Events

At the Hamilton AM Rotary morning meetng on September 16, 2026, we will hear once again from one of our club's favourite speakers, McMaster Professor, Marvin Ryder.

If the person introducting Marvin reads the entire biography below, we will have no time for Marvin to speak so plese read it in advance and the introducer might only cover some highlights?

Speaker Bio

Marvin Ryder has taught for 40 years and has mentored more than 10,000 graduate and undergraduate students. In 2000, Marvin was named as Chair of the Transition Board for the new City of Hamilton. During the Board’s one-year life, it organized the municipal election, created a new Hamilton Hydro corporation, and set service levels and budgets for a new, larger City of Hamilton. The Board identified more than $25 million in operational savings within the billion dollar City budget and developed a plan to reduce industrial and commercial property taxes by five percent – the first reduction in over a decade.

This municipal work built on his earlier experience serving from 1990 to 1996 on the Board of Directors for Copps Coliseum, Hamilton Place, and the Hamilton Convention Centre (HECFI). In 2001, Marvin was announced as Chair for the Hamilton Health Sciences Board of Directors responsible for operating the second largest hospital in Ontario with an annual budget over $1.0 billion. The seven sites (Henderson, General, McMaster, McMaster Children’s, Chedoke, St. Peter’s, and the Juravinski Cancer Centre) not only served as community hospitals but had regional specializations in geriatric care, cardiac care, oncology, and women’s and children’s health. He became Past Chair of the Board in 2003 and retired from the Board on June 30, 2010.

Marvin serves on the Hamilton Health Sciences Research Institute Board of Directors and has served as Chair for the past four years. The Board oversees an endowment of $450 million with the proceeds of investment activities going to fund over $25 million of research at Hamilton Health Sciences and McMaster University.

In 2011, Marvin retired from the Boards of the Bay Area Health Trust (nine years) and the Desjardins Credit Union (three years). The latter coincided with the amalgamation of Desjardins with Meridian Credit Union on June 1, 2011.

He has written more than seventy case studies illustrating marketing, business strategy, and entrepreneurship problems Half of them have been published in leading Canadian marketing texts including case studies on Porsche, Union Gas, Crayola, and Molson Breweries. Today, Marvin is most recognized for nearly 250 appearances annually on television (CTV, CBC, and Global), radio (Newstalk 1010, CKTB 610AM, CFRA 580AM and CFPL 980AM), and in newspapers (National Post, Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, and the Hamilton Spectator) commenting on business issues of the day.

The Guest Speaker at the Wednesday, Septemberer 23rd morning meeting is Chrs Stanton, Executive Director of The Hamilton Festival Theatre Company which hosts the annual Hamilton Fringe Festival and the Fringe Kids Club.

Hamilton Fringe Festival is the city’s oldest, biggest and boldest 12-day arts festival, lighting up indoor and outdoor spaces across town with live comedy, plays, music, dance, art, film, family fare, and more. Keeping Hamilton weird since 2003!

The 22nd Hamilton Fringe ws held on July 15-26, 2026 in up to 16+ indoor and outdoor locations across the city. Welcoming 50+ performance companies from the local, national, and international arts community, and with over 400 performances on our stages, this annual summer arts festival draws 25,000+ attendees and engages 150+ volunteers each year.

With live comedy, theatre, music, dance, visual art, film, family fare, and more – there truly is something for everyone at Hamilton Fringe!

Speaker Bio

Christopher Stanton is an award-winning performer, director, sound designer, composer, and educator. His stage work has taken him across Canada to Toronto, Edmonton, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Vancouver, Montreal – and internationally to New York, Bogotà, Munich, Brisbane, Dublin, and Vienna. Past roles in artistic leadership include UnSpun Theatre, The Room, and ARC. Chris joined the HFTco team as the Hamilton Fringe Festival Director in February 2020.

The Rotary Club of Brampton Invites you to "A Little Night Music" on Saturday, November 7, 2026 at the Rotary Glen Banquet Hall, 1857 Queen Street West, Brampton ON.

Tickets are $125 but after October 2 will be $150.  Doors open at 6 pm followed by Dinner & Cash Bar.

Please RSVP to Rita Gayle via email at rita.gayle99@gmal.com