2026 CRHNet Symposium: Full Schedule

2026 CRHNet Symposium

1:00pm MDT

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:00pm - 1:10pm MDT

This series of lightning talks explores how we understand the systems, structures, and risk perceptions that shape disaster risk reduction. Across two parallel themes, the talks examine both the architecture of disaster risk reduction systems and the ways emergency managers transform information into meaningful action.

Theme A: Exploring Disaster Risk Reduction Systems
Theme B: Turning Insight into Action

The lightning talks will be followed by roundtable discussions, where participants and speakers will gather in small groups to explore the provocative questions raised in the lightning talks. These conversations offer space for exploration, dialogue, and deeping deeper into the systems and decision‑making processes that shape disaster risk reduction.

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:00pm - 1:10pm MDT
PIC 120/122 - Full Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:10pm MDT

Theme A: Exploring Disaster Risk Reduction Systems

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:10pm - 1:15pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

In Theme A: Exploring DRR Systems, speakers look at how disaster risk reduction systems function in practice, from legislation and municipal barriers to command structures and cascading hazards. These talks surface the challenges embedded in disaster risk reduction systems and consider how deeper understanding can drive more effective outcomes.

Speakers

Paddy Enright

Senior Emergency Management Science Advisor, Health Canada

Paddy Enright is a Senior Emergency Management Science Advisor in Health Canada’s Climate Change and Health Office. Paddy leads efforts to advance heat emergency preparedness and resilience. Paddy previously helped develop the Health and Wellbeing System of Canada’s first National... Read More →

Eric Kennedy

York University

Jen McEachen

Consultant / Public Speaker, JLM Disaster Resiliency and Accessibility Consulting

• Previously employed at “The Canadian Red Cross Society” in HR/VR and “Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging” and volunteered in different departments including EM for over 15+ years
• Sole proprietor of “JLM Disaster Resiliency and Accessibility Consulting”.
Curren... Read More →

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:10pm - 1:15pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:10pm MDT

Theme B: Turning Insight into Action

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:10pm - 1:15pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

In Theme B: Turning Insight Into Action, speakers focus on how emergency managers convert information into impact. Through AI‑driven intelligence, risk visualization, operational learning, and hazard‑specific education, these talks explore how insight becomes better decisions, stronger programs, and more effective preparedness.

Speakers

Scott Ramey

Founder/CEO, Principal Specialist, thehumanfactor.ca

Scott Ramey is a human factors researcher and applied scientist specializing in naturalistic decision making, AI implementation, and systems improvement in high-risk, high-reliability organizations.

Scott draws knowledge, learning, and inspiration from experience with many large scale incidents through his career; from the Eastern Ontario ice storms, to the Toronto TTC subway crash, losing air ambulance colleagues in helicopter crash, to most recently being the on-call and initial... Read More →

Christine Buttkus

Executive Director, BC Earthquake Alliance Society

Paul Flavell

President, Sandhurst Consulting

David Woodruff

Senior Analyst/Consultant, Darkhorse Emergency

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:10pm - 1:15pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:20pm MDT

Accessibility and the Federal Emergencies Act

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:20pm - 1:25pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

Under the Accessible Canada Act of 2019, Accessibility Standards Canada was created as a national accredited standards council recognized by National Standards of Canada. The organization develops and implements accessibility standards and provides grants for research studies to assist with making Canada barrier-free by 2040. The main standard of discussion will be on the federal standards on emergency measures.

Speakers

Jen McEachen

Consultant / Public Speaker, JLM Disaster Resiliency and Accessibility Consulting

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:20pm - 1:25pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:20pm MDT

Research to Reality: AI Emergency Intelligence for Every Agency

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:20pm - 1:25pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

Speakers

Scott Ramey

Founder/CEO, Principal Specialist, thehumanfactor.ca

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:20pm - 1:25pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:26pm MDT

Building a taxonomy: Coding barriers to wildfire mitigation in municipal governments

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:26pm - 1:31pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

Speakers

Eric Kennedy

York University

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:26pm - 1:31pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:26pm MDT

From Exercise to Action: Embedding Operational Learning into Your Emergency Management Program

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:26pm - 1:31pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

Speakers

Paul Flavell

President, Sandhurst Consulting

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:26pm - 1:31pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:32pm MDT

Building Bridges Across Mountains of Expertise

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:32pm - 1:37pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

This lightning talk explores the Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) system as a value chain, visualized as a landscape of “mountains of expertise” (such as EMOs, academia, private sector, and community organizations). Each mountain represents significant value … knowledge, capacity, and experience. However, between these peaks are “valleys of death” where value and innovation are often lost if there are no strong connections between organizations.

The talk will focus on the importance of building “bridges” across these valleys … developing effective partnerships and working relationships that enable the flow of knowledge, resources, and innovation across the DRR value chain.

Speakers

Rob Honch

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:32pm - 1:37pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:32pm MDT

Community Risk: Advancements in Risk Assessment Visualization

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:32pm - 1:37pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

This tech demo will showcase how modern data tools can help departments move from reactive response to proactive risk reduction—supporting decisions about prevention programs, resource allocation, and community safety initiatives. By making risk visible and defensible, platforms like Darkhorse Risk can help Canadian communities align stakeholders, prioritize investments in prevention, and build more resilient systems for disaster risk reduction.

Speakers

David Woodruff

Senior Analyst/Consultant, Darkhorse Emergency

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:32pm - 1:37pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:38pm MDT

Leveraging Scenario-Based Stress-Testing to Protect Health from Cascading, Compounding and Combined Hazards

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:38pm - 1:45pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

Using extreme heat as an example of a climate impact that often intersects with other hazards (e.g., wildfires), this presentation will provide an overview of the scenario-based stress-testing method, supporting evidence, practical examples, and tools and guidance available to support its use.

Scenario-based stress-testing is an emerging evidence-based method that allows health authorities and others to consider future impacts of climate change to health, health systems and health supporting systems (e.g., energy and transportation). The method builds on established table-top exercise approaches by incorporating climate change and socio-economic data and projections. This allows users to consider both short-term impacts and long-term stressors. The method can also play a valuable role in identifying adaptation options, particularly when adaptation needs span across multiple sectors and time spans. The method is flexible and can be used by both low and high-capacity organizations.

The presentation will illustrate how scenario-based stress-testing can support users in preparing for cascading, compounding and combined hazards. It will discuss how these risks intersect with local contexts, and how the method can support broader adaptation efforts (e.g., climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation assessments, adaptation planning and efforts to assess adaptation effectiveness).

Speakers

Paddy Enright

Senior Emergency Management Science Advisor, Health Canada

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:38pm - 1:45pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:38pm MDT

Living the Lessons: Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness Education

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:38pm - 1:45pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

Are you struggling with engagement in emergency preparedness? This presentation will share lessons learned from earthquake and tsunami preparedness education during times of continual change. The presentation will provide visual examples of what we have learned through listening, and how the delivery of new education programs, tools and messaging and has deepened engagement. We will share the role of multidisciplinary collaboration, blended methodologies and a ‘Connectivist” approach to learning in increased capacity. We will explore how we can increase preparedness for ‘all’ people within a shifting set of resources.

Speakers

Christine Buttkus

Executive Director, BC Earthquake Alliance Society

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:38pm - 1:45pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:45pm MDT

Discussion: Exploring Disaster Risk Reduction Systems (Lightning Talks)

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:45pm - 2:15pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

During the discussions, participants and speakers gather in small groups to explore the provocative questions raised in each theme, including:

Is a federal standard the right approach to ensure the diverse needs of people with disabilities are being met before, during and after a disaster?
When it comes to the evolving field of EM and DRR: What are the strengths (roots) that we are building on? What carries us through our work today (trunk)? What is emergent that we need to build more on or let go of (leaves)?
What are the biggest ‘valleys of death’ you’ve encountered between mountains of expertise in the DRR value chain, and what creative strategies or partnerships could help build bridges to overcome them?

Speakers

Rob Honch

Lilia Yumagulova

Program Director, Preparing Our Home

Lily Yumagulova is a Bashkir woman and an immigrant and settler in Canada. Lily’s academic and professional background includes emergency management, risk analysis, and a PhD in resilience planning. Within emergency management, Lily brings over 20 years of experience in government... Read More →

Paddy Enright

Senior Emergency Management Science Advisor, Health Canada

Eric Kennedy

York University

Jen McEachen

Consultant / Public Speaker, JLM Disaster Resiliency and Accessibility Consulting

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:45pm - 2:15pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

1:45pm MDT

Discussion: Turning Insight into Action

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:45pm - 2:15pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

During the discussions, participants and speakers gather in small groups to explore the provocative questions raised in each theme, including:

Do you know how to safety integrate AI into your workflows?
How much risk reduction opportunity is being missed simply because the data exists but isn’t accessible or usable by decision-makers?
How can serious games move beyond engagement to influence actual decision-making in flood governance and related disaster contexts?
When you conduct a risk assessment, what questions are you trying to answer and how do you ensure that the methods you use are built to answer them?

Speakers

Kari Tyler

Principal, Kari Tyler Consulting

Kari Tyler (she/her) is a climate resilience consultant, facilitator, and educator who believes that change begins with conversation. Her work sits at the intersection of climate adaptation, adult learning, and community development. She blends scientific knowledge and relational... Read More →

Blessing Mucherera

Researcher, University of Hull, UK

Blessing just completed his PhD in Human Geography at the University of Hull. His work examines how minoritised ethnic communities in Hull and Calgary understand and navigate urban flood risk. Using walking interviews, key informant interviews, and a serious gaming approach, he explores... Read More →

Scott Ramey

Founder/CEO, Principal Specialist, thehumanfactor.ca

Christine Buttkus

Executive Director, BC Earthquake Alliance Society

Paul Flavell

President, Sandhurst Consulting

David Woodruff

Senior Analyst/Consultant, Darkhorse Emergency

Tuesday May 12, 2026 1:45pm - 2:15pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:10pm MDT

Lightning Talks: Round 2

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:10pm - 3:15pm MDT

PIC 120/122 - Full Conference Hall

This series of lightning talks explores how communities experience, shape, and are impacted by emergencies. Across two parallel themes, the talks examine both the people‑powered foundations of resilience and the societal, often overlooked, consequences that unfold beyond the immediate hazard zone.

Theme C: Community‑Powered Resilience
Theme D: Beyond the Yellow Tape — The Societal Impacts of Disasters

The lightning talks will be followed by roundtable discussions, where participants and speakers will gather in small groups to explore the provocative questions raised in the lightning talks. These conversations offer space for exploration, dialogue, and deeper insight into the community dynamics, human impacts, and lived experiences that shape resilience and disaster recovery.

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:10pm - 3:15pm MDT
PIC 120/122 - Full Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:15pm MDT

Theme C: Community-Powered Resilience

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:15pm - 3:20pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

In Theme C: Community‑Powered Resilience, speakers explore how resilience emerges from the strengths, knowledge, and relationships within communities. These talks highlight the shared capacities, cultural intelligence, and people‑first approaches that shape how communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. Together, they reveal how centering community experience can transform our understanding of what truly drives resilience.

Speakers

Amber Rushton

CEO and Founder, Traverse Analytics Incorporated

Amber has 20 years of experience in emergency management, business continuity, and risk management, leading emergency operations centre activations, coordinating tactical operations centre activations, and responding at the Incident Command Post as the Incident Commander, Hazmat Unit... Read More →

Amanda Sobierajski

Amanda Sobierajski is a member of Alberta Emergency Management Agency’s Be Prepared team, having joined in the fall of 2024. Amanda comes to this work naturally, having held various preparedness, operations and operations management roles on the Canadian Red Cross’ national team... Read More →

Tim Conrad

Tim is a public relations and emergency management expert who excels at intense, challenging work. His recent emergency roles include leading information and advanced planning for substantial wildfires across large areas of Canada, as well as during a significant landslide and flood... Read More →

Sherry Greene

Founder, Askiy Eco Distribution Ltd & SafeRoots AI

Sherry Greene is an Indigenous entrepreneur, sustainability advocate, and emerging voice in Indigenous economic development. She is the Founder of Askiy Eco Distribution Ltd., and SafeRoots AI. An Indigenous woman-owned company providing eco-friendly procurement and supply solutions... Read More →

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:15pm - 3:20pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:15pm MDT

Theme D: Beyond the Yellow Tape

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:15pm - 3:20pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

In Theme D: Beyond the Yellow Tape, speakers examine the human and social dimensions of emergencies that unfold outside the immediate hazard zone. These talks surface the often‑overlooked impacts of disasters on people, communities, and social systems. Together, they invite us to look beyond response operations and consider the broader societal realities that inform disaster risk reduction.

Speakers

Jackie Kloosterboer

Founder & ESS Training Specialist, Survive It

I’m a disaster preparedness and ESS practitioner with 30+ years supporting communities through real emergencies in BC and training teams across Canada. I specialize in Reception Centres, the evacuee experience, and designing realistic, hands-on exercises that build confidence under... Read More →

Sydney Fraser

James Wheeler-Hebert

Master's student, Research Assistant, York University

Former history student, studying Disaster & Emergency Management at York University. Working on a project with Professor Aaida Mamuji to identify gaps and improve coordination for the handling of pets and livestock during an emergency.

Rachael Oliver

Senior Manager, Recovery, Canadian Red Cross

Rachael Oliver is a leading practitioner in community-centered disaster recovery and currently serves as Senior Manager, Recovery at the Canadian Red Cross. She has extensive experience supporting municipalities, First Nations, and Métis communities through Canada’s largest disasters... Read More →

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:15pm - 3:20pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:20pm MDT

Out of the Ark: Rethinking Animal Welfare in Disasters

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:20pm - 3:25pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

Researchers: Dr. Aaida Mamuji, James Wheeler-Hebert and Cheryl Rogers

Despite animal welfare being tied to human safety, livelihoods, and recovery, animals are often overlooked in disaster planning and response efforts in Canada. And, while the wellbeing of many animals is dependent on human action and inaction, there is currently no formal structure or approach to addressing animal needs in disaster management in Canada, with only sparse mention for the inclusion of animals in disaster management frameworks and legislation. Drawing from interviews (2025) with over twenty representatives of non-governmental organizations, charities, and humane societies that address the needs of animals experiencing disasters across Canada, this presentation provides a snapshot of gains and gaps in animal disaster management overtime, as well as provides perspectives on possible paths forward.

While recognizing great variance across provinces and territories, our findings reveal that the infrastructure and organization of animal emergency response have advanced considerably over the past three decades, with notable momentum in the last ten years. In many jurisdictions, the absence of essential resources - such as trained staff, formal plans, and memorandums of understanding - undermines overall preparedness. Systemic challenges also remain, such as limited political buy-in, overlapping agency mandates, coordination challenges, and efforts that rely on a few key individuals, which adversely affects program longevity. Recommendations for improvement include efforts to bolster training, addressing root causes, and to provide resources to support relationship-building, after-action reviews, and policy change.
By mapping current practices across the country, this research not only captures where we are now, but also identifies opportunities for building a more cohesive, sustainable, and nationally supported system of animal disaster response in Canada.

Speakers

James Wheeler-Hebert

Master's student, Research Assistant, York University

York Animals in DEM Presentation pdf

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:20pm - 3:25pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:20pm MDT

The Power of Preparedness: Building a Resilient Community Before Disaster Strikes

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:20pm - 3:25pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

AEMA’s Be Prepared Program uses an all-hazards approach to prepare individuals, households, and the community for disruptions and emergencies. Through a blend of original research and data-driven storytelling, this session will explore tools and tips for planning your own community preparedness programming, specifically as it relates to understanding evacuation and shelter-in-place durations and improving guidance for communities, as well as the supports Be Prepared can provide tools and supports to help you accomplish this work. You will also learn about relevant research on preparedness in the province to help inform your approach. Attendees will walk away with concrete takeaways, tools and access to support.

Speakers

Amanda Sobierajski

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:20pm - 3:25pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:26pm MDT

First Moments Matter: Designing Realistic ESS Exercises That Build Confidence Under Pressure

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:26pm - 3:31pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

Speakers

Jackie Kloosterboer

Founder & ESS Training Specialist, Survive It

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:26pm - 3:31pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:26pm MDT

The Intricate Fabric of Cultural Intelligence and Social Impact

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:26pm - 3:41pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

This lightning talk explores why resilience is not just a technical challenge—but a cultural and social one.

Using the Traverse Analytics framework, I briefly describe how climate hazards do not occur in isolation. Instead, they interact dynamically with people, culture, behaviour, and systems of decision‑making. Traditional climate risk approaches often emphasize models, forecasts, and data—important tools, but incomplete on their own.

I will highlight how integrating cultural intelligence—the understanding of how people interpret risk, act under stress, and organize collectively—transforms data into shared situational awareness. This shift enables more culturally aligned risk communication, empowers local action, and reduces cascading impacts across systems.

The talk uses the Traverse Analytics lens—drawing from sport visualization, disaster ecology, and cultural intelligence—to demonstrate how complexity can be translated into insight that communities, businesses, and institutions can actually use.

Ultimately, this is a conversation about collective resilience: how aligning data, culture, and lived experience leads to smarter decisions, stronger systems, and safer communities in a climate‑disrupted world.

Speakers

Amber Rushton

CEO and Founder, Traverse Analytics Incorporated

TraversePosterCRHNet (36 x 48 in) pdf

CRHNet Presentation pptx

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:26pm - 3:41pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:32pm MDT

Pathways to Preparedness: Accessibility, mental well-being & community resilience – what holds people back?

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:32pm - 3:37pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

Few regions have been hit by disasters as often and as hard as British Columbia’s Cariboo-Chilcotin. Since 2016, they have had over 400 wildfires, major flooding, and creeping and enormous landslides. Yet residents remain uncommitted to preparedness. Why?

Learn what they told us about mental well-being, accessibility and community preparedness.

Speakers

Tim Conrad

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:32pm - 3:37pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:32pm MDT

Strengthening Hospital Resilience Through Multi-Site Emergency Training Design

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:32pm - 3:37pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

Speakers

Sydney Fraser

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:32pm - 3:37pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:38pm MDT

Can AI Help Solve Socio-Economic and Community Safety Challenges in First Nations Communities?

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:38pm - 3:45pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

This lightning talk explores how Artificial Intelligence can be used as a practical tool to support First Nations communities in addressing urgent socio-economic and public safety challenges such as housing shortages, unemployment, food insecurity, youth opportunities, emergency response gaps, addiction, domestic violence, and mental health crises.

I will also introduce an Indigenous-led concept for an AI anonymous reporting and crisis response platform designed for frontline workers, security, emergency responders, crisis teams, and community leadership. The platform would allow real-time anonymous reporting for incidents such as gun violence, lockdown situations, domestic violence, fires, drug overdoses, and mental health emergencies, while offering culturally grounded supports including Cree language options, Elder resources, and wellness pathways.

Speakers

Sherry Greene

Founder, Askiy Eco Distribution Ltd & SafeRoots AI

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:38pm - 3:45pm MDT
PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Productivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:38pm MDT

From Idea to Practice: Creating the Conditions for Community-Led Recovery

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:38pm - 3:45pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

Community-led recovery is widely seen as best practice, but what does it actually take to make it work? This lightning talk explores the gap between the idea and reality, showing how well-intentioned support can unintentionally limit local leadership. Drawing on a wildfire recovery case study from Newfoundland and Labrador, it examines how support can be structured in a way that builds confidence, strengthens local capacity, and enables communities to lead their own recovery. It also explores when to step back and how to recognize when communities are ready to move forward independently, inviting reflection on whether we are truly enabling community-led recovery or just calling it that.

Speakers

Rachael Oliver

Senior Manager, Recovery, Canadian Red Cross

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:38pm - 3:45pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:45pm MDT

Discussion: Beyond the Yellow Tape

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT

PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall

During the discussions, participants and speakers gather in small groups to explore the provocative questions raised in each theme, including:

If 50 evacuees arrived at your Reception Centre in the next 10 minutes, what would go well - and where would your team struggle in the first 30 minutes?
If community-led recovery is best practice, what does it actually take to make it happen?
What are some positive recovery outcomes that would be almost impossible to achieve without pre-disaster recovery planning?
What is more dangerous during a hospital emergency: lack of training, or training that doesn’t reflect operational reality?

Speakers

Sophie Guilbault

Sophie is the Director of Partnerships at the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR), a multi-disciplinary disaster risk reduction research institute affiliated with Western University.

She is also co-leading the Canadian Centre for Recovery and Resilience, a joint initiative between ICLR and Public Safety Canada and ICLR. Since joining ICLR in 2013, she has developed strong expertise in municipal adaptation, advancing practical strategies to reduce risk at the c... Read More →

Jackie Kloosterboer

Founder & ESS Training Specialist, Survive It

Sydney Fraser

James Wheeler-Hebert

Master's student, Research Assistant, York University

Rachael Oliver

Senior Manager, Recovery, Canadian Red Cross

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT
PIC 120 - Split Conference Hall NAIT Producitivity and Innovation Centre

Lightning Talk

3:45pm MDT

Discussion: Community-Powered Resilience

Tuesday May 12, 2026 3:45pm - 4:15pm MDT

PIC 122 - Split Conference Hall

During the discussions, participants and speakers gather in small groups to explore the provocative questions raised in each theme, including:

What changes when we treat culture and local knowledge as critical infrastructure for resilience?
What if every First Nation had access to AI tools that could help save lives, strengthen safety, create jobs, and empower communities while protecting culture and human connection?
How can communities experiencing overlapping crises (e.g., opiooid overdoeses, mental health, housing, etc.) plan for recovery?
What motivates people to be prepared when their region is a disaster zone?

Speakers

Chaka Zinyemba

Senior Policy Advisor, Public Safety Canada & Canadian Centre for Recovery and Resilience

Chaka Zinyemba's strengths lie in relationship building, creating spaces for meaningful dialogue and action, and supporting communities navigate uncertain environments. He specializes in recovery planning and currently works as a Senior Policy Advisor with Public Safety Canada where... Read More →

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