The forest got quiet, the stove finally drew right, and our maps changed overnight. We’re gearing up for a northern chaga harvest and bringing you into the decisions that make or break a trip: who’s coming, what to pack, and how new logging roads, landings, and skidders can open a backcountry maze if you know how to read them. We walk through the trade-offs between staying unplugged and bringing Starlink to keep the crew connected and safe, and we test a drone as a scouting tool to spot birch stands before burning miles on bad trails.

Gear talk gets real: climbing with spurs and a double-lanyard system, using a specialty hatchet and pinch bar to leave trees healthy, and catching heavy conks in haul bags to protect the harvest. We share a complete curing routine—why canvas beats plastic, why you cut within 24 hours, and how to hand-clean for a smoother cup—to help you turn fieldwork into quality tea or coffee add-ins. A long-time user drops a candid testimonial, and there’s a simple code you can use if you want to try chaga yourself.

Then we pivot from forest floors to foundations. Garrett, working as a rodbuster on a major hospital expansion in Red Deer, breaks down piles, footings, crane bases, and why rebar is the skeletal strength inside concrete. You’ll learn how tension, shear, and compression play together in bridges and slabs, and how those same principles inform a smarter sauna base with reinforced drainage on exposed shield rock. Along the way, we even decode why highway sweepers matter more than you think and how veneer logs become plywood after a steam and spin.

If you love practical backcountry systems, modern field tools, and hard-won building insights, this one’s for you.

What if your next good night’s sleep, calmer joints, or steadier digestion starts with a mug and a handful of leaves? We dive under the canopy with herbalist Penelope of The Ginkgo Tree to turn everyday plants into practical tools—no mystique, just methods you can trust. Jerry kicks things off by tackling the most common chaga questions—how to brew it in drip coffee, what grind to use, and why harvest timing matters—before we expand into a wider, grounded guide to home herbalism you can start this week.

Penelope shares how to identify and harvest safely, when to take roots versus leaves and flowers, and how to dry or tincture without ruining your hard work. We explore simple, high-impact teas: chamomile for sleep, nettle for nutrition and inflammation, ginger and peppermint for digestion, echinacea and elderberry syrup for immune support. You’ll learn why turmeric needs fat (and often pepper) to actually work, how chicory and roasted dandelion support the liver and gut, and why variety—dozens of plants over a month—feeds resilience in a way single-ingredient routines can’t.

We also step into the kitchen and the field. Sumac moves from trail-side shrub to za’atar spice and lemonade, paired with clear safety tips to avoid poison look-alikes. A quick guide to poultices, a DIY dandelion oil you can make on a windowsill, and straightforward drying and storage methods bring the craft home. Along the way, we talk plant ethics—cultivating at-risk species like golden seal, leaning on reputable growers, and using field guides and mentors to build confidence. Expect practical detours too: a chaga-and-green-tea blood pressure testimonial, black garlic’s sweet surprise, and a comfrey trick for a dog’s hot spots that might save your vet bill.

If you’ve been curious about herbal medicine but unsure where to start, this is your map: clear steps, real-world recipes, and a mindset that values safety, observation, and respect for the land.

Ever wanted to move through the woods with real confidence—no glowing screen, no second-guessing, just clear decisions and steady steps? That’s the energy fueling this week’s journey under the canopy, where we blend a love of seasonal living with the practical art of orienteering and a thoughtful look at chaga’s place in everyday wellness.

We kick things off in early-fall Ontario: an off-grid chaga camp to prep, a simple generator humming at night, and a grocery plan for a rotating crew of helpers. The home apothecary is buzzing—apples, mints, sage, lemon balm, sumac, mullein, burdock, and milk thistle are all in play as we build a winter toolkit from the land. Then we welcome Nevin French, president of Orienteering Ontario, who unpacks the sport’s core: reading hyper-detailed maps, using a thumb compass as a tool (not a crutch), and choosing routes that fit your strengths. We talk strategy, from “take seconds to save minutes” to relocating with big, reliable features like hills, creeks, and shorelines.

From local beginner courses to World Championships, orienteering thrives on community. You’ll hear how clubs across Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Collingwood, Parry Sound, and Kingston make navigation accessible, with loaner compasses, easy-to-learn maps, and events for families, hikers, and athletes alike. We touch on safety—whistles, tick awareness, smart footwear—and how GPS fits as a post-race learning tool, not as a navigator. There’s even a tour of unique experiences, like racing across the Bay of Fundy’s ocean floor at low tide and Hamilton’s Raid the Hammer along the Niagara Escarpment.

Threaded through the episode are grounded stories about chaga: field-tested routines, a father’s blood-pressure shift with daily tea, and an MS journey marked by improved clarity and gait. While everyone’s path is personal, the theme holds: nature teaches, if we pay attention. Ready to build your outdoor confidence and find your line through the woods? Press play, subscribe for new journeys each week, and share your best “got unlost” story with us in a review—your tips might guide the next listener into the forest with a steadier step.

Jerry Ouellette shares his journey from skepticism to obsession with Chaga, a rare medicinal mushroom found on birch trees that has transformed countless lives with its healing properties. After witnessing remarkable health improvements in friends battling serious conditions like cancer and diabetes, Jerry dedicated himself to researching, harvesting, and sharing this extraordinary natural remedy that indigenous peoples have utilized for thousands of years.

• Chaga is a rare conch mushroom that grows on approximately one in 10,000 birch trees in northern cold climates
• Contains extraordinarily high levels of antioxidants - 100g of Chaga has about 385,000 units compared to 2,450 units in 100g of blueberries
• Functions as an immunomodulator that can both stimulate underactive immune systems and calm overactive ones
• Offers significant anti-inflammatory properties that may help with conditions ranging from arthritis to cancer
• Can be easily incorporated into daily routines through tea, coffee, or as a powder
• Research from institutions like Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center supports many traditional uses
• Harvesting should be done sustainably, leaving some on the tree to regrow, and properly drying to prevent mold
• New product lines coming soon include Chaga mint blend and possibly a yerba mate combination

Visit ChagaHealthandWellness.com and use code CANOPY for $1 off all Chaga products at checkout.

What does it really take to break free from the grid and power your life with solar energy? In this illuminating episode, we're joined by Chris, the founder of Xolar, who walks us through the fascinating world of solar power systems with clarity that cuts through the technical fog.

The conversation moves beyond the obvious panels to explore the entire ecosystem needed for energy independence. From inverters that transform raw solar power into usable electricity for your home, to the critical differences between battery technologies that can make or break your off-grid dreams, Chris demystifies the components that many solar companies gloss over.

We uncover surprising benefits few talk about—like how solar panels actually extend your roof's lifespan by protecting shingles from damaging UV rays. For those with cabins in remote locations, Chris offers practical advice on sizing systems for minimal needs versus full modern living. "For just lights and a small fridge, four panels might be enough," he explains, "but maintaining your city lifestyle off-grid requires careful planning."

The discussion delves into the economics too, exploring government incentives across Canada that can significantly reduce costs, though Chris notes the stark difference in support for grid-tied versus off-grid systems. We even peek into the future where home battery systems might form "virtual power plants," strengthening communities during outages while earning homeowners passive income.

Whether you're a weekend cottage owner, a full-time off-gridder, or simply curious about energy independence, this episode delivers practical wisdom from someone who's installed systems from Newfoundland to British Columbia.

Jerry Ouellette shares updates from his off-grid cottage work and growing frustrations with corporate veterinary clinics that are changing policies and raising prices.

• Dealing with a total fire ban at the cottage while needing to clear brush and fallen trees
• Completed major structural work replacing a 22-foot section of 8x8 beam using pony walls
• Building new dock cribbing with hemlock lumber due to historically low water levels
• Managing his chocolate lab Gunner's hot spots that develop after swimming
• Gunner uniquely asks to have his teeth brushed by standing between Jerry and the sink
• Corporate veterinary clinics now requiring annual visits before providing medications
• Approximately 60% of veterinary clinics now owned by corporations according to Marketplace
• Prices doubling for basic services after corporate takeover of local vet clinic
• Similar corporate ownership patterns affecting golf courses and reducing community programs
• Some pet owners turning to international telemedicine and medication services for affordability

If you have questions or suggestions for future episodes, please reach out. Stay tuned for upcoming episodes featuring John Snell the tea expert and updates on Chaga harvesting.

Digging deep into the soil of gardening wisdom, this episode unearths precious insights from Master Gardener Bev DeLenardo that will transform how you approach your garden. With over 26 years of experience selling at farmers markets and a wealth of horticultural knowledge, Bev shares secrets that both novice and experienced gardeners will treasure.

Ever wondered why some garlic bulbs produce tiny, numerous cloves while others develop just a few magnificent ones? Bev reveals that the size of what you plant directly influences what you'll harvest, and explains why garlic planted in fall consistently outperforms spring plantings. She walks us through her meticulous process for nurturing "heavy feeder" plants like garlic, from enriching the soil with well-composted manure to the surprising practice of foliar feeding – where plants absorb nutrients directly through their leaves.

The conversation blossoms into practical fall garden preparation advice, with Bev emphasizing the importance of proper cleanup to prevent disease cycles and the benefits of working soil before winter. Her tips on collecting and storing herb seeds, improving sandy soil with organic matter, and deterring garden pests naturally (coffee grounds for skunks, anyone?) offer immediate value you can apply to your own outdoor spaces.

We also venture into the community-building world of farmers markets as Bev shares her experience organizing the Lindsay Thursday Farmers Market. From navigating health department regulations to creating accessible spaces where people connect over locally grown food, her insights reveal how these markets sustain both agricultural producers and the communities they feed.

Whether you're looking to grow prize-worthy garlic, prepare your garden for winter, or understand the inner workings of your local farmers market, this episode delivers rich, practical knowledge rooted in decades of hands-on experience. Subscribe now to continue receiving these valuable gardening insights that help you live your best life under the canopy.

A torrential downpour transforms into a months-long nightmare when Garrett's Calgary townhouse floods during roof repairs, leaving him battling property managers, mold remediation, and "livable" conditions in a half-wrecked home. But this construction worker's story runs deeper than personal housing woes – it offers a fascinating window into Alberta's explosive building boom.

From his vantage point on construction sites across Calgary and Edmonton, Garrett reveals the scale of development reshaping the province. Hundreds of homes, multi-story apartment complexes, and commercial spaces are sprouting across the landscape, transforming the "Blue Sky City" that paradoxically experienced a "Vancouver summer" of near-constant rainfall this year.

The conversation ventures into the engineering marvels hidden within modern buildings as Garrett explains the complex mechanics of "transfer slabs" – specialized structures designed to distribute weight and accommodate seismic activity between commercial and residential sections. With 18,000 "hairpins" connecting top and bottom mats in a single building, these unseen elements exemplify the overengineering principle Garrett describes: "We build stuff in Canada to 100 times its capacity."

Looking northward, Garrett shares his applications for mining projects in Ontario's "Ring of Fire" and potential gold operations in Canada's territories, where soaring prices are making previously unprofitable deposits economically viable. The unpredictable nature of his profession means opportunity could call at any moment, sending him to a remote diamond mine in Nunavut with little notice.

Join us for this revealing glimpse into the construction frontlines, where personal resilience meets professional expertise, and where Canada's future is being built one transfer slab at a time.