ATTENTION MonSFFA CLUB MEMBERS!

By a vote of those present at our recent May club meeting, we have selected, from a list of options, the Montreal Planetarium as our 2026 Field Trip destination! Featured this summer is “Rouge 2100,” an interactive experience centered on Mars, and mankind’s projected colonization of the Red Planet in the not-too-distant future! Addressed, as well, is our place in the universe and the fragile balance that must be maintained if all species are to prosper.

“Today, the planet Mars is at the heart of exciting research, and the focus of several space programs…. Hop aboard the interplanetary shuttle and set off on an odyssey to Mars,” reads the Planetarium’s promotional material for this Martian adventure. “Welcome to a fictional base atop Mount Olympus. Welcome to Mars in 2100!”

This experience offers a five-chapter journey, in as many rooms, where the first steps of humans on Mars in the year 2100 are realistically imagined! Guided by the AI “Felicity 87,” travellers leave Earth for Mars to discover different aspects of life on our neighbouring planet. How could we live on Mars? How is gravity different than on Earth? What sources of energy may be tapped, and what kind of a spacesuit would be required to safely walk on the Martian surface? These are just some of the questions to be answered!

Also included in the price of admission are various film presentations playing in the Planetarium’s two theatres, including a celebration of Pink Floyd’s spacey 1973 album Dark Side of the Moon!

MonSFFA’s 2026 Field Trip is scheduled for Saturday, June 6. Our plan is to meet in the Planetarium’s main lobby between 12:00PM and 12:30PM, then purchase tickets and enter as a group around 1:00PM to enjoy an afternoon of Martian adventure, and more!

The Planetarium is located at 4801 avenue Pierre-de Coubertin, right next to the Olympic Stadium and Biodôme in the city’s East End. Viau is the nearest Metro station; the nearest paid parking lot is located at 3000 rue Viau, or you can try your luck parking on any of the surrounding streets, where permitted and available.

Adult admission comes in easily at less than $30/person—there are various discounts for residents of the Greater Montreal Area, students, seniors, and families. As always, club members are responsible for their own admission charges.

Join us for a Martian adventure! Bring a friend! We look forward to seeing you at the Planetarium on Saturday, June 6!

5) THANK YOU

We thank all of you, our members, whether here in person or joining us online, for contributing to our discussion, this afternoon, and additionally, we thank Keith Braithwaite for his presentation on Ray Harryhausen’s unrealized films. A tip of the hat, as well, to all who helped to plan and run today’s get-together; don’t forget to comment on today’s meeting (www.MonSFFA.ca).

6) NEXT MONTH’S EVENT:

In lieu of a regular meeting next month, we have scheduled our annual club field trip, which will take place on Saturday, June 6. We have only now selected our destination by vote of the membership present at this just-concluded May club meeting, so our field trip destination, and more information on the event will be forthcoming. Check in periodically here at MonSFFA.ca for updates.

A ZOOM-Chat will not be available during the field trip, unfortunately; out-of-towners, June 6 is your opportunity to come visit Montreal! Otherwise, we’ll see you all online next for our Virtual Picnic on Sunday, July 26!

7) SIGN-OFF

Thank you all for taking part in our May 2026 meeting. We hope everyone enjoyed today’s programming. As always, we appreciate the enthusiastic involvement of our members, and we look forward to your joining us on next month’s MonSFFA Field Trip! Until then, have a good evening and keep well. Go, Habs, go!

1) INTRODUCTION

Welcome to MonSFFA’s May 2026 meeting! We are gathering, today, in-person downtown, and online via ZOOM, to share our passion for sci-fi!

Out-of-towners, join our ZOOM-chat and take part from the comfort of home! Proceedings will be getting underway shortly. To take part via ZOOM, see the instructions, immediately below (Item 2).

Our programming agenda begins at 1:00PM; the meeting will conclude at 5:00PM. This opening post has gone up 30 minutes before the meeting’s start time to allow folk to gather online at their leisure. A closing post will go up at 5:00PM to officially thank today’s presenters, and to preview next month’s MonSFFA event!

2) JOIN THIS AFTERNOON’S VIDEO-CHAT ON ZOOM!

To take part in this afternoon’s meeting online, join our ZOOM video-chat, which will run throughout the next few hours. Simply click here and follow the prompts: This Afternoon’s MonSFFA Meeting on ZOOM

If you’re not fully equipped to ZOOM, you can also take part by phone (voice only); in the Montreal area, the toll-free number to call is: 1-438-809-7799.

ZOOM’s complete directions on how to join this meeting are available here.

Also, have this information on hand as you may be asked to provide it:

Meeting ID: 817 7904 2377
Passcode: 211263

3) MAY’S MEETING THEME:

We will be selecting our 2026 field trip destination on this occasion, and your participation is welcome and encouraged! Folk have been submitting suggestions, and the list of possible locales to visit on our scheduled June 6 field trip will be reviewed at this meeting. By vote, we will then select one as our field trip destination for 2026. You may submit any last-minute proposals to include on the list just before we review our options and make our choice.

4) AGENDA:

1:00PM – Your Most Impactful Sci-Fi Movies and Television!

Which were the SF/F movies or television episodes that had the most impact on you, intellectually or emotionally? We’ll each share our examples of the films and television installments that left us impressed, amazed, astounded, questioning, forever changed, hopeful about the future or shuddering in the dark; those that had us thinking profoundly about what we had just seen well after the closing credits had rolled!

2:00PM – Sinbad and the Voyages Never Taken: The Unrealized Films of Ray Harryhausen

During the mid- to late-20th century, prior to the digital age of cinematic visual effects, Ray Harryhausen practiced the art of stop-motion animation as a master of the discipline, and as a special effects craftsman working in the science fiction and fantasy/adventure genres. He was an inspiration to, and is celebrated today by the industry’s top SF/F filmmakers!

This afternoon, we’ll look at some of the many film projects over the course of his career with which he became involved, but that were, ultimately, never made. What fantastical, amazing, incredible sci-fi or fantasy movies might there have been but for scheduling issues, or studio disinterest, or a failure to secure film rights, or a lack of funding?

3:15PM – Break

Selection of 2026 Field Trip destination, brief discussion of club business, other announcements, and raffle.

3:30PM – Coming Attractions, Summer 2026!

What’s coming that’s cool? We look ahead to this summer’s season in film, television, and publishing, highlighting that which looks most interesting for discerning sci-fi fans such as ourselves! 

4:30PM – Final Thoughts and Wrap-Up

We close the afternoon with final thoughts, questions, and commentary on today’s topics, or on other sci-fi or club-related subjects members may wish to briefly share with the group. Your feedback is always welcome, folks! 

5:00PM – End of Meeting

Please Note: While we strive to keep on schedule, we do, sometimes, fall behind a little, or find ourselves having to reshuffle the order of items on the agenda for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!

The meeting officially begins at 1:00PM! Thanks for joining us today, and enjoy the afternoon!

MonSFFA’s next meeting is all set for tomorrow afternoon,  Saturday, May 9, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM! We’ll be gathering in our familiar downtown, Nouvel Hotel meeting room.

As usual, out-of-town club members may take part online via ZOOM; you may gather online a half-hour early, at 12:30PM, just to give you an opportunity to settle in before the meeting officially begins at 1:00PM. The information needed to ZOOM with us was sent by e-mail to all members earlier this  week; if need be, visit this Website tomorrow at 12:30PM for a repeat of that information!

May Meeting Theme:

We will be selecting our 2026 field trip destination on this occasion, and your participation is welcome and encouraged! With the sciences, history, or art in mind, the club visits annually in June a museum, exhibition, art gallery or some such which is, at least, tangentially connected to the sci-fi genre. Folk have been submitting suggestions, and the list of possible locales to visit on our scheduled June 6 field trip will be reviewed at this meeting. By vote, we will select one as our field trip destination for 2026. Either in person at the meeting, or in advance by e-mail to president@monsffa.ca, you may submit any last-minute proposals to include on the list before we review all of our options and make our choice.

Here’s what’s on the programme for our May 2026 meeting…

On the Agenda:

Your Most Impactful Sci-Fi Movies and Television!

Which were the SF/F movies or television episodes that had the most impact on you, intellectually or emotionally? We’ll each share our examples of the films and television installments that left us impressed, amazed, astounded, questioning, forever changed, hopeful about the future or shuddering in the dark, those that had us thinking profoundly about what we had just seen well after the closing credits had rolled! What exactly was it about this screen sci-fi that forever marked us? The sheer spectacle? The astonishing implications of the story? The resultant paradigm shift in our point of view? We discuss amongst ourselves!

Sinbad and the Voyages Never Taken: The Unrealized Films of Ray Harryhausen

During the mid- to late-20th century, prior to the digital age of cinematic visual effects, Ray Harryhausen practiced the art of stop-motion animation as a master of the discipline, and as a special effects craftsman working in the science fiction and fantasy/adventure genres. Perhaps the only special effects expert whose association with a film, more so than that of the star or director, is recognized as a mark of excellence. He was an inspiration to, and is celebrated today by the industry’s top SF/F filmmakers!

This afternoon, we’ll look at some of the many film projects over the course of his career with which he became involved, but that were, ultimately, never made. What fantastical, amazing, incredible sci-fi or fantasy movies might there have been but for scheduling issues, or studio disinterest, or a failure to secure film rights, or a lack of funding?

Coming Attractions, Summer 2026!

What’s coming that’s cool? We look ahead to this summer’s season in film, television, and publishing, highlighting that which looks most interesting for discerning sci-fi fans such as ourselves!

We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, in person and online, at our May 2026 meeting! Tell a friend; invite them to join us! And we’ll see you all this Saturday, May 9, 1:00PM-5:00PM!

Please Note: While we strive to keep on schedule, we do, sometimes, fall behind a little, or find ourselves having to reshuffle the order of items on the agenda for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!

MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in just a few days, this Saturday, May 9, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM! We’ll be gathering in our familiar downtown, Nouvel Hotel meeting room.

As usual, out-of-town club members may take part online via ZOOM; you may gather online a half-hour early, at 12:30PM, just to give you an opportunity to settle in before the meeting officially begins at 1:00PM.

May Meeting Theme:

We will be selecting our 2026 field trip destination on this occasion, and your participation is welcome and encouraged! With the sciences, history, or art in mind, the club visits annually in June a museum, exhibition, art gallery or some such which is, at least, tangentially connected to the sci-fi genre. Folk have been submitting suggestions, and the list of possible locales to visit on our scheduled June 6 field trip will be reviewed at this meeting. By vote, we will select one as our field trip destination for 2026. Either in person at the meeting, or in advance by e-mail to president@monsffa.ca, you may submit any last-minute proposals to include on the list before we review all of our options and make our choice.

Here’s what’s on the programme for our May 2026 meeting…

On the Agenda:

Your Most Impactful Sci-Fi Movies and Television!

Which were the SF/F movies or television episodes that had the most impact on you, intellectually or emotionally? We’ll each share our examples of the films and television installments that left us impressed, amazed, astounded, questioning, forever changed, hopeful about the future or shuddering in the dark, those that had us thinking profoundly about what we had just seen well after the closing credits had rolled! What exactly was it about this screen sci-fi that forever marked us? The sheer spectacle? The astonishing implications of the story? The resultant paradigm shift in our point of view? We discuss amongst ourselves!

Sinbad and the Voyages Never Taken: The Unrealized Films of Ray Harryhausen

During the mid- to late-20th century, prior to the digital age of cinematic visual effects, Ray Harryhausen practiced the art of stop-motion animation as a master of the discipline, and as a special effects craftsman working in the science fiction and fantasy/adventure genres. Perhaps the only special effects expert whose association with a film, more so than that of the star or director, is recognized as a mark of excellence. He was an inspiration to, and is celebrated today by the industry’s top SF/F filmmakers!

This afternoon, we’ll look at some of the many film projects over the course of his career with which he became involved, but that were, ultimately, never made. What fantastical, amazing, incredible sci-fi or fantasy movies might there have been but for scheduling issues, or studio disinterest, or a failure to secure film rights, or a lack of funding?

Coming Attractions, Summer 2026!

What’s coming that’s cool? We look ahead to this summer’s season in film, television, and publishing, highlighting that which looks most interesting for discerning sci-fi fans such as ourselves!

We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, in person and online, at our May 2026 meeting! Tell a friend; invite them to join us! And we’ll see you all this Saturday, May 9, 1:00PM-5:00PM!

Please Note: While we strive to keep on schedule, we do, sometimes, fall behind a little, or find ourselves having to reshuffle the order of items on the agenda for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!

Attention MonSFFA Club Members!

The latest issue of our club news bulletin, Impulse (May 2026), is now available for viewing or download! Visit the “Impulse Page” of this Website, or just click here:

ImpulseMay2026(OnlineVersion)PDF

This May 2026 and past issues of Impulse can also be viewed or downloaded via this Website; again, visit the “Impulse Page.”

This month’s issue publicizes our next club meeting (set for this Saturday, May 9!), encourages membership participation as to the selection of a destination for our upcoming June field trip, and covers our recent April meeting. We also make mention of an item of sad news recently received.

Keep reading Impulse, folks!

MonSFFA’s next meeting is scheduled to take place in just one week, on Saturday, May 9, from 1:00PM to 5:00PM! We’ll be gathering in our familiar downtown, Nouvel Hotel meeting room.

As usual, out-of-town club members may take part online via ZOOM; you may gather online a half-hour early, at 12:30PM, just to give you an opportunity to settle in before the meeting officially begins at 1:00PM.

May Meeting Theme:

We will be selecting our 2026 field trip destination on this occasion, and your participation is welcome and encouraged! With the sciences, history, or art in mind, the club visits annually in June a museum, exhibition, art gallery or some such which is, at least, tangentially connected to the sci-fi genre. Folk have been submitting suggestions, and the list of possible locales to visit on our scheduled June 6 field trip will be reviewed at this meeting. By vote, we will select one as our field trip destination for 2026. Either in person at the meeting, or in advance by e-mail to president@monsffa.ca, you are welcome to submit any last-minute proposals to include on the list before we review our options and make our choice.

Here’s what’s on tap for our May 2026 meeting:

On the Agenda:

Your Most Impactful Sci-Fi Movies and Television!

Which were the SF/F movies or television episodes that had the most impact on you, intellectually or emotionally? We’ll each share our examples of the films and television installments that left us impressed, amazed, astounded, questioning, forever changed, hopeful about the future or shuddering in the dark, those that had us thinking profoundly about what we had just seen well after the closing credits had rolled! What exactly was it about this screen sci-fi that forever marked us? The sheer spectacle? The astonishing implications of the story? The resultant paradigm shift in our point of view? We discuss amongst ourselves!

Sinbad and the Voyages Never Taken: The Unrealized Films of Ray Harryhausen

During the mid- to late-20th century, prior to the digital age of cinematic visual effects, Ray Harryhausen practiced the art of stop-motion animation as a master of the discipline, and as a special effects craftsman working in the science fiction and fantasy/adventure genres. Perhaps the only special effects expert whose association with a film, more so than that of the star or director, is recognized as a mark of excellence. He was an inspiration to, and is celebrated today by the industry’s top SF/F filmmakers!

This afternoon, we’ll look at some of the many film projects over the course of his career that he became involved with, but that were, ultimately, never made. What fantastical, amazing, incredible sci-fi or fantasy movies might there have been but for scheduling issues, or studio disinterest, or a failure to secure film rights, or a lack of funding?

Coming Attractions, Summer 2026!

What’s coming that’s cool? We look ahead to this summer’s season in film, television, and publishing, highlighting that which looks most interesting for discerning sci-fi fans such as ourselves!

We’re looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible, in person and online, at our May 2026 meeting! Tell a friend; invite them to join us! And we’ll see you all on Saturday, May 9, 1:00PM-5:00PM!

Please Note: While we strive to keep on schedule, we do, sometimes, fall behind a little, or find ourselves having to reshuffle the order of items on the agenda for one reason or another, or reschedule planned presentations/discussions. Therefore, please understand that all programming is subject to change!