Day 3

8:00 - 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast 

8:30 - 9:30 am

Thunder Bay & Area Food Strategy - Courtney Strutt & Sarah Siska

Building an Emergency Food Plan: Lessons Learned from Thunder Bay, Ontario 

In Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada a municipal level Emergency Food Plan (EFP) has been developed through a network-based, civil society initiative that addresses dignified food access during medium to large-scale emergencies. Grounded in community-based research, the EFP was designed through an ongoing process of collaboration amongst key food access actors in the community to ensure preparedness when the next emergency strikes, whether that is a flood, fire, or severe heat/cold event. As the first municipally-endorsed plan of its kind in Canada, the EFP raises crucial, previously unaddressed questions about emergency food access: where does the capacity and infrastructure for response come from, who pays for it, and how do we ensure vulnerable people have their needs met with dignity? 

This presentation will share an overview of how the EFP was created, its most current evolution, and lessons learned in the process of creating, maintaining, and updating the plan that are relevant to other practitioners.

Speaker bios

Courtney Strutt - Emergency Food Plan Coordinator, Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy 

Courtney Strutt has been working in the field of community-based research and program development for over 15 years with a focus in education, Indigenous community development, and food systems work in the era of climate change. These areas of focus coalesced in her role as the Emergency Food Plan Coordinator with the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy, where she has guided the development of a collaborative community-led Emergency Food Plan for Thunder Bay, the first of its kind in the city. 

Sarah Siska - Coordinator, Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy 

Sarah Siska has experience in community food systems work through grassroots food organizing and as a previous member of the Vancouver Food Policy Council. Her recently completed master’s thesis looked at justice-oriented food system transformation around the Lake Superior watershed. She is the current coordinator of the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy. 

9:30 -10:30 am

Two Breakout Sessions:

Indigenous Services Canada - Cheri Roy, R.N., BScN., MPH

Strengthening Responses during Social Emergencies

This session will explore the role of Health Emergency Management (HEM) in responding to social and health crises within First Nations communities, with a particular focus on First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario. The presentation will outline the framework for managing social emergencies—events that threaten human health, life, or community well-being, and exceed local capacities. Key topics include crisis management, the process of requesting emergency assistance, declaring a state of emergency, and coordinated health responses. 

Cheri Roy will discuss the prevalence of social emergencies, such as opioid crises and mental health challenges, and provide a case study showcasing community experiences and resilience. The session will also highlight the importance of partnerships between Indigenous communities, governments, and external agencies in ensuring culturally relevant and effective emergency responses. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of strategies for addressing social emergencies in First Nations communities and learn about the supports available for effective, culturally sensitive crisis management. 

Speaker bio

Cheri Roy, R.N., BScN., MPH – Manager, Policy Development/Senior Policy Advisor, Health Emergency Management, First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Ontario Region 

Cheri Roy is Odawa from Sheshegwaning First Nation and part of the Anishinabek Nation. She is a graduate of Laurentian University in the Northeastern Ontario Collaborative Nursing Program. Cheri completed her Master of Public Health with a Nursing Specialization from Lakehead University. Cheri has 30 years of community health and social experience working in First Nation communities in various capacities. Currently, Cheri is the Manager, Policy Development and Senior Policy Advisor Health Emergency Management with Indigenous Services Canada - First Nations and Inuit Health Branch, Ontario Region. Cheri is a member of the Health System and Recovery Transformation Table to represent Indigenous Services Canada. The Health System Recovery and Transformation Table will be the health system oversight structure for the Northeast and Northwest Regions. Ontario Health is evolving its current regional table format into a Health System Recovery and Transformation structure focusing on recovery and rebuilding, leveraging the lessons learned to initiate transformation, while remaining vigilant in emergency management and preparedness. 

Cheri has been actively involved as Co-Chair and Chair of Aboriginal Employees Network (AEN) until 2018. She was one of the driving forces, along with other AEN members and FNIHB employees, in the development and implementation of the Aboriginal Peoples Employment Program.  Additionally, Cheri has gained tremendous knowledge and experience in the areas of health education, health emergency management, social emergencies, health information systems, health research, health promotion and disease prevention initiatives while serving as a member of various local, regional and national advisory committees and working groups. 

Ministry of Natural Resources - Sarah Allen 

Strengthening Community Resiliency: Effective Wildland Fire Protection Planning in the WUI  

If a wildland fire threatened your community, how would it respond? If firefighters couldn’t contain the fire, what structures might be lost? How would families and businesses recover? How would the local economy be affected? What measures need to be taken to keep citizens and firefighters safe? Ontario, like the rest of the Canada and the world, has experienced an increase in the frequency and intensity of natural resource disasters, including wildland fire events. As these events are trending upwards, so are the associated impacts to people, communities, and businesses. Wildland fire prevention and mitigation programs and activities, as part of a holistic wildland fire management approach, can be highly effective in eliminating or reducing the impacts of wildland fire before it occurs. Many wildland fires are inevitable, and will continue to ignite in forested areas, and potentially threaten communities. It is critical for wildland fire agencies to direct resources and efforts at mitigating and preventing human caused wildland fires. In practice this means that agencies must develop and implement programs that can inform and prepare communities for the impacts of wildland fire, as well as influence and modify behaviours on using fire and living in fire-prone forested areas.  

Ontario averages over 1200 wildland fires annually with many of these wildland fires occurring in and around our communities every year. Community expansion into undeveloped forest areas, knowns as the Wildland Urban Interface “where forest meets community” (WUI) and climate change impacts increase the wildland fire risk; it is important for communities to prepare and plan for, and design achievable mitigation strategies to be able to prevent and mitigate wildland fire emergencies. The potential exists for an increase in the number of challenging fires over a longer period as communities continue to expand into the wildland urban interface areas. Through proper preparedness planning, a community can reduce its risk from and increase its ability to respond to a wildland fire. Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPP) are an effective preparedness planning tactic to assist communities in addressing wildland fire mitigation and response issues or concerns. This presentation will provide valuable and strategic guidance for the development of Community Wildfire Protection Plans, as well as recommendations for mitigation strategies, including the FireSmart Program. Additionally, we will take a closer look at high-risk communities across Canada who have successfully developed and implemented preparedness planning, mitigation and FireSmart measures in and around their community to lessen the impacts from wildland fire. 

Speaker bio

Sarah Allen is the Provincial Coordinator for the Mitigation and Partnerships Unit in Aviation, Forest Fire, and Emergency Services Branch of the MNR. Sarah began her career with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry in 2006. Prior to moving to AFFES, Sarah was the A/Policy Specialist for Species at Risk Branch and the Resource Liaison Specialist with the MNRF Timmins District. She started with AFFES in 2009 in Sudbury as the Regional Fire Advisor where she was responsible for leading the FireSmart, Community Wildfire Protection Plan, and fire suppression agreement programs and was involved in the development of the Wildland Fire Management Strategy. In 2016, Sarah began working in Sault Ste Marie as the Provincial Fire Prevention and Education Program Advisor where she led the fire prevention and compliance program for AFFES. She is a Type 1 Plans Chief with experience working on many out of province deployments, and over the past 12 years worked on some of Ontario’s most recent notable fires. Sarah also holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Forestry, as well as a Masters of Science in Forestry from Lakehead University. In her personal time, Sarah was in the dog sled sprint racing circuit, running a 6-dog team. She is also an avid angler and hunter and enjoys spending time training her German Shorthair Pointers for upland bird hunting in the pheasant fields.  

10:30 - 10:45 am

Break

10:45 - 11:30 am

Team Rubicon Canada - Tom Genore

Mission First, Greyshirts Always

An introduction and overview of Team Rubicon Canada, a veteran-led humanitarian organization. This session will provide insight into Team Rubicon Canadas capabilities during the preparation, preparedness, response, and recovery phases of an incident. It will also include the process of activating them when assistance is needed and an overview of how they have served communities in Northern Ontario and the rest of Canada. Learn more about Team Rubicon Canadas volunteers (Greyshirts), the training provided to them, and what their role looks like while deployed.

Speaker bio

A military veteran, Tom has been with Team Rubicon Canada for 5 years. During this time, he has deployed on many service projects and operations with across North America, including Timmins, ON COVID support, Jasper, AB wildfires, and, most recently, Southeastern United States in response to hurricanes Helene and Milton. In his role as Training Manager for Team Rubicon Canada, Tom oversees the development, growth, and management of their Incident Command System, Chainsaw, Heavy Equipment, and Route Clearance programs. A passionate humanitarian, Tom has found his purpose serving Canadians before, during, and after disasters and crises.

11:30 - Noon

Closing Remarks

Day 2

8:00 - 8:30 am

Continental Breakfast 

8:30 - 9:15 am

Ministry of Natural Resources - Scott Elliot

What Coordinated Response Should Include: Perspectives from a guy who’s been there

What is Coordinated Response? When is Unified Command the best way to go? How do we delineate responsibilities between the ICP and the EOC?  What is inside the tape and outside the tape? How do we support 24 hour operational cycles? And how do we do it for a week? Or 2? Or more?  

We can all read the reports from major WUI reviews, and we likely have. Often, discussions, agreements, plans and training sessions focussed on coordinated response during wildland urban interface scenarios focus on short-term, operational integration. However, the reality is that we also need to be prepared for long-term, fully integrated, coordinated actions involving all aspects of multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional incident management and emergency operations center operations. 

With an eye to the future. this presentation will draw from first-hand experiences, some of them integrated into those reports, some of them not. Some of the responses were fully successful, others were less successful but led to the development of some best practices that have continued to be refined and utilized in several major WUI emergencies through western Canada in the last several years.  

Speaker Bio

Scott Elliott has been involved in wildfire management for over 30 years in increasingly senior roles, including Type 1 Operations Section Chief and Type 1 Incident Commander. In those roles, he actioned several high-impact, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional fires, requiring coordination of air and ground resources from many different wildfire and municipal fire department agencies. Notably, he was Operations Section Chief in the 2016 Horse River Fire in Fort McMurray AB, an Incident Commander in Unified Command on the 2017 Kenow Fire in Waterton National Park, and Incident Commander for 2 tours on the 2019 Chuckegg Creek Fire around High Level AB that impacted multiple municipalities and Indigenous Communities. 

He was also part of the multi-agency, multi-disciplinary team in Alberta that developed the initial Alberta Wildland Urban Interface Guidelines in 2017/18, along with several municipal Fire Chiefs, staff, Alberta Emergency Management Agency and Alberta Wildfire. He is currently the Provincial Fire Operations and Response Coordinator with Ministry of Natural Resources, Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he is responsible for various response programs, including the Ministry Emergency Operations Center, Incident Management Teams, operational functions standards and operational strategic planning coordination. In February 2024 he was part of a small Canadian team of operational subject matter experts sent to Chile to provide an operational assessment and recommendations report after a devastating wildland urban interface fires impacted over 14000 homes and killed 131 people.

9:15 -10:15 am 

Air Ontario Flight 1363 - Alec Simpson

Lessons Learned - Dryden Air Crash

This presentation will be a reflection on the importance of established plans and procedures, the requirement to test those procedures, and to ensure that there is continual improvement. The response to the Air Ontario Aircraft Crash on March 10, 1989, by the community of Dryden, is an excellent example on how both a community and responsible mutual aid agencies came together in a time of crisis. Lessons learned from a night exercise on November 1, 1988 to test the revised Dryden Airport Emergency Plan, those of associated mutual aid agencies, and the implementation of required updates, assisted in the overall response to the accident. This included the emphasis on command, control, coordination and communication. The presentation will also provide some of the findings from the investigation into the accident, the Moshansky Commision of Inquiry, and the safety changes to the aviation industry, which were a result of the lessons learned from this tragedy. 

Speaker Bio

Alec was born in Thunder Bay, has lived across Northern Ontario, and is very proud of his Northern roots. In 1985 Alec joined Transport Canada in Ottawa with varying positions in airport planning, safety, security, and emergency planning.  As Senior Emergency Planner, he was responsible for overseeing the national airport emergency planning program. These included the development of plans and procedures for responses to air crashes, terroism, and other emergencies affecting the safe operations at airports. He monitored 12 exercises annually across Canada, including the air crash exercise at Dryden Airport in 1988. He would later return 4 months later as a representative at the fatal air crash at Dryden Airport on March 10, 1989. He completed his career as the Senior Director Environmental Management for the department, which included the development of aircraft de-icing procedures, and environmental management plans at airport facilities. During his career, Alec worked domestically and internationally, and mentored many employees in management excellence, leadership and career development. As a consultant, he has worked in airport operations and environment with the International Civil Aviation Organization over the past 6 years.  

10:15 - 10:30 am

Break

10:30 - 11:15 am

Niagra Region - Patricia Martel, PhD

A Whole Community Approach: Emergency Management Inclusive of Vulnerable Groups

During an emergency, some members of our communities are more at risk of experiencing negative impacts than the general population. By knowing the vulnerable groups within your community, emergency managers can ensure that emergency information is communication in an appropriate and timely manner and better anticipate needs. This allows for a community to be better prepared for and respond more effectively to emergencies. 

Speaker Bio

Dr. Patricia Martel has over 18 years experience as a practitioner in emergency management. Her career has included work with provincial, regional, and municipal governments, Indigenous communities, NGOs, and the private sector. Patricia completed a PhD focused on operational emergency planning for vulnerable populations to learn how to better transform theory and practice into effective solutions. Patricia has served in a range of positions in different Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) for many large-scale events and emergencies triggered by hazards including multiple severe forest fire seasons and northern spring breakup flooding, Toronto G8/G20, Goderich tornado, Pan Am Games, Hurricane Sandy, COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Niagara Blizzard/Multi-Hazard Emergency, and the Total Eclipse. She has been in the field both domestically and internationally during impact for a variety of hazards from tornadoes to floods to understand how to improve planning and responses. Patricia has developed recognized best practices for hazard identification and risk assessment, emergency planning for vulnerable groups and public education. This includes the 2012 Provincial HIRA, which was internationally acclaimed for features including pro-active assessment of changes in vulnerability and frequency risk due to factors such as climate change.

11:15 - Noon

Two Breakout Sessions:

FireSmart - Dale Smyk 

FireSmart Program

FireSmart is a national program directed at lessening the threat of wildfires to communities. Ontario, along with other provinces, has had an active program for several years. Given the recent wildfire related losses that have been suffered by many communities, there is renewed and increasing interest in the program. The presentation will address the goals of the program and the steps that communities can take to make them more fire safe. 

The prerequisite for a FireSmart program is the development of a FireSmart plan for the community. The Ministry of Natural Resources provides funding for a plan which can be developed by the community or an outside consultant. The presentation will focus on the planning process, using examples from plans that have been written for First Nations and towns in Northwestern Ontario.

Speaker Bio

Mr. Smyk graduated from Lakehead University in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics. In 1975, he entered the Masters in Environmental Studies program at York University in Toronto. Early in his career, he was employed in forest fire management with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. Later, he worked 5 years as an environmental consultant for TransCanada PipeLines. He joined Emergency Management Ontario in 2002 and provided emergency preparedness and response services to municipalities and First Nations in the northwestern part of the province. Dale retired in January 2011.

In 2017, his company contracted to write FireSmart plans for First Nations and municipalities. To date, its team has worked on 40 First Nations and 10 municipality FireSmart plans in Northern Ontario. Dale continues to be involved in emergency management through consulting and presentations to communities and groups.

Ontario Provincial Police 

Cyber-Fraud Trends : What to look for and next steps!

This topic presented by the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and the Ontario Provincial Police. The topics for this session includes current cyber-fraud trends, how to protect yourself/your business, the importance of proper reporting, and how the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) can assist. 

Speaker Bios -

Detective Staff Sergeant Dan Dusto - Unit Commander and Major Case Manager within the OPP’s Financial Crimes Services

D/S/Sgt. Dusto’s portfolio includes oversight of the Economic Crime and Corruption Unit, CAFC Coordination and Community Support Team, and the OPP Cyber-Enabled Fraud Team. He also manages the highly complex criminal investigations undertaken by both the OPP Anti-Rackets Branch and Ontario Serious Fraud Office. 

Detective Sergeant Lynn Danis - Team Leader for the Canadian Anti-Fraud Center’s Coordination and Community Support Team

D/Sgt. Danis’ work with the CAFC has contributed to the development of a national response to financial crime through awareness, prevention, disruption, and intelligence initiatives. Since 2023 D/Sgt. Danis has also played a critical role in leading the creation and development of the OPP’s nationally recognized Cyber-Enabled Fraud Team. 

Noon - 1:00 pm

Lunch 

1:00 - 2:00 pm

West Kelowna Fire Chief - Jason Brolund (Virtual)

2020 McDougall Creek Wildfire

Join West Kelowna Fire Rescue Fire Chief Jason Brolund for a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire. In August of 2023, West Kelowna and Westbank First Nation was devastated by a fast-moving wildfire, fueled by high winds and extreme drought conditions. At the height of the fire over 35,000 were evacuated and 30,000 on evacuation alert across the region. Sadly, 190 homes were lost however there was no loss of life. Emergency responders came from around the province and across the globe to help. The event attracted international media attention. Chief Brolund will share the story of the massive emergency response, the communities’ resilience and what to expect after a major emergency incident turns the world around you upside down.  

Speaker Bio -

Jason serves as the Fire Chief for the growing community of West Kelowna and Westbank First Nations. Jason led hundreds of firefighters through the devastating McDougall Creek Wildfire in the summer of 2023, evacuating over 25,000 residents and saving thousands of homes from destruction. Previously, Jason served as Deputy Fire Chief with the Kelowna Fire Department. Jason has been involved in emergency services for the past 28 years. He was directly involved in the emergency management component of major wildfires and floods in British Columbia and as a Venue Fire Commander during the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Jason holds a Bachelor degree in Technology with a specialization in Emergency Management. He has been awarded the British Columbia Provincial Fire Services Long Service Medal and the Canadian Fire Services Exemplary Services Medal. In 2022, Jason was named West Kelowna Citizen of the Year. Jason is passionate about protecting communities from Wildfire and serves on the board of the Fire Chiefs Association of British Columbia. 

2:00 - 3:00 pm  

Preparedness Labs Incorporated - Jeff Donaldson, PhD

Role of Social Capital in Community Resilience

Whole of society means inclusion of all four spheres: civil (residents), public (government agencies), private (corporations) and not for profit (community groups and national organizations). Research demonstrates that communities with strong social capital, including trust and norms of reciprocity, have better post event outcomes. Social capital is fostered, maintained and lost through intentional relationships across the spheres. A key component for success and our goal is the operationalization of theoretical concepts, the process by which the practitioner translates the ideas into executable steps. Northern Ontario has both unique challenges and opportunities to leverage social networks to build capacity and capability across the four pillars of emergency management, with notable untapped potential. 

Speaker Bio -

A veteran, author, and professor specializing in preparedness communications, readiness analytics and community resilience. As the Principal Researcher at Preparedness Labs Incorporated, he provides education on adopting a prepared life for individuals, families and communities through books, online courses and 1-1 mentorship. Jeff lectures in the Disaster and Emergency Management program at Royal Roads University, where he posits the foundations of preparedness are personal responsibility, attitude, relationships and strategic thinking. He serves on the Board of Directors for the International Social Capital Association and local organizations. 

Jeff is an avid backcountry paddler and host of Canada’s #2 podcast on emergency preparedness, Inside My Canoehead. 

3:00 - 3:15 pm

Break

3:15 - 4:00 pm

Two Breakout Sessions:

Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) - Dave Wessel

Auxiliary Communications Services

Speaker Bio -

Dave has been an amateur radio operator since 1962.  He has held various positions with the club, and currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer.  As a teenager growing up in Prince Albert, SK, he assisted with emergency communications for the 1964 Alaska Earthquake, relaying health and welfare messages between Alaska and the lower US states; Candle Lake (SK) search and rescue for lost hunters.  In Dryden, in 1989, he assisted with communications between the Emergency Operations Centre at the Fire Hall and the crash site west of the airport.  Other events include the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay, 2001 Dryden Mill Chemical Spill, Halloween Pumpkin Patrols and Laura Howe Marsh Haunt, and several simulated emergency exercises at the Airport, 2008 simulated CP Rail Chemical Spill and 2013 the simulated Gas leak at the Highway 601 TCPL Gas station.  Dave has completed the IMS-100 course.  He has also attended Environment Canada’s CanWarn severe weather storm spotter courses. Dave has retired from working in the Passenger Services and Marketing roles for various western Canadian airlines.

Enbridge - Evan Friesen, Bill Taylor & Mike Winter

Enbridge Gas Ontario: Emergency Management & Enterprise Resiliency

This presentation will provide an overview of Enbridge Gas Inc, focusing on its core operations and divisions. We will then highlight the role of Enbridge Gas Ontario, detailing our services and contributions within the broader organization. A key part of the discussion will cover how Enbridge Gas Ontario prepares for, responds to, and maintains resilience during emergencies. We will outline our emergency preparedness strategies, proactive response measures, and efforts to ensure business continuity while supporting our communities. This session aims to enhance participants' understanding of Enbridge Gas Ontario and reinforce our commitment to being resilient, both as a company and within the communities we serve.

Speaker Bios -

Bill Taylor - Supervisor Operations – Kenora/Rainy River Districts - Bill has been with Enbridge since 2010.  During this time, he has held numerous positions on both the Utilization and Construction sides of Operations, supplying Enbridge customers throughout Ontario with the energy they need. While with Enbridge, he has been involved with Emergency Response across Ontario in both real time and mock emergency situations. Bill puts safety at the forefront of Operations to ensure the safe and reliable delivery of natural gas throughout the province.

Evan Friesen - Advisor Operations Northern Region / Enbridge Gas Ontario - Evan spent several years as an HVAC technician in the private sector before joining Enbridge in 2008. Since that time, Evan has spent 13 years as a Utility Service Technician, working ‘hands-on’ to provide safe and reliable delivery of natural gas throughout Northwestern Ontario.  Most recently, Evan has moved into his current role as Advisor Operations of the Northern Region, where he supports the team from Thunder Bay through Kenora, assisting with the maintenance, construction and utilization of the natural gas utility. 

Mike Winter - Emergency Management Advisor | Enbridge Gas Ontario - With over 14 years of experience in the gas industry at Enbridge Gas Ontario, Mike has overseen and managed a diverse array of natural gas incidents, working closely with emergency services and regulatory agencies. After 10 years as a Field Representative, Mike transitioned to his current role as an Emergency Management Advisor. In this capacity, he offers strategic guidance during incidents, oversees various regulatory programs within Enbridge Gas Ontario and leads initiatives to foster both internal and external collaboration. Mike’s focus is on enhancing organizational preparedness, managing response efforts, and transitioning to normal operations for the company following an incident.

4:00 - 5:00 pm  

Mental Health - Steve Fraser

Building Resilient Communities

Building resilient communities is complex. Building resilience in any organization is a task that all members must be dedicated to, and in achieving resiliency, we allow for healthy teams that can offer community support through integration of trauma informed care.  Knowing the impacts of language, attitudes and having a knowledge of community resources are among a host of other value added services. Understanding what resilience truly means and how to achieve this, is the first step in creating a healthy community. 

Speaker Bio -

Steve Fraser is a co-author of Resilient Minds, an approved instructor for the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, and a certified Field Traumatologist. Steve has over 28 years of experience in the fire service and recently retired from Vancouver Fire Rescue Services. During his career, Steve was the coordinator of the VFRS CISM/Peer support team, managing a peer support team of over 45 firefighters and eventually transitioned into a full time position as Captain of Mental Health and Wellness.  During his time in the fire service, Steve partnered with the CMHA to create, and deliver the Resilient Minds program. Today this is a national program being offered in every province and territory in Canada. In addition to his work with CMHA developing and delivering mental wellness education, he is actively involved with nationwide research groups. Collaborating with the University of Regina, University of PEI, Western, McMaster, Dalhousie and Firewell, a health and wellness community for firefighters. Steve is the recipient of numerous awards, both provincially and nationally for his work with first responders.  Through lived experiences he brings a unique, empathetic approach to the culture and issues first responders face. 

5:00 - 6:30 pm

Networking

Day 1

9:00am - Noon

Pre-Conference Training:

Niagara Region - Patricia Martel

Moving Towards Proactive Emergency Management: Building Strong Planning Practices

Emergencies often require rapid decision-making and resource deployment under tight timelines. Effective plans can greatly reduce the negative impacts of an emergency by aiding decision-making and supporting emergency needs in a timely manner. While all-hazards plans are a recommended best practice as an overarching plan, there are some circumstances in which a hazard specific plan may be desired. Hazards that have the potential to result in large scale emergencies can present planning challenges since there are often many variables, resource needs, and partners that need to be considered. This session will cover planning practices that will help your program move towards more proactive approach to managing a possible future large-scale emergency.

Speaker bio

Dr. Patricia Martel has over 18 years experience as a practitioner in emergency management. Her career has included work with provincial, regional, and municipal governments, Indigenous communities, NGOs, and the private sector. Patricia completed a PhD focused on operational emergency planning for vulnerable populations to learn how to better transform theory and practice into effective solutions. Patricia has served in a range of positions in different Emergency Operation Centres (EOCs) for many large-scale events and emergencies triggered by hazards including multiple severe forest fire seasons and northern spring breakup flooding, Toronto G8/G20, Goderich tornado, Pan Am Games, Hurricane Sandy, COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Niagara Blizzard/Multi-Hazard Emergency, and the Total Eclipse. She has been in the field both domestically and internationally during impact for a variety of hazards from tornadoes to floods to understand how to improve planning and responses. Patricia has developed recognized best practices for hazard identification and risk assessment, emergency planning for vulnerable groups and public education. This includes the 2012 Provincial HIRA, which was internationally acclaimed for features including pro-active assessment of changes in vulnerability and frequency risk due to factors such as climate change.

11:00am - 1:00pm   

Registration & Refreshments

1:00 - 1:20pm   

Opening Remarks 

1:20 - 2:05pm 

Warrior Health - Matthew Pegg

Opening Keynote - Good Sleep Requires Shiny Shoes – Life and Leadership Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Fire Chief Matthew Pegg built and maintained an extraordinary reputation and unparalleled level of public, staff, and elected official trust and confidence throughout his 32-year career as a first responder. This included eight years serving as chief of the largest fire and emergency service in Canada, where he was independently ranked as the sixth most influential person in Toronto and maintained a global media profile and presence through some of the nation’s most significant issues and events.

In this candid, entertaining, and raw keynote, Chief Pegg will share some of the most powerful and important life and leadership lessons learned from his prolific career overseeing both Canada’s largest fire service and some of the largest and most complex emergencies in North American history.

They are truly a collection of lessons learned the hard way.

Speaker Bio -

In November 2024, Matthew Pegg joined the Warrior Health team as Chief Operating Officer, following a 32+ year career as a Firefighter and Fire Chief.  

From 2016 through 2024, he served as the Fire Chief in the City of Toronto, Canada.  He also served as the General Manager of Emergency Management from 2018 through 2022, in addition to serving as Fire Chief.  From March 2020 through April 2022, Chief Pegg served as the City of Toronto's COVID-19 Incident Commander, leading the development and continued operation of one of the most complex incident management systems in North American history. This included leading the longest-ever continuous deployment of Toronto’s Emergency Operations Centre, as well as the development and operation of Toronto's COVID-19 Immunization Task Force and development of the Provincial playbook for vaccine clinic operations.

Prior to being appointed as Fire Chief in Toronto, Chief Pegg served as a Deputy Fire Chief in Toronto, Brampton, Ajax, and Georgina, and he is also a licensed mechanic and a commercial pilot, having also worked in both industries. He is also a past president of the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs.

He is an author and a highly sought-after international speaker, trainer and leadership expert who frequently works with both public and private sector executives on developing and implementing transformational leadership and management strategies.

Matt is a strong advocate for mental health and has worked tirelessly to break down the stigma faced by those who seek professional help to both get and stay healthy and resilient.  Leveraging his experience and passion as a public safety professional, Matt now leads the Warrior Health consortium in delivering proactive resilience and mental health resources, training, and support for public safety personnel across Ontario.

2:05 - 2:50pm 

Red Cross - Karrie Lepoudre, CRSP and Aliisa Paivalainen

Beyond Standard ESS - Addressing Health Needs and Impacts Before and During Emergencies

Take a journey with the Canadian Red Cross to learn about various approaches and experiences addressing health needs and impacts both before and during emergencies and evacuations. Learn about new innovations and opportunities to address Health in emergencies, including examples and stories from across the Country.

Speaker Bio

Karrie Lepoudre, CRSP

Karrie began her career with Canadian Red Cross in 2013 as an EM Coordinator where she built up teams and relationships for eight years in Northern Ontario. Throughout this time, she successfully led several L2 responses and spearheaded an EM volunteer mentorship system that allowed the local EM volunteer team to flourish. In the last three years, Karrie has supported in the planning and operation role for supports to First Nation evacuation.  Until recently held the position of Regional Operations Manager, Northern Ontario, EM and in this role, she has been instrumental in nurturing our external relationships and to the success and continuous improvement of our support to Indigenous evacuations. She has successfully acted as FOT Lead and PDCT Deputy Lead on many occasions, including through some of our team’s most demanding and complex responses. Also holds expertise in training and facilitation and has been an instructor for Environmental/Emergency Management programs at Canadore College since 2013.  Combined with her career background in Health and Safety and Environment, her background as an instructor and her many years of organizational knowledge and experience on both the response and readiness side in EM. 

Aliisa Paivalainen, Senior Manager

Aliisa has over 15 years of extensive experience in disaster response and humanitarian aid, with a strong background leading both domestic and international deployments. Since joining the Canadian Red Cross in 2020 as part of the COVID-19 response, she has played a pivotal role in advancing the organization’s mission. Currently serving as Senior Manager with the Health in Emergencies team at the National Office, Aliisa focuses on piloting innovative health programs and driving impactful initiatives across Canada.

2:50 - 3:05pm

Break 

3:05 - 4:00pm

Two Breakout Sessions:

Emergency Management Ontario - Tim Neufeld

Introduction to Ontario Corps

This session will provide an overview of Ontario Corps, a new volunteer emergency response team for Ontario natural disasters and emergencies. Learn about Ontario Corps and their role in providing ground assistance, including emergency shelter, debris management and flood protection. The new Ontario Corps volunteer organization, a group of partners and people that the government can call to help communities hit hard by emergencies and natural disasters, would supplement communities’ emergency response amid natural disasters and other crises.

Speaker Bio -

Tim is the Senior Manager for the Regional Field Services Branch/Operations Division of EMO. He was born and raised in Vermilion Bay, Ontario.  He started his OPS career in 2004 as a Wildland Fire Crew Member with the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services, Ministry of Natural Resources. During that time Tim attended Lakehead University and completed a BA in Geography along with a concurrent Mapping Sciences Certificate. Tim progressed through the ranks within the fire crew system filling Technician and Management positions in Thunder Bay, Armstrong, Dryden and Red Lake. During this time Tim filled many different wildfire response functions on deployments across Canada and into the northern US. In 2020 Tim joined EMO as the first Team Lead for Northern Ontario Field Operations (now Regional Field Services). In January of 2022 Tim took on a Program Manager role for Northern Ontario Regional Field services and has since moved into a Senior Manager position.  During this time Tim assisted in overseeing the growth of Regional Field Services.  Tim brings strong leadership and a passion to advance Ontario’s Emergency Response program. Tim lives with his wife and two children in a small unincorporated community outside of Thunder Bay along with their two dogs and many chickens. In his spare time Tim enjoys spending time outdoors in many different pursuits.

Hydro One - Shannon Murphy

Powering Preparedness

Shannon will be speaking on “Powering Preparedness,” exploring strategies to enhance community resilience through collective action.

Speaker Bio

Shannon is an experienced emergency manager with over two decades in the field of emergency response and preparedness. Currently serving as an Emergency Manager with Hydro One, Shannon leads a portfolio focused on external partnerships, collaborating with various organizations to enhance resilience. Prior to this role, she spent years in emergency management roles in both the private sector and municipal sector. Shannon began her career as a paramedic with the BC Ambulance Service, providing hands-on emergency care across diverse environments. With a comprehensive background that spans both utility and municipal sectors, Shannon brings a unique perspective on fostering collaboration between stakeholders to strengthen emergency preparedness.

4:00 - 5:00pm  

BAK Emergency Management - Sharon Bak

The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)

The primary focus of CRM is to educate individuals about the biology and neurophysiology of trauma, stress, and resilience, as well as teach simple biologically based wellness skills, which can help reset and stabilize the nervous system. Through CRM, individuals learn to read sensations connected to their own well-being, which TRI calls the “Resilient Zone”. CRM’s goal is to help to create “trauma-informed” and “resiliency-informed and -focused” communities that share a common understanding of the impact of trauma and chronic stress on the nervous system and how resiliency can be restored or increased using this skills- based approach. CRM has also been effectively used internationally in over 75 countries as a means of developing a sustainable system of care where behavioral health services are often non-existent. CRM has been used as a response to active crises, such as the war in Ukraine, and as a post-crisis intervention where people within the community learn and then teach CRM in their own communities. In all of the above populations and intervention modalities (except Ukraine, which is not being evaluated), CRM has been consistently found to reduce PTS/STS symptoms, depression, and anxiety. This speaks to the flexibility, usability, and cultural adaptiveness of the CRM intervention.

Speaker Bio -

Sharon Bak (BA, RSSW) is one of only 6 individuals in Canada who are certified as a CRM Teacher. Certification is through the Trauma Resource Institute, a nonprofit organization devoted to cultivating trauma-informed and resiliency-focused individuals and communities throughout the world.  She provides workshops on CRM, which focus on resiliency and building wellness skills that can be utilized both in daily life as well as after a stressful or traumatic event.

5:00 - 5:30pm

Tradeshow and Networking

Sponsored by Valley Fire and Protection Services Ltd.

5:30pm

Dinner - Crooked Arrow Catering

Sponsored by Hydro One

Entertainment - Danny Johnson 

Sponsored by Insurance Bureau of Canada

A Thunder Bay Musicians’ Association member, Danny Johnson has been a familiar face around Thunder Bay for several years now, whether performing as a solo artist, with his band 21 Gun Fun, with Dueling Pianos, or with his jazz trio.

He is a well-respected singer/songwriter who has performed at venues and festivals around the world and has opened for and toured with many acclaimed acts, including Bob Dylan, The Tragically Hip, Colin James, David Wilcox, Fred Eaglesmith, George Jones, Valdy and Johnny Cash. He was invited to perform for a special tour for the Six String Nation Guitar Tour (a guitar made from various Canadian historical items). He is presently working on an album with Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, one of the finest slide players in the world, who was awarded a Grammy for his album with Ry Cooder, A Meeting By The River.

The Northwest Response Forum is pleased to announce that Matthew Pegg, Chief Operating Officer for Warrior Health, and former Chief of the Toronto Fire Service, will be joining us at the Northwest Response Forum!

For those coming the Forum, Matt will be in attendance to network and connect with you all about the new Warrior Health initiative on April 8th. In order to provide as much information as we can, on both Warrior Health and Boots on the Ground, an open house for all public safety personnel and their families only will be held the evening of April 7th at The Centre in Dryden. There is no cost to attend and you do not have to be registered for the Forum to join us. If you are a PSP or a family member of one, and in the Dryden area on April 7th, we hope you will consider stopping by.

The Northwest Response Forum is proud to support this amazing opportunity to promote mental health and wellness for all of our public safety personnel!