On this episode of the NSP, I get the chance to have a discussion with someone who has excelled in a multitude of disciplines in her life. Professionally, she is a doctor and an Army Colonel. She has been a physician to rural communities, military communities, and to deployed operations in Afghanistan and Sierra Leone. Athletically, she was a national level synchronized swimmer and continues to be a competitive CrossFit athlete. She is someone who always motivates me to push myself through her example. I was an absolute pleasure to sit down with my good friend Colleen Forestier.

Show notes:

Artwork of Maureen Harvey - http://alberta.emuseum.com/people/1067/maureen-harvey;jsessionid=068A55C57D072913CCC1D36BC00BC903/objects

Medical Illustrations of John Harvey - https://www.jharvey-portfolio.com/

Paper on Tactical Combat Casualty Care - https://www.canjsurg.ca/content/54/6_Suppl_1/S118

Operation SIRONA (Ebola outbreak) - https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/operations/military-operations/recently-completed/operation-sirona.html

CrossFit Games Results - https://games.crossfit.com/athlete/37656

Cloud Cuckoo Land - https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Cloud-Cuckoo-Land/Anthony-Doerr/9781982168445

Erebus - https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/565735/erebus-by-michael-palin/9780735274297

Thanks again for listening to the NSP.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2208861/share

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-strategies-defence-nationalsecurity/?viewAsMember=true

NSP Podcast Music Credit: RomanSenykMusic, Action Trailer, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-action-trailer-140711/

NSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!, https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-you-are-the-best-146445/

NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

On this episode of the NSP, I sit down with Mr. Shoaib Rahim, a new Canadian originally from Afghanistan. Shoaib spent much of his youth outside of his home nation, but always felt compelled to return to help his people and his country. In 2011, with a newly minted Masters from Duke University, he did just that. Soon after arriving in Kabul, he started working on a defence contract and eventually made his way to the Afghan Ministry of Defence where he progressed to be the deputy CFO. After leaving defence he was the mayor of Kabul and then represented his country in the negations with the Taliban in Doha before coming to Canada. He has had a remarkable journey that is a must listen.

Show Notes:

Shoaib's Munk School Keynote - https://munkschool.utoronto.ca/event/doha-deal-how-us-abandoned-afghanistan

Background on the US-Taliban Peace Deal - https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-taliban-peace-deal-agreement-afghanistan-war

Joint Declaration US-Afghanistan - https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/02.29.20-US-Afghanistan-Joint-Declaration.pdf

Charlie Wilson's War - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472062/

Naan Kabob Restaurant - https://naankabob.ca/

Thanks again for listening to the NSP.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2208861/share

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-strategies-defence-nationalsecurity/?viewAsMember=true

NSP Podcast Music Credit: RomanSenykMusic, Action Trailer, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-action-trailer-140711/

NSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!, https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-you-are-the-best-146445/

NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

Marie-Claude Arguin grew up in small town Quebec and, through an interesting twist, found herself joining the Canadian military. Despite having no intention of staying in the Forces, she thrived and served 23 years in the Army, rapidly rising to the rank of Colonel. In 2013, her home town of Lac-Mégantic was devastated by a train accident and she left a promising military career to find a way to help. She found that way by becoming the deputy city manager and the lead for emergency management. After five years of work to put the town on the road to recovery, she decided to find another way to serve and joined the leadership of Queen’s University where she is now the CIO.

Show Notes:

Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean - https://www.cmrsj-rmcsj.forces.gc.ca/index-fra.asp

Overview of war in Kosovo - https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/kosovo/readings/roots.html

Canada in Kosovo - https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/wars-and-conflicts/caf-operations/balkans

Overview of the  Lac-Mégantic disaster - https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/lac-megantic-rail-disaster

Interview with Marie in HazNet Magazine - http://haznet.ca/lac-megantic-builds-back-conversation-marie-claude-arguin/

Give to the Red Cross - https://www.redcross.ca/

Thanks again for listening to the NSP.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2208861/share

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-strategies-defence-nationalsecurity/?viewAsMember=true

NSP Podcast Music Credit: RomanSenykMusic, Action Trailer, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-action-trailer-140711/

NSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!, https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-you-are-the-best-146445/

NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

One of Canada's most important diplomats of the last half century, Robert Fowler spent almost 40 years in the public service and held many noteworthy roles - Deputy Minister of National Defence, Canada’s ambassador to the United Nations, ambassador to Italy, Sherpa for the G8 summit, and the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy to Niger. During his time in Niger, he and fellow Canadian diplomat Louis Guay, were kidnapped by AQ in the Islamic Magreb and held hostage for 130 days in the Sahara desert. A member of the Order of Canada, and avid outdoorsman, a father, a husband, and a truly great Canadian.

This is the first of two episodes. On the second instalment, Bob speaks about Rwanda, his final years in the public service, being kidnapped by AQ, and some thoughts on national security.

Show Notes:

Background on the UN Security Council - https://www.un.org/securitycouncil/content/what-security-council

Canadian Armed Forces in Somalia - https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/wars-and-conflicts/caf-operations/somalia

Somalia Inquiry - https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/479844/publication.html

Fowler Report on Angola - https://archive.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/202-sanctions/41606-final-report-of-the-un-panel-of-experts.html

Thanks again for listening to the NSP.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2208861/share

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-strategies-defence-nationalsecurity/?viewAsMember=true

NSP Podcast Music Credit: RomanSenykMusic, Action Trailer, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-action-trailer-140711/

NSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!, https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-you-are-the-best-146445/

NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

A 20 year veteran of the Canadian Army, Austin was one of the few black officers in the military and he reflects on this as he walks me through his experience growing up in Montreal, life at Royal Military College, and the challenges of multiple overseas deployments. After leaving the military, he found ways to continue to serve in defence industry. First with Thales Canada and now with General Dynamics Mission Systems where he's a senior manager. He is also active in helping the Canadian military with their culture change efforts and his community as a coach and volunteer.

Show Notes:

Austin's Keynote Address for Black History Month (his remarks at 5:40 and unexpected thank you at 23:10 of part 3) - https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/corporate/video/commemorative-events/2023/blackhistory-month.html?utm_campaign=dnd-mdn-dt-news-22-23&utm_medium=eml&utm_source=dtn-mar-28&utm_content=bhm-event-video-en-230328

Meritorious Service Medal - https://www.gg.ca/en/honours/recipients/139-814

Eleanor Taylor - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=214veToX3xE

Spoken word poem of Hannah Flores - https://youtu.be/3O3YgZ3hixM

Thanks again for listening to the NSP.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2208861/share

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-strategies-defence-nationalsecurity/?viewAsMember=true

NSP Podcast Music Credit: RomanSenykMusic, Action Trailer, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-action-trailer-140711/

NSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!, https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-you-are-the-best-146445/

NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

Why am I doing this? 

Insight into my motivation for starting the NSP. 

Thanks again for listening to the NSP.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2208861/share

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-strategies-defence-nationalsecurity/?viewAsMember=true

NSP Podcast Music Credit: RomanSenykMusic, Action Trailer, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-action-trailer-140711/

NSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!, https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-you-are-the-best-146445/

NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

This short clip will help you understand what the Northern Sentinels Podcast is all about.

Thanks again for listening to the NSP.

Website: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2208861/share

LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/granite-strategies-defence-nationalsecurity/?viewAsMember=true

NSP Podcast Music Credit: RomanSenykMusic, Action Trailer, https://pixabay.com/music/main-title-action-trailer-140711/

NSP Podcast Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023

NSP Shorts Music Credit: nomaBeats, You Are The Best!, https://pixabay.com/music/upbeat-you-are-the-best-146445/

NSP Shorts Logo - L. Ayotte, 2023