MCLL Fall Lecture Program
We offer a program of lectures both online and on campus, presented by MCLL members, other lifelong learning centers and faculty members who share their research on a variety of topics. The fee is $10 per lecture, and does not include MCLL membership benefits.
NEW! MCLL On the Road brings signature lectures to Montreal's seniors’ residences, retirement clubs, and independent-living apartment buildings. Learn more about the program.
📍Location
All on-campus lectures take place on the second floor of
⚠️ Important
To register for a lecture you'll need your McGill Athena login name and password, so keep them handy. If you forget or don't yet have them, get them now at the Athena Login Page.
Useful Links
Useful Notes
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Maximum in-person attendance is 17 unless otherwise specified.
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Registration closes at midnight two days before the lecture date. The Zoom link for online lectures will be sent to attendees the previous day.
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In case of technical problems, an emergency, or an illness, a refund is available through your Athena account until one day after the lecture.
MCLL Fall 2025 Lectures |
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YCLML 948 Murder in the Cathedral
Time: Friday, November 7, 10:00 a.m.
Presenter: Frank Nicholson
Attendance: Online
Midway through the Easter Mass on April 26, 1478, in Florence’s grand cathedral, the Duomo, assassins supported by the Pope struck at the heart of the Medici regime. Come hear the full story of the event known to history as the Pazzi Conspiracy — its roots in family rivalries and papal politics, the savage attack on Lorenzo and Giuliano de’ Medici and the brutal aftermath that shook Renaissance Italy.
YCLML 949 Capt. Bernier: Quebec's Arctic Hero
Time: Friday, November 7, 10:00 a.m.
Presenter: Brian Webber
Attendance: Online
This lecture has been moved online due to the STM strike.
Joseph-Elzéar Bernier, perhaps Quebec's greatest sea captain, was Canada’s champion during the heyday of polar exploration in the early 1900s. Stephen Harper, speaking in 2008, said that Bernier's 1908–09 mission to Melville Island was “as important to our national destiny in the North as the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway was in the West.” Bernier, raised in L'Islet-sur-Mer, was nurtured by a long tradition of shipping and shipbuilding on the Saint-Lawrence River. Aided by photos, old and new, I will elaborate on the man, his achievements, the milieu from whence he came, and his legacy.
YCLML 950 State of Democracy
Time: Friday, November 7, 1:00 p.m.
Presenter: François Labonté & Paul Doucet
Attendance: Online
The global state of democracy, as assessed by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) indicates that “while democracy faces challenges globally, it continues to be a valued system for citizens worldwide.” This is an intergenerational panel discussion with a mix of McGill students and MCLL members participating. The two-hour session would include five presentations, approximately 10 minutes each by five panelists, followed by a 45-minute Q&A.
YCLML 930 Parsing a Text from Sunzi's Art of War (CANCELLED due to STM strike)
Time: Friday, November 7, 1:00 p.m. (rescheduled from September 26)
Presenter: Doug Woolidge
Attendance: In person
Room: 225
Participants will examine a selected text from Sunzi’s classic, and in that process, learn about how Chinese characters are written, and how classical Chinese grammar functions, while gaining an appreciation of this ancient text.
YCLML 951 The Collection of Richard von Kaufmann (CANCELLED due to STM strike)
Time: Friday, November 14, 10:00 a.m. (rescheduled from October 3)
Presenter: Harald von Cramon
Attendance: In person
Room: 225
In 1917, a major collection of art from the 14th through 16th century (including Botticelli, Bosch, Holbein et al) was auctioned off in Berlin. As a grandson of German jurist Richard, I have always wondered where these treasures might be found today. With the help of the computer, I have been able to trace about half of the 164 paintings in the auction catalog, and I now know what they really looked like in full colour. Let me share them with you.
