Presenting about Colombia in Montreal

Today I was invited to speak about my experiences in Colombia last year at a meeting organized by CBIE (Canadian Bureau for International Education) and DFATD (Department of Foreign Affairs Trade & Development). They are hosting a number of leading educators from Chile, Peru and Mexico for one week in Canada visiting Montreal, Sudbury and Vancouver. Focus is on (responsible) mining and the need for increased and improved training & education in mining communities. The invitation was based on an earlier presentation I gave in Monterrey, Mexico, in October 2013 (see earlier blog post).

The various representatives explained about their efforts and institutions in Mexico, Peru and Chile and it was good to have also female presenters in the world of engineering which for so long was dominated by male professionals.....

MSF Canada 2014

The MSF charter posted at the entrance of the MSF Canada offices in Toronto. Recently went for a short visit. Must have been at least ten years ago I last visited..... Great group of people!

Rockies 2006

In 2006 one of the international guests I hosted in Canada was Jorge Antonio, a dear colleague from Iguazu, Argentina. We attended a conference together in Calgary and then drove via Banff and Lake Louise to our colleagues of College of the Rockies. I just found these photos while cleaning up an older file. Lake Louise is just a mind-blowing beautiful place.....

We drove through the Rocky Mountains and saw some spectacular views on the way...

Our colleague Pat and her husband Karl have a property where they keep a herd of bisons. Doing that is more than a full-time job for Karl. Fascinating to see him in action + have dinner afterwards....

Memories of MSF in Canada

In late 1990 we started MSF Canada with a group of volunteers as "The Friends of MSF  Holland in Canada". In 1991 we were able to register formally as MSF Canada. On the photo above standing is Richard Heinzl (MD) who started the ball rolling in Canada by visiting the European MSF offices. Sitting in front of  Richard are Jim & Georgina, close fiends of  Richard, and instrumental in bringing a great group of people together in Toronto to start the Canadian branch of MSF Canada. In between Georgina and Mary Nolle is Marilyn McHarg, one of  the first recruited Canadian nurses to goto  the field  in 1991 and who worked for MSF for about 20 years. She was ED of MSF Canada recently and is now the ED of  Dignitas International, and "offspring"  of MSF concentrating on longer term health programs especially in  Malawi.

Sitting next to me on the ground is James Orbinski (MD) who went  on to be the International Presdient of MSF and who delivered in that capacity the acceptance speech for MSF's Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. This photo was taken during one of our early "strategy meetings" in 1991.

It was a great group of energetic and fun people to work with. To my left on this photo is my dear  friend Ian Small at whose house near Ottawa I still camp out every now & then.  So many memories with that outstanding logistician and country manager....

Our first small office: one of the rooms of the offices of Streetkids International with thanks to  Peter Dalglish and colleagues. MSF Canada has come a long way since then!

Students and the world

Today I watched these two students for a while at Niagara College Canada. One is from India and the otther one from China. They were discussing what could have happened with the mistery  plane from Malaysia at one of the walls where the world map is displayed.

More snow coming down...

More snow in Ontario! This year the winter started in November and it is not over yet after four months. A new load of snow is coming down today, even closing down schools in the region as well as Niagara College. Just came back in from shoveling the snow as today's work-out....