Lectures & Gatherings

Greetings from the Wessex Society of Newfoundland and Labrador and welcome to another season of interesting and entertaining lectures. Our lectures are held on the second Wednesday of each month from October to April. During our last season we returned to in-person lectures, for some but not all of our presentations, and we hope to do this again this year. All lectures will be offered virtually, connected by Zoom on the date of the lecture, and also subsequently posted on our Wessex website.

Our in-person lectures will be held at the CNA Paul L. Pope Centre for Television and Film, which is located on Strawberry Marsh Road, St. John’s. The Centre, which is now a state-of-the-art facility, has provided us with a meeting room with capability to livestream our lectures. Plenty of parking space is available. We will continue to offer our lectures online as we have had new members join us from various parts of the province, as well as other Canadian provinces, who watch our lectures regularly.

We are looking forward to seeing those of you who live in the St. John’s area in person, and we hope our members in other areas will continue to join us online.

Our schedule of speakers for the 2025-2026 season follows:

08 October 2025 at 7:30 pm
PLEASE NOTE THIS LECTURE WILL BE OFFERED BY ZOOM ONLY.
Speaker: Michael Boyle, Retired Teacher, Poet and Author
Topic: Reflections and Readings from “On New Turf: A Memoir”
Abstract: In 1967 Boyle left the remote moss lands of Northern Ireland (just as the Irish Troubles were brewing) to seek his fortune as principal of Island Harbor School on Fogo Island. Historians would call this move a “SPECTACULAR” risk. So what happened to this young Northern Irish immigrant? What challenges did he face (and he had a few) in adapting to a new land while still keeping close links with his “troubled" homeland? This presentation is not merely a retelling of one person's experiences. It is much more. Boyle not only describes Newfoundland outport life in the 60s and 70s, he actually brings you there through his dramatic readings. This lecture aims to recreate a time and place that has completely vanished in Newfoundland, but exists only in memory or in the pages of my book. o protect their future.
How to Attend: Click here.
Audience members can begin connecting online at 7:15 pm

12 November 2025 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Michael Pretty, Trail of the Caribou Research Group
Topic: Adventures while exploring the Trail of the Caribou, 25 Years of Stories
Abstract: This presentation tells the story through the experiences and travels of 35 Newfoundlanders and Labradorians as they complete a pilgrimage to partake in the dedication of the Gallipoli Caribou.

10 December 2025 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Alex Hickey, Retired Teacher, Author
Topic: A new novel “Evening Star: The Final Voyage of the Hesperia”
Abstract:

14 January 2026 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Hayward Blake, Retired Teacher
Topic: Resettlement of Pushthrough on the South Coast
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11 February 2026 at 7:30 pm
Speakers: Marjorie and John Doyle
Topic: The Life and Legacy of Gerald S. Doyle, as told by Family Members
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11 March 2026 at 7:30 pm
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08 April 2026 at 7:30 pm
Speaker: Ray Fennelly, Campus Manager CNA Paul L. Pope Centre for Film and Television
Topic: The film and television industry in Newfoundland and Labrador
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Archived recordings of previous lectures can be found here.