LivingWorks safeTALK Workshop

Event Date: 
Tuesday, October 13, 2026 - 1:00pm to 4:30pm EDT
Event Location: 
Lakehead University: Orillia Campus
Event Fee: 
$70
Event Contact E-mail: 

LivingWorks safeTALK is an in-person workshop where you’ll learn how to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide, how to reach out to them, and how to help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support.

safeTALK teaches participants to recognize and engage persons who might be having thoughts of suicide and connect them with community resources trained in suicide intervention. Using a simple yet effective model, Living Works safeTALK empowers everyone to make a difference. With over 120,000 people attending each year, it's the fastest-growing suicide prevention skills training course.

Most people with thoughts of suicide invite help to stay safe. Alert helpers know how to use these opportunities to support that desire for safety. As a safeTALK-trained suicide alert helper, you will be better able to:

  • Move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss or avoid suicide;
  • Identify people who have thoughts of suicide; and
  • Apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and KeepSafe) to connect a person with suicide thoughts to suicide first aid, intervention caregivers.

The fee includes: a resource book and a certificate, a safeTALK Resource Kit with a printed wallet card and of the TALK steps and two reusable stickers identifying the participant’s willingness and ability to help. Registration is restricted to the first 25 participants.

Who can participate:

safeTALK training is available to the general public. No previous mental health training or experience required. This training may be particularly beneficial for individuals who regularly work with or support others. (teachers, librarians, social service workers, community volunteers, those working with vulnerable populations, etc.).
Must be 16 years old to participate.

Details:

In LivingWorks safeTALK you will learn how to reach out to someone thinking about suicide and help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support. Your role as a connector is the main focus of this training, which features:

  • Trainer presentations, facilitated discussion, and skills practice
  • Videos that illustrate what happens when signs of suicide are overlooked, and how you can contribute to safe outcomes when these signs are heard and addressed
  • Opportunities to further explore organizational applications of the training
  • A community resource person will be on hand at the workshop to support your safety and comfort.

If your organization or group would like a closed safeTALK session, please contact cell@lakeheadu.ca

 

LivingWorks safeTALK Workshop

Event Date: 
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 - 9:00am to 12:30pm EDT
Event Location: 
Lakehead University: Orillia Campus
Event Fee: 
$70
Event Contact E-mail: 

LivingWorks safeTALK is an in-person workshop where you’ll learn how to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide, how to reach out to them, and how to help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support.

safeTALK teaches participants to recognize and engage persons who might be having thoughts of suicide and connect them with community resources trained in suicide intervention. Using a simple yet effective model, Living Works safeTALK empowers everyone to make a difference. With over 120,000 people attending each year, it's the fastest-growing suicide prevention skills training course.

Most people with thoughts of suicide invite help to stay safe. Alert helpers know how to use these opportunities to support that desire for safety. As a safeTALK-trained suicide alert helper, you will be better able to:

  • Move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss or avoid suicide;
  • Identify people who have thoughts of suicide; and
  • Apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and KeepSafe) to connect a person with suicide thoughts to suicide first aid, intervention caregivers.

The fee includes: a resource book and a certificate, a safeTALK Resource Kit with a printed wallet card and of the TALK steps and two reusable stickers identifying the participant’s willingness and ability to help. Registration is restricted to the first 25 participants.

Who can participate:

safeTALK training is available to the general public. No previous mental health training or experience required. This training may be particularly beneficial for individuals who regularly work with or support others. (teachers, librarians, social service workers, community volunteers, those working with vulnerable populations, etc.).
Must be 16 years old to participate.

Details:

In LivingWorks safeTALK you will learn how to reach out to someone thinking about suicide and help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support. Your role as a connector is the main focus of this training, which features:

  • Trainer presentations, facilitated discussion, and skills practice
  • Videos that illustrate what happens when signs of suicide are overlooked, and how you can contribute to safe outcomes when these signs are heard and addressed
  • Opportunities to further explore organizational applications of the training
  • A community resource person will be on hand at the workshop to support your safety and comfort.

If your organization or group would like a closed safeTALK session, please contact cell@lakeheadu.ca

Ontario Master Naturalist Program - Fall 2026

Event Date: 
Thursday, September 10, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, September 17, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, September 24, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, October 1, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, October 8, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, October 15, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, October 22, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, October 29, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Thursday, November 5, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EST
Event Location: 
Zoom
Event Fee: 
$599 + HST
Event Contact E-mail: 

The Ontario Master Naturalist Program (OMNP) is a community program established by Lakehead University Orillia in partnership with Ontario Nature. The first of its kind in Canada, the OMNP provides naturalists and those interested in nature and environmental stewardship the opportunity to broaden their knowledge and expertise of the natural world through formal training and guidance. The Ontario Master Naturalist Certificate Program is aimed at naturalists and those dedicated to environmental stewardship, empowering them to learn and share knowledge of the natural world, and engage as stewards of their local ecosystems and resources.

Since 2015, the Ontario Master Naturalist Program has expanded to include participant workshops and certificate program offerings in Thunder Bay and the Bruce Peninsula.

The Ontario Master Naturalist Certificate Program is aimed at naturalists and those dedicated to environmental stewardship, empowering them to learn and share knowledge of the natural world and engage as stewards of their local ecosystems and resources.

The Fall 2026 program includes eight learning modules taught in a hybrid model, including interactive videos and PowerPoints created for the program, virtual learning resources, a virtual trailhead meeting space, and weekly Zoom webinars with the program's content experts. The eight learning modules are as follows: Geology & Anthropology, Mammals, Plants, Birds, Reptiles & Amphibians, Wetlands, Invasive Species, and Insects.

While this program does include live weekly Zoom webinars, it can also be completed asynchronously. The weekly webinars are recorded and posted to the online course site, allowing for learners to go back and review the recordings on their own time.

Participants will receive a certificate after successfully completing eight modules that combine in-class (virtual) instruction and fieldwork.

Via Zoom on Thursday evenings 7:00-8:30pm and Asynchronously

Thursday, September 10, 2026 - Thursday, November 5, 2026 (inclusive)

AI in Practice

Event Date: 
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - 4:00pm to 5:30pm EDT
Event Location: 
Lakehead University: Orillia Campus
Event Fee: 
0
Event Contact E-mail: 

Join us for this session as an introduction to the role of AI in the healthcare and wellness sector. Led by emergency physician Dr. Chris Zanette alongside Sohaib of Medozai, this session will demystify the hype, look at where AI genuinely works today, and where it doesn't yet - and explore practical uses in your workday (email, documents, research, templates) and in your clinic: scribing, patient communications, and administrative drafting. You'll leave with free, ready-to-use starting points you can try the same week, plus a live look at what a clinic-specific AI deployment looks like in practice.

Dr. Christopher Zanette is Chief of Emergency Medicine at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, Ontario, and a dual-certified emergency and family physician (CCFP-EM) with over a decade of frontline clinical practice. He leads an active clinical research program spanning patient flow, emergency diversion, and chronic disease management, with a growing focus on digital and AI-enabled clinical tools. His recent work includes ED pathway redesign and provincial deployment of decision-support technologies, from heart-failure risk stratification to automated intervention support for traumatic brain injury. He brings a practical, governance-minded perspective on bringing AI safely and effectively into everyday clinical care. 

Sohaib Rumi is a builder and entrepreneur who works at the intersection of healthcare and applied AI. He is drawn to a particular kind of problem — the operational friction that keeps skilled people from doing the work they trained for — and has spent his career moving closer to solving it.

His path has been deliberately broad. He started in pharmacy and healthcare operations, moved through healthcare analytics and consulting, and spent years in pharmaceutical sales and business development before turning to building technology himself. That range gave him an operator's instinct for how industries actually run, and a conviction that the best tools come from understanding the work before automating it.

Today he is the founder and CEO of Medozai and Neurozai, where he builds AI systems that take operational weight off clinical and business teams. He works hands-on and stays close to the people he builds for, preferring practical systems that hold up in the real world over technology for its own sake.

Outside his ventures, Sohaib is a photographer, videographer, and creative director. work he has carried since founding his own creative studio, and a craft that shapes how he sees what he builds: an eye for detail, story, and the experience on the other side of the screen. He holds a Bachelor's in Pharmacy, Masters in Business Administration and International Business Management, and a Master's in Information Technology and Management, and is based in Barrie, Ontario and grounds his work in his faith and a belief that the things worth building are the ones that serve people

LivingWorks safeTALK Workshop

Event Date: 
Thursday, July 16, 2026 - 2:00pm to 5:30pm EDT
Event Location: 
Lakehead University: Orillia Campus
Event Fee: 
70.00
Event Contact E-mail: 

LivingWorks safeTALK is an in-person workshop where you’ll learn how to be more alert to someone thinking of suicide, how to reach out to them, and how to help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support.

safeTALK teaches participants to recognize and engage persons who might be having thoughts of suicide and connect them with community resources trained in suicide intervention. Using a simple yet effective model, Living Works safeTALK empowers everyone to make a difference. With over 120,000 people attending each year, it's the fastest-growing suicide prevention skills training course.

Most people with thoughts of suicide invite help to stay safe. Alert helpers know how to use these opportunities to support that desire for safety. As a safeTALK-trained suicide alert helper, you will be better able to:

  • Move beyond common tendencies to miss, dismiss or avoid suicide;
  • Identify people who have thoughts of suicide; and
  • Apply the TALK steps (Tell, Ask, Listen and KeepSafe) to connect a person with suicide thoughts to suicide first aid, intervention caregivers.

 

The fee includes: a resource book and a certificate, a safeTALK Resource Kit with a printed wallet card and of the TALK steps and two reusable stickers identifying the participant’s willingness and ability to help. Registration is restricted to the first 25 participants.

Who can participate:

safeTALK training is available to the general public. No previous mental health training or experience required. This training may be particularly beneficial for individuals who regularly work with or support others. (teachers, librarians, social service workers, community volunteers, those working with vulnerable populations, etc.).
Must be 16 years old to participate.

Details:

In LivingWorks safeTALK you will learn how to reach out to someone thinking about suicide and help them keep safe by promptly connecting them to further support. Your role as a connector is the main focus of this training, which features:

  • Trainer presentations, facilitated discussion, and skills practice
  • Videos that illustrate what happens when signs of suicide are overlooked, and how you can contribute to safe outcomes when these signs are heard and addressed
  • Opportunities to further explore organizational applications of the training
  • A community resource person will be on hand at the workshop to support your safety and comfort.

Grow Your Own Lecture Series

Event Date: 
Wednesday, July 15, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Wednesday, July 22, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Wednesday, July 29, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Wednesday, August 5, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 - 7:00pm to 9:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Zoom
Event Contact E-mail: 

Are you interested in learning more about how to grow your own food both indoors and outdoors? If so, this fully online lecture series is for you! The Grow Your Own Series, as heard last year on CBC's Ontario Morning with Mary Ito, had a successful first run in the summer of 2025. Take advantage of our competitive pricing and explore various concepts, ranging from physical science to design and creative innovation, with an overarching goal of empowering participants to grow their own food within the context of a changing Canadian climate.

You can opt to participate synchronously or asynchronously to fit your lifestyle and schedule! You will receive a copy of the live recording, the lecture content as a PDF, as well as a suggested reading list for all purchased lectures. Lectures can be purchased individually or as a package. The first 3 lectures are recommended to serve as background context for the subsequent classes but are not required.

This series was created by Eriel Strauch, who is currently completing an MSc in Biology at Lakehead University in Orillia. Eriel has an HBASc in Environmental Sustainability and over five years of experience working in science communication, as well as spearheading or contributing to various community outreach projects. She is passionate about science education and improving local food security and sustainability throughout Canada.

Crossfade: Summer Studio

Event Date: 
Tuesday, July 7, 2026 - 11:00am to 4:00pm EDT
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 - 11:00am to 4:00pm EDT
Thursday, July 9, 2026 - 11:00am to 4:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
Lakehead University: Orillia Campus
Event Contact E-mail: 
Dr. Neven Lochhead of Lakehead's Media, Film, and Communications Program is working with the Office of Community Engagement and Lifelong Learning to offer Crossfade: Summer Studio on July 7, 8, and 9 on the Orillia Campus!
If you are a high school student interested in exploring production, be sure to join us!
Through recording activities, sound walks, and creative experimentation, students will capture sounds from the world around them and transform them into original audio work.
What You'll Do:
Use professional audio recording equipment
Capture sounds in and around the Lakehead campus
Experiment with microphones and recording techniques
Edit and shape sound using Audacity
Explore ideas for a creative audio project

 
 
 
 

Rama Community Farm - Rama Maawnjiydiwag Gtigaan - Tour

Event Date: 
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 - 2:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
4195 Airport Road, Ramara, ON
Event Contact E-mail: 

Join us as we tour the farm, greenhouse, and shop and learn about agriculture at Rama

There will be time for refreshments, a taste of the farm, and networking will follow the tour.

Stopping to shop at various local businesses is an added bonus!

Earth Day Event: Documentary Screening and Community Vendors

Event Date: 
Wednesday, April 22, 2026 - 4:00pm to 7:30pm EDT
Event Location: 
Lakehead University: Orillia Campus OA1033 and Orsi Learning Commons
Event Contact E-mail: 

Celebrate Earth Day!

Explore community vendors, enjoy family-friendly activities and take a tour of the Indigenous Garden any time between 4-6pm.

At 6:00pm settle in for a screening of WorkCabin’s documentary Saving the Night Caller, which follows conservation efforts to protect the elusive and enchanting Eastern Whip-poor-will. The film will be followed by a discussion on local conservation work and community action, led by Mark Bisset.

Third Age Learning Lakehead (TALL) Spring Lecture Series: "Feed the Soul"

Event Date: 
Wednesday, April 29, 2026 - 10:00am to 12:00pm EDT
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 - 10:00am to 12:00pm EDT
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 - 10:00am to 12:00pm EDT
Wednesday, May 27, 2026 - 10:00am to 12:00pm EDT
Wednesday, June 3, 2026 - 10:00am to 12:00pm EDT
Event Location: 
St. Paul's Centre, Orillia & Livestream
Event Contact E-mail: 

Date(s): Wednesdays, April 29, May 6, May 13, May 27, June 3 (*NOTE: no lecture on May 20th)
Time: 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Place:  In-person or Live-streamed at St. Paul's Centre in Orillia
Price:  $80 +HST for the whole 5 lecture series; $20 +HST for a single talk.

Discover the joy of lifelong creativity in this inspiring Spring 2026 lecture series with Third Age Learning Lakehead (TALL).

Why do we engage with the arts? Simply put: because it makes us happy. This series explores how connecting with music, visual art, theatre, literature, and creative expression can deepen life satisfaction at every stage of life. Drawing on research, personal reflection, and real-world examples, we’ll look at how the arts enrich our emotional well-being, strengthen community, and bring meaning to our everyday experiences.

Whether you’re a lifelong arts enthusiast or someone curious about where to begin, these sessions will offer practical, welcoming ways to get involved—no experience required. Learn how to rekindle old passions, discover new creative outlets, and integrate the arts into your life in ways that are accessible, fulfilling, and fun.

Come as you are, and leave inspired to create, connect, and thrive.

Please bring your own mug to enjoy a hot beverage during the intermission. Alternatively, TALL branded travel mugs will be available for purchase for $5 (cash only).
If you are unable to attend the lectures in person, a link will be sent to all registered participants for viewing from the comfort of your own places and spaces! Be sure to invite folks in your network, near and far!

Plus: Enjoy a FREE Lecture on April 27th, celebrating the President’s 60th Anniversary Public Lecture Series from 5:30-7:30pm on the Thunder Bay Campus or via livestream.  Register for this lecture here.

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