Sunshine Coast Eldercollege Courses

On this page:

• Hot Topics
• Conversation Café
• Law for Seniors
• Personal Tax Planning Issues for Seniors
• Write Now, Spell-Check Later
• Increasing Positive Emotions
• Written Arts Festival Preview
• Plates, Quakes and Tsunamis
• Artist in the Science Lab
• Spring Birding
• Adventures in Travel
• A Closer Look at Some of Our Latin American Neighbours
• Early History of Europe

Hot Topics

Get involved in lively, thoughtful discussions about global, national and local issues in the comfort of a small group. Members will be encouraged to research topics, perhaps make presentations, and mainly take part in discussions. Facilitators may choose topics for research and discussion the following week, and participants may also choose topics of special interest. Bring along material from newspapers, magazines, or other media. Opinions definitely invited. This course is held at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa Street, Sechelt, B.C.

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Conversation Café

Does thinking change anything? This philosophical discussion series continues with a range of topics that has led us to explore our views on such issues as the power of language and whether happiness is overrated. Moderators will introduce topics and propose ideas for discussion. This course is held at the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre, 5714 Medusa Street. Sechelt, B.C.

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Law for Seniors

Look after yourself and your loved ones by learning about will preparation and the consequences of dying without a will; appointing executors and guardians; the duties and powers of executors; estate assets and liabilities, legacies, and bequests; family trusts; “living wills”; procedures for probating and administrating estates; powers of attorney; estate litigation; disputed wills; and claims under the Wills Variation Act.

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Personal Tax Planning Issues for Seniors

The course will cover basic personal tax issues with an emphasis on tax issues that are unique to seniors. Participants will gain a better understanding of the tax implications and planning issues related to OAS claw backs, claims for disability and caregiver credits, tax issues related to asset transfers between spouses, the use of trusts, tax issues related to retirement plans and tax issues related to death.

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Write Now, Spell-Check Later

Forget about grammar, punctuation, and spelling; just let the story out. Shelley offers in-class writing exercises designed to spark your memories and ease you into writing what you know. Each writer will have an opportunity to give voice to his or her work in a casual, criticism-free environment.

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Increasing Positive Emotions

This course explores the physical, social, and cognitive benefits of positive emotions. Explore your character strengths and how they enhance happiness and satisfaction. You will learn how to think differently to offset negativity and open more to the positive, and to identify lifestyle changes that lead to positive states.

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Written Arts Festival Preview

We invite former and new participants to join us in the 12th year of this interactive course, which continues the popular practice of reading and discussing a book by each of five authors appearing at the 2012 Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. A different CanLit enthusiast will lead each session. You will be provided with the authors’ names and books to be discussed when they become available.

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Plates, Quakes and Tsunamis

Quake-driven natural disasters always make front-page news. Learn more about the science behind these events. Dr. Gabrielse will describe how continents and their mountain ranges have been formed by the ongoing movement of tectonic plates within the earth's crust. Dr. Williams-Jones will discuss physical volcanology and the eruptions that have occurred around the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, and what precursory signals might be identifiable through current research. Jerry Thompson will explore the continuing subduction activity along “Cascadia's Fault” off our Pacific Coast, the fascinating search for evidence of previous major disasters here, and a compelling look into the future.

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Artist in the Science Lab

The course will include an initial two-hour presentation on the history of art, broad-brush style! The second and third sessions will run for four or five hours, including lunch breaks – bring a brown bag! Students will be taught the basics as well as some advanced techniques in watercolour painting by one of the best qualified and most talented artists on the Coast. Everyone with an interest in art is welcome.

Download the supply list (PDF).

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Spring Birding

Learn the basics and participate in one of nature’s great wonders - spring bird migration on the Sunshine Coast. The course will cover the fundamentals: bird classification; identification, by sight and sound; bird books, checklists & journals; equipment and the ethics of birding. Two sessions will be offsite to ensure you see and hear birds, learn what they are and understand how easy it is to identify and misidentify! Binoculars and good walking shoes are recommended for the field trips.

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Adventures in Travel

Judi Lees, a professional travel writer, will be telling us about her experiences in the Middle East, focusing on a trip to Jordan. She will be followed up by presentations on India by Peter Jordan, who has travelled extensively in that country, and Joe Harrison who spends large parts of his winters in Central and South America. He will be telling us about his recent trip to the mountains of eastern Cuba. A fourth presentation will be on the Russian Baltic city of St. Petersburg by Elena Bakst. Elena is Russian by birth and lived many years in this city. She has extensive knowledge of its history, culture and people to share this with us. Finally, take part in an African safari with Bev and Dale Grisebois.

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A Closer Look at Some of Our Latin American Neighbours

Jack Adams will initiate the series with two successive presentations. These will cover cultural, political and historical aspects as well as links between Canada and the region. He will focus on Nicaragua, Colombia, and Bolivia, countries in which he spent a good part of his life managing aid programs and functioning as a Canadian diplomatic representative. Joe Harrison will round out the series with two additional presentations on Central America (Cuba and Panama) and Argentina. Comparing the Aboriginal and European cultures of Central America and Argentina demonstrates the diversity of histories throughout Latin America and the unique essence of each country. Joe promises that you will experience the people, the art, the music – offering an exciting mix where the past swirls through the markets and streets.

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Early History of Europe

Canada has many of its historical and cultural roots in Europe and is, in many ways, a European society; it was shaped by the history of Europe. This course will provide a sweeping overview of Europe from earliest times to the Roman Empire, showing how the various societies developed and evolved and how they connect to the modern world and modern Canada. This course is held at Gibsons Community Centre.

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