Media Relations Episodes

When the 2008 Porters Lake–Lake Echo wildfire tore through the suburbs east of Halifax, more than 5,000 people were forced to flee with only minutes to decide what mattered most. In this episode, Paula Danyluk‑MacDonald - evacuee, mother, neighbour, and principal of Atlantic View Elementary - shares her firsthand account of sudden evacuation, community fear, and the remarkable resilience that followed. Paula describes the moment firefighters knocked on her door with five minu...

On February 10, 2026, the peaceful mountain town of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia faced the worst school shooting in Canadian history. In minutes, eight lives were taken at the community’s only secondary school and at the shooter's home, two more were critically injured, and the town was thrust into a nightmare no one could have imagined. In this episode of the Wildfires, Floods and Chaos Communications Podcast, host Tim Conrad speaks with Trent Ernst, publisher of The Tumbler RidgeLines and a long‑time resident who found himself reporting on an unimaginable tragedy in the community he calls home. Content Warning This episode discusses a school shooting, loss of life, and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.

This episode brings together nearly 150 years of combined volunteer firefighting experience as three Bridgewater Fire Department leaders, Honorary Chief Reid Whynot, Honorary Chief Wayne Thorburne, and Chief Michael Nauss, sit down to reflect on the department’s 150th anniversary and the evolution of service, technology, and community over a century and a half. Host Tim Conrad guides a conversation filled with history, humour, and hard‑earned wisdom from decades on the front lines...

On February 17, 2018, at a residence on Burfield Drive in Sun Peaks, British Columbia, Canada. 20-year-old Ryan Shtuka, a worker at Sun Peaks, vanished without a trace. Ryan's mother, Heather, joins host Tim Conrad, APR, MCPRS, to reflect on what she learned when someone you love goes missing and how to keep the search alive.

Author Doug Levy, of The Communications Golden Hour® Book, joins host Tim Conrad, APR, for the final of three episodes to discuss the roles of public information officers and crisis communications in emergencies and crises/issues. Listen For: 01:08 - Who to trust? 11:17 - Is that a trusted spokesperson? 15:22 - They turned off the news and turned on an app 22:53 - Finale - Three quick questions

Author Doug Levy, of The Communications Golden Hour® Book, joins host Tim Conrad, APR, for the second of three episodes to discuss the roles of public information officers and crisis communications in emergencies and crises/issues. Listen For: 01:05 - Communicating in the chaotic Trump style 10:40 - Media literacy 14:12 - Navigating global conflicts 19:45 - How values can be used to navigate division

Author Doug Levy, of The Communications Golden Hour® Book, joins host Tim Conrad, APR, for the first of three episodes to discuss the roles of public information officers and crisis communications in emergencies and crises/issues. Listen For: 01:15 - From Practitioner to Author 11:27 - The Role, Skills and Practice of a Public Information Officer 20:30 - Communications is Two-way or It's Not Communications 28:04 - Evolving as a PIO