Category: Meeting

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

In this candid talk, our featured speaker, Tim Mt. Pleasant, will explore with us what happens when one is no longer capable of making one’s treatment and financial decisions. What does the law determine for us, and what control can we exercise before we lose it?  Control, Tim will argue, is a fluidic state that more often, than not sees power transfer from the self to the other.  Sometimes this transfer is bidirectional, and in other, it is not.  What tools are available to us that will ensure that our values and wishes are respected and upheld in any state of fluidic change?  Through a non-legal review of the decision-making hierarchy contained with the Health Care Consent Act, Tim will examine with us the complexity of situations that arise when an individual does not plan appropriately.

Tim Mt. Pleasant is a First Nations member of the LGBTQ2S+ and Disabled community from Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation and is currently studying Philosophy at Ryerson University. His experience comes from work in the Long-Term Care (10 years), Mental Health/Addictions (8 years) and Public Service Sector during the last 22 years.  Tim works in the area of Bioethics at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre / University Health Network and has an interest in the values that one assumes when entering various systems, the fluidity of control and capacity, in addition to the new realm of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD).

Tim volunteers in areas that allow him to advocate for those with Mental Health or Addictions challenges, including marginalized populations and those that get lost in various systems, specifically within Health Care and Social Services sectors.  He has served on the Board of Directors of PFLAG Canada, the Canadian Bioethics Society, ARCH Disability Law Centre, Community Resource Connections of Toronto, Toronto Distress Centres, and the Native Canadian Centre of Toronto. Tim is also a member of and currently sits on the Equity Committee of the Canadian Philosophical Association and Ryerson’s Research Ethics Board.

Ronny Yaron will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/gkxgdryzlbhc/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

This Sunday, at Toronto Oasis, our featured speaker, A. D’Agio, will lead us in a workshop entitled: Building Our Own Ethics.  

The outline of the workshop is as follows:

1. Laying down a foundation (assumptions, goal, principles, etc.)
2. Erecting a framework (blueprint customization, aphorisms, examples, etc.)
3. Filling in the Gaps (by whom and when, etc.)

Born in England, A. D’Agio resides now in Toronto, writing poetry and lyrics about humans, and their quirksome relationships with each another. Experience first hand the mind numbing madness https://twitter.com/HumanistPoet or https://www.facebook.com/HumanistPoetAdagio

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/gkxgdryzlbxb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Can you be an educated person in 2019 without knowing about the Doctrine of Discovery? Our lives are affected every day by these rulings or edicts from 1452 and 1493. What are these ‘inter cetera bulls’? How do they still impact Canadians? Enjoy some amazing ‘gifts to the world’, dig into the shocking Doctrine of Discovery, and participate in our Oasis discussion as ‘the1492guy’ helps us bring pre-Columbus onto our 2019 landscape.

Our featured speaker, Dave Patterson (‘the1492guy’) is a speaker and author from Richmond Hill.  He has done 50 of his various presentations, which are perfect for audiences that want to feel inspired about Indigenous issues, instead of always feeling guilty or upset about the latest news. He dispels the ‘Myths of 1492’ by retelling histories, so the listener realizes all Europeans and Indians were peers and co-equals, but then people forgot. The ‘gifts to the world’ from the Western Hemisphere form the backbone of our civilisation. Accomplishments prior to 1492, inventions, innovations, contributions to today’s world – all can be shocking to the average Westerner who has learned that nothing much was accomplished in our home hemisphere before Columbus.  

Dave is the author of the book 500 Years of Lies: Discover the Extraordinary Number of Native Indian Gifts to the World.  It serves the same purpose as the talks, giving hundreds of these well-established contributions that unfortunately are not part of our world-class education. 

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/gkxgdryzlbpb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

The human genome contains about 3 billion base pairs of DNA.  Not only does the genome contain the instructions needed to develop a living, breathing, human being, but it can also reveal insights about our shared history.  In recent years, studies examining DNA from both living humans and ancient remains have revealed much about the history of our species including our migration from Africa to other parts of the globe, our interactions with other human species, and how related we actually are to each other.  

Our featured speaker, Ryan Zhang, will discuss some of the most interesting and surprising findings from human genetics research in recent years.  In addition, he will also discuss what this research shows about our ancestry, the concept of race, and our cultural and ethnic origins.  

Ryan Zhang graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science degree from the University of Toronto majoring in Human Biology and minoring in History.  He is currently a second-year student of the Environmental Technology Program at Georgian College and aspires to become a professional in the environmental field when he graduates.  He is intensely curious and enjoys keeping fish, learning about nature, listening to history podcasts, and obsessively reading Wikipedia articles for fun. 

Jess Bootsma will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/gkxgdryzkblc/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

Demographics in the 21^st century are becoming more secular – and quickly. In response to these changes, communities around the world are avoiding traditional institutions, like religion, and instead searching for a more fitting system that follows our changing needs and values – communities like Oasis.

This week’s speaker, Aaron Taylor, is visiting from Calgary where a similar group is growing rapidly. He will be sharing his experiences, what brought him into this work, and to trade ideas and insight with you.

Aaron Taylor grew up near Toronto and currently lives in Calgary, Alberta. He was raised a Jehovah’s Witness and uses his experience to relate with others who have lost faith, friends or family in the same way. Armchair philosopher, music lover, and family man, Aaron has plenty of stories and something in common with everyone.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/gkxgdryzkbcc/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

This Sunday Michelle Edmunds will do a presentation about dominant and non-dominant groups and social location. She will present the Power Flower activity to demonstrate the disparities in power and influence through a political, cultural and societal perspective. We will have the opportunity to participate in the Power Flower activity to better understand social location, power, privilege and influence for those not equally represented in Canadian society. 

Privilege does not mean those in the dominant groups do not struggle or face adversity.  What will be considered is the imbalance between people who score low in the Power Flower vs. those who score high and how this can affect an individual in the non-dominant group and their journey through life, while facing and overcoming obstacles that dominant groups do not experience.

Michelle has been involved with diversity and inclusion training for over a decade. One of the topics under inclusion is the Power Flower. 

Catherine Francis will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/gkxgdryzkbsb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

This Sunday, Dan Cooperstock will lead a group discussion on Nuclear Power versus Energy Sources, after we watch a 17-minute TEDx talk by Michael Shellenberger, titled “Why renewables can’t save the planet” which raises some fascinating issues.

Dan Cooperstock is the Toronto Oasis Treasurer, an atheist Quaker, and a software entrepreneur, writing and selling software for churches and charities.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/gkxgdryzkbkb/

Our event starts at 11 am on the 2nd floor of the Koffler House (569 Spadina Avenue).  Social 10:45am – 11:00am.

One way to understand the purpose of a secular community organization such as Oasis or the Humanist Association of Toronto, is to provide the community-building functions often associated with a religious congregation but without the religion. What is that role? In his talk, our featured speaker, Moses Klein, will explore the need that people may have for a quasi-religious community. Based on the experiences of our organizations, we will consider how well a shared secular humanist philosophy can provide the basis for such a community.

Moses Klein grew up in Toronto. After studying mathematics and philosophy at Yale University and the University of Wisconsin, together with other travels, he returned to Toronto in 2005. Since 2009 he has been teaching mathematics at a high school for international students. He has been active in the Humanist Association of Toronto since 2005, and currently serves as the group’s Spokesperson.

Our guest musicians will be Lunar Bloom (https://www.lunarbloomband.com/).   Lunar Bloom is an all-female indie-folk trio with voices that weave seamlessly in and out of harmony.  The three ‘blooms’ are long time friends, and have been collaborating together as music makers for 2 years.  Pulling inspiration from other artists, they create a sound that has the quirkiness of Regina Spektor, the sweet innocence of Dala, and the witchy appeal of Florence and the Machine.  Their music features dynamic range and honest story telling.

This week Aseema Singh will do the Community Moment.  The Community Moment is a chance for one of our own to share their journey, thoughts about life, or something personal about themselves.  It could be light and silly or it could be emotionally heavy.  Either way, you’ll learn more about a valued person in our community.  Interested in presenting your own Community Moment?  Contact Tania at 416oasis@gmail.com.

You can RSVP for this on our Meetup page at:
https://www.meetup.com/Toronto-Oasis/events/jdmkqqyzjbfc/