The Urge To Act Has Always Been Our M.O.

January 12, 2010. A 7.0 magnitude earthquake shakes Port-au-Prince. In moments, hundreds of thousands were injured, infrastructure and buildings were destroyed, countless were made homeless.

In the days following, many traditional aid organizations were slow to establish relief efforts, citing dangerous and unstable working conditions. Troubled by the scenes in Port-au-Prince and the lack of proper aid, two Marines, Jake Wood and William McNulty, decided to act. Gathering supplies and volunteers, the small group of veterans, first responders, and medical professionals deployed to Haiti in the days following the earthquake.

When Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon at the head of his legions and marched on Rome, it marked a point of no return. The phrase “crossing the Rubicon” has since survived in reference to any group committing itself to a risky course of action.

Crossing over the Artibonite River, the natural border between the Dominican Republic and Haiti, the small team of eight volunteers called themselves “Team Rubicon” in reference to the Rubicon River in Rome – by crossing their Rubicon, the team acknowledged they were irrevocably committed to their task of helping those in need.

The small group focused on populations often overlooked or underserved by traditional aid organizations. By applying medical and leadership skills honed by years of service in the military, Team Rubicon provided aid to thousands of survivors of the Haiti Earthquake. From this initial operation, a larger organization grew, one committed to helping underserved communities impacted by disasters.

Team Rubicon Canada’s ORIGIN STORY

On May 1, 2016, a wildfire started southwest of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Within a few days, the fire engulfed the city, destroying over 2,400 homes and displacing upwards of 80,000 residents.

The wildfire, which would come to be known as ‘The Beast’, would eventually grow to nearly 1.5 million acres and cross into neighbouring Saskatchewan.

Having established a strong and well-known desire to create a Team Rubicon in Canada, a small team of Canadian veterans set to work with their teammates at Team Rubicon USA to assess how to best support the residents impacted by the Fort McMurray wildfire.

Working alongside local and provincial authorities, Team Rubicon Canada collaborated with Team Rubicon USA to initiate its first official mission: Operation Pay Dirt.

On May 26, 2016, volunteers from the USA, Canada – and eventually the UK and Australia – arrived in Fort McMurray and set to work. Operating as a multinational team sharing common skills honed in the military and as first responders, Team Rubicon’s 80 volunteers would train an additional 300 locals to assist over 900 homeowners to sift through their properties to recover their valuables.

Later in 2016, with this groundswell of support, Team Rubicon Canada was born. Canadian veterans, first responders, emergency management personnel and kick-ass civilians have shown they are more than ready to volunteer their skills in support of calls for assistance at home and abroad!