Lifelong Learning Club: Seasickness – Exploring Disease on Boats

The Lifelong Learning Club returns to the Great Lakes Museum with another fascinating talk designed for curious minds and lifelong learners. Meeting every other Monday, this popular lecture series explores surprising, thoughtful, and often quirky topics drawn from history, science, and culture — all in a welcoming, conversational setting.

On Monday, February 2, join Rowena McGowan from the Canadian Museum of Health Care for an eye-opening presentation titled “Seasickness: Exploring Disease on Boats.” This engaging talk dives into the long and often uncomfortable medical history of life at sea, where sailors battled mysterious illnesses with little understanding of their causes.

From scurvy to seasickness, Rowena traces the journey of how these diseases were eventually understood and treated — a path filled with strange medical experiments, costly mistakes, and the occasional stroke of luck. You’ll hear how early physicians struggled to explain symptoms, clung to incorrect theories, and sometimes overlooked answers that were right in front of them. Along the way, these trials and errors helped shape modern medicine as we know it today.

Set against the backdrop of Kingston’s historic waterfront, this one-hour session blends medical history, maritime life, and human resilience into a compelling story of discovery and perseverance. Whether you’re a history buff, a science enthusiast, or simply someone who enjoys learning something new, this talk offers plenty to ponder — and discuss.

Event Details

📅 Date: Monday, February 2
⏰ Time: 10:30 – 11:30 AM
📍 Location: Great Lakes Museum, 55 Ontario Street, Kingston

Cost & Registration

🎟 $6 per person, per session (includes Museum admission)
Advance registration is recommended. You may register online or in person at the Museum. A limited number of spots may be available at the door.

Come curious, leave enlightened — and maybe a little grateful for modern medicine on dry land.