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We have seen a notable and systemic shift in the role of individualism in Canada, the emergence of a default assumption that the correct and appropriate response to a collective issue is government intervention. That may be in the form of access to financial resources, programatic offerings or a new set of policy interventions in society.

This set the stage for the pandemic, the arrival of the virus in Canada in November 2019 and the declaration of a pandemic in March 2020, which led many governments to enact a series of interventions in our free society, with the intent of mitigating the spread of the virus. We all remember the catch phrases, “two weeks to flatten the curve”, “six feet of separation” and others. The majority of the population were caught off guard, did not see a pandemic with the associated restrictive covenants as part of 2020, simply did not have a strategy to counter a significant exogenous shock.

The rapid and immediate call for government intervention into rescuing the population, principally replacing lost income, led me to ponder a simple, but powerful question: why were people choosing to live a life so close to the line that they would need government money to cover their bills within a few months of losing their income?

The podcast, Inside My Canoehead, was my response to that question, to explore why the population at large was so unprepared for a shock, why the government intervention was necessary and what were the drivers behind a society that was so ill positioned to navigate such an event. The government had been issuing preparedness messaging for decades, financial gurus have been arguing for emergency funds for rainy days and health practitioners were advocating for caring for our mental health. The solutions were there, but the population simply chose not to listen.

It has been a pleasure to provide non-apocalyptic, evidence-based preparedness education for free, that is our mission at Preparedness Labs Incorporated, to be Canada’s source for rational and research based strategies to navigate exogenous shocks. So I raise a glass to all that made the past five years possible - my incredible wife, kids, confidants, Tina in Germany and a list of believers that convinced me to continue the message, to climb upon the soapbox in the public square and be unapologetically me. So I did and here I am.

Pro Patria.

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First, a sincere thank you for the support over the past half decade, we've been a stalwart voice in the pandemic, offering evidence-based strategies to protect your family from the personal and economic harm. Our Season 13 was grounded in providing that guidance and speaking to a number of key notable figures.

Season 14 begins with the 5th year anniversary episode, followed by the offering of our premiere and now free, 4 step 8-hour roadmap to resilience. The only evidence-based preparedness education designed to support you and your family on the journey to living your life, protected from exogenous shocks.

Our commitment to you is this audio version, a written substack and a YouTube channel designed to offer free, non-apocalyptic evidence-based preparedness education.

So consume via the medium you prefer, we believe your family is worth it.

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This month I had the honour of visiting northern Ontario, while devoid of mountains and lighthouses, it has a unique beauty, a draw that mesmerizes the mind. A combination of the boreal forest and the Canadian Shield, the landscape is an endless assortment of 1000s of lakes, rivers, small towns and a connectedness to both the people and the land. A sense of place, whether here by chance or choice, everyone belonged, this was their space, which they opened with smiles and a flurry of stories for us city folk.

Officially, I was there to speak, but my mission was to learn, to understand the challenges, obstacles, barriers and limitations of conducting preparedness, response and recovery operations in rural Canada. While I understood the principles, as a researcher there is nothing that replaces or replicates qualitative projects. The opportunity to listen to those who execute the function you’re interested in, who despite the intentional policy restrictions, continue to move ideas forward.

The first lesson understood was that the policy analysts who craft governance documents in capital cities demonstrate a significant lack of understanding as to the conditions present outside their bubble. The practitioners in rural Ontario are cognizant of the requirements and regulations, often quoting them verbatim, but they follow that with a litany of shortfalls in the legislation. Whether that be tasks assigned without resources provided, staffing minimums that exceed capacity in rural governance and reporting relationships that are counterproductive and illogical.

Let’s be blunt, I heard these challenges from provincial employees within Emergency Management Ontario and the Ministry of Natural Resources, not simply from the general public. These are the public servants tasked with executing responsibilities in rural areas under a regulatory framework and administrative systems that are not fit for purpose. The brilliance of this, lost on those buried in paperwork in Toronto, is that they have the solution, they know the amendments required and organizational re-structuring that will lead to better post event outcomes - but they lament the repetitious cycle of report, offer guidance and be ignored.

This is not my ego landing in a new city, professing to possess the solutions to their problems, the omnipotent professor and entrepreneur. No, the three days were a continuous feed of incredible ideas, all grassroots, that would evaluate the game, improve the deliverability of emergency management services to the public. Other than my presentation and a few side conversations where I bounced my ideas off practitioners - and often quickly understood my ignorance - this was a mission in listening, watching and understanding the experience of those in the north. Separate and distinct from the urban centres, these communities were resolute and steadfast.

Brilliant people doing amazing things with scant resources.

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