Put on your Packsack!

New podcast focuses on the journey of community leaders, entrepreneurs and people who make Northern Ontario a great place to live

Today a new podcast launched that explores the resilience of Northerners in a rapidly changing world, The Packsack Project. It brings together people, businesses, and organizations who are adapting to change in ways that are reflective of Northern Ontario’s culture and geography.

The podcast is a collaboration between NORDIK Institute, a community-based research hub affiliated with Algoma University, and the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), an initiative of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre.

David Thompson, RAIN Manager shares, “we want to share stories from northern farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers and community leaders because they are the innovators that northern Ontario needs to overcome its challenges”.

"Communities large and small across the North face unique challenges, but often the people of this region have come together to build made-in-the-North solutions to these challenges,” explains Sean Meades, Director of NORDIK Institute. “Too often these efforts get overlooked, while they have so much to share with other communities in the North and around the globe."

The first episode gives a preview for what’s in store for the first season with guests:

-      Chief Dean Sayers, Batchewana First Nation

-      Gerry Brandon, CEO of L’Autochtone Hospitality

-      Dr. Catherine Cervin, Vice Dean Academic with Northern Ontario School of Medicine

To listen to The Packsack Project, you can tune in at https://packsackproject.buzzsprout.com, on Apple iTunes and Spotify.

You can also follow progress on Facebook and Instagram.