The McGill Community for Lifelong Learning is gearing for Spring

The McGill Community for Lifelong Learning (MCLL) has a long list of upcoming events and activities that are sure to tickle at least one of your fancies. That is, if you’re a person of a certain age who has a penchant for keeping your brain active and engaged.

MCLL, part of the McGill School of Continuing Studies, is a volunteer-led, peer-learning organization for seniors and retirees who want to continue learning for the pure joy of it, without the pressure of exams or grades. Since 1989, MCLL has offered programs that include courses, workshops, outings, social events and lectures — both in-person and online

For example, the ongoing Winter 2026 lecture series includes the upcoming European Renaissance, an in-person event on Friday, Mar. 6 at 10 a.m. presented by Tony Frayne. Between 1945 and 1960, Western Europe saw lasting transformations. In Germany, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer led a long economic boom, restoring West Germany’s role as Europe’s top economy. Charles de Gaulle brought a new constitution and optimism to France. In Britain, Clement Attlee’s Labour government introduced the welfare state, nationalized key industries, and reduced the dominance of the elite. The era also marked the end of the British Empire and laid the groundwork for what would become the European Union.

On Friday, Mar. 13 at 10 a.m., in The History of the RCMP, retired police sergeant Paulette Breau, in an online lecture, explores the origins, evolution and role of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in shaping Canada’s national identity. From its origins as the North-West Mounted Police to its evolution into today’s RCMP, the force’s contributions to frontier justice, law enforcement, and its international reputation will be examined.

And on Tuesday, Mar. 24, renowned Harvard University professor and public intellectual, Steven Pinker, will speak at the MCLL’s annual general meeting where he will discuss his latest book, When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows…Common Knowledge and the Mysteries of Money, Power and Everyday Life.

Some interesting retirees also moderate some of the MCLL study groups. Larry Lincoln, an orthopedic surgeon with McGill and St. Mary’s Hospitals, co-moderates a course on cosmology for people who want to learn about the universe. And Major-General (Ret’d) Denis Thompson is an enthusiastic member of MCLL and a veteran of 39 years in the Canadian Army, including command of NATO’s Task Force Kandahar.

MCLL has also launched a new outreach program called On the Road, which brings the expertise of the MCLL community directly into seniors’ residences, public libraries, community centers, and senior-focused apartment buildings across Montreal. The goal is simple: share knowledge, spark curiosity, and brighten people’s days. Dale Bonnycastle, a retired audiologist and co-founder of Hear Quebec (https://hearhear.org) speaks on hearing wellness, and Prithu Mukhopadhyay who – though he has been Editor-in-Chief at Society of Plastics Engineers – now speaks on “Retirement is Fun and Not a Funeral.”

As usual, the overriding message is that learning does not stop at any age and it is fun, as well. And by the way: MCLL members are entitled to the same benefits as McGill students, including full access to the McGill libraries.

The Spring session runs from April 13 to June 19. MCLL will hold an Open House on Thursday, Mar. 26. For more information, visit www.mcgill.ca/mcll

— A. Bonaparte