Connecting the Dots

Many of the issues we face today can in fact be solved. Not only do we have the knowledge, the science and the expertise to do so, we also have the capital. While we can't change the nature of greed we can change how it operates. For ultimately in governance priorities are driven by values.

Socio-Economic Investment

Most recently in policy areas contributed multi-sectoral knowledge and expertise to the OECD towards the design of a new model to improve private sector investment attraction so as to better address rising socio-economic challenges in civil society around the world.

Ethical AI 2021

With the brilliant input of post secondary graduates led Canada's contributions to the UN's working framework 'Ethical AI' aimed at establishing global standards of how AI can and should be used around the world.

Digital Mi'kmaq:Bridging the Digital Divide "Digital Mi'kmaq"

Led this distinctive classroom based Indigenous program to bridge the gap in science education and the digital divide in reserve schools. Established partnerships with Elders & Canada's best leading in applied fields of STEAM like MILA and The Canadian Space Agency to create distinctive new curriculum. Engaged 400 post secondary students to deliver it. Reached 200K Indigenous students. Delivered 1000's in new digital resources. Secured $28M for the Indigenous regional organization in funding.

Expanding Canadian Daycare

Executed the costing, budgets, partnerships and program connections to advance the construction for new public non-profit daycares with identified partnerships and funding.The completed design above we created to be scaleable in Canada and was completed by one Europe's top architectural firms internationally skilled in daycare construction.

Food Insecurity 2020-2021

To better address and scale a more comprehensive solution to rising food insecurity across Canada in communities and neighbourhoods for the United Way's pilot project implemented across 4 provinces I led the construction of geothermal greenhouses, field gardens and completed the designs for future food centres, programs, budgets and connected partnerships.

Working Literally in the Field

Delivering Emergency Trauma Kits

As Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, I received an email in LinkedIN asking for emergency medical supplies as first responders were having to using tree roots as tourniquets. In response pulling together some of the great people in Ottawa we were able to fund and send hundreds of medical trauma kits to Ukraine - navigating in the process some pretty challenging logistics.

Climate Change Realities

Every economy in the world let alone sectors like the insurance industry will have to reposition how they meets the rising challenges of our changing climate. This Economic Advisory contract focused on realigning core economic drivers of agriculture, energy and tourism in the Shuswap region.Tragically following wildfires devastated the region.

Community Leadership

Federally appointed to the board of Hockey Canada in 2023 to improve their operational practices. I has previously been appointed Co-Chair of the Ottawa Senators Community Coalition following their bankruptcy in 2002. Setting up their foundations with funded programs like the one above called "I'm Going Too !" that underwrote the costs for marginalized families to attend games free of charge.

Canadian Fresh Water Policy

Organizing the conference to bring together 3,200 of the world's leading experts, scientists and policy makers to ignite new public policy discussions on how Canada can improve and protect our as well as the planets freshwater resources for the future.

THE CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SUMMIT ON H20

Canada has the largest repository of freshwater on the planet.

Cracking New Agricultural Markets

Seasoned cracking international markets in broadcasting sales, I led a unique international program to crack new emerging markets for Canadian SME's on the prairies. The program successfully delivered over $160M directly in new international sales to small Canadian owned companies working in agriculture and ag tech such as precision farming.

National Public Programming

With boundless creativity and expertise in marketing, sponsorship and building audiences across all mediums in broadcasting, for festivals and events - I have also created public exhibits. Such as this one for the National Library featuring Oscar Peterson. Utilizing robotics, film, animation, live recordings and photography it increased the public's use of the archives by 400% and secured new funding to for digitizing our holdings and construct new climatic controlled archival facilities.

Climate Competitiveness with Science

We've now missed the goal post twice in failing to meet our net zero commitments. This internationally competitive climate policy completed for the government of British Columbia followed my earlier work at BC Innovation. Laying out a clear roadmap forward including costing, it pulled together Canadian companies, leading researchers and scientific organizations to advance a new model of collaboration and expertise for Canada for export markets in low cost climate mitigation tech.

BEGIN

This prescient economic plan undertaken for BC Innovation in alignment with International policy goals at the UN focused on creating new global markets for Canada. Distinctively Canadian in approach it's remains of value in 2025 as the country scrambles to find new international markets outside of the US.

THE RED CROSS: The WPC Program

As a senior advisor for the national WPC program focused on reducing violence in rural communities and reserves I updated their communication and training materials.

Canadian Tourism Branding

Federally and provincially I have led strategic and marketing plans for the rebranding of Canada. Significantly for the CTC as it rolled out as a Crown corporation. It instantly increased international tourism by 1200% within the first quarter. To this day it remains the marketing framework for Destination Canada.

Licensing & Global Markets

With a long standing experience working with Indigenous communities since high school I built the business case to secure the original federal broadcast licence for APTN. In addition to completing the strategic plans to expand their future programming in international broadcast markets. It still remains the only Indigenous television network in the world.

Investment & Funding

Building and leveraging partnerships, markets and investment to amplify positive impacts for systems change and equal opportunity I've delivered over $400M. Supporting Canadian ingenuity and approaches in the non-profit sector, in international trade, Indigenous Affairs, science or the arts.

Teaching/Mentoring

Since journalism school I have throughout my career created curriculum for post secondary institutions including The University of Winnipeg, UBC and Algonquin College in areas of journalism, filmed production, food inspection and intellectual property rights in the arts.

The Future of the Arts

A passionate advocate of the arts, I have executed various public policy documents and strategic programs provincially in British Columbia, Alberta Manitoba and Saskatchewan as well federally to increase Canadian support for the arts as has my family in setting up investment structures that are sustainable including those that set up the Canada Council when it was founded.

LIFE WON'T WAIT

This cover is from a book I ghost wrote for Global Affairs capturing the experiences of a Canadian volunteer working in humanitarian relief as a first responder during some of the world's deadliest natural disasters including earthquakes in the Himalayas on the border of Pakistan and the 2004 Tsunami.

UNESCO

This strategic initiative for UNESCO focused on improving their communications and outreach efforts to better inform communities facing increasing levels of poverty, hunger and devastating economic loss from climate change.

Inclusion & Opportunities

Sharing matters. Expertise, lived experience, skills and connections. Key elements found throughout all my advisory work. Purpose driven my efforts in carrying things forward have also led to the establishment of organizations like LEAF (the legal education action fund) and the Neil Squire foundation amongst others.

HUMAN RESOURCE ISSUES

This strategic working policy roadmap underscored the benefits of the arts and the pressing need for reform at local, regional, provincial/territorial and national levels to enhance the long term sustainability of the arts and better engage people at every level, every demographic and every industry in Canada.

Strategic-Planning-Process

Ethics and integrity are imperative for civil society to function. Whether in business, philanthropy or government. Outside of the core principals of honesty and transparency in governance they are also important in other realms. Money laundering and the like have caught up to Canada. If it is to maintain it's reputation as "the" best place to live or even for investment it needs to improve oversight, enforcement and compliance. Reputation matters.

Protecting the North

Having worked throughout Northern Canada protecting it remains one of the most important things our nation can do not only for ourselves but for people and other democratic nations around the world. Prioritizing well funded scientific research, our Artic security and the economic well being of Inuit Peoples.