was imaginary they were invisible they
didn’t exist I was four years old but my
mother heard everyday stories about
cheeky I need to push cheeky on the
swing I need to get cheeky and extra
lunch yes I made my mother make two
lunches one for my imaginary friend
cheeky got to do all the things I didn’t get to do cheeky was the answer to the
get to do cheeky was the answer to the don’t be cheeky four years old I began a
don’t be cheeky four years old I began a love with storytelling and who doesn’t
love with storytelling and who doesn’t love telling a good story we all do
love telling a good story we all do that’s why we pick up the phone will
that’s why we pick up the phone will text each other will tell each other the
text each other will tell each other the story about our day about what we’re
story about our day about what we’re doing I want to tell you a little bit
doing I want to tell you a little bit about my story I was lucky enough to
about my story I was lucky enough to turn my love of storytelling into a
turn my love of storytelling into a career for 16 years i worked in digital
career for 16 years i worked in digital journalism in newsrooms across the
journalism in newsrooms across the country I told stories with data
country I told stories with data visualizations I told stories with
visualizations I told stories with online communities I told stories with
online communities I told stories with social media I created social media
social media I created social media platforms I told amazing stories about
platforms I told amazing stories about Canadians to a global audience I was so
Canadians to a global audience I was so fortunate to tell those stories and then
fortunate to tell those stories and then after 16 years I got laid off so I did
after 16 years I got laid off so I did what a lot of people do when they get
what a lot of people do when they get laid off I went for coffee I went for a
laid off I went for coffee I went for a lot of coffee actually I went for about
lot of coffee actually I went for about 32 coffee chats with people in three
32 coffee chats with people in three months it was a highly caffeinated
months it was a highly caffeinated affair I was trying to understand if I
affair I was trying to understand if I was going to move into the world of
was going to move into the world of content marketing and communications I
content marketing and communications I needed to know as much as I could so I
needed to know as much as I could so I would talk to people about what’s it
would talk to people about what’s it like to work in a non-profit what’s it
like to work in a non-profit what’s it like to work at an agency how is it like
like to work at an agency how is it like working for government in the harp era
working for government in the harp era in communications not so great so I went
in communications not so great so I went on all these coffees and I I would ask
on all these coffees and I I would ask people what it was to be
people what it was to be you they were if they were to do it over
you they were if they were to do it over again what would they do differently I
again what would they do differently I was interviewing them I was in my
was interviewing them I was in my comfort zone I was a journalist but you
comfort zone I was a journalist but you know what would happen eventually the
know what would happen eventually the tables would turn and they’d say so tell
tables would turn and they’d say so tell me about you and I would drop like
me about you and I would drop like because in all those years of telling
because in all those years of telling stories I never told a story about
stories I never told a story about myself I was never really good about
myself I was never really good about explaining who I was what I was
explaining who I was what I was passionate about or what I did but since
passionate about or what I did but since then I’ve worked on that I now have a
then I’ve worked on that I now have a better elevator pitch an escalator pitch
better elevator pitch an escalator pitch anything you asked me to do but I think
anything you asked me to do but I think we as Canadians need to get a whole lot
we as Canadians need to get a whole lot better about telling our story the fact
better about telling our story the fact that I was so shy about telling my story
that I was so shy about telling my story is so canadian eh so I would tell my
is so canadian eh so I would tell my story and I would talk about what I was
story and I would talk about what I was doing next and I would talk about Canada
doing next and I would talk about Canada in a space for Canada unless you’ve been
in a space for Canada unless you’ve been living under a rock and unless you
living under a rock and unless you missed theme of tonight’s event it is
missed theme of tonight’s event it is canada’s birthday we’re turning 150
canada’s birthday we’re turning 150 since Confederation m and it’s a great
since Confederation m and it’s a great time to look back at the past and where
time to look back at the past and where we’ve been but it’s also an opportunity
we’ve been but it’s also an opportunity to look at the story of where we want to
to look at the story of where we want to go and who we want to be and what we
go and who we want to be and what we want to say about our country there’s
want to say about our country there’s been a real evolution in storytelling
been a real evolution in storytelling news organizations and newspapers I’m
news organizations and newspapers I’m sad to say are no longer our sole
sad to say are no longer our sole trusted source it used to be that you
trusted source it used to be that you would go to a news outlet to find out
would go to a news outlet to find out what was going on now you go to places
what was going on now you go to places to people you trust the new trusted
to people you trust the new trusted source are people you follow people you
source are people you follow people you like or people you subscribe to there’s
like or people you subscribe to there’s a reason why fake news grew so rapidly
a reason why fake news grew so rapidly it’s because these are people we now
it’s because these are people we now trust I could spend all night talking
trust I could spend all night talking about different social media platforms I
about different social media platforms I really could just ask my husband however
really could just ask my husband however we only have a finite amount of time
we only have a finite amount of time here so I’m going to focus on the big
here so I’m going to focus on the big tube and this is how we can tell our
tube and this is how we can tell our story let’s start with facebook because
story let’s start with facebook because Canadians really really love Facebook a
Canadians really really love Facebook a facebook we’re a country it would have
facebook we’re a country it would have one point eight
one point eight billion people living in it that makes
billion people living in it that makes Facebook bigger than India and bigger
Facebook bigger than India and bigger than China facebook is a huge nation and
than China facebook is a huge nation and guess what Canadians per capita or more
guess what Canadians per capita or more active on Facebook than any other
active on Facebook than any other country so give yourself a thumbs up for
country so give yourself a thumbs up for that 19 million Canadians are on
that 19 million Canadians are on Facebook every single month that is more
Facebook every single month that is more than half of us 75 percent of those
than half of us 75 percent of those check their facebook every single day
scary stat 25% of facebook users say they are on the platform while driving
they are on the platform while driving this isn’t that kind of talk but I’m
this isn’t that kind of talk but I’m going to suggest that maybe if you’re on
going to suggest that maybe if you’re on your facebook you or your driving put
your facebook you or your driving put the phone leave the phone alone as they
the phone leave the phone alone as they say or take public transit that’s how I
say or take public transit that’s how I check my facebook feed but knowing that
check my facebook feed but knowing that all these people are on Facebook it’s an
all these people are on Facebook it’s an opportune social channel for us to
opportune social channel for us to figure out how to tell our story and i
figure out how to tell our story and i want to tell you get you to think about
want to tell you get you to think about photos because a picture is worth a
photos because a picture is worth a thousand words think about Instagram
thousand words think about Instagram there are 400 million people on
there are 400 million people on Instagram that is greater than the
Instagram that is greater than the population of the United States 75
population of the United States 75 million people check the gram daily this
million people check the gram daily this double the population of canada on this
double the population of canada on this social media platform every single day
social media platform every single day these are channels we can harness there
these are channels we can harness there are whole careers created on Instagram
are whole careers created on Instagram that didn’t exist careers like product
that didn’t exist careers like product reviewing fashion lifestyle travel
reviewing fashion lifestyle travel bloggers they are all now a thing trust
bloggers they are all now a thing trust me Millennials wish they could do so now
me Millennials wish they could do so now that we’ve thought about the different
that we’ve thought about the different social media platforms that are out
social media platforms that are out there or at least two of the bigger ones
there or at least two of the bigger ones and we know the channels that we can use
and we know the channels that we can use to tell our own personal stories in
to tell our own personal stories in Canada stories I’d like to think about
Canada stories I’d like to think about the story that Canada can tell of itself
the story that Canada can tell of itself how about artificial intelligence okay
how about artificial intelligence okay I’m not talking about terminator or
I’m not talking about terminator or robots taking over the earth I’m talking
robots taking over the earth I’m talking about cognitive robotics and I want to
about cognitive robotics and I want to introduce you to
introduce you to zhu LP no joe el pino works at a
zhu LP no joe el pino works at a cognitive robotics lab at McGill two
cognitive robotics lab at McGill two hours down the road juelz lab created a
hours down the road juelz lab created a wheelchair that can be programmed to
wheelchair that can be programmed to have a destination in advance using
have a destination in advance using google maps and can avoid obstacles she
google maps and can avoid obstacles she created a self-driving wheelchair joe el
created a self-driving wheelchair joe el pino is an incredible Canadian I also
pino is an incredible Canadian I also want to tell you about Tesla you see it
want to tell you about Tesla you see it a few of them around town maybe you’ve
a few of them around town maybe you’ve gone to Montreal and pre-ordered your
gone to Montreal and pre-ordered your Tesla it’s okay and I have to foot of
Tesla it’s okay and I have to foot of your hand but Tesla is changing the way
your hand but Tesla is changing the way we think about energy it is changing
we think about energy it is changing energy storage and I want to introduce
energy storage and I want to introduce you to this man because this man Jeffrey
you to this man because this man Jeffrey dawn is tesla’s secret weapon his
dawn is tesla’s secret weapon his research in the lithium-ion battery is
research in the lithium-ion battery is changing the way we will power houses
changing the way we will power houses and changing the way will power cars and
and changing the way will power cars and the way we look at energy Jeff Donn his
the way we look at energy Jeff Donn his his research lab is at Dalhousie
his research lab is at Dalhousie University so Tesla’s secret weapon is
University so Tesla’s secret weapon is in Nova Scotia round of applause so why
in Nova Scotia round of applause so why I hear applause tonight but why are we
I hear applause tonight but why are we why have we never heard about Jeff dawn
why have we never heard about Jeff dawn or joe el pino before today Jeff dawn as
or joe el pino before today Jeff dawn as it turns out was awarded the Herzberg
it turns out was awarded the Herzberg metal gold medal for science in January
metal gold medal for science in January & joe el pino was given millions of
& joe el pino was given millions of dollars to her lab from google for more
dollars to her lab from google for more intensive artificial intelligence
intensive artificial intelligence research these are two incredible people
research these are two incredible people and if you sit down and chat with them
and if you sit down and chat with them about their research they will talk to
about their research they will talk to you to you for hours and a language you
you to you for hours and a language you can understand about their research you
can understand about their research you know think oh yeah I got this I can
know think oh yeah I got this I can totally do Lizzie and ion batteries but
totally do Lizzie and ion batteries but then if you turn to them and say your
then if you turn to them and say your work is changing the world they are so
work is changing the world they are so wonderfully Canadian they will get
wonderfully Canadian they will get embarrassed they will shrug and we’ll
embarrassed they will shrug and we’ll just kind of laugh it off they have very
just kind of laugh it off they have very little social media presence and I would
little social media presence and I would argue that’s a big part of the reason
argue that’s a big part of the reason why we know very little
why we know very little both them and I want to contrast them
both them and I want to contrast them with this fellow so I presume you’re
with this fellow so I presume you’re laughing because you know commander
laughing because you know commander Chris Hadfield Canada’s rock star
Chris Hadfield Canada’s rock star astronaut right let’s take Chris
astronaut right let’s take Chris Hadfield as a genius a genius first of
Hadfield as a genius a genius first of all because you can’t have a see average
all because you can’t have a see average and get into NASA but he’s also a genius
and get into NASA but he’s also a genius because he understood that if he did not
because he understood that if he did not tell the world about his work it wasn’t
tell the world about his work it wasn’t worth anything it wasn’t valuable and he
worth anything it wasn’t valuable and he understood that Canada is more than the
understood that Canada is more than the Canada arm two seconds let’s just look
Canada arm two seconds let’s just look at Chris Hadfield social media platforms
at Chris Hadfield social media platforms 1.9 million Twitter followers that is
1.9 million Twitter followers that is larger than the City of Vancouver
larger than the City of Vancouver listening listening to him on Twitter
listening listening to him on Twitter every day his youtube channel 350,000
every day his youtube channel 350,000 plus subscribers bigger than the city of
plus subscribers bigger than the city of Oshawa Facebook more than eight hundred
Oshawa Facebook more than eight hundred and ninety thousand page likes for
and ninety thousand page likes for commander Chris Hadfield that’s larger
commander Chris Hadfield that’s larger than the population of Quebec City it’s
than the population of Quebec City it’s a huge social media presence and it’s
a huge social media presence and it’s not just playing David Bowie in space so
not just playing David Bowie in space so we have to think about what it is that
we have to think about what it is that we want to tell and I’ve just talked to
we want to tell and I’ve just talked to you about a handful to people you’ve
you about a handful to people you’ve never heard about perhaps and their
never heard about perhaps and their innovation I haven’t even talked to you
innovation I haven’t even talked to you about the two PhD students that UBC who
about the two PhD students that UBC who are developing wearable technology for
are developing wearable technology for kids autistic kids that helps them
kids autistic kids that helps them understand the changes in their body and
understand the changes in their body and their anxiety levels and helps them
their anxiety levels and helps them understand the behavioral patterns that
understand the behavioral patterns that can prevent meltdowns Wow I just heard
can prevent meltdowns Wow I just heard someone say yes there is a global demand
someone say yes there is a global demand for this device and it hasn’t even
for this device and it hasn’t even started the clinical trials yet UBC has
started the clinical trials yet UBC has declared these two alumni of the year
declared these two alumni of the year and guess what they don’t graduate till
and guess what they don’t graduate till the end of 2017 we are an innovation
the end of 2017 we are an innovation nation we just don’t act like one and
nation we just don’t act like one and here’s what I’m saying unless we change
here’s what I’m saying unless we change the narrative people will make that
the narrative people will make that narrative up for us we are very nice
narrative up for us we are very nice people we live in the north
people we live in the north it’s cold and it snows a lot these are
it’s cold and it snows a lot these are not alternative facts it’s true but
not alternative facts it’s true but Canada has so many more deaths to it so
Canada has so many more deaths to it so I asked you pull out your phones maybe
I asked you pull out your phones maybe not now but on the break and don’t just
not now but on the break and don’t just like don’t just be polite but get out
like don’t just be polite but get out there and tell the stories of what we’re
there and tell the stories of what we’re doing so well let’s dump our chest a
doing so well let’s dump our chest a little bit and be proud to be Canadian
little bit and be proud to be Canadian together we can change the narrative for
together we can change the narrative for the next 150 years thank you