Speaker Schedule

The Fantastic White Bears of the Ice

Beginning in 1976 as a fish and wildlife biologist with the Ministry of Natural Resources in Geraldton, Craig held a variety of challenging and interesting positions at the district, regional and main office levels. The journey took Craig and his family to Cochrane, Kirkland Lake and Sault Ste Marie. During this period, Craig migrated from biologist to senior manager during his 31+ year career with the Ministry of Natural Resources. At the closing chapter of his career with MNR, Craig was responsible for developing and implementing the Bear Wise program in Ontario. Craig has a strong interest in wildlife and ecology having an M. Sc. in wildlife biology and spending a number of years as a practicing biologist. This included involvement in Polar Bear research in the middle 1980’s and one last opportunity to be with the bears in 2007. 

Craig has been a member of the Perth Probus Club since 2013, president in 2018/19 and is past director for District ON#1.

Craig and his wife Louise made the Perth area their new home in 2012 and are really enjoying the experience.

Join Craig in an odyssey to study the Polar Bears of Southern Hudson Bay in Ontario. This is a story of researching Ontario’s polar bears – yes, we do have polar bears! – in the middle 1980’s and 2007. It is a story told through pictures of learning about Ontario’s population of Polar Bears. He will be talking about the general biology and life history of polar bears with comments on their current status. He will sprinkle that with some of the hands-on field science and memories as he shows pictures of these amazing animals – his biggest problem is not letting the enthusiasm run well past the time allotment!

Billionaire Murders

Kevin Donovan has been investigating the murders of Barry and Honey Sherman since three weeks after their bodies were found. He will take the audience through the last day of their lives, and give them a window into the clues he has found and the evidence he is still looking for. You'll learn about the police missteps, what they are looking for now, and along the way the audience will get insight into who the Shermans were, and why someone may have wanted them dead. 

Kevin Donovan is the Toronto Star's Chief Investigative Reporter. His focus is on journalism that exposes wrongdoing and effects change. Over almost four decades he has reported on the activities of charities, government, police, business among other institutions. Kevin also reported from the battlefields in the Gulf War and the war in Afghanistan following 9/11. He has won three National Newspaper Awards, two Governor General's Michener Awards, the Canadian Journalism Foundation award and three Canadian Association of Journalists Awards. As the Star's editor of investigations for many years, Donovan led many award-winning projects for the paper. He is the author of several books, including the Billionaire Murders; Secret Life: The Jian Ghomeshi Investigation;  and the "Dead Times" (a fiction novel).  You can listen to his Suspicion podcast series wherever you listen to podcasts.