Leasiders Sue Ferguson and Catherine Bowman have never been busier, which is just how they like it. They are two of 18 board members – all volunteers – of Living and Learning in Retirement (LLIR), a not-for-profit that provides stimulating, university-level courses of interest to members from their 60s to their 90s. All courses last 10 weeks and are offered on Fridays at Glendon College.
LLIR does not disappoint. As Sue explains, “the annual October waitlist fills up within two hours.”
There is a good chance you have already heard of LLIR, perhaps from a neighbour. “We do not advertise so it’s all by word of mouth,” says Sue. The program is 1,200 members strong, many of them Leasiders who are often well travelled and educated, retired from a variety of jobs in a myriad of professions.
There are many reasons people join and keep coming back. One is the timely topics and well delivered course content. An example is last term’s popular course “The World is Changing: What it means for cities like Toronto,” offered by city builders Anne Golden and Ken Greenberg, the contents of which will become a book. Another appeal of the non-profit it that it offers members an opportunity to “nourish the mind, in the company of contemporaries,” which was one of its objectives when first conceived in the ’70s.
Catherine says that socialization is part of the appeal. “All courses are offered in-person; we pivot to Zoom only in emergencies such as last year’s York University faculty strike, which impacted classroom access at Glendon.” And lastly is cost; with a registration fee of $50 and course fee of $35, LLRI may just be the best deal in town.
Costs can be kept low because it is run by volunteers. The only costs are for classroom space and course directors. Sue reckons it takes 10 volunteers to run a course, and LLIR offers 11 courses a year. These industrious, unpaid workers do everything from setting up and managing audio-visual equipment to greeting “students” as they enter the lecture hall.
There is also the program committee, which plans course offerings as far as two years in advance. Many on the committee are former teachers and professors or members of the arts community. And there are the 18 members who make up the board. Sue, one of the newest members, who has taken on the role of webmaster, is especially busy in October when she opens the waitlist. Catherine serves as president and, like Sue, started as a member in 2020. Sue explains she was attracted to LLIR “when looking for something to do” after she retired, for the third time and always from a career in education, including being principal of Marc Garneau C.I., one of the largest schools in the TDSB.
The venue is an ideal location for Leaside members. Glendon College, nestled in the valley just north of Sunnybrook Hospital, is a healthy walk or bike ride away and is serviced by TTC. Parking is also available. LLIR was the brainchild of Reverend Dr. Thomas Davies in 1973 and was fully supported by the then Principal of Glendon College, Dr. Albert Tucker, who was instrumental in making space available at the college. Incidentally, the first course offered was in Canadian Studies. Organizers estimated that enrollment would be 50 participants; on the first day of class there were 144 members in the audience. While the LLIR does not fund-raise, they do support Glendon students who are in financial need through bursaries of $2,500 each as well as food drives. This is money that has been donated over the years by members, altogether totalling more than $500,000.
It may only be January but considering the popularity of LLIR’s offerings, it is not too early to make a note to visit their website in September to find out when the waitlist opens.
Visit them at llirto.ca.
