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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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Tariffs, elections, wars and a host of other calamities lead many into learned helplessness, the idea that there is little within your control to protect against and ameliorate the effects of disasters.

That is incorrect, you have the power of community, the strength embedded in the social capital - human relationships - across the business, public and private sectors of your community. All the necessary resources to manage through and recovery from a disaster exist where you live, they simply need to be coordinated.

This is that process, the overview of how to create a resilient community. Someone simply needs to be the champion - is that you?

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Mike Tyson was correct, we all have a plan, but few are ready for a right cross. Welcome to 2025, if you're not persuaded by now that this decade is disruptive and volatile, I'm not sure what would help. The foundation of preparedness is that it is up to you to strategize your life and then plan for the uncertain but likely chaotic event that is just around the corner.

We all need to have a trifecta of preparedness plans, insulated with insurance and a broad understanding of the political, economic, natural and cultural external influences that will continue to throw speed bumps and storms in our path.

Canada is headed to the polls. Irrespective of your political stripe, you need to be ready to live under a majority government from a party you disagree with, to understand their policies and plan. In a democracy you get a say, not the final say.

You must be ready and be ahead of the curve, are you?

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These are challenging times, we are facing an ever-increasing frequency of dramatic alternations to the international order, which have downstream influences on our lives. There seems little we control and therefore are doomed to be victims.

A counter to that is to understand that we do have options, there is a methodology to find certainty and lower anxiety in these chaotic times. In this episode, we discuss the ideas of first understanding that there is little in your control and that we must accept decisions that are beyond our control.

We do that by first determining what it is that keeps us up at night, what events if they occur would be impactful. We then find solutions to these outcomes, usually in alternate sources of income, different locations where we may live and ideas that reduce the potential impact of an external decision. When you have a strategy to mitigate the effects of government policy imposed on you and your business, you have less stress. With less anxiety you can focus on your dreams, your goals.

I often refer to the analogy of a simple question: "why do you swing your legs out of bed in the morning, what is your goal or purpose?". Every successful person has a plan, a roadmap they're following to reach a goal that is important to them, irrespective of the actions of others. That's the key, you build a robust preparedness strategy to allow you to pursue your goals. So when a populist international leader imposes sanctions or tariffs on your industry causing a direct impact on your income, you're ready. You have a plan, a strategy, and that allows you to chase your dreams and sleep soundly at night.

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We exist in a dependant culture, one where we collectively expect and believe there is an entitlement to public sector support in times of disaster. We fund governments through taxation and the social contract dictates that services are afforded to the public in support of continued societal operations. There is much debate over the current state of public sector disaster organizations, with many voices calling for fundamental changes, myself included.

The public sector is limited to the resources provided through taxation, which in many localities is marginal at best. If EM is responsible for the allocation of scarce resources and it only has authority over the limited capital available within the local system, then accessing the greater community capital as potential resources in an emergency would be ideal. The challenge has been the how and often it has materialized in requests for services while in-event, based upon lists of names and companies that might - and I mean might - be verified annually. Relationships, built on trust, are the foundation for social capital and facilitate the subsequent flow of other capitals in times of peace and chaos. Establishing positive meaningful connections with the wider community is necessary to facilitate access to their capital. This cannot be done after the event occurs.

The resources to ameliorate suffering and loss, to rebuild society at all but the extreme financial capital levels are likely resident in the affected region. To leverage this is to engage, to build formal relationships with the served community, to understand the resources embedded in the networks, to build trust with the possessors of capital - so that when the balloon goes up, a coordinated response operation occurs, with all four sectors assisting. The public sector has a mandated responsibility for EM, but it cannot be successful without the cooperation - not compliance - of the all societal sectors: private enterprise, not for profit organizations and the residents.

So no, we don’t need new organizations, we need local engagement and partnerships, to build community.

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There are no shortage of diatribes online about the state of global leadership, whether your guy is making the necessary realignments long called for but never enacted, or someone left the baboon door open at the zoo, and apologies to the baboons, this is a chaotic time for the global order. While expected in the 2020s, this is even more abrupt than some of the great thinkers imagined. Whether you’re examining this situation through the lens of a family, community, nation, corporation, not for profit or an entrepreneur, this is impacting how you intent to run your life, all aspects.

A wonderful time to remind ourselves of the stoic philosophy on dichotomy of control. The idea that everything falls within one of two categories, things that are within your influence to change and that which is not. What we’re experiencing online is the expected and justified expression of emotions, ideas, thoughts and beliefs. I encourage everyone to be expressive, it’s cathartic, and to a large minority, very fun. So plow on, enjoy, scream, decry unjust decisions. However, to be successful in the next 8 years, you’ll need to separate the two arenas.

Protesting actions you deem to be against your values is fine, arguing for something different is a right, where it becomes a disorder is when it drives your decisions, when you allow the decisions and actions of others to determine your state of mind. The solution is found in the creation of a risk mitigated life, one where you understand the world in which you live, embrace all it has to offer and to operate within the rules imposed. Bold decisions and being risk adverse are not mutually exclusive. You can choose to design a life that is insulated to the greatest extent possible, from political and economic decisions that are beyond your control, that permits - even encourages you, to seize the day, to jump into the chaos and abyss. Those who see opportunity in the chaos and decide to embrace the uncertainty with an innovative strategy will be case studies in 2032 on how to win when others are angry and profoundly emotionally befuddled.

The question for you is how you choose to embrace the world as it is presented. You are responsible for your outcomes, success in these chaotic times is within your grasp, should you choose to move beyond the emotional uncomfortableness and embrace chaos.

Good luck.

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