Emergency management · Infrastructure · Strategic advisory

Plans that hold when the road doesn't.

DEM Consulting provides practical emergency management, infrastructure project management, strategic planning, and organizational advisory services to First Nations, remote communities, municipalities, and organizations operating in complex environments across Northern Ontario.

Our practice is built on senior operational leadership, capital project delivery, and community emergency management experience. We help turn complex challenges into achievable, funded, and sustainable solutions.

Request a consultation See our experience

Senior-level operational leadership PMP-certified project delivery Fly-in, winter road & road-access communities

About DEM Consulting

Experienced leadership. Practical solutions.

A Northern Ontario consultancy for emergency management, infrastructure and capital planning, and Indigenous and remote community advisory.

DEM Consulting helps Indigenous and remote communities, municipalities and organizations tackle complex challenges, from building emergency management programs from scratch to delivering capital infrastructure portfolios.

Our work is grounded in senior operational experience: overseeing capital construction, community infrastructure, housing development, public works operations and emergency preparedness, supervising staff, and working directly with Chief and Council and community leadership.

We have supported regional emergency management and interagency coordination involving Indigenous communities and federal organizations, bringing both strategic planning experience and practical operational knowledge to complex projects.

The practice is led by a PMP-certified principal with a Master's degree in Disaster and Emergency Management. We combine evidence-based planning with hands-on delivery and a clear understanding of the funding, governance and operational realities facing Northern and remote communities.

DEM Consulting exists to give communities and organizations experienced, flexible professional support without the overhead of a large consulting firm. We show up, we listen, and we deliver solutions that are practical, culturally appropriate and built to last.

10+years of construction and infrastructure project management experience

$15Mcapital portfolios managed as project lead and owner's representative

8practice areas, from emergency management to housing and asset management

PMPcertified project leadership through the Project Management Institute

MDEMMaster's-level expertise in Disaster and Emergency Management

Selected experience

Work we've delivered

Representative project experience across our practice areas. Client names are withheld unless permission has been given.

Capital projectsFirst Nation client

Capital infrastructure & construction management

Challenge: A growing portfolio of concurrent capital projects to deliver with limited administrative capacity and tight funding timelines.
Role: Project lead and owner's representative: procurement, capital budgeting, contractor management and oversight through construction.
Deliverables: Delivery of a multi-year capital program spanning transportation infrastructure, community and public works facilities, emergency access and housing, supported by a long-term infrastructure and asset management plan.

Emergency managementFirst Nation client

Community emergency management program

Challenge: Building a community emergency program that works with limited road access and a small response team.
Role: Emergency management lead for planning, preparedness and coordination with outside agencies.
Deliverables: Hazard and risk assessment, emergency response and evacuation planning, emergency access analysis, and disaster recovery funding submissions.

AdvisoryRegional organization

Regional preparedness & interagency coordination

Challenge: Connecting coastal First Nations with the federal agencies responsible for marine safety and response.
Role: Community engagement and interagency liaison.
Deliverables: Structured community engagement and ongoing coordination with federal partners to strengthen marine awareness and regional preparedness.

Strategy & governanceFirst Nation client

Strategic planning & policy development

Challenge: Aligning department priorities, policies and capital needs with direction from Chief and Council.
Role: Planning and policy lead, including briefings to Chief and Council.
Deliverables: Multi-year departmental strategic planning, service level standards and cost-recovery frameworks, and governance-ready policy for leadership approval.

HousingFirst Nation client

Residential subdivision servicing plan

Challenge: Planning servicing for new residential lots in a form that meets federal funding requirements.
Role: Responsible for the servicing plan and budget.
Deliverables: A residential servicing strategy and a funding-aligned capital budget to support a federal funding submission.

Policy & governanceIndigenous healing organization

Governance & policy framework for a crisis response service

Challenge: Establishing the governance and policy foundation for a new Indigenous-led, non-police, 24/7 mobile crisis service for youth, individuals and families.
Role: Engagement lead, awarded through a competitive RFP: discovery, policy inventory and gap analysis, framework design, key informant engagement and board preparation.
Deliverables: A policy governance framework with audit, analysis and lifecycle tools applying an anti-oppression and decolonizing lens, and a complete policy suite covering operations, client services, human resources, privacy and compliance, and risk.
Outcome: Full policy suite approved by the Board of Directors.

Services

Eight practice areas

Specialized consulting for First Nations, remote communities, municipalities, and organizations operating in complex environments. Engage us for a single deliverable or ongoing support across a portfolio.

Project Management

PMP-led delivery from feasibility to handover, with budget and risk kept in view.

PMP-certified project leadership
Capital portfolio management (projects up to $15M)
Feasibility studies & business case development
ISC-compliant project charters
Procurement strategy & RFP development
Contractor management & evaluation frameworks
Owner's representative / project oversight
Multi-project coordination & scheduling
Budget oversight & cost control
Construction coordination & site management
Risk identification & mitigation planning
Stakeholder & multi-agency engagement

Emergency & Disaster Management

Programs, plans and exercises that get a community ready and keep it running.

Community Emergency Management Plans (CEMP)
Hazard Identification & Risk Assessments (HIRA)
Evacuation planning
Community Wildfire Protection Planning (CWPP)
After-action reviews & lessons learned reports
Emergency response framework development
Incident Command System (ICS) integration
Training, exercises & simulation design
Business Continuity Planning (BCP)
Disaster Debris Management Planning (DDMP)
Climate change adaptation & resilience planning

Infrastructure & Capital Planning

Deciding what to build, in what order, and how to deliver it.

Capital project planning & prioritization
Feasibility studies (roads, bridges, community infrastructure)
Project charters & business cases (ISC-compliant)
Infrastructure lifecycle planning
Owner's representative / project oversight
Procurement strategy & RFP development
Construction coordination
Contractor evaluation frameworks

Asset Management

Know what you own, what condition it's in, and when it needs replacing.

Full Asset Management Plans (AMP)
Asset inventory development & data structuring
Lifecycle costing & replacement forecasting
Risk-based asset prioritization
Level of Service (LOS) development
GIS-linked asset mapping
Governance frameworks for asset management systems
Federal compliance alignment

Strategic Planning & Governance

Plans and policies that leadership and administration can act on together.

Comprehensive Community Planning (CCP) support
Departmental & organizational strategic plans
Governance structure alignment (Chief & Council + Administration)
Policy development (infrastructure, emergency management, housing)
Band Council Resolution (BCR) development & advisory
Funding strategy & long-term capital planning

Housing & Community Development

From housing strategy to serviced lots and new community facilities.

Housing strategy development (incl. rent-to-own models)
Program design & policy development
Funding applications (ISC, CMHC, FedNor, provincial)
Environmental Assessment (EA) screening support
Subdivision & servicing planning (incl. microsubdivisions)
Community facility planning (education & wellness centres)

Operational & Service Delivery Improvement

Finding the gaps in how services are delivered and closing them.

Service delivery reviews & gap analyses
Organizational assessments
SOP & operational framework development
Public Works & infrastructure operations optimization
Risk & liability frameworks for remote operations

Indigenous & Remote Community Advisory

Navigating programs and agencies with the community's priorities at the centre.

First Nations governance & program delivery alignment
Stakeholder engagement & facilitation
Federal program navigation (ISC, CMHC, FedNor)
Multi-agency coordination (Coast Guard, EMO, ECCC, DFO, Transport Canada)
Community-based planning grounded in local context

Experience navigating programs and working with government agencies

Funding programs

ISCCMHCFedNorProvincial programs

Agency coordination

Emergency Management OntarioCanadian Coast GuardDFOTransport CanadaECCC

Work with us

Three ways to engage

Senior support sized to what you need. Particularly useful for communities with limited administrative capacity, or organizations that need experienced help without hiring a full-time position.

Fixed scope

Defined projects

A single deliverable with a set scope, timeline and fee. For example a CEMP update, a HIRA, a feasibility study, or a funding application.

Retainer

Ongoing advisory

A monthly block of hours for continuing advice across emergency management, capital planning and governance, so help is there when issues come up.

Embedded

Interim & project leadership

Hands-on project management, owner's representation, or interim department leadership for a build, a vacancy, or a period of change.

Contact

Let's talk before the next season.

Tell us a little about your community or organization and what you're working on. The first conversation is at no cost.

Emaildemconsultingsolutions@gmail.com

Phone647-402-9428