Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair said 2023 is Canada’s worst wildfire season on record, and while rainfall will bring relief for Quebec in the next few weeks, associated lightning storms could raise the risk of new fires. “Thunderstorms can increase the risk of fire activity due to lightning strikes, and warmer temperatures are also beginning…

Perhaps the fact that I have never lived in a hurricane state gives me a pass for thinking hurricane season had arrived early when more than 2 feet of rain soaked Fort Lauderdale, Florida, recently. Truth be told, hurricane season officially begins June 1 and runs through Nov. 1. Being prepared to “weather the storm”…

Liberal MP Yasir Naqvi has stepped down from his role as a parliamentary secretary in order to possibly run for leadership of the provincial Liberals. Naqvi will continue to hold his Ottawa Centre seat but will no longer act as the parliamentary secretary for both the president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and…

During a trip to Venice, I purchased a painting that now hangs in my dining room and is one of my most treasured possessions. It’s the one item in that room I would prioritize saving if we were ever faced with an emergency evacuation. But it’s not easily packed in a bug-out bag, and since…

Almost everything in our civilization is electrically powered: lighting, entertainment, communication, security, heating/cooling, cooking, food refrigeration, finance, medical facilities, etc. Since we rely on electricity, we can’t live without it. But every year, millions of households and businesses are affected by power outages, from just a few seconds, requiring the resetting of digital clocks, to…

On Dec. 25, 2020, an RV laden with explosives detonated in downtown Nashville, Tennessee. The explosion damaged dozens of buildings, injured eight people, and disrupted communication lines in several states within seconds. On social media, thousands of people attempted to get in touch with loved ones: “I am in the Nashville area and could not…

The mythologization of the Lone Ranger is just that: a myth. And yet, it persists in movies and novels because it’s something many people aspire to be—a rugged, self-reliant individual who overcomes the worst adversities with his or her talent stack of survival skills and vast knowledge of nearly everything. In reality, the Lone Ranger…

There’s no telling when Armageddon will occur, and there’s yet to be a date scheduled for the zombie invasion. However, from natural disasters to potential shortages, events far more likely have taken over the news headlines, and it’s time to pay attention and prepare. However, many people have no idea where to start on the…

A food storage pantry stocked with rice and canned vegetables is still incomplete if it doesn’t contain enough protein to maintain your health and the health of your loved ones. Unfortunately, it’s possible to become malnourished on the typical food storage checklist found on many survival and prepper websites if it doesn’t contain enough essential…

Commentary Life is getting back to normal, and not a day too soon. But scientists warn that another pandemic could smack us. While we’re letting down our guard, the federal government should be preparing for that possibility. The 581,000 deaths and economic destruction our nation suffered were caused more by unpreparedness and poor decision-making than…