Our Strength is Fellowship; Our Success is Participation.
February 4, 2021, ZOOM Meeting
In February 2020, I started my third year working as a contracted Product Specialist for Plug’n Drive at the Electric Vehicle Discovery Centre (EVDC) in Toronto, Canada. Plug’n Drive is a not-for-profit organization that is accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles for their environmental and economic benefits and is the creator of the EVDC, the world’s first facility dedicated to public education regarding electric vehicles.
The Centre has provided me with an incredible opportunity to immerse myself in the EV (Electric Vehicle) world and to meet many people who share my interest in them.
I was an amateur sports car builder and racer in my youth and have had a life-long fascination with automobiles in all of their various shapes and flavors. As a result, I enjoy learning more about the new technologies and experiencing the joys of driving these fantastic cars.
Over the past three years I have conducted hundreds of conversations and test drives with prospective buyers at the EVDC, on road trips, at school presentations, and at 4 major international auto shows. During that time span I have driven 20 different models of EVs and PHEVs from 13 different manufacturers.
I have also gained valuable insights into EV ownership from numerous current owners and manufacturers of BEVs and PHEVs. If I use the term EV, it is a general reference to all types of electrified cars. Designations such as BEV (Battery electric vehicle – powered only by electricity) or PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle which has both gas and electric power on board) reference a specific type of EV.
Why I wrote this book
The test-drives and conversations educated me on what people want to know about EVs and what they have been told, many times from ill-informed sources or those wishing to discourage their interest. I want to be the voice of reason by informing readers with little or no prior exposure to electric vehicles.
As I researched my topics to validate my input, I discovered how hard it is to locate useful, trustworthy information about many seemingly common and relatively simple queries. If I struggle, with all my knowledge, I can’t imagine what you have faced in your quest for valid info.
This book is really a conversation about EVs, things I have been asked over the past three years. It’s more of a user’s guidebook than a detailed technical resource although some techie data is presented from place to place.
January
Guy Chartrand, President & CEO, CGMH.
February
Ken Lucyshyn, Walker Aggregates, Duntroon
March
Captain Brad Moore, Marine Simulation Developer
April
Diana Bishop, Author ,Television journalist and
reporter
May
Carol Lambie, CEO, Waypoint Centre for Mental Health
June
Martin Rydlo, Marketing,Business Mgmt, Town of Collingwood
July
Brett Dixon, RPF, Forestry Department, County of Simcoe
August
Charlie Tatham, Collingwood Regional Airport
September
Dave Chambers, All about Hockey October
Terry Reardon, Winston Churchill and Mackenzie King
November
Jeff Shearer, On the Bay Magazine
December
Alan Mallory, The Family That Conquered Everest
January
Jeff McInnis, Northwest Passage by Catamaran
February
Glad Bryce, RCAF Women’s Division, WW11
March
Jeff and Susan Potts, Hull 192, Collingwood Shipyard Disaster
April
Professor Basil Kalymon, Crisis in Ukraine
May
Brock Godfrey, Canadian Anti-fraud for seniors
June
Dean Collver, Director, Parks, Recreation and Culture, Town of Collingwood.
July
Gord Canning, CEO Blue Mountain Resorts, Retired
August
Andy Barrie, Radio Personality and Talk Show host.
September
Elizabeth Klinck, Visual Researcher
October
Dr. Tom Stiff, Canadian Space Agency, NASA
November
Dr. George Soleas, CEO, LCBO
December
John Carswell, Canada’s High Arctic
January
Nicole Moore & Peter Jennings, Shark Attack
February
Dr.Bob Galway, Early Airfields of Toronto
March
Diana Bishop, Author,International news reporter
April
Dr. Tom Stiff, All about asteroids
May
Melissa Shaw, Collingwood at Confederation
June
Fred Dobbs, Nottawa Valley Conservation Authority
July
Marjorie Medley, Seniors Health
August
Ross Parr, Chief, Collingwood Fire Department
September
Mary Shannon, OPP Commander , Collingwood
Detachment
October
Capt. Peter Lang, Air Canada Ret’d, Safe Flight
November
Ted Barris, The ‘Canadian’ Great Escape
December
Tanh Campbell, Author, Orphan 32
January
Cecily Ross, Author,‘Lost Diaries of Susanna Moodie’
February
Janet Peters, Author,‘The Reluctant Sailor’
March
Brent Preston, ‘The New Farm’
April
Dr. John Fernandes, Forensic pathologist
May
Chris Allum and Allister Field, Ontario Securities Commission
June
Tom Bell, Cycling the length of South America
July
Dr. Karl Schiefer, Georgian Bay Ecosystem
August
Mauro Ferrioli, Trent Campbell, Firefighters Toronto Pearson Emergency Services
September
Ted Barris, The Dam Busters, The Canadian Story
October
Robert Burcher, Environmentalist John Muir
November
Dr. Wilma DeGroot, Hercules crash and rescue High Arctic
December
Dr. Karin Euler, MedicalMissions to Tanzania
January: Nancy Ferrer, Town Planner Collingwood
February: Mary Kocher, Simcoe County Health Nurse, Use of Cannabis
March: Michael Treuman, Bruce Trail
April: Marci Janecek, Physiotherapist
May: Ted Barris, Juno Beach
June: David Bourque, Professional Musician
July: Dr.Richard Hawkins, Orthopedic Surgeon
August: Tim Burrows, Electric Vehicles
September: Kim Oxley, Paramedic Trainer
October: Norah Holder, CEO Collingwood Hospital
November: Roger Litwiller, History Royal Canadian Navy
December: Dr. Amy Barron, Agatha Christie, Archaeology
January: Erika Engel, Editor, Reporter, Collingwood Today
February: Erin Churchill, RN Nurse Practitioner, Men’sHealth
March: Dr Bob Galway, ‘Richard Sterling Finnie, Arctic Explorer and Film maker’.
November: Dr Bob Galway, COVID 19 Pandemic, Virtual Meeting
December: Dr. Amy Barrron, Adventures of a female Archaeologist
January: Terry Fallis, Author and Humourist
Upcoming Events
Meetings
Meetings are the first Thursday of every month, starting at 0945 am. They are held at The Royal Canadian Legion, 490 Ontario Street, Collingwood.
Contact Us
Probus Club of Collingwood
Membership: John Megarry, 705-445-1261
Email: collingwoodprobus@gmail.com
