club. Under his leadership the club saw several advancements. Jon Collins began the development of a professional user-friendly website and Don Newman enthusiastically improved on the practice of personally introducing new members at monthly meetings.
It was realized during the year that our members have a degree of personal liability in the event of the club being sued, and to eliminate this possibility it was proposed
that we incorporate under the Societies Act. That process was driven by Wayne Audette and Ted Horsey.
Long-term succession planning for both executive positions and committee chairs was developed.
In the middle of the year, after many years of free parking, EZ Park was established on the parking lot and pay parking began. The club was successful in negotiating a reasonable, yet simple system to best serve the membership.
We enjoyed excellent speakers throughout the year including David Emerson who spoke on “Global Geopolitics and Economic Risks for Canada” and a December highlight was an address by Preston Manning who spoke on the topic of improving the performance of Canada’s politicians.
A major step was taken in the fall of the year when Jon Collins established our club website taking us into the 21st century. Jon became its first chairman
2010
2010 began with our 10th annual President’s Luncheon held at the Point Grey G&CC. Ken Hardie, director of communications for Translink, was guest speaker.
At our President’s Luncheon Pidge McBride, our 2nd President and 1st Director on The Board of PROBUS Canada from our Club was given an Honourary Life Membership to our Club.
Outstanding speakers during 2010 included Dr. Larry Goldberg, who addressed men’s health issues, and Bob Lenarduzzi who enlightened the members about the Vancouver Whitecaps’ entry into the major-league of North American soccer. Our last speaker in 2010 was Dianne Watts, Mayor of Surrey and a much-respected BC Politician.
In September 2010, Bill Sexsmith became the 14th President of the club. Under his leadership the Management Committee set a number of challenging goals, all of which were exceeded during his term.
A diverse number of activities were offered during the year. These included a tour of Quest University, Squamish, as well as a tour of the new SFU downtown facility in the Woodward’s complex. We visited the Boeing plant in Everett and a popular walking tour of Coal Harbour again reminded our members of our city’s rich history.
The Management Committee became involved in the planning of Rendezvous 2011 for PROBUS Canada. It was the first of its kind in Western Canada and was to be hosted by BC clubs.
A strategic plan was developed for our club under the guidance of Don Newman. This plan will be followed by Management Committees going forward and a
Strategic Planning Committee will be chaired by the Vice-President. Don served as its first chairman. It will to be revisited on a three-year cycle.
2011
2011 began with our President’s Luncheon in January at the Italian Cultural Center in Burnaby. Dr. Art Hister both entertained and educated us as guest speaker.
Past President George Adams was presented with a Honourary Life Membership in the club for his most valuable service to the organization.
During the year our PROBUS office was moved to its new location at 5846 Angus Drive in Vancouver.
Events included tours of the Britannia Mine, the Culinary Arts Faculty at the Vancouver Community College and the Seymour Capilano filtration plant.
Rendezvous 2011 was hosted by BC Clubs September 13 – 15, at the Sheraton Wall Center. The efforts of our club ensured the success of the event with several local speakers and workshops.
In September 2011, Don Newman was elected as our 15th club President and continued to lead our club through a successful year. The year ended with two outstanding speakers. Dennis Skulsky, President of BC Lions, spoke on both plans for the Lions and the next year’s 100th Grey Cup festivities to be held in Toronto. And at a special meeting on December 19, 2011, we were honoured to hear from Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of Canada. A record attendance of 260 members was set.
2012
2012 started strongly with our annual President’s Luncheon at the Italian Cultural Center in January. John Nightingale, CEO of Vancouver Aquarium, was speaker. It marked the last time this event was to be held in January. The Management
Committee recognized that this important event should follow our September AGM and would best serve the members by using the occasion to introduce their new executive and committee chairmen in addition to the honouring of past Presidents.
In June the newly formed Website Committee was made a separate committee with Jack Zaleski appointed chairman. This marked the first new committee established since our club was founded.
Our AGM was held in September marking the second annual meeting of our society and our 16th annual general meeting of the club. President Don Newman took pleasure in formally introducing Wayne Audette as the 16th President.
As planned, our President’s Luncheon was held in October and our newly elected President Wayne Audette and his executive and committee chairs were introduced to the membership, and our past Presidents were then recognized.
Club Historian/Archivist Norm Weitzel announced that the club was pleased to bestow a honourary life membership upon Past President Gordon Thom. President Wayne Audette made the formal presentation of a framed certificate to Gordon, a much-deserved tribute for his many years of service in PROBUS.
Another honour for our club was to have our own Bill Sexsmith successfully elected to the national board of PROBUS by our fellow BC clubs. Bill is the second board member elected from our club, the first being Pidge McBride.
The standard of speakers was maintained at a high level throughout the year and included Professor Toope, President of UBC, Jim Alworth of RBC and David Mitchell.
2013
2013 began with equally strong speakers beginning with Kip Woodward informing us about a sustainable health program for BC at our January meeting.
A special “speaker event” was held in February when we were privileged to hear from the Honourable Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of Canada. She did not disappoint.
A diversified list of speakers addressed us through the year from Hall of Fame announcer Jim Robson, who told us of his life on the sports scene in BC, to Dr. John Webb who spoke on pioneering cardiac surgery.
In March, the club recognized the need for a club history, and Historian/Archivist
Norm Weitzel took on the task. At our July meeting we were treated to two excellent “surprise speakers” when for the third time in our club’s history, a scheduled speaker did not arrive. Our President appealed to those in attendance to seize the opportunity to come forward and speak on any topic of their choice.
First Jack Zaleski volunteered with his service dog in training, Liege, and told us of the valuable contribution of the Pacific Assistance Dogs Society, PADS. He and his well-trained dog received appreciative applause.
Next fellow member Dr. Ralph Yorsh, retired dentist, educated us on “Oral Health for
Seniors”. Again the speaker received loud applause.
At our AGM in September Jon Collins became our club’s 17th President.
In October we followed our new tradition with the President’s Luncheon at the Marine Drive Golf Course. President Jon Collins introduced the new executive committee and an impressive number of committee chairs. This was followed by acknowledgment of past Presidents and honourary life members in attendance.
In November we welcomed Scott Shepperd, Honourary Lieutenant Colonel of our proud BC regiment, to address the club. At our last meeting of 2013 we heard from Mike Corrigan on the topic of BC Ferries.
At years end our PROBUS Canada director Bill Sexsmith announced that the new combined men’s and women’s club, which we are sponsoring, has been successful in receiving 65 applicants to-date and will meet on the second Thursday of each month beginning February 2014.
2013 was again active with popular tours including Molson/Coors brewery, Triumf at UBC and the walking tour of Vancouver’s west end with John Atkin.
2014
The first meeting of the year featured Dr. Andre Gerolymatos who spoke about
“Struggle for Power in the Middle East from World War to the War of Terror”.
Our Speakers Committee continued to provide a wide variety of prominent individuals throughout the year to entertain and inform the membership including: Dr Jamie Matthews on exploring planets far away; Jock Finlayson on the BC economy; Dr Max Cynader on maximizing the brain’s potential; Martin Collacott, former diplomat on passports of convenience and Michael Clague on the downtown eastside.
In February Norm Weitzel announced that he had completed the history of the Club from its beginning to the end of 2013 and had it posted on the website.
In May, the results of the “Satisfaction Survey”, completed by 175 members, were revealed and were generally quite favourable.
In August, the Strategic Planning Review Committee chaired by David Scott submitted its report which included several recommendations for improving Club operations such as a better waiting experience for prospective members and the development of a Mission Statement.
A Mission Statement, “Enriching members with topical, entertaining speakers and social activities”, was produced quite quickly and first appeared in the September newsletter.
The September Annual General Meeting featured the installation of our 18th President, David Scott, and the introduction of the new executive committee and the various committee chairmen.
A highlight of the year was a special meeting on December 1st featuring Conrad Black whose topic was “A History of Canada: A Unique Perspective”.
In October, the Presidents’ Luncheon was held at the Arbutus Club under the original format of members only and featured a lighter sandwich and salad lunch. Past Presidents in attendance were recognized by the President. Dr. Paul Budra, an internationally renowned Shakespeare specialist entertained the audience with a fascinating and revealing picture of the “Bard”.
During the year, the Activities Committee provided the members with some excellent events: A Guided Tour of the Vintage Car Museum in March; May featured: A guided Tour of the Emily Carr University on Granville Island followed by a luncheon at the Pacific Institute of the Culinary Arts; Cirque du Soleil in June and a Guided Tour of the Canadian Museum of Flight in September.
2015
Once again, the Speakers Committee provided members with a dozen prominent individuals who spoke on a variety of topics including the mining, salmon, wine, lumber and forestry industries as well as Translink and the Middle East problems.
The first meeting of the year featured Professor David Helfand, a world famous astronomer and President of Quest University in Squamish. He described the unique
teaching system at the university designed to provide a liberal arts and science education using small classes (20 students) and tutors rather than professors.
The Management Committee was busy taking steps to improve service for members and comply with government legislation. In order to comply with “Anti-Spam” legislation, all electronic messages sent to members now include an “Unsubscribe” option. To comply with the Personal Information Protection Act, the “membership renewal notice” and the “nomination for membership” forms will offer the option not to include your birth date, former vocation and interests/hobbies. The “Home Page” of the website was made more friendly and a “Website Tips” column now appears in the Newsletter.
Our 19th President, Jack Zaleski was inducted at the Annual General Meeting in September along with the officers and chairmen of the various committees.
The Presidents’ Luncheon in October featured Dr. Julio Montaner, Director of the BC Centre for Excellence in AIV/AIDS, recipient of the Order of Canada and winner of the 2010 Albert Einstein World Award of Science who received a standing ovation for his presentation, highlighted by his announcement that there now exists a single pill taken once a day that will allow a patient to live a totally normal life. The event held at the Arbutus Club for the second time and providing attendees with an excellent sandwich and soup lunch was a real success. The Activities Committee agreed that the same venue and format should be used in 2016.
The Activities Committees opened the events for 2015 on March 17th with a Tour of the Pacific Museum of Earth and the Earth Sciences Building at UBC. May19th found members on a Walking Tour of South Granville with George Atkin. In July members, family and friends enjoyed a Vancouver Canadians Baseball Game at Nat Bailey Stadium as well as an all you can eat buffet. On September 1st members had an opportunity to enjoy the fairly new Sea to Sky Gondola just south of Squamish for a ride to Summit Lodge, fantastic views of Howe Sound, lunch and a lecture.
2016
President Jack Zaleski presided over the first meeting of the year. After the introduction of new members and a report from Ian Paterson, Chairman of the Activities Committee, our speaker, Kim Baird, former Chief of the Tsawwassen Band was introduced. She gave us an informative and thought provoking talk about the current issues facing Canada and BC in relation to members of First Nations.
In the months following, our hard working Speakers Committee provided us with a broad range of speakers and topics including Indira Samarasekera on “Detecting the wave of future education”; Rudy Buttignol, CEO about the “Growth and development of Knowledge Network”; Brian Latell, a former CIA National Intelligence Officer who spoke on “All things Cuba”; Andre Gerolymatas, SFU Professor of History whose topic was “The Russian Conundrum: Putin in the Middle East” and Dr. David Sweet, Dental Pathologist on “Forensic Science: An insiders point of view”.
Our 20th President, Doug Jones was inducted along with officers and Committee Chairmen at the Annual Meeting in September. Doug adopted the tradition initiated many years ago of telling a humorous story to open each meeting.
During the year the Activities Committee produced a variety of events starting in February with a Guided Tour of UBC’s Center for Interactive Research and Sustainability and Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility. In March members and guests were offered an opportunity to attend the VSO’s Alexander Melnikov Concert. A Vancouver Police Museum and Sins of the City Walking Tour in April was followed by a Walking Tour of Chinatown with John Atkin. The final event in July featured a Fraser River Paddle Wheeler Tour.
For the 3rd year in a row, the Presidents’ Luncheon was held in October at the Arbutus Club. The speaker was former BC Premier and Federal Minister of Health, Ujjal Dosanjh who gave us a fascinating history of his life ranging from his early days in the Punjab, India, his experiences after immigrating to England, and finally his time as a politician in Canada. Following his presentation attendees were provided with a delightful soup and sandwich lunch.
At the November meeting, Bill Sexsmith who joined the Club in 2007 and who is Vice President and a Director of PROBUS Canada, presented us with a brief update on the state of PROBUS in Canada, indicating that after growing at about 14% per year for 10 years has slowed down to about 2%. Therefore, there is a need to improve our efforts to attract new members.
Following his presentation Bill was recognized as our newest Honourary Life Member and presented with a plaque outlining his significant contributions to our Club and PROBUS Canada.
2017
During 2017, the PROBUS Club of Vancouver celebrated its 20th anniversary, the 30th anniversary of PROBUS in Canada and the 150th birthday of Canada.
Vice-President Hugh Lindsay chaired our first meeting in January which featured, Stan Ridley, President of West 2012 Energy Management Inc., whose topic was “Perspectives on Climate Change and World Energy. In February, Michael Kluckner, Artist, Author and Historian, told us how heritage, gentrification and development was affecting our communities.
Our Speakers Committee continued to attract a variety of individuals to speak at our monthly Meetings, which included; Elizabeth May, M.P., leader of the Green Party, who told us about her life in parliament; Fin Donnelly, Chair of the Riverside Society of B.C., featured speaker at the Presidents’ Luncheon in October who highlighted the importance of conserving, protecting and restoring the Fraser River and all of B.C.’s watersheds and Penny Lyons, Executive Director of Seva Canada whose topic was Innovations in Global Eye Care.
As March is considered PROBUS Month across Canada, PROBUS Vancouver decided to do something special to celebrate. The City of Vancouver presented us with a Proclamation declaring March 14th in Vancouver to be PROBUS Day. A brief history of PROBUS, with special emphasis on Canadian clubs, prepared by PROBUS Canada President Bill Sexsmith was presented at the meeting. Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of B.C. graciously agreed to be our speaker and along with her assistant gave us excellent insight into the role and duties of the Governor. The meeting concluded with the cutting of a PROBUS Canada 30th Anniversary birthday cake by the Lieutenant Governor. An enjoyable light lunch and cake followed in a Space Centre meeting room.
Our 21st President Hugh Lindsay was inducted at the Annual Meeting in September along with Officers and Committee Chairmen. Hugh chaired the meeting and continued the tradition of starting with a humorous story.
Our tradition of staging the Presidents’ Luncheon at the October meeting continued and once again was held at the Arbutus Club. Those attending enjoyed the fellowship, a very good speaker and an excellent sandwich and salad lunch.
Raymond Greenwood, Chairman of the Membership Services Committee introduced the practice of thanking the members who served as greeters and cashiers at each meeting.
Our Activities Committee provided the following program during the year: A one hour guided tour of the Rennie Collection at Wing Sang featuring works of Simon Starling on February 28th; On March 21st about 60 members and guests enjoyed a private tour of the 125 year old Christ Church Cathedral; Specially priced tickets for a VSO Concert on April 1st were made available to members; An opportunity to take a Walking Tour of Beaconsfield Heights on May 16th, with commentary by John Atkin, was offered to members; On July 13th a large number of members and guests enjoyed ”Much Ado about Nothing” at Bard on the Beach; August 30th featured a Vancouver Canadians Baseball Game against the Boise Hawks with seating in the Porch and an all you can eat buffet; A bus load of members travelled to Everett Washington on October 24th for a guided tour of the Boeing Plant.
2018
The January meeting featured Dr. Ron Burnette, President & Vice Chancellor of Emily Carr University of Art & Design. His talk included a brief history of the university, which opened in 1925. His talk stressed the importance of art and design to every aspect of life from clothes we wear, the cars we drive, the teacups we drink from and the art on the walls around us. Graduates of the university are major contributors to the economy, often as successful entrepreneurs.
Throughout the year our Speakers Committee attracted top quality individuals who provided members with a variety of interesting, significant and sometimes provocative information. For example, we learned a great deal about life in North Korea from Club member Bob Ross; UBC Professor Paul Evans offered incite into today’s world in which China is challenging the US as a global power; the Attorney General of BC, David Eby, Q.C. covered the serious money laundering problems at casinos as well as the changes to be introduced at ICBC to reduce excessive claim costs; Mahood Poonja of Bestway Travel spoke about the wonders of travelling in Iran highlighting its rich history; the President and CEO of Tourism Vancouver spoke about the importance of tourism to the BC economy pointing out that it is our 2nd largest industry; Arthritis Research Canada headquartered in BC is the largest clinical research centre in North America, thanks to Dr. John Esdaile, who outlined the excellent work being performed by its staff of over 100 persons.
A Special General Meeting of the Society was held in conjunction with September’s Annual Meeting at which members approved a revised constitution necessitated by the new BC Societies Act. The only significant change increased the Board of Directors from 5 to 12 with all the Management Committee positions becoming
Board positions. At the Annual General Meeting members of the new Board of Directors headed by President Peter Scott were inducted.
At the August meeting, Jack Zaleski was recognized as our newest Honorary Life Member and presented with a plaque outlining his exceptional contributions to the operation of the Club.
The Rotarians Investment Club, the Fred Cotton Book Club and the Bridge Club continued to operate throughout the year.
The Activities Committee put together a variety of events during the year starting with a guided tour of the Ballard Power Systems Plant in Burnaby on April 19th attended by about 50 members. On April 30th a VSO concert featuring violinist Sarah Chang was offered. May 15th featured a walking tour of Fairview with John Atken attracting 21 members. About 50 members boarded a bus for Whistler on June 6th to enjoy guided tours of both the Audain Art Museum and the First Nations Museum. Next on the list was “As You Like It” at Bard on the Beach on July 17th. On August 21st a group visited the North Shore for a guided tour of the Polygon Gallery. The final event was the Presidents’ Lunch in October held for the 5th consecutive year at the Arbutus Club.
2019
The January meeting featured Glen Dennison, an underwater explorer whose topic “The Underwater Fauna of Howe Sound” provided the audience with fascinating information and underwater photographs of life in these waters. Using a submarine, camera and some bait, footage of Sixgill sharks were found at a depth of 350 feet.
Our dedicated Speakers Committee continued to provide members with a diverse group of speakers and topics, including Professor Paul Budra, whose subject “Shakespeare in the Garden” kept us well amused; In June, Vanessa Ascough gave us the story of her grandfather’s, Squadron Leader Archibald Stuart-MacLaren, first attempted round the world flight; Dr. Omar Kassam, one of whose passions is world religions spoke about Muslims who practice the Ismaili religion, part of the Shia branch of Islam; In September, George Garrett, who spent 47 years as a news reporter, mostly with CKNW, highlighted his interviews with numerous politicians including W.A.C. Bennett and Dave Barrett. December featured Rick Antonson’s story about walking the difficult KoKoda Trail in New Guinea.
Our former President David Scott was elected to the Board of Probus Canada this year. He is the third member of Probus Vancouver to achieve this honor.
The Activities Committee put forward a series of interesting events during the year. Two Vancouver Symphony Orchestra productions were offered at 50% of normal prices: one in January featuring a “Tribute to Benny Goodman” and the second in May titled “Tragic Love: Wagner and Prokofiev”. A Tour of the Emily Carr University featuring a Senior Graduates Exhibition took place on May 7th. This was followed by a walking tour on May 21st with John Atkin titled “Under the Viaducts”.
The next event was a bus tour to Stave Falls Dam and Museum plus a visit to Westminster Abbey. Bard on the Beach play “The Taming of the Shrew” was offered to members in July. A tour of the Vancouver Airport facilities featuring the famous Indigenous art collection took place in September. On October 15th a visit to the Vancouver Art Gallery afforded members a chance to learn about the building, gallery operations, how the art is stored and future plans.
As usual the Committee handled the arrangements for the Presidents’ Lunch, which took place for the 6th consecutive year at the Arbutus Club in October with David Petrina as guest speaker on the subject of “Timber Frame Homes”.
The Bridge Club, the Fred Cotton Book Club and the Rotarians Investment Club enjoyed another successful year.
2020
The 2020 monthly meetings at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre began with Chris Hinkson on “The Administration of BC Justice” (January 14), Dr. David Haughton on “Angry Young Men: Why I Paint Them” (February 11), and Mike Harcourt on “Sustainable Cities” (March 10). Things came to an abrupt halt with a headline in the April newsletter:
UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE ALL MONTHLY PROBUS MEETINGS ARE CANCELLED. ONCE THE WORLD IS BACK TO NORMAL, WE WILL RESUME OUR MEETINGS.
The social distancing and lockdown regulations of the Covid 19 pandemic posed a major challenge for an organization founded to provide opportunities for in-person social contact. The members, board, committees and clubs of the PROBUS Club of Vancouver rose to the occasion with resilience, resourcefulness and good humour— and by embracing Zoom.
The “New Normal” came sooner than members expected with the May newsletter’s headline “Hot off the Press! Exciting News for PROBUS Members,” announcing our inaugural Zoom meeting on May 19, featuring Dr. Dan Kalla on “Pandemics: Then and Now.” This was followed by Olga Campbell’s “A Whisper Across Time” (June 9), Dr. Andrew Trites’ “The Chinook-Orca Study” (July 14), and Henry Litton’s “A Long Shadow cast over Hong Kong” (August 11)—our first overseas speaker, thanks to Zoom, from Australia. On September 8—after our AGM had to be postponed for lack of a quorum, Alan Franey told us of his experiences with establishing and running the Vancouver International Film Festival. It was not possible to hold the Annual Presidents’ Lunch Meeting on October 13, but Dr. Julio Montaner, OC, OBC graciously agreed to speak virtually on “Towards the end of HIV/ AIDS: Fact or Fiction?” The October meeting began with the delayed AGM at which Rich Carson succeeded Hugh Chaun as President. On November 10, Dr. Max Cameron spoke on “Democracy and Pandemics”. The year’s meetings concluded on December 8 with “Palliative and End of Life Care” by Professor Bee Wee, of Britain’s National Health Service, speaking from England.
Social distancing guidelines made it impracticable to offer all but one of our usual activities. On February 14, music lovers attended a concert at the Orpheum with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra backing a Beatles tribute band, but concerts in March and April were cancelled. The Activities Committee reluctantly shelved plans for a visit to the Ismaili Centre in May, a walk with John Atkin in June, and a Bard on the Beach performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream in July.
To replace the notices of activities, the newsletter devoted space to a Funnies Page which included groaners and a quote for the month.
The clubs also grappled with the challenge of meeting in a socially-distanced world. The Rotarians’ Investment Club met at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club in January and February, then switched to Zoom meetings for April, May and June. In August, the RVYC was able to accommodate them again even though they were limited to four tables with only three members per table. After three most enjoyable dinner meetings at the RVYC, restrictions on social gatherings meant a return to Zoom in December.
The Fred Cotton PROBUS Book Club, after meeting from January to March at the White Spot on West Georgia, switched to Zoom in May and met regularly for the rest of the year—although the November meeting was terminated by a power outage.
The Bridge Club met in private homes from January through March, but was unable
to continue due to the restrictions arising out of the pandemic situation. Some of its members, however, found ways to play on online.
It was with sadness that we noted the passing of John Hoyle (1924-2020) and Roy Williams (1927-2020)—both Charter Members and Honourary Life Members of the club. John and Fred Cotton (our first president), were instrumental in the founding of our Club in 1997 as representatives of The Vancouver Rotary Club, which acted as our sponsor. John and Norm Weitzel (President 2001-2002) were subsequently delegated by our Club to assist in the founding of the PROBUS Club of North Shore Vancouver in 2003. Roy was the third president in 1999-2000. He became the newsletter editor in 2001 and served as Historian Archivist from 2014 to his death in 2020.
At the September meeting, Peter Scott was awarded an Honourary Life Membership in recognition of his service as newsletter editor, president (2019-2020), and for his resourcefulness as photographer, audio-visual expert and recorder of speakers’ presentations.
Despite “Zoom fatigue,” attendances at monthly meetings in 2020 were strong and most members expressed support by renewing their memberships—looking forward to a return to normal in-person meetings and other activities in 2021.
2021
The Covid 19 pandemic which had significantly affected the Club since March, 2020 continued though 2021—with partial relaxation of public health restrictions.
Monthly meetings continued on Zoom throughout the year because limitations on attendance levels and food services made it impracticable to hold them at the Space Centre. It was, however, possible to resume the pre-meeting socializing over coffee with Zoom breakout groups with designated discussion topics. The Speakers Committee provided a steady stream of impressive speakers, and, subject to the approval by the speaker, all of the monthly meetings were recorded and available to members for 30 days after the meeting.
Geoff Mynett, the first speaker of the year, presented “The Story of Pioneer BC Doctor Horace Wrinch, the author’s grandfather-in-law” (January 12). He was followed by Douglas White, B.A., J.D., First Nations Lawyer—“Indigenous Law” (February 9); and Danny Catt, Naturalist, Photographer, Ecologist and World Traveller—“Arctic Mysteries, Arctic Magic” (March 9). The diverse program
continued with Professor James Brander—“Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery” (April 13); Professor Paul Evans “Canada/China Relations” (May 11); and Associate Professor Gerard Bayer—“The Next Federal Election: When can we Expect it?” (June 8).
Summer brought Dave Doroghy, Sponsorship Sales Executive—“111 Places in Vancouver You Must See” (July 13); and Luke Lewandowski, Professional Speaker— “Protection of your Personal Privacy “(August 10). The speaker for September was unable to appear for reasons beyond the control of the Committee. Following the Annual General Meeting and regular business items the Zoom breakout rooms were reopened for members to chat.
Once again, there was no Annual Presidents’ lunch in October, but members were fascinated by a presentation by Alan Mallory, Speaker, Author and Performance Coach—“The Family That Conquered Everest” (October 12). On November 9 Susan Yurkovich, CEO, Council of Forest Industries spoke on “BC’s Forest Industry: Our foundation and our future;” and the year concluded with Dr. Jeejeebhoy, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Nutritional Sciences at the University of Toronto—“Diet- Exercise in Preventive Medicine: Evidence-based” (December 14).
After a year’s hiatus, the Activities Committee resumed its program with gusto on April 27 with a Zoom session hosted by Richard Earthy “The Art of Observation in Photography” by photographer Doug Williams in conversation with Club members Hugh Chaun and Ken Lee. This was followed by other Zoom sessions that showcased the talents of members: Peter Scott—“Two Sides of Africa: PROBUS’s First Virtual Travel Show” (May 25); Joel Altman—“Elder Care & Estate Planning: Letting the Genie out of the Bottle” (June 22); and two Computer Workshops by Mark White (July 27 and October 25.) In August and September an enthusiastic group participated in four PROBUS Bicycle Rides, and on October 19, 2021 there was a visit to the Burnaby facilities of Loop Energy Inc. manufacturers of Low Energy eFlowTM fuel cells for vehicles. The final activity for the year was a presentation on “Osteoporosis: The Silent Killer” by Dale Sherman a volunteer with Osteoporosis Canada, on November 16.
The Fred Cotton PROBUS Book Club met every month on Zoom. The Rotarians’ Investment Club began the year with monthly meetings on Zoom from January to May. They were delighted to return to the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club for meetings in June, July, September, October, and November. The Bridge Club continued to be unable to meet in members’ homes, but some of its members found ways to play online.
The Newsletter continued to keep members informed and entertained. The monthly Funnies Page was joined in April by “Pete Picks”—links to videos and/or articles of general interest for members who do not have the time nor desire to surf the Internet. “Pete” is PROBUS member Peter Jefferson.
Like most PROBUS clubs in Canada, the Vancouver Club has seen a decline in its membership but was glad to welcome twelve new members in 2021. A happy event was the celebration at the June meeting of the 100th birthday of Dr. Sam Gibson, a member since 1997.
It was with sadness that we noted the passing of seven members: Ralph Carder, James Carter, Robert Hornal, Don Newman, Gerrard O’Connor, Don Riecken and Brian Wasson. Brian was Secretary of the Club from 2010 to 2012, and a long time Honorary Legal Counsel and Book Club member. Don Newman served as Chair of the Membership Committee and as President in 2011-12.
The Board held its meetings on Zoom in February, April and June, then in person at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club in October, and the Arbutus Club in December.
By the fall of 2021 it had seemed that the COVID 19 pandemic was coming under control. The arrival of new strains of the virus put this in doubt and, at the end of December, 2021, Club members were still hoping for a return to the simple pleasure of coffee and doughnuts with old friends and new acquaintances before the monthly meeting.
2022
In 2022, the Club celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding on February 11, 1997, and a gradual return to normal after the worst of the Covid pandemic. The year began with Monthly meetings on Zoom preceded by on-line breakout groups with designated discussion topics.
Geoff Mynett, made a return visit as the first speaker of the year, introducing his latest books “Murders on the Skeena” and “Pinkerton’s Hunt for Simon Gunanoot” (January 11). He was followed by “Post Pandemic Education” by Jason Ellis, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, UBC (February 8); and Josef Penninger, Professor, Dept. of Medical Genetics UBC, on “A Universal Therapy for SARS-CoV2 Variants” (March 8). On April 12, John MacLaughlan Gray, Canadian author, composer and performer presented his latest book, “Vile Spirits”, a thriller set in 1920s Vancouver, and in May Vickie Jensen -Writer and Photographer enlightened
us on “Deep, Dark and Dangerous, The Story of British Columbia’s Word-Class Undersea Tech Industry” (May 10).
In June, meetings resumed at the Space Centre with the option to participate on Zoom. This “hybrid” approach proved technologically challenging, and Zoom was discontinued after the September meeting. Members enjoyed a return to coffee, Timbits, and conversation, but struggled with the new parking arrangements that replaced dashboard PROBUS cards with pricier, high-tech payment options. After a dip during the Zoom era, monthly attendance climbed to over 100 by year’s end.
The June speaker was Hon. David Eby, QC, MLA, Minister Responsible for Housing of British Columbia on “Indigenous Justice” (June 14). July brought Dr. Jasper Lament, CEO, The Nature Trust of BC who enlightened members on “What is the Nature Trust of BC and what is its role in its conservation efforts.” (July 12), and on August 9 Rashid Sumaila, FRCS. Professor in Interdisciplinary Ocean and Fisheries Economics at UBC spoke on the threats facing Canadian waters and fisheries.
The Annual General Meeting in September was followed by a powerful presentation on the Treaty Process and Reconciliation from Stephen Point, Former Lieutenant Governor of BC and member of the Skowkale First Nation (September 13). The Annual Presidents’ lunch returned on October 11 at the Arbutus Club, with Fiona Dalton, President and CEO of Providence Healthcare describing the complex process of “Moving St Paul’s Hospital to its new venue”. On November 8, Kevin Quinn, CEO of Translink described “The future of transportation in Metro Vancouver”, and the year concluded with Jill Earthy, CEO of InBC Investment Corporation speaking on “In BC – an update on its investment approach and its future impacts” (December 13),
After a year of mainly Zoom-based events, the Activities Committee resumed its live program with a walking tour of Shaughnessy led by John Atkins on May 17. A tennis tournament was held on May 24th at the UBC courts, with sixteen players participating enthusiastically in mixed doubles. July featured two very different activities: Bard on the Beach’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” (July 16) and a guided tour and lunch at the Ismaili Centre in Burnaby (July 21). On July 27 ten members and guests enjoyed a wonderful mid-summer afternoon on English Bay, hosted by two PROBUS Club members in their boat. On August 11, there was a tour of the Capilano Watershed, and, on October 6, a visit to a well-known nightclub for dinner and a guided tour on “The Secrets of the Penthouse” narrated by the owner, Danny Filippone, two former police officers and the club’s historian. The biking group found itself skipping the rides and went directly to having lunch together.
The PROBUS Fred Cotton Book Club met every month except July and August. It began its year on Zoom but resumed in-person meetings in April. The Rotarians’ Investment Club met regularly for dinner and presentations at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club—with a break in August and September. Like all investors the club members have struggled with declining stock prices, but their portfolio returned an impressive 5% year over year! The Bridge Social Program continued to be unable to meet in members’ homes, but some of its members found ways to play online using Zoom and Bridge programs such as Bridgebase and Trickster.
The Newsletter continued to keep members informed and entertained. The Funnies Page and “Pete’s Picks” that helped keep members’ spirits up during the pandemic were phased out as the club resumed its normal activities.
Like most PROBUS clubs in Canada, the Vancouver Club has seen a decline in its membership but was glad to welcome twelve new members in 2022. It was with sadness that we noted the passing of three members: Dr. Sam Gibson—a member since 1997—aged 101 years, Stan Shackell, and Alan Watt.
At the January meeting, David Scott was awarded an Honourary Life Membership in recognition of his service to the Vancouver club from 2009 through 2015 as Chairman of the Speakers committee and president. In 2019 he was elected member of the board of PROBUS Canada, representing BC District #2, which includes thirteen clubs in the Lower Mainland.
The Board met throughout the year at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club. At its meeting in February, it discussed the issue of opening membership to women and, finding itself divided, decided to ask the members what they wanted. At a special general meeting (by Zoom) on March 15, after a vigorous discussion, the vote on a motion to amend the Bylaws to remove the gender restriction was 44 (41%) in favour and 64 (59%) opposed—and did not pass.
2023
2023 saw a full year of meetings at the Vancouver Space Centre and a return to the traditional system for paying for parking. Starting on August 8, meetings began 15 minutes earlier, at 9:45 a.m. This change was made to ensure that those members who park in the Space Centre lot can get their cars out by the 11:30 deadline set by EasyPark. The average meeting attendance was around one hundred members and guests.
The first speaker of the year was Arno Kopecky, award winning Canadian Journalist & Travel Writer on Global Warming, who discussed “The Core Predicament of Our Time” (January 10). He was followed by: Derek Matthews, Chair of the Vancouver Avian Research Centre, on “The state of the World’s Birds and What You Can Do To Help” (February 14). The next two meetings had a transportation theme. On March 14 Capt. Shri Madiwal, Marine Operations & Harbour Master, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, spoke on “The Port of Vancouver—Canada’s Pacific Gateway.” On April 11, Tamara Vrooman, CEO of the Vancouver International Airport, answered the question “How Will YVR Handle the Next Blizzard?”
On May 9: author, journalist, historian, and biographer Alan Twigg presented “Out of Hiding: A Holocaust Survivor’s journey to America:” the story of BC resident Rudolf Vrba, a Slovak-Jewish Holocaust survivor, who played a significant role in exposing the atrocities of Auschwitz. He was followed on June 13 by Mike Andruff, author of “The Russian Refugees: A Family’s First Century in Canada.” Sadly, Mike passed away six months after he spoke to the Club. On July 11 Dr. Jess McIver, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, UBC, expanded members’ minds with “Black Holes 5.0—how we detect dark cosmic objects using ripples in spacetime (and lasers).” We returned to Earth on August 8 when Club member Justice Randall “Bud” Wong gave us his “Reflections by a Judicial Dinosaur on 50 years in the Law both before and behind the Bench.” On September 12, the Club’s Annual General Meeting was followed by Professor Mark Haden, Adjunct Professor at UBC of Population and Public Health, on “The curative powers of Psychedelic and other illegal drugs.”
At the annual Presidents’ Lunch on October 10 Brandt Louie OBC, Chairman of London Drugs Limited gave a thoughtful and inspiring talk on “The State of Trust.” The November 14 meeting began with bagpiper Caroline Ng honouring Remembrance Day. Colonel Scott Raesler, Commander 39 Canadian Brigade Group spoke on “The Canadian Armed Forces in a rapidly evolving geopolitical security environment: national objectives at home and abroad.” The year ended with a presentation by another Club member, Guy Immega, retired aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, and author, on an amazing concept: “Global cooling by solar radiation management in space.” (December 12)
The Activities Committee organized six events including: the Presidents’ Luncheon; a visit to the nature reserve of Addington Marsh (May 16); a John Atkin Walk through the Glen Park Neighbourhood (June 20); a tour of the United Flower Growers Warehouse (August 15): and a performance by Bard on the Beach of “As
You Like It” (September 26). The Monumental Scandals Tour on October 31 took the participants on a guided walk that exposed the often-unseemly histories of Vancouver’s most famous buildings.
The second Annual Probus Tennis Tournament was held on Thursday, June 22nd, from 10 AM to 2 PM at the UBC tennis “Bubble.” Sixteen players competed, eight of whom are Probus members, accompanied by eight invitees to constitute eight doubles teams.
The PROBUS Fred Cotton Book Club met every month except July and August. At their December meeting members celebrated the club’s 15th Anniversary and discussed Michael Audain’s memoir, “One Man in his Time”. The Rotarians’ Investment Club met regularly for dinner and presentations at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, on the last Thursday of the month with breaks in August, September, and December. The investing climate in 2023 proved to be challenging, but there were some significant successes and the portfolio remained stable. After a three- year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Probus Bridge Club was revitalized this year with sixteen members signing up to play the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from December through June 2024. Members host two tables on a rotating basis and play twenty hands of contract bridge.
The Newsletter continued to keep members informed and entertained. Our always- innovative President Peter Scott asked ChatGPT to write a President’s Message for him. You can compare this AI creation with his regular contribution in the June newsletter.
Although membership was still below pre-Pandemic levels, the Club welcomed twenty-four new members in 2023 and closed the year with close to 250. It was with sadness that we noted the passing of three members: Leo Dooling, Gordon Gibson, and Michael Jacobson.
The website underwent a significant update to make it more attractive to members and prospective members, and easier to navigate.
At the May meeting, Hugh Lindsay was awarded an Honourary Life Membership in recognition of his service to the Vancouver club since he joined in 2011. Hugh became Chairman of the Website committee in 2014 and president in 2017. He continues to serve on the board as Archivist and Historian. Hugh oversaw the streamlining of the Club’s Constitution and Bylaws in 2018 and developed a “President’s Tool Kit” which has provided invaluable guidance to the Presidents who followed him.
The Board met throughout the year at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club. At its August meeting it approved a motion “that, effective September 1, 2023, members may bring guests, male or female, to two meetings in a twelve-month period per guest with a meeting fee of $10.”
2024
2024 was another full year of meetings at the Vancouver Space Centre, activities, and social group meetings. The average meeting attendance was around one hundred members and guests. Like many Probus clubs, however, membership and attendance were slow to recover from the effects of the Covid pandemic. With help from resources provided by Probus Canada the Board of Directors undertook initiatives to attract and retain members by making the Club more attractive.
The year began with John Madden, UBC Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering who discussed his experiences of the challenges and successes of spinal cord research into nerve cell regeneration (January 9). On February 13, Ken Sim, Mayor of Vancouver, offered his “City Insights” and stimulated a lively question period. He was followed by Probus member Geoff Mynett, author of “The Eventful Life of Philip Hankin: Worldwide Traveller and Witness to British Columbia’s Early History” (March 12).
The next three speakers addressed a variety of more personal subjects including “Innovative Design Solutions for Today’s Smaller Homes” by Jake Fry Founder of Smallworks (April 9); “MAID—Updates and its Future” presented by Dr. Ellen Wiebe Clinical Professor, UBC (May 14) and “Seniors’ Health Issues” from Dr. Penny Ballem Board Chair, Vancouver Coastal Health (June 11).
On July 9, Michael Kluckner, artist and author introduced his latest book “Surviving Vancouver” in which he explores what has survived in this city, and how people continue to survive in it. Arran Stephens, the CEO of Nature’s Path Organic Foods, shared his experiences of “Founding and Creating an International Food Corporation” (August 13). Kim Bolan, a long-time Journalist with the Vancouver Sun, provided a very different and sobering view of our province in “BC Gangs Go Global” (September 10).
The speaker at the Presidents’ Lunch was Dr. Ryan D’Arcy, Professor, SFU whose subject was “Technology on the Brain” (October 8). In “Forest Fires: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” Dr. Lori Daniels. Professor, UBC, provided insight into a growing problem for BC communities (November 12). The year ended with a look at how
one company is engaged in “The Development of Hydrogen Technology” from the
perspective of Colin Armstrong President and CEO of HTEC (December 10).
The Activities Committee organized the Presidents’ Luncheon and six other events: a tour of the Chinese Canadian Museum (February 8); “Behind the Barriers at YVR” (March 7); BC Vintage Truck Museum (April 18); “Another John Atkin Walk – Talton Place “(May 22); and tours of the Seaforth Armoury Museum (November 14) and the Museum of Anthropology (November 28).
The Third Annual Probus Tennis Tournament took place at the UBC Tennis Centre’s “Bubble” at noon on May 15th, with ten members of the Club, bolstered by six non- members. The venue became unseasonably warm and many of the players found four hours of doubles play excessive but everyone reported having had a good time and were all looking forward to the next version—possibly in the fall.
The PROBUS Fred Cotton Book Club met every month except July and August to discuss an eclectic selection of titles that are very relevant to our times. The Rotarians’ Investment Club met regularly for dinner and presentations at the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club, on the last Thursday of the month with breaks in August, September, and a non-working buffet dinner in December. Club members were actively involved in monitoring the portfolio, which now exceeds $100,000, and in approving a number of sales and purchases.
The PROBUS Club of Vancouver Bridge Club members played twice a month from September through June on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday nights from 7 pm to 10 pm. Members hosted two tables on a rotating basis. The format was twenty hands of Rubber Bridge. Members played as couples for the entire season.
Three new social activities were started in 2024. The Pub Nights Group with Richard Earthy met on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 4 pm, providing a casual and relaxed way to connect with other Probus members and have a good time while exploring the choice of pubs in the city. Jim Matkin hosted a Policy Conversations Cafe monthly at 2:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday from March 5 at the Arbutus Club Bistro. Peter Scott’s Breakfast Group began monthly meetings on April 17 at Aphrodite’s Organic Cafe on West 4th Avenue and, like the Pub Group selected a new venue for each meeting.
The Newsletter continued to keep members informed and entertained and added comprehensive coverage of the program of social activities.
Although membership was still below pre-Pandemic levels, the Club welcomed sixteen new members in 2024. It was with sadness that we noted the passing of five
members: Bruce Buchanan, Charles Flavelle, Poul Hansen, Michael Overholt, and Morley Strachan.
The website, which was extensively updated in 2023 provided an attractive, comprehensive, easily navigated source of information on the Club and its activities for members and prospective members.
Two members were honoured at monthly meetings. In May, Hugh Lindsay, Past President, and Honourary Life Member (2023), was presented with the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in recognition of his service to three professional associations and the Probus Club of Vancouver. In December, Jack Zaleski, Past President, and Honourary Life Member (2018), received the PROBUS Canada Citation Award. Jack joined the club in 2010 and two years later was elected to the management committee (now the board of directors). He served in a variety of positions including chair of the website committee, Vice President, President, Past President, then returned to chair committees: website and data base, activities, and membership.
The Board met throughout the year at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club. To address the challenge of presidential succession, Richard Earthy generously offered to continue serving as President and the Board created the position of Second Vice President. At the 2024 Annual General Meeting, Richard Earthy was elected President and James Matkin was elected Second Vice President.
2025
In 2025 the Board continued to emphasize strengthening the quality and attractiveness of monthly speakers at the Vancouver Space Centre, and supporting activities, and social group meetings. The average meeting attendance was around ninety-five members and guests. Members provided support by promoting and recruiting friends to the club which ended its fiscal year in a strong financial position.
On January 14, Roddy MacKenzie, whose father served in Bomber Command during the Second World War spoke on “Bomber Command: Churchill’s Greatest Triumph.” This was followed on February 11, with a topical presentation on “The Rising Power of Oligarchy in the Americas” by Professor Max Cameron, UBC Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Margarett Lange, Outreach and Events Manager for Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers provided a valuable explanation of her program on March 11.
April 10 brought us an update on “Housing Policy Today” from Tom Davidoff, Associate Professor, Sauder School of Business, UBC. He was followed on May 13, by Glenn Faris, Psychiatrist, and member of the PROBUS Club of Vancouver speaking on “1930s Canadian Church Missions to China.” Brian Antonson, publisher, author, educator revealed a little-known piece of BC history, “The Legend of Slumach’s Gold,” on June 10.
On July 8, Wade Grant, a Musqueam and Member of Parliament for Vancouver Quadra, presented an informed account of the status of “The Road to Reconciliation” and answered many thoughtful questions on this complex topic. On August 12 Michelle Kunimoto Assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at UBC took us into space with “Recent Exoplanet Discoveries.” September 9 was back on the ground, with “Keeping BC Beautiful: The Future of BC Parks,” by Andy Day, CEO, BC Parks Foundation.
The guest speaker at the Presidents’ Lunch on October 14 was “The Godfather of the CFL”—Wally Buono, Ex-Head Coach and GM, BC Lions. The November 11 meeting coincided with Remembrance Day—a timely occasion for a talk on the Canadian Armed Forces’ “Risk Strategies”, by Colonel W. Scott Raesler, Assistant Chief of Staff (Training), 3rd Canadian Division Canadian Army. The year closed with “British Pacific Properties – Transforming West Vancouver for 94 years.” Geoff Croll, President, British Pacific Properties—with a historical introduction by John Kay—reviewed the challenge of developing this major property and discussed the current work at Cypress Village. (December 9).
The Activities Committee organized the Presidents’ Luncheon and six other events. Two tours of The Neuro Peak Physiotherapy and Performance Centre—by invitation from Dr Ryan D’Arcy who had spoken of the Centre at the October 2024 Presidents Lunch (February 18, and June 6). March 18 provided an opportunity to see the “mock rooms” set up by the planners of the New St. Paul’s Hospital. The CBC Newsroom Tour on July 16 was a chance to see a familiar scene from behind the camera. John Atkin guided a group on a walk around False Creek May 22, and on November 20 PROBUS Club member John Richardson gave a tour of his business—Premier Plastics Production Facility in Delta.
The Club continues to promote social activities which are coordinated by the Second Vice President.
The PROBUS Fred Cotton Book Club met every month except July and August to discuss an eclectic selection of titles that are very relevant to our times. The Bridge Club members played twice a month from September through June on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday nights from 7 pm to 10 pm. Members hosted two tables on a rotating basis. The format was twenty hands of Rubber Bridge. Members played as couples for the entire season.
The Breakfast Group held monthly meetings with a new venue for each meeting. Jim Matkin hosted a Policy Conversations Café monthly at 2:00 p.m. on the first Tuesday at the Arbutus Club Bistro. The Pub Nights Group met on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 4 pm, providing a casual and relaxed way to connect with other Probus members and have a good time while exploring the choice of pubs in the city.
On February 25, twenty-two members of the Club attended a wine tasting event hosted by John Kay at the Arbutus Club. John provided six excellent red and white wines for sampling and gave a very informative overview of each wine.
On October 23rd, sixteen Probus members and friends met at the UBC Tennis Centre’s “Bubble” to participate in the eighth edition of the Probus Tennis Tournament.
The Newsletter is a valuable source of information for members and for this history. For the past eleven years since 2014 Peter Scott has performed an outstanding service as Editor or Associate Editor (during his Presidency). The website, which includes copies of past newsletters, provides an attractive, comprehensive, easily navigated source of information on the Club and its activities for members and prospective members. Peter Brock changed the host of the Club’s website to a Vancouver-based server, resulting in substantial savings for the Club.
The Club welcomed seventeen new members in 2025. It was with sadness that we noted the passing of nine members: Justice Duncan Shaw, Dick Richards, Dr. John Boone, Dr. Keith Dawson, Michael Shields, Jim Parke, John Booth, Barry McBride and Dean Winram. The membership count reported to Probus Canada in December was 212.
The Board met every second month throughout the year at the Vancouver Lawn Tennis & Badminton Club. Richard Earthy served as President for his second year until the 2025 Annual General Meeting, when John Kay was elected President and James Matkin was elected Vice President.