Here are some commonly asked questions about TAL-KW lectures. You may also wish to read more About Us or if you still have a question but can’t find the answer on our website you can Contact Us.
Everyone who asks to be added to our mailing list, or has purchased lecture tickets in the past two years, will receive emails from us about upcoming lecture series. (We promise to only send you a minimal number of emails.) Please also visit the TAL-KW website for updates, or check out our Facebook page. Information about current and upcoming lecture series topics and speakers can be found here.
Yes, anyone can purchase a ticket to attend TAL-KW lectures, and everyone is welcome! For our Fall lectures which are held in-person in Waterloo, Ontario, almost all attendees live in Kitchener-Waterloo or the surrounding area. For our virtual Winter lectures though, attendees can easily attend from anywhere in Canada or even outside of Canada.
TAL-KW regularly presents a Fall series of 8 weekly lectures (starting in October) and a Winter series of 8 weekly lectures (starting in January). When TAL-KW announces a new lecture series, we will advise how the lectures will be delivered — Fall lectures are usually presented in-person at RIM Park in Waterloo, Ontario, and Winter lectures are usually presented virtually via Zoom.
Series tickets go on sale about two months before the start of the Fall or Winter lectures. With an “In-Person” series ticket for the Fall in-person lectures, you can attend the entire 8-week lecture series at RIM Park. With an “At-Home” series ticket for the Winter virtual lectures, you can livestream the weekly lectures, on one device, in your own house or apartment/condo unit.
Series tickets for both the Fall and Winter lectures are sold through the Centre in the Square box office. Details are here.
Note for Fall 2026 lecture series: Series tickets are expected to go on sale the week of August 17, 2026.
For lectures that are being presented on an in-person basis, tickets to an individual lecture will be sold at the door at RIM Park on the day of the lecture, subject to seating availability. Cash or cheque only.
Individual lecture tickets are not available for lectures that are being presented via Zoom.
Note for Fall 2026 lecture series: Tickets for individual lectures will be sold at the door at RIM Park for $10 per person (HST included). We recommend that you arrive at least 15 minutes before the lecture to purchase your ticket.
TAL-KW does not record lectures for later viewing due to copyright, technical and other issues.
Some of our lecturers allow us to post their lecture slides on our website. If so, we will post the slides a few days after the lecture in the Lecture Series tab. For the Fall 2026 lectures, any slides will be posted here.
For prior lecture series, you can also find lecture descriptions and slides on the Past Lectures page.
It’s important that Centre in the Square and TAL-KW have your correct email address, especially if lectures are being offered via Zoom. Centre in the Square will send a reminder email a few days before the first lecture, and TAL-KW sends weekly reminder emails as well. If you aren’t receiving emails from Centre in the Square and/or TAL-KW, here are some tips:
For lectures that are presented in-person, we hold the live lectures at RIM Park in the Manulife Financial Sportsplex and Healthy Living Centre building. The address is 2001 University Ave E, Waterloo, Ontario N2K4K4. There is plenty of free parking. The lecture room is on the second floor (Forbes Hall) and there are two elevators …. one at the back of the building and one just inside the main building entrance.
TAL-KW and RIM Park follow all public health protocols. While masking is not required at this time, you are welcome to do so.
The large meeting room at RIM Park has capacity* for up to 650 people depending on the seating configuration. For TAL-KW lectures, we arrange the seating with additional aisles and open space to more easily accommodate patrons. There are always enough chairs to accommodate attendees who have purchased an advance series ticket.
If you are purchasing an individual lecture ticket, we recommend arriving at least 15 minutes early to purchase your ticket. Although we can’t guarantee that seating will be available, we can almost always accommodate everyone.
* Please note that we may need to modify the number of tickets sold or the format and timing of lectures in response to public health guidance.
Yes, you are allowed to bring your own beverage into the room with you. For the Fall 2026 lectures please note that there is a coffee shop just inside the main front entrance.
For lectures that are presented live at RIM Park, each person needs to show their IN-PERSON series ticket to gain admittance to the lecture room. Please bring that same series ticket with you every week.
To avoid long lines, please print your series ticket if you received it by email, or have it readily available on a mobile device. If you requested a hard-copy ticket for pick-up from Centre in the Square, please note that those tickets can only be picked up at the box office (and NOT at RIM Park).
If, for any reason, you don’t have your series ticket with you when you arrive at RIM Park, please speak with one of our friendly door greeters as they’ll be able to confirm that you’re on the list of ticketholders.
TAL-KW’s Fall lectures are currently offered in-person only at RIM Park, and there is no Zoom viewing option.
For lecture series that are presented on a virtual basis, TAL-KW uses Zoom Webinar technology to broadcast the lectures. You will need a computer with audio speakers, reliable access to the internet, and an email address. A tablet or smart phone will also work, but smaller screen sizes will restrict the extent to which you are able to see the speaker and/or slides. Technical support will be available upon request.
For a virtual lecture series, you only need to purchase one AT-HOME series ticket if you will be watching the lectures together on one device, in your personal residence. TAL-KW has a policy in place regarding multiple people watching lectures together on-line in a location that is not a private house or personal apartment/condo unit. Please refer to the TAL-KW Policy Manual, section 7b)iii).