The Northern Sentinels Podcast

Image credit - Remote Chess Academy There is no way I am watching a seven hour chess game. Not only do I not understand the game well, but few things can hold my attention for that long. I’m not alone. On this NSP Short, chess Grand Master Mark Bluvshtein breaks down the different formats and talks about the growing popularity of blitz chess. Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn...

I’m always curious about the highest levels of performance in any endeavour. I’m even more curious when it’s a discipline I know nothing about. Listen to Canada’s youngest ever chess grand master, Mark Bluvshtein, describe the journey to this coveted title. Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): Paul...

On this episode, I kick off my expert series on national security technologies. There are a number of topics I want to profile on the show and I’m starting with cyber. My guest today is the CEO of the Canadian cyber security company, Esentire. J Paul Haynes was raised in Oakville, Ontario and spent his youth playing sports, tinkering with anything mechanical, and playing in a band. He found his wa...

Image credit - University of Oxford As with many national security issues, it’s difficult for most people to understand why they should care. Most of the language is hard to understand and rather dull to anyone but an insider. Listen to J Paul Haynes explain some of the potential impacts to our citizens from a cyber attack in language we can understand. Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP o...

Image credit - Dan Perry More of our lives are being lived, or at least managed, in the cyber domain. This puts ever-increasing importance on cyber security to protect ourselves and our nation. On this NSP Short, J Paul Haynes explains the cyber kill chain and mechanics of finding the bad guy in the network. Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NS...

On this episode I welcome Dick Fadden to the show. Born and raised in the eastern townships of Quebec, Dick suffered from itchy feet and wanted to find a way to contribute from an early age. He started his career with the foreign service and had the opportunity to serve in west Africa for a couple of years. When he returned to Ottawa, he served in many of the departments with national security res...

I was unprepared for my last job in the Army. I arrived in Ottawa as a general officer with none of the experience required to represent the Army in a meaningful way. I was not alone. On this NSP Short, Dick Fadden explains why the entire military benefits with generals and admirals are more adept at navigating the bureaucracy in Ottawa. Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP o...

Image credit - CTV News Foreign Interference by China and other states has been an important topic of discussion in 2024. It’s clear this has been happening for many years with little response from Canada. Listen to Dick Fadden’s take on why this matters to our democracy and the need to take these threats seriously to protect our way of life. Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn...

On this episode, I speak with a Canadian down under, Paul Maddison. Paul spent his formative years in Ottawa and was in no way interested in joining the military. However, in an effort to find a productive path forward, he went to military college out of high school. He spent countless days at sea and eventually became the Commander of the Royal Canadian Navy. After he took off the uniform, he bec...

Image credit - CTV News Although citizens are ultimately responsible for who runs the country, elected officials are hired to protect Canadians and our national interests. So what are the types of things we should expect our politicians to do to stop our slide into strategic irrelevance that is putting us at increasing risk? Paul Maddison has some thoughts on this NSP Short. Thanks again for liste...

It can be challenging to look at all that’s going on in the world and determine why this matters to you. With many demands on your time, why should you care about what is happening somewhere a million miles aways like in the Indo-Pacific? As Paul Maddison explains in this NSP Short, paying attention to China in the Indo-Pacific is important if we expect to maintain our way of life. Thanks again fo...

On this episode, I sit down with someone I had the honour to soldier with and who remains a friend and inspiration. Russ Vida was born into an Army family and eventually found his way into the same profession. He started in the militia with the field engineers and ended up as in the Canadian Airborne Regiment. Once his time was done with the airborne, he had a successful career in the Army culmina...

I have my first return guest to the podcast. Steve MacBeth was featured on episode 9 and has come back to discuss his newly released book, No Names, No Pack Drill . The book is a compilation of first hand accounts from Afghanistan, but the stories are presented in a unique and compelling way. The forward was written by the Honourable Peter Mackay, another NSP alum, and he captures the spirit of th...

This episode is really a conversation between two friends who happen to be retired Army officers. I first met Christian Lillington at the Royal Military College of Canada in 1994. Our relationship started with a slightly ill intentioned wrestling match at a hockey game, but has improved significantly since then. Christian served as an armoured officer and deployed to Africa and two times to Afghan...

On this episode, I sit down with Cole Rosentreter, the founder and CEO of Pegasus, an aerospace company developing advanced technologies to unlock the full potential of autonomous flight to end destructive wildfires. Cole grew up in Edmonton and started in the trades after high school. He enrolled in the Army after 9/11 and deployed three times to Afghanistan as an infantry soldier and leader. His...

On this episode, I sit down with someone I have known for more than 30 years, Bona Normandeau. Originally from small town Saskatchewan, Bona joined the military to see the world and she did just that with the Royal Canadian Navy. Since leaving the military, she has had a number of jobs all with a focus on helping people. The main reason I wanted to have her on the show was to talk about her work t...

Sometimes it can be difficult being honest with people, especially when it means doing something you don’t want to do. Listen to Bona Normandeau talk about the power of honest communication on this NSP Short.  Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting Corporate NSP Podcast Mu...

What does it take to be happy? Is this something that just happens or is it more deliberate? On this NSP Short, Bona Normandeau argues happiness is something we can choose everyday.  Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting Corporate NSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 1 - 18...

On this episode, I sit down with Mubin Shaikh. Born in Toronto to a founding family of the local Muslim Community, Mubin did the things most of us did in our youth - hung out with friends, listened to music, and spent time on his hobbies. However, his life took a significant turn in high school and he was radicalized. Then an interesting thing happened, his de-radicalization started with 9/11. Aft...

Image credit - Tim Fraser, National Post Sometimes doing the right thing can be challenging based on competing loyalties. Mubin Shaikh faced this situation as a confidential informant for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Listen to how he made his decision on this NSP Short.  Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NSP Podcast Music Credit...

One of the narratives about 9/11 is that it radicalized many people; however, this was not the case for Mubin Shaikh. On this NSP Short, he shares how that day had the opposite effect on him.  Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting Corporate NSP Podcast Music Credit (episo...

On this episode, I sit down with U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms Agent, Chris Taylor in his office at the American Embassy in downtown Ottawa. I wanted to find someone who could speak with a level of objectivity about firearms in Canada. I could not think of someone better than an ATF agent who has been working on firearms in our country for the last few years. Chris grew up in Queens, New Yor...

The discussion around guns is an emotional one. However, there are some issues that everyone can agree upon. U.S. ATF Agent Chris Taylor shares some perspective on one of these issues - the tracing of illegal firearms in Canada. Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting Corpo...

I love a good origin story. Getting a sense of where someone came from really helps you understand them better. On this NSP Short, Chris Taylor gives us a small glimpse into life as a kid in Queens, New York.  Thanks again for listening to the NSP. NSP on LinkedIn NSP on Facebook NSP on Instagram NSP Podcast Music Credit (episodes 19 - onwards): PaulYudin, Upbeat Uplifting Corporate NSP Podcast Mu...

On this episode, I sit down with Tim Powers in the offices of Summa Strategies in downtown Ottawa. I met Tim through a mutual friend in 2017 after mentioning how this guy named Tim Powers was one of my favourite panelist on Power and Politics. So when I was looking for someone to talk politics in these turbulent times, he was at the top of my list. We also dive into a bit of Newfoundland history,...