What does supply chain look like when there are no street addresses, limited cell service, and groceries travel thousands of kilometers? Bryndis Whitson sits down with Christina Monroe to explore the realities of living in Northern Canada, from freight and food security to shipping, travel, and planning far ahead.

The conversation spans what it takes to move goods, people, and services across vast distances with limited infrastructure. From coordinating IKEA orders and freight consolidation to navigating cell service dead zones, Christina shares practical examples of how logistics shapes daily life in the North.

The conversation also touches on logistics people rarely think about, including veterinary access, emergency preparedness, shipping without physical addresses, and why durable containers are essential for northern freight. Christina’s stories highlight how planning, adaptability, and community cooperation are key to making life work in remote regions.

About Christina Monroe

Christina Monroe has lived and worked in the Northwest Territories for over 27 years and brings deep, lived experience of what it means to navigate life in northern, rural, and remote communities. With a background that spans childcare, community work, advocacy, and political organizing, Christina has firsthand insight into the logistics of food systems, transportation, healthcare access, emergency preparedness, and daily life in the North.

Known for her practical mindset and sharp observations, Christina understands how essential it is to draw on the resilience, adaptability, and the creative problem-solving that northern communities rely on every day.

Resources discussed in this episode:

• Drumbeat Expediting
• Northwestel - a subsidiary of Bell
• Cortex podcast by CPG Gray and Myke Hurley

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Contact Bryndis Whitson:

• Website: ZebrasToApples.com
• Instagram: @ZebrasToApples
• LinkedIn: Zebras to Apples