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2026 Henry Marshall Tory Lecture

Tuesday, November 3, 2026

Fire Weather in a Hotter World

John Vaillant
Author & Journalist

FREE Public Lecture

In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada’s oil industry and America’s biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The multi-billion-dollar disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon. Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration—the wildfire equivalent of Hurricane Katrina—in his fourth book, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World, John Vaillant warns that this was not a unique event, but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world. Vaillant will describe the anthropological history between humans and fire, how it has shaped our societies, and how it now threatens us in the context of climate change.

When:
November 3, 2026
Doors Open 6:30 PM, Lecture 7:00 PM

After the talk: Book signing coordinated by Audrey’s Books.

In-Person
Venue TBD on U of A Main Campus
FREE Tickets on Eventbrite

Online via Zoom
Register here (free)

About John Vaillant

John Vaillant is an author and freelance writer based in Vancouver, BC whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, National Geographic, and The Guardian, among others. His journalism, fiction, and non-fiction explores collisions between human ambition and the natural world. His latest book is the 2024 Pulitzer Prize Finalist in General Nonfiction, Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World (Knopf, 2023), a stunning account of a colossal wildfire and a panoramic exploration of the rapidly changing relationship between fire and humankind.

Spring gardens and Zombie insects

The Friends of the University of Alberta present Raise The Bar
with Janet Sperling

Spring gardens and Zombie insects

As we venture into our dormant gardens, clearing away wet leaves and broken branches, we should be on the lookout for lady bugs, those fearsome foes of aphids, and lacewings, ferocious predators of the same sap sucking hemipterans. A lucky few will stumble on zombie insects. A naïve gardener may see innocent parasitized aphids and gasp when a parasitic wasp emerges. Gardening will never be the same when you learn to recognize signs of our heroic plant defenders – also known as Biological Control agents – defenders that predate human agriculture. We will learn why lazy gardeners who leave the leaf litter may be helping to defend our treasured tomatoes.

Relish Bar & Market
9570 – 76 Ave NW

NEW VENUE!
Map Link

Tue, Apr 28, 2026

5:15 PM Doors Open
6:00 PM Speaker + Q&A
8:00 PM Event Ends

Ticket includes 1 drink (beer, wine, non-alcoholic)

Janet Sperling, PhD is an alumna of the University of Alberta where she first graduated with a B.Sc. Ag in Horticulture, followed by an MSc in Entomology and more recently a PhD in Systematics and Evolution. She is currently president of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation where she advocates for better diagnosis and treatment of this increasingly important tick-borne disease.

Raise The Bar is a program designed by The Friends of the University of Alberta to provide engaging learning opportunities delivered by U of A researchers in a casual setting – like a bar. We’re raising the bar on the way people consume content!

NPBI Graduation Ceremony

The Non-Profit Board Internship (NPBI) Program is a great way for University of Alberta students to learn how boards operate, to develop leadership and decision-making skills, and to get engaged in their communities. The NPBI program pairs each student with a non-profit board and mentor in the Edmonton community for the academic year.

This past year, The Friends participated in the NPBI program and were paired with Gulam Nayeem, a graduate student in Communications. Board members Ken Regan and Luca Vanzella mentored Gulam and worked with him on his student intern project to document procedures for two key board positions: Treasurer and Casino Chairperson. The project was a great success – Gulam learned about key board positions for non-profits in Alberta and The Friends received a valuable result in the documented procedures which will facilitate board succession.

Ken and Luca attended today’s graduation ceremony at City Hall. In the photo from left to right are: Ken Regan, Luca Vanzella and Gulam Nayeem.