Speaker Schedule

What do archaeologists do when the world is at war?  

Surprisingly, many of them turn

spy. 

During wartime, archaeologists on all sides have become involved with military intelligence, turning their in-depth knowledge of the land and the peoples they studied to support their countries at war.  This was no more apparent than in the Middle East where prominent archaeologists played a very political game during the First World War.  Some of these names, such as T.E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia, would become legendary.  Others, when the war was over, simply went back to their museums and their excavations.

Dr. Amy Barron

Amy Barron received her PhD at the University of Toronto in the field of Mesopotamian

history and archaeology, specializing on the military history of Iron Age Assyria. She has excavated predominantly in the Middle East but has traveled widely studying the archaeology of various remote parts of the world from Peru to China. Amy has taught archaeology, ancient history and classics at the universities of Toronto and Guelph and presently teaches museum studies in Fleming College’s post-graduate program. She has worked in the museum world for over 30 years and loves sharing her passion for the past 

Joyce Perrin penned stories when young, but what held her interest throughout life was the blue bound set of books at home called Lands and People, which sparked a lifelong curiosity about different countries and cultures.

Life changes led Joyce to pack up all her belongings at age 57 and embark on a solo global journey across 187 countries and territories. 

After returning to Canada at 80, and despite several health challenges, Joyce published her book Ants In My Pants: One Womans’s Unexpected Adventures Across Seven Continents .

"The most memorable experiences about my travel years were touching people’s lives--the human connections. No matter where I was in the world, my encounters connected me with others, their countries, their cultures, their histories, their personal stories. That’s what I treasured most about traveling. The sheer diversity of it all. The complex, wonderful, beautiful, at times tragic, shocking, and messy stuff that is simply being human. Humanity in its never ceasing capacity to amaze."

Tom, originally from Toronto, holds a Master’s Degree in Mathematics and  an MBA from York University. After moving to Vancouver in 1984, he  entered the film and entertainment industry at a pivotal time,  contributing to the growth of British Columbia’s now  multi-billion-dollar production sector. He co-founded Rainmaker Digital  Pictures Corporation in 1995, after leading Gastown Post & Transfer,  the largest post-production facility in Western Canada. Tom and his  team worked on major television series like 21 Jump Street, The X-Files,  and Millennium, as well as the Academy Award-winning film Legends of  the Fall. In 1996, he launched a business coaching practice,  specializing in strategic planning and leadership development across  entertainment and sports, while also teaching at the University of  British Columbia.

A passionate advocate for sports, community,  and digital innovation, Tom served for two decades on the board of the  B.C. Sports Hall of Fame & Museum. Over the past 25 years, he has  explored the impact of digital technology, most notably through his  long-running project Moments In Time—a nostalgic music storytelling  series that became both a weekly web feature and award-winning book. The  interactive book connects readers to classic songs via QR codes and is  housed in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In 2024, he released Moments  In Time 2.0, extending his tribute to artists of the 60s through 80s.  Known for his compelling stories and boundless enthusiasm, Tom continues  to share his insights through media appearances and a new interactive  road show on the cultural influence of rock & roll.