A virtual lecture series that offers monthly educational opportunities with top emergency management practitioners across North America. Tune in from the comfort of your own home while you listen, learn, and interact with our expert presenters.
Sign up for a single session or the whole series with the registration form below.
UPCOMING SESSIONS
APRIL 15, 2026 | 6-8pm (CT)
Breaking the Ice: Lessons from the 2025 Ice Storm
In late March 2025, a severe ice storm struck south-central Ontario, causing widespread power outages, critical infrastructure disruptions, and extensive tree damage. This presentation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the County of Simcoe’s emergency management response, from the initial warnings to the coordination efforts with over a dozen local municipalities, provincial partners, and numerous NGOs.
Beyond the immediate response, the session will explore the early stages of recovery, including debris management and community support strategies required for an event of this magnitude. Attendees will gain insights into the challenges and lessons learned from managing a complex, multi-jurisdictional emergency.
Grant Durfey
Grant Durfey is a professional emergency manager currently serving as the Manager of Emergency Management and Community Emergency Management Coordinator (CEMC) for the County of Simcoe. He began his career as a frontline paramedic, where he developed a deep appreciation for emergency response and community resilience. Motivated to make a broader impact, Grant pursued part-time studies in emergency management, earning both a certificate and a graduate diploma in the field. In 2019, he transitioned into full-time emergency management, where he has focused on enhancing municipal preparedness through practical programming and the strategic use of community-based resources. Most recently, Grant completed a Master of Arts in Disaster and Emergency Management from Royal Roads University. Grant is passionate about building resilient communities from the ground up, combining frontline experience with academic insight to drive meaningful change.
Register for Upcoming Sessions
Reserve your spot for a single session or the whole series using the form below.
- A Zoom link will be emailed to you 3 days before the lecture.
- Cost: $50 + GST per lecture.
- Following the lecture, you will receive an invoice by email with payment details.
Past Speakers
Frank DeAngelis: Leadership Lessons from Columbine and Beyond
Frank DeAngelis, retired principal of Columbine High School, served as an educator for the Jeffco School District in Littleton Colorado, since 1979. A national-level speaker, Frank has addressed numerous professional and school audiences on the topic of recovery after a school-based tragedy. Frank received numerous awards and recognitions throughout his lifetime of service as an educator.
Bonnie Lewin: Reception Centre Responsibilities & Impact on Helpers
Bonnie has worked with The City of Calgary for 31 years in a variety of roles. CEMA provided her the opportunity to create a municipal ESS program and obtain an Associate Business Continuity Professional designation from the Disaster Recovery Institute. Bonnie was the Chair of the Emergency Social Services Network of Alberta and is the co-founder of the Social Work and Disaster Network.
Perron S. Goodyear, MA(DEM)
For 20+ years, Perron has been engaged in disaster and emergency management, with experience in public and private sectors as well as NGOs. In addition to founding Goodyear Emergency Management Consulting, Perron is a sessional instructor in the School of Public Safety, Emergency Management Division at the Justice Institute of British Columbia, and a Senior Policy Advisor at Public Safety Canada.
Jay Shaw
Jay Shaw is the Deputy Chief of Safety, Emergency Management and Public Information with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. Shaw was responsible for developing the city’s Office of Emergency Management in 2017 and has led the City of Winnipeg through several major disasters and emergencies including the global COVID-19 pandemic. Jay is a graduate of Harvard University’s National Preparedness Leadership Initiative studying Crisis Leadership.
John Robertson
Discover how authentic leaders navigate crises, build trust, engage teams, and foster resilience to inspire others amid challenges. When the foundation is set, even critics cannot dispute the credibility, it’s the type of authority that position and title cannot provide. Based on his second bestseller book, this session defines the leadership character that can lead your team follow through the challenging times, building trust, and respect with one another and with those outside the community or organization.
Dr. Jeff Donaldson
Dr. Jeff Donaldson is the CEO of Preparedness Labs Inc, a Canadian risk, resilience & preparedness research and education firm. He is an associate faculty member in the Disaster and Emergency Management program at Royal Roads University, and a 28 year Canadian Army veteran. He is the voice of Canada’s premier podcast in the field, Inside My Canoehead, and has authored two books on risk and preparedness.
Suzanne Bernier
A former journalist and government press secretary, Suzanne is now an international, multi-certified, award-winning crisis management trainer, speaker, and author, who has helped governments, communities and companies plan for, respond to, and recover from disasters for nearly 30 years. She is currently the Vice President of the Resilience Information Exchange (RIE) - Toronto Chapter and is a current faculty member of both DRI International and DRI Canada.
Heather Crozier
Heather Crozier brings over a decade of frontline and emergency management experience to the conversation on building trust across sectors. A former member of the fire service, Heather responded to everything from structure fires to large-scale community evacuations, working shoulder-to-shoulder with mutual aid departments, the RCMP, and BC Emergency Health Services. Her leadership extended beyond the front lines—serving as a Resiliency Centre Manager during mass evacuations, and as Deputy Director of Emergency Support Services, where she supported displaced residents, including Lytton Wildfire evacuees who were forced to evacuate a second time during the 2021 Atmospheric River in Merritt.
Sharon Bak, BA, RSSW
For nearly thirty years, Sharon has been an emergency responder, starting as a volunteer with the Pass Lake Volunteer Fire Protection Team & then moving on to the Canadian Red Cross. She has been employed as a Field Officer for Emergency Management Ontario and supported multiple municipalities, unincorporated areas, and First Nations communities with various emergencies and evacuations. Her passion is to put people first in all aspects of emergency planning as well as focus on the needs of those left most vulnerable due to a disaster.
Serena Lewis, MSW, RSW
Recognized by the Canadian and Nova Scotia Association of Social Work with a 2020 Distinguished Service Award, Serena Lewis is a social worker, consultant and educator committed to values of social change. Her career in Nova Scotia has been diverse in non-profit, provincial, and federal systems. She has been a champion in each of these sectors advocating for, and with the people she engages. As a clinician who has specialized in the field of dying, death and grief, she has mentored, educated and case consulted with teams locally, provincially and nationally.
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