CONTACT

tracy@canadianwingsofrescue.ca

[Coming soon!]

CONTACT

chirag@canadianwingsofrescue.ca

Chirag is a final year student at the University of Toronto majoring in Neuroscience and Physiology. He currently has his own startup, serving as a Co-Founder of SilicoLabs, a rapidly growing neurotechnology startup based in Toronto. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also worked at the BC Centre for Disease COntrol as a Team Lead for the COVID-19 Rapid Response Team, and continues to work with the Taku River Tlingit First Nation as a researcher.

Chirag co-founded and until recently served as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BC Airlift Emergency Response Operations (BC AERO). He grew the organization from a dozen pilots and ground crew to over a hundred dedicated volunteer pilots and ground crew in BC’s Lower Mainland and across the country. He led the development of the organization’s digital workplace, infrastructure and standard operating procedures. Chirag spearheaded the development of innovative partnerships for the organization with industry, academia and other non-profits. He expanded AERO into the drones space, engaged with research at the Advanced Disaster Simulation Program at York and is developing Virtual Reality/Augmented reality training procedures for AERO in coordination with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). He currently sits on the Board of Directors of BC AERO.

A leader and humanitarian at heart, Chirag deeply believes in the power of building community and empowering grassroots level work to improve quality of life.

CONTACT

mark@canadianwingsofrescue.ca

Recently retired, Mark has a wealth of various technical, policy, and leadership experience after serving 36 years with the Ontario government. As a graduate of Sir Sandford Fleming College’s Fish and Wildlife Program, he worked for years in wildlife management and law enforcement. Half of his career was spent in the far north with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) and as Supervisor for the largest geographic area of the province (including the coastal areas of James Bay).

The other half of his career was focused on emergency management, stemming from a Master’s degree in Disaster and Emergency Management from Royal Roads University of B.C. He was instrumental in establishing Ontario’s Surface Water Monitoring Centre, part of a broader early warning system for flood and drought conditions in the province. Subsequently, he led the Corporate Emergency Management & Security Section for the OMNR and was seconded as the Sr. Advisor for Emergency Management Ontario. More recently, he has retired as the Senior Manager of the Emergency Unit with the Ministry of Children and Community Social Services where he worked closely with the Canadian Red Cross and Ontario NGO Alliance seeking improvements to emergency social services.

Currently living in Toronto, he is also an avid private pilot and aircraft owner, taking full advantage of Toronto’s Island airport. He is an active member of the Toronto Island Pilot Association, as well as the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association and the USA equivalent AOPA. He has enjoyed volunteering his aircraft and flying for various humanitarian general aviation organizations.

Interestingly, his master thesis focused on the potential to better utilize volunteer general aviation pilots and their resources for emergency response, so it is no surprise he is a strong advocate for any kind of public benefit flying that can support communities, especially in times of need.