Q&A with Merlin Chatwin, Executive Director
What’s your company’s origin story? What brought your team together?
Open North was founded in 2011 in Montreal as a not-for-profit dedicated to making data and technology serve the common good. Our team comes together around a shared dedication to pursuing open, transparent, and inclusive digital practices that can strengthen democracy, improve public services, and protect communities.
Our staff comes from diverse fields, including policy, IT, research, civic engagement, and urban planning. We are united by the belief that technology should be fit-for-purpose, human-centred, and beneficial within a particular context.
Pitch your company to us as if we’re an individual or organization that thinks cybercrime is “someone else’s problem.”
Many people assume cybercrime and digital risks are problems for big tech companies or governments. In reality, they affect everyone.
As cities, not-for-profits, and public institutions increasingly rely on data — whether through smart sensors, online portals, or digital decision-making — the risks multiply. A single breach can expose personal data, undermine trust, or even disrupt essential services. For smaller organizations, the cost of inaction can be devastating: reputational damage, liability, or exclusion of vulnerable communities.
In a connected world, one weak link puts everyone at risk. Open North helps organizations turn that reality into an opportunity: to strengthen capacity, safeguard communities, and build public confidence in the digital age.
Given that cybersecurity risk is global, where do Canadian companies fit in? What can we do better than anyone else?
Cybersecurity is often framed as a global challenge, but the solutions cannot always be imported wholesale from elsewhere. Each country, and each community within it, exists within unique legal frameworks, policy contexts, cultural dynamics, and governance traditions. That is where Open North provides distinct value.
Open North is a Canadian not-for-profit with over a decade of experience working at the intersection of data, governance, and digital transformation. As a Canadian organization, we are deeply attuned to Canada’s policy landscape, priorities, and values. This includes the growing emphasis on digital sovereignty, which ensures data and digital infrastructure are governed in ways that protect the rights, security, and interests of Canadians.
Global private-sector providers may offer one-size-fits-all solutions, but these are rarely “fit-for-purpose” in a Canadian civic, not-for-profit, or governmental context. Open North works alongside local partners to co-design solutions that reflect not just technical requirements, but also democratic values, inclusion, and community needs.
What’s the best question you’ve ever been asked about what you do?
“Why do you operate as a not-for-profit?”
Being a small not-for-profit is a unique value proposition for Open North. Unlike large firms driven by profit, we offer personalized, mission-driven support. Our team can adapt quickly, tailor engagements to each organization, and provide independent, trusted guidance without commercial incentives shaping the outcome.
This allows us to prioritize what truly matters: protecting communities, building trust, and ensuring technology serves the common good.
Cybersecurity may be global, but the risks and the solutions are local. Open North helps Canadian organizations navigate this reality with approaches that are context-sensitive, ethical, and sustainable, ensuring resilience in the face of global threats.
What changes have you seen in Canadians’ awareness of cybersecurity in the past five years?
Over the past few years, cybersecurity has gone from background noise to front-page news for Canadians. In 2018, just over half of people said they’d experienced some kind of cyber incident; now, it’s closer to seven in ten.
Scams, fraud, and data breaches are much more top of mind, and we’ve all seen stories about ransomware or hacks that make it feel real. Organizations have also changed: more are training staff, buying cyber insurance, and building response plans. What used to feel like a tech issue now feels like something that affects everyday life, from personal safety to business reputation.
What excites you about the work being done in cyber in Canada right now?
What’s exciting about cybersecurity in Canada right now is how it’s becoming more uniquely Canadian. There’s a strong push toward digital sovereignty and ensuring our data, infrastructure, and policies are governed in ways that reflect Canadian values and protect Canadian interests, rather than relying on frameworks imported from elsewhere (primarily the United States).
At the same time, we’re seeing efforts to make cybersecurity more accessible to smaller organizations, not just corporations or government departments. That means practical tools, shared resources, and capacity-building that help not-for-profits, municipalities, and community groups protect themselves without massive budgets.
Where and how do you want to see your product or service make an impact in the next five years?
We want our services to spark real change in how Canadians approach data and digital systems. We see impact in communities that feel safer and more confident using technology because the systems they rely on are secure, ethical, and built with their interests at heart. We want to help governments and not-for-profits shift from reacting to cyber risks to leading with resilience and trust.
Our hope is that five years from now, cybersecurity and responsible data practices will not feel like side issues but will be seen as core to democratic life and community well-being. If Canada is recognized as a place where digital transformation is trusted, inclusive, and resilient, then Open North will have made the kind of impact we believe in.
