The Challenge Coin Podcast

Recorded live at the 2026 OACP Drug Recognition and Enforcement (DRE) Conference, this episode of The Challenge Coin Podcast features host Artur Ishkaev in conversation with Carmine Bonacci — an 18-year veteran of Peel Regional Police, a drug recognition expert instructor, and one of the co-founders of the conference itself.

Carmine takes us back to 2022, when he, Brad Verspeeten of Toronto Police and Reed Holland of York Regional Police each had the same idea: DREs deserved more than a rushed symposium to tick off their mandatory continuing education hours. They wanted real, evolving training, great presenters, and a place to connect. With support from the Ontario Police College and the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, three officers who had never run a conference before swung for the fences — and four years later, the event is still going strong.

For anyone who has never heard the term, Carmine explains what a drug recognition expert actually does: a standardized 12-step evaluation that identifies not a specific drug, but the category of drug "at the wheel." He shares why officers can never make a call on admission alone, why "impairment is impairment" even when someone doesn't look intoxicated, and what he looks for in a strong DRE candidate — attitude, drive, and a genuine belief in keeping impaired drivers off the road. He also reflects on the tragedies that remind every officer why this work matters, including the loss of the Neville-Lake children.

Then the conversation turns to coins. Carmine talks about how coin collecting has taken off among police officers, why coins beat patches for display, and the story behind this year's conference coin — a long-nosed character that every DRE in the room instantly gets. He also shares the two coins he would never part with, starting with the very first conference coin, a reminder of the sheer amount of work it took to get the event off the ground.

Beyond policing, Carmine opens up about the personal moment that led him into financial services — a promise to his daughter that she would go to Disney — and how he now helps first responders and families build better habits with money. His take on shift work, overtime and the "drive-through cycle" will sound familiar to anyone who has worked nights.

The episode closes with two pieces of advice from Carmine — one for every driver and one for every new officer — and a special moment as Carmine becomes the first police officer to receive Strike Your Coin's new "Thank You for Your Service" coin.

This episode is about service, systems, good habits, and the coins that mark the moments we work hardest for.

Connect with Carmine Bonacci

https://carminebonacci.ca/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmine-bonacci-b64ab4189/

This episode was produced by The Challenge Coin Podcast, hosted by Artur Ishkaev, founder of Strike Your Coin.

Make a custom challenge coin with Strike Your Coin

https://strikeyourcoin.com/

In this episode of The Challenge Coin Podcast, host Artur Ishkaev sits down with Imran Hasan — president of Transglobal Systems of Canada, a second-generation family business supplying low-voltage cabling solutions since 1983 — to talk about a career built on entrepreneurship and an even deeper commitment to community service.

Imran wears many hats: director on the CANASA Ontario board, former vice president of Food for Change (the food bank serving Western Mississauga), chair of Peel Crime Stoppers, and, most recently, an honorary colonel appointed by the Government of Canada in the Canadian Armed Forces. He shares how he fell into his role with Crime Stoppers almost by accident — through a hockey tournament fundraiser — and why he believes community safety is a shared responsibility we all have a part in.

The conversation traces the origin of Peel Crime Stoppers' annual golf tournament, now in its third year, and how a simple idea to give attendees something more meaningful than a towel or golf balls led Imran to Strike Your Coin. He recounts spotting Artur on TV demonstrating how challenge coins are struck, picking up the phone on the spot, and commissioning a custom coin that doubles as a golf ball marker — a small design choice that turns every round into a conversation starter about the Crime Stoppers mission.

This year's tournament, happening September 17th at Brampton Golf Course, marks a special milestone: the 50th anniversary of the Crime Stoppers program. Imran shares the story of founder Greg MacAleese, the Canadian-born police officer whose call for anonymous tips in Albuquerque, New Mexico sparked a program that has since grown to over 1,400 chapters worldwide — and the new commemorative coin Strike Your Coin created to honour his legacy.

Along the way, Imran and Artur discuss the power of volunteering to build genuine, lasting connections, the importance of teaching the next generation to give back, and how something as simple as a challenge coin can carry the weight of a milestone, a mission, and a memory.

If you or your organization want a nationwide way to report crime anonymously, call 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) — available 24/7 across Canada.

Peel Crime Stoppers Links

https://www.facebook.com/PeelCrimeStopp/

https://x.com/peelcrimestopp?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/peelcrimestoppers/?hl=en

https://www.linkedin.com/company/peelcrimestoppers

https://www.facebook.com/ImranHasanYYZ/

https://x.com/imranhasanyyz

https://www.instagram.com/imranhasanyyz

https://www.linkedin.com/in/imranhasanyyz/

This episode was produced by The Challenge Coin Podcast, hosted by Artur Ishkaev, founder of Strike Your Coin.

Make a custom challenge coin with Strike Your Coin

https://strikeyourcoin.com/

In the first episode of The Challenge Coin Podcast, Artur Ishkaev sits down with Norm Robillard, a medically retired paramedic with 37 years of service and the founder of The Human Behind the Responder.

Norm shares the powerful story behind the Bill 163 commemorative challenge coin, created to mark the 10-year anniversary of Ontario legislation that changed how PTSD claims are recognized for first responders. The bill helped make it more seamless for police officers, paramedics, firefighters, and other frontline workers to access timely support through WSIB when dealing with post-traumatic stress injuries.

This conversation goes far beyond the coin itself.

Norm takes us back to the years of advocacy before Bill 163 passed, when paramedics and union representatives travelled to Queen’s Park to meet with MPPs, share real stories from the front lines, and push for change. He reflects on the courage of Shannon Bertrand, whose personal story helped inspire the movement, and the support of former MPP Cheri DiNovo, who helped bring the issue forward.

Norm also shares what it felt like to be present when Bill 163 received Royal Assent in April 2016 — a moment of relief, pride, and sadness for those who had already suffered without proper support.

At the centre of this episode is a simple but urgent message:

No one should suffer in silence.

Norm talks openly about trauma, healing, listening without judgment, and the importance of professional help when it is needed. He also shares the mission behind The Human Behind the Responder, a not-for-profit created to support first responders and remind people that behind every uniform is a human being.

This episode is about advocacy, remembrance, mental health, and the meaning a challenge coin can carry when it represents real people, real pain, and real change.

https://www.thehumanbehindtheresponder.com/

Make a custom challenge coin with Strike Your Coin

https://strikeyourcoin.com/