The Ken Morrison Lectures
Before he died in 2010, Ken Morrison asked Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship to present a series of lectures in his name. The series would have a Mission: To provide a public forum for discussion of the big ideas and hard questions of our time. These include personal responsibility, toleration and its limits, social inequality, democracy, and the environmental crisis. Abiding by Ken’s wishes, the Fellowship has tried to hold such lectures yearly. The lectures have been self-sustaining through the generous donations from LUF and the general community. Previous lectures have included:
- Nov 2010 – Limits of Tolerance: Implications of the Deadening of Social Conscience and May 2011 – On Irrigating the Withered Social Conscience: A Referendum on our Humanity’s Viability both by the Rev. Hugh Walker;
- Mar 2012 – Aboriginal – Non-Aboriginal Relations in Thunder Bay with Lakehead University President Brian Stevenson, Chief Peter Collins, Mayor Keith Hobbs, and Aboriginal and Métis officials, Tammy Bobyk and Wendy Landry;
- May 2014 The Town With No Poverty:: Would a Guaranteed Annual Income Be Good For Canada? by Evelyn Forget.
- May 2016 – Why the Way We Live is More Important than What We Believe by Rev. Gretta Vosper.
- May 2017– Personal Responsibility in a Time of Public Chaos by Imam Hikmatullah Sherzad.
About Ken Morrison
Ken’s early years as son of a United Church minister led to his community and political activism. He served in World War II and went on to obtain an MA in Political Science from the University of Toronto. After a stint as Union Steward in industry, he became a High School teacher, then Director of Admissions and Extension at Lakehead University and finally a Realtor. In 1948, Ken married Jean Case. They had three daughters and eventually four grandchildren. His family joined the fledgling Unitarian Fellowship in 1966. There he found joy and fulfillment in developing the theological base that grounded him. He served the Fellowship as Lay Chaplain, President, Sunday Services chair, and Hospital Visitor. Ken remained a political and social activist throughout his life and volunteered for many community organizations especially the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, Meals-on-Wheels and the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society. Ken touched the lives of people of all political and religious persuasions. Although he spoke firmly and frequently on the “big issues”, his actions showed his commitment to helping others less fortunate.
Contribute to the Lectures
The Ken Morrison Lectures is an outreach activity of the Lakehead Unitarian Fellowship. Your kind contribution allows us to continue to present exceptional programs on the Big Ideas and Hard Questions of Our Time. (Tax receipts of $20 or more given). Please contact the office at 344-5980 or lufship@tbaytel.net for more information.
Upcoming Lecture 2020 (suspended)
THE DECISION TO DIE: END OF LIFE CARE in the TIME OF MAiD
Save the date for the 2020 Ken Morrison Lecture being held on Friday, April 24th, at 7:00 pm. at Superior Collegiate & Vocational Institute. Admission is free.
The DECISION TO DIE: END OF LIFE CARE in the TIME OF MAiD will be presented by Dr. Jeff Myers, a specialist in Palliative Care who has provided assistive deaths for terminal patients.
Dr. Jeff Myers has been a palliative medicine physician for the past 25 years and is currently Medical Director for Sinai Health’s Bridgepoint Palliative Care Program. He is an Associate Professor at the University or Toronto and after 9 years he recently stepped down as both the W. Gifford-Jones Professor in Palliative Care and head of the Division of Palliative Care within the Faculty of Medicine.
Jeff’s life’s work has been to integrate end-of-life care with family practices, specialty units and hospital wards in a compassionate, patient-centered approach. With the legalization of MAiD (Medical Assistance in Dying) in 2016, new dimensions in palliative care are being explored and new options for a peaceful death are being made available in our country. Dr. Myers’ presentation, “The Decision to Die: End of Life Care in the Time of MAiD”, will provide insight and a thoughtful examination of a topic that is, or may become, central to us all.
