Emergency Preparedness: When Systems Fail, What Remains?

If the power went out tomorrow… how long before things got uncomfortable?

Most people wouldn’t make it 72 hours.

Not just because the lights go out.

But because without power…

You likely don’t have water.

You can’t flush a toilet.

You can’t cook—unless you have a gas stove or BBQ.

Most people don’t have even a few days of food on hand that can be prepared without power.

It’s not dramatic.

It’s practical.

And most people haven’t really thought it through.

We’ve already seen glimpses:

The 2003 blackout across the eastern grid.

Network outages that shut down payments.

Moments where shelves emptied faster than expected.

And now—with rising global tensions and increasing pressure on fuel and infrastructure—it’s not unrealistic to imagine disruptions that last longer and hit harder.

I’ve lived through this in real time.

Hosting groups during power outages, having to think carefully about every decision—

When to open the fridge.

How to preserve food.

How to keep people calm, fed, and comfortable when the usual systems weren’t available.

It changes how you think.

On Wednesday, May 6, we’re opening a grounded, honest conversation about emergency preparedness and resilience—not from fear, but from awareness, curiosity, and community.

We’ll explore real scenarios:

• Extended power outages and what they actually mean day-to-day
• Loss of water, sanitation, and cooking capacity
• Communication and payment systems going down
• Fuel cost spikes and how they ripple into food and daily life
• Supply chain disruptions and what happens in the first few days

And we’ll ask better questions:

• What skills do I have that would actually be useful?
• What am I missing that others might have?
• What simple steps could make me significantly more prepared?
• Who do I trust—and who could trust me?

Because one thing becomes clear very quickly:

Resilience is not an individual project.

It’s a community capacity.

Krishnadeva will guide the evening using a process rooted in Quaker consensus practice—a method refined over more than 350 years to help groups think clearly, listen deeply, and arrive at shared understanding.

This isn’t a lecture.

It’s a space to become more aware, slightly unsettled in the right way…

…and ultimately more grounded and empowered together.

You don’t need to become a “prepper.”

But you might want to become a little more prepared.

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Wonderful Wednesday Gathering

Emergency Preparedness Circle

📅 Wednesday, May 6

🕡 Potluck at 6:30 pm (bring a healthy dish to share)

🕢 Circle from 7:30 – 9:30 pm

📍 South Etobicoke loft (details upon RSVP)

💛 By donation

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