Author Archives: Michael K. Barbour

Unknown's avatar

About Michael K. Barbour

Michael K. Barbour is the Director of Faculty Development and a Professor of Instructional Design for the College of Education and Health Sciences at Touro University California. He has been involved with K-12 online learning in a variety of countries for well over a decade as a researcher, teacher, course designer and administrator. Michael's research focuses on the effective design, delivery and support of K-12 online learning, particularly for students located in rural jurisdictions.

Blessing of the Fleet Interfaith Service at the Presidio Chapel

Note this event related to the San Francisco Fleet Week that is upcoming.  As a reminder, the Royal Canadian Navy will be represented at San Francisco Fleet Week.

The Consulate General of Canada is pleased to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s participation in San Francisco Fleet Week 2024. Public tours of the HMCS Regina will be offered at San Francisco Pier 15/17 on Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13, from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm on both days. All tours are free of charge, available on a first-come, first-served basis. More details, including the ship tour guidelines and code of conduct, are available via the San Francisco Fleet Week website and app at  https://fleetweeksf.org/events/ship-tours/


Interfaith Center

at the Presidio

Unleashing the Power of

Interreligious Cooperation

The service will be livestreamed at this link

P.O. Box 29055, San Francisco, CA 94129

(415) 561-3930 (office) * (415) 686-2639 (cell)

www.interfaithpresidio.org * mailto: presidiointerfaith@gmail.com

Researchers identify remains of Franklin expedition skipper

An item from the Legion Magazine.


Front Lines
Front Lines

A daguerreotype of Captain James Fitzjames taken in 1845 and sold at Sotheby’s in September 2023. The remains of Fitzjames, who commanded HMS Erebus, have been identified by DNA and genealogical analyses. [Sotheby’s/Wikimedia]

Researchers identify remains of Franklin expedition skipper

STORY BY STEPHEN J. THORNE

They are the last known communications from the storied Arctic expedition led by John Franklin, found by a search party stashed in a stone cairn at Victory Point on the northwest coast of King William Island in May 1859, 11 years after it was written.

Scrawled in the margins of a preprinted Admiralty form, the so-called “Victory Point Note” bore two messages. The first, dated May 28, 1847, said the ships Erebus and Terror had wintered in ice, that Franklin was commanding, and all were “well.”

By April 25, 1848, however, the situation had deteriorated markedly.

READ MORE

Save 40% on Canada's Ultimate Story
News
Military Milestones

ATTENTION CANADIAN MILITARY FAMILIES : Did you or a family member receive VAC disability benefits between 2003 and 2023?

On 17 January 2024 the Federal Court approved a settlement in a class action involving alleged underpayment of certain disability pension benefits administered by Veterans Affairs Canada (“VAC”) payable to members or former members of the Canadian Armed Forces (“CAF”) and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (“RCMP”) and their spouses, commonlaw partners, survivors, other related individuals, and estates (the “Settlement”).

If you received any of the disability-related benefits listed below at any time between 2003 and 2023, you may be entitled to compensation under the Settlement. As the executor, estate trustee, administrator, or family member of a deceased class member who collected VAC-administered disability benefits, you may also be able to claim on behalf of the estate.

READ MORE

Military Milestones
Military Milestones

Bowmanville prisoners of war. [U-35.com]

The Battle of Bowmanville

STORY BY ALEX BOWERS

“Wherever possible,” read a detailed Allied military plan for Operation Jubilee, “prisoners’ hands will be tied to prevent destruction of their documents.”

The order was a recipe for disaster on what would be a disastrous day in Dieppe, France, on Aug. 19, 1942. There, some 6,100 Allied troops—4,963 Canadians among them—endured nine hours of hell as the German defenders cut them to ribbons. The Dieppe Raid incurred about 3,000 casualties, amounting to almost half the original assault force; of those, more than 900 Canadian dead littered the bloodied shingles and wrecked commune, while 1,946 were taken prisoner.

Searching the washed-up bodies and burnt-out vehicles, the victorious Germans found the orders. Hitler was outraged—and it was destined to get far worse.

READ MORE

Member Benefit Partner

Safestep

VAC Health Claims Consultation – Thank you for your participation

An item from Veterans Affairs Canada that may be of interest to members.


Hello,

We have now concluded the Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) Health Claims Processing follow-up consultation, during which we asked you to share your experience with the VAC healthcare card.

We would like to thank you for your participation, as your feedback will help us improve how we manage authorizations, claims processing and related services for health care benefits and services through the Federal Health Claims Processing Services (FHCPS) contract.

We will summarize your feedback, and we may use this information to explore certain comments further and obtain additional insights.

You can read the consultation recap on Let’s Talk Veterans: Health Claims Processing – Follow-up.

Sincerely,

Community Engagement Team

Veterans Affairs Canada

You’re receiving this email because you are a registered participant on Let’s Talk Veterans.

Thanksgiving photos; film screenings, artist talks & more

A newsletter from one of our fellow Canadian organizations in the Bay Area.


Canadian Studies Announcements

In This Issue:

News from Berkeley

• Photos from our 7th annual Canadian Thanksgiving dinner

Upcoming Events

• Stop-Motion Storyteller: Film Screening & Talk Back featuring Amanda Strong & Bracken Hanuse Corlett

• Artist Talk: Amanda Strong and Bracken Hanuse Corlett

External Events

• Royal Canadian Navy at San Francisco Fleet Week

• Canadian Brass at The Bankhead

• Two Canadian films at the San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival

In Photos: Our 7th Annual Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner 🥧

Canadian Studies and our partners at the Digital Moose Lounge celebrated an (early) Canadian Thanksgiving dinner yesterday with friends from around the Bay. Over 100 Bay Area Canadians and their friends braved the heat to come to Berkeley to show their Canadian pride. Attendees enjoyed our traditional turkey dinner and speciality Canadian desserts like Nanaimo bars, along with a raffle of Canadian goods and specialities.

This year also featured a surprise appearance by a film crew from CBC comedy news show This Hour Has 22 Minutes, who decided our party was the perfect place to get the inside scoop on life as a Bay Area Canadian! Host Dan Dillabough interviewed attendees about their experiences living in the US for a one-hour primetime special, set to air on CBC on November 4. (We’ll be sure to provide a link when it’s up!)

Right: Attendees listen to remarks by Canadian Studies Advisory Board chair Griselda Zhou. Bottom left: This Hour Has 22 Minutes host Dan Dillabough (right) and his film crew asked attendees for their thoughts about life in the US. Bottom right: Program co-directors Richard A. Rhodes and Hidetaka Hirota pose with Advisory Board chair Griselda Zhou, current and former board members, and Consul for Political, Economic and Public Affairs Marie Alnwick.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Stop-Motion Storyteller: Film Screening & Talk Back featuring Amanda Strong & Bracken Hanuse Corlett

Wed., Oct. 30 | 7:00 pm | BAMPFA | Buy tickets

Over the past decade, Michif (Métis) artist Amanda Strong has created an exceptional collection of animated films depicting Indigenous realities, stories, and dreams to build a compelling cinematic counterpoint challenging colonial histories of Indigenous peoples. Using stop-motion techniques to animate meticulously crafted three-dimensional puppets and objects, Strong creates magical worlds—uncanny mirrors to our own—in which her stories unfold. This program, presented in collaboration with the Arts Research Center and the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, represents an extensive retrospective of her work and includes her collaborations with Wuikinuxv and Klahoose artist Bracken Hanuse Corlett, her partner in life and art. Eight films are included in the screening.

This event is free for UC Berkeley students, staff, and faculty with a Cal 1 Card. Other guests may purchase tickets via the link above.

Artist Talk: Amanda Strong and Bracken Hanuse Corlett

Fri., Nov. 1 | 4:00 pm | BAMPFA | Buy tickets

Award-winning animators and multimedia Indigenous artists Amanda Strong (Michif) and Bracken Hanuse Corlett (Wuikinuxv and Klahoose) share insights on the creation of their films, including their current project—nine years in the making and now on the cusp of its world premiere—and their frequent collaborations. This artists’ talk is copresented by the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and the Arts Research Center, which is sponsoring Strong as its Artist-in-Residence and Corlett as a Visiting Artist.

This event is free for UC Berkeley students, staff, and faculty with a Cal 1 Card. Other guests may purchase tickets via the link above.

If you require an accommodation to fully participate in one of the above events, please let us know at least 7 days in advance.

EXTERNAL EVENTS

Royal Canadian Navy at San Francisco Fleet Week

Oct. 12 & 13 | San Francisco, CA | Learn more

 

The Consulate General of Canada is pleased to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s participation in San Francisco Fleet Week 2024. Public tours of the HMCS Regina will be offered at San Francisco Pier 15/17 on Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13, from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm. All tours are free of charge, available on a first-come, first-served basis. More details, including the ship tour guidelines and code of conduct, are available via the link above. Please note that ship tours are not accessible to persons with limited mobility and that visitors will be screened prior to boarding.

Canadian Brass at The Bankhead

Sun., Oct. 13 | 3:00 pm | Livermore, CA | Buy tickets

Get ready for an unforgettable afternoon with Canadian Brass, the world’s most renowned brass ensemble. Since 1970, they’ve enthralled audiences worldwide with their diverse repertoire and captivating performances. From classics to contemporary hits, Canadian Brass’s versatility shines through. With over 135 albums and numerous awards, including Grammy and Juno nominations, they’re pioneers in popularizing brass music. Don’t miss the chance to experience their magic live at The Bankhead, where their infectious energy and unparalleled musicianship promise an unforgettable afternoon.

Two Canadian Films at the San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival

Oct. 18 & 19 | San Francisco, CA | Learn more

3rd i’s 22nd annual SF International South Asian Film Festival presents groundbreaking cinema celebrating inspiring stories from South Asia and its diaspora. Two Canadian films will be shown as part of the festival:

The Queen of My Dreams (Oct. 18) is the feature-length directorial debut by Canadian filmmaker Fawzia Mirza. It explores the complicated bond between a Queer Pakistani grad student and her conservative Muslim mother through a Bollywood-inspired journey from Karachi to rural Canada. At its TIFF premiere, it was voted one of Canada’s Top 10 films of 2023.

Dear Jassi (Oct. 19) tells the ill-fated love story of a young woman from a wealthy Indian-Canadian family who defies her family when she falls for a working-class man while visiting relatives in the Punjab. The film weaves a tragic true story into a gripping Shakespearean tale of injustice with a haunting, chilling finale.

Berkeley students, faculty, and staff can receive 50% off ticket costs by using the code “50_off” on all online film purchases.

Canadian Studies Program

213 Philosophy Hall #2308

WEBSITE | EMAIL | DONATE

Canadian Studies Program | Univ. of California, Berkeley 213 Philosophy Hall #2308 | Berkeley, CA 94720 US

[FINAL REMINDER] Royal Canadian Navy at San Francisco Fleet Week

The Consulate General of Canada is pleased to support the Royal Canadian Navy’s participation in San Francisco Fleet Week 2024. Public tours of the HMCS Regina will be offered at San Francisco Pier 15/17 on Saturday, October 12 and Sunday, October 13, from 10:00 am – 3:30 pm on both days. All tours are free of charge, available on a first-come, first-served basis. More details, including the ship tour guidelines and code of conduct, are available via the San Francisco Fleet Week website and app at https://fleetweeksf.org/events/ship-tours/