Eric Pootmans has enjoyed an interesting and diverse flying career that has spanned over four decades, the majority flying for the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). He has accumulated over 10,000 flying hours on tactical helicopters, jets and transport aircraft, participated in peacekeeping operations in Egypt, and spent many years flying in the Middle East. Among his accomplishments is having flown with the Snowbirds Air Demonstration Team where he had the privilege to serve as an ambassador for
Canada travelling all over North America demonstrating the skills, professionalism and teamwork inherent in the women and men of the Canadian Armed Forces. Eric also worked as an aircraft accident investigator for the RCAF’s Directorate of Flight Safety and flew VIPs out of Ottawa which included Canada’s Prime Minister, Governor General and King Charles. He currently lives in Collingwood and flies a private jet out of Toronto Pearson airport.

Speakers, 2023

January: Bonnie Campbell, Seniors Fitness

February: John Millar, Clean Water for Indigenous Communities

March: Ted Barris, Author, Historian. Battle of the Atlantic

April: Bonnie Sitter, Peach Fuzz and Farmerettes

May: TC Energy, Meaford Pumped Storage

June: Ed”Chen” Cohen, A Lifetime of Mountain Climbing

July: Melissa Shaw, ‘Farm Fresh’, a History of Smart Bros Brands in Collingwood

August: Fred Dobbs, Nottawasaga River Restoration Program.

September: Nadia Stolfi and Terry Geddes, Collingwood Health and Wellness Development

October: Carole Binsky, Protection from Fraud and Scams

November: Ted Barris, ‘Rush to Danger”, Medics in War.

December: Captain Peter Lang, Safe Commercial Flight

Speakers, 2024

January: Kelly O’Neil, Public Relations and Communications Manager, Hospice Georgian Triangle.

February: Amanda Pegg, Executive Director, Town of Collingwood

March: OPP Constable Trevor McKean, Fraud Awareness and Prevention

April: Will Goertz, Casinos and a whole lot more.

May: Mike Hiltz, The Canadarm..A Canadian Success Story

June: Ted Barris Video Interview with Jim Deeks of Canada Files

July: Andrew Kirsch, Former CSIS officer, Author, ‘I Was Never Here’.

August: Nancy Esson, Right At Home, Health care in the home.

September: Peter Lang, Nuclear Power.

October: Malcolm G Kelly, Canada’s Sports Century

November: Jane Fleetwood-Morrow, WW11 Through An Unseen Lens.

December: Julian Bayley, ‘Ice Sculptures That Worked’

Speakers, 2025

January: Dave Hanna,’ The World of Commercial Diving’.

February: Tim Morawetz, ‘Canada’s Art Deco Heritage’.

March: Paul Weatherhead, Navigating Cyber Threats.

April: Tony Pigott, Georgian Bay Ecopark.