John Westhaver

Keynote Speaker | Victoria, British Columbia

Safety and Resilience Expert
Workplace Safety, Resilience, and Overcoming Adversity Specialist

John Westhaver's Expertise: Leadership, Personal Growth, Resilience & Adversity, Personal Leadership, Peak Performance, Transformation, Stress Management, Adaptability & Agility, Workplace Culture, Resilience & Change, Leadership and Change and Change Management.

John Westhaver

About Speaker John Westhaver

John Westhaver is a Safety and Resilience Expert who helps organizations strengthen workplace safety, performance, and productivity by addressing the beliefs that influence behaviour. Based in Victoria, British Columbia, he has delivered more than 850 presentations across North America over the past 20 years. After surviving a car crash at eighteen that claimed the lives of three close friends and left him with severe burns, he developed the Learn Heal Grow framework grounded in accepted neuroscience and lived experience. John's clients include major insurers, corporations, and public sector organizations, and he is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and the Coast Mental Health Courage To Come Back Award.

John Westhaver | Safety & Resilience Expert | Speakers Bureau of Canad

John Westhaver | Safety & Resilience Expert | Speakers Bureau of Canad

John Westhaver | Safety & Resilience Expert | Speakers Bureau of Canad

John Westhaver | Safety & Resilience Expert | Speakers Bureau of Canad

Courage 2017 Recipient: John Westhaver

Courage 2017 Recipient: John Westhaver

Spiro Talks John Westhaver the Power of Resilience

Spiro Talks John Westhaver the Power of Resilience

John Westhaver Biography

John Westhaver is a Safety and Resilience Expert who helps companies and individuals examine the beliefs that drive their behaviour. He works with audiences to uncover the default beliefs driving their behaviour, heal what installed them, and grow the new patterns that strengthen safety, performance, and productivity. He is not a motivational speaker. He is a practitioner of his own framework, built from lived experience and refined on himself for more than three decades.

John brings more than 20 years of professional speaking experience and over 850 presentations delivered across Canada, the United States, and through virtual platforms. He developed his craft in front of the toughest audience in the business, rooms full of teenagers who detect performance in seconds and tune out anything that is not real. That foundation produced a speaker who can hold any room, from a high school gymnasium to a mining site to a corporate leadership event. His work now spans four audiences: safety, resilience, education, and one-on-one coaching, all built on the same framework.

His client roster reflects two decades of trust. John has partnered with ICBC since 2002, one of the longest speaker-client relationships in Canadian road safety. He has worked with Manitoba Public Insurance, Saskatchewan Government Insurance, Veren Inc., Encana Corp., the Permian Road Safety Coalition, the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association, and the Department of Education for New Brunswick. He has also partnered with the Firefighters’ Burn Fund Victoria since 2001, which has sponsored his school-based road safety and burn awareness work for more than two decades.

John’s approach is grounded in accepted neuroscience and the lived application of his Learn Heal Grow framework. He is clear about what the work is and is not. He is not a licensed clinician, and the framework is educational and developmental rather than therapeutic. That clarity is part of why safety leaders, HR executives, healthcare systems, and school counselors trust him in their rooms.

John’s accomplishments include two national honours. He received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 for significant contribution and achievement in Canada, and the Coast Mental Health Courage To Come Back Award in 2017, one of British Columbia’s highest honours for individuals who have overcome adversity and given back. He has served on the board of the Firefighters’ Burn Fund Victoria since 2010, the Canadian Burn Survivor Community from 2016 to 2021, and the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers BC chapter from 2019 to 2022.

His story is the evidence behind the work. In 1994, six weeks before his high school graduation, a car crash killed three of his friends, Jimmy, Jason, and Aaron, and left John with burns over 75 percent of his body. He was eighteen. He lost the future he had planned and had to build a different one. The belief operating in that car was the same belief he now hears in safety meetings, leadership offices, and classrooms across the continent.

John is Mi’kmaq, a band member of Sipekne’katik First Nation. He grew up in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and has lived in Victoria, British Columbia since 2000. He continues to apply the Learn Heal Grow framework to his own life in real time, including as he and his wife Brianna navigate her stage four cancer treatment alongside their three daughters, Abigail, Bridget, and Camilla. The work is not retrospective. It is active.

John Westhaver Topic Presentations

John Westhaver From Victoria, British Columbia, Canada delivers keynote presentations, workshops, fireside chats, moderated Q&A, and other presentation formats on a wide variety of topics. Each presentation is unique, customized and tailored for audiences, industries, conferences and event formats.

The Lies That Get Us Hurt: Safety, Belief, and the Risk No One Sees

The Cost of Fine: Burnout, Belief, and the Word Quietly Draining Your Culture

Thriving Through the Fire: A Presentation for Students in Grades 7 to 12

The Sky Isn't Falling: A Presentation for Students in Grades 3 to 8

Learn Heal Grow: One-on-one Coaching: Deeper Work for High-functioning People Who Feel Stuck

Interviews
John Westhaver
  • B.c. Man Overcomes 'nightmare' Burns to Create 'dream Come True' Life
  • Survivor Who Lost 3 Friends in Crash Shares Harrowing Story to Save Lives
Podcasts
John Westhaver
  • More than a Survivor Podcast: S1e3: Interview with Dennis Gardin (part 1 of 2)
  • Resilience After Tragedy: John Westhaver's Journey of Survival and Purpose

John Westhaver Speaking Testimonials

"I had the pleasure of having John Westhaver speak at a company wide safety event. From the start of the process, deciding which topics to drive home to the audience, through the lead up to the event and post-event review, John was in tune with our wants and needs. His delivery is genuine, his desire for others to learn from his experiences is heartfelt, the tools he provides are effective and easy to implement, and his explanation of why we remain trapped in believing the lies is both insightful and relatable. I would not hesitate to recommend retaining John as a speaker for your event."

Mark Rhebergen

Safety Coordinator
Maple Reinders

"The event was a huge success, we had so many positive comments following your presentation and I wanted to thank you for that. It certainly made an impact on our business and a huge positive impact on our employees and contractors. They were so grateful that you were able to share such a powerful personal story."

John Dunne

Group Head of Health and Safety
Red Sea Global

"I’ve heard from so many folks that really thought the sessions were impactful and on target. The main sponsor said she was proud to have her company’s name on the event. We appreciate your message so much."

Scott W. Scheffler

Executive Director
Permian Road Safety Coalition

"Working with John is always a pleasure during our Friends for Life Road Safety Speaker Series. His story is so impactful for the students and staff at each school he visits. The feedback we hear from schools is always overwhelmingly positive, with many being inspired to change their own driving behaviours after hearing from John."

Samantha Sommerfield

Community Relations Specialist
Manitoba Public Insurance

"John Westhaver delivered a truly impactful keynote on resilience. His presentation was heartfelt, real, and deeply thought-provoking. He has a unique ability to connect with his audience through authenticity and lived experience, making complex and often difficult topics both accessible and meaningful. His insights on resilience were not only practical but also inspiring, leaving a lasting impression on everyone in the room. If you’re looking for a speaker who brings sincerity, depth, and powerful perspective to the stage, I highly recommend John."

Wendy Hofford

CEO
WH Strategic Drive Inc

"John brings his personal experience to relate to teens and groups. He is a compelling speaker and our students really enjoyed having him for our assembly. I have now heard John speak twice and I am riveted every time."

Emily Somers

English and Language Arts Teacher
St. Stephen High School

You May Also Like

Dr. Shahana Alibhai

Dr. Shahana Alibhai

Women's Health & Emotional Resilience | Mental Health, Menopause & Burnout Recovery, 2x TEDx

Featured

Dr. Shahana Alibhai

Speaker Topics

  • Mental Health
  • Health & Wellness
  • Health Performance
  • Resilience & Adversity
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Change Management
  • Burnout Prevention
  • Medical & Healthcare
  • Healthcare Innovation
Dr. Shahana Alibhai is a 2x TEDx speaker, bestselling author, and leading voice in emotional health. A family physician and Medical...
Erez Avramov

Erez Avramov

Resilience & Communication Expert | Leadership and Change Management Executive Coach

Erez Avramov

Speaker Topics

  • Resilience & Adversity
  • Leadership
  • Adaptability & Agility
  • Leadership and Change
  • Mindset & Attitude
  • Performance
  • Reinvention
  • Empowerment
Erez Avramov is a resilience expert, keynote speaker, and executive coach recognized as “the Man Who Refuses to Die.” A former elite...
Dr. Dean Barnes

Dr. Dean Barnes

Leadership & Equity Specialist | Representation, Storytelling & Education Expert

Dr. Dean Barnes

Speaker Topics

  • Leadership
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Inclusive Leadership
  • Teamwork
  • Cultural Diversity
  • Leadership and Change
  • Business & Corporate
  • Athletes & Sports
  • Inspirational Leadership
Dr. Dean Barnes is a Canadian speaker, podcaster, collector, and education leader who shares powerful stories of leadership, equity, and...
Burlington Burlington, Ontario
Chris Beaudry

Chris Beaudry

Humboldt Broncos Coach & Crash Survivor | Resilience, Grief, Loss, Mental Wellness Expert

Chris Beaudry

Speaker Topics

  • Business & Corporate
  • Health & Wellness
  • Burnout Prevention
  • Nutrition & Fitness
  • Mental Health
  • PTSD & Trauma
  • Stress Management
  • Leadership
  • Employee Engagement
Chris Beaudry is a father, farmer, and public speaker who uses his lived experiences as grist for the mill for personal and spiritual...
Sajel Bellon

Sajel Bellon

Psychotherapist & Humanizer Expert | Mental Health, Neuroscience & Toxic Thinking Specialist

Featured

Sajel Bellon

Speaker Topics

  • Happiness & Positivity
  • Stress Management
  • Peak Performance
  • Mindset & Attitude
  • Teamwork
  • Workplace Culture
  • Mental Health
  • Emotional Intelligence
  • Psychological Safety
Sajel Bellon is a globally recognized psychotherapist, behavioral neuroscience expert, and #Humanizer specializing in resilience, toxic...
Caroline Berglund

Caroline Berglund

Leadership and Team Building | Psychological Safety & Purpose Driven Life Expert

Featured

Caroline Berglund

Speaker Topics

  • Collaboration
  • Communication
  • Conflict Resolution
  • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
  • Employee Engagement
  • Employee Management
  • Humour in the Workplace
  • Hybrid Workplace
  • Inclusive Leadership
Caroline Berglund is a writer, speaker, workshop facilitator, and storyteller with more than twenty-five years of experience helping...
Tim Borys

Tim Borys

Workplace Performance Catalyst | Executive Coach | Mental & Physical Health Expert

Tim Borys

Speaker Topics

  • Mental Health
  • Health & Wellness
  • Adaptability & Agility
  • Inclusive Leadership
  • Burnout Prevention
  • Mindset & Goal Accomplishment
  • Resilience & Adversity
  • Future of Work
  • Consultants & Coaches
Tim Borys is a leadership, performance, and workplace wellbeing expert with more than two decades of experience helping organizations...
Jim Brayshaw

Jim Brayshaw

Mental & Emotional Health | Confidence | Workplace Culture & Psychological Safety

Jim Brayshaw

Speaker Topics

  • Mental Health
  • Workplace Culture
  • Psychological Safety
  • Burnout Prevention
  • Stress Management
  • Change Management
  • Happiness & Positivity
  • Mindset & Attitude
  • Suicide Prevention
Jim Brayshaw is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of experience as a firefighter, fire officer, medic, and educator. His expertise...
Mark Breslin

Mark Breslin

Canadian Comedy Icon, Entrepreneur And Author| Leadership, Workplace Culture & Communication Expert

Featured

Mark Breslin

Speaker Topics

  • Communication
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Humour in the Workplace
  • Influence & Negotiation
  • Business Leadership
  • Mindset & Goal Accomplishment
  • Personal Leadership
  • Purposeful Work
  • Public Relations & Media Training
Mark Breslin is a visionary in the Canadian comedy scene, significantly impacting the entertainment industry. Born in Toronto, Mark Breslin...
Justin Brien

Justin Brien

Mental Health Advocate & Life Coach | Addiction Recovery & Resilience Expert

Featured

Justin Brien

Speaker Topics

  • Nutrition & Fitness
  • Work Life Balance
  • Mental Health
  • Addictions & Substance Abuse
  • PTSD & Trauma
  • Stress Management
  • Suicide Prevention
  • Health Performance
  • Lifestyle & Health
Justin Brien is a mental health awareness expert, transformational life coach, and inspirational, TEDx speaker whose story inspires change....
Cochrane Cochrane, Alberta
Janey Brown

Janey Brown

Mental Health | Resilience And Creativity | Change Management Expert

Janey Brown

Speaker Topics

  • Women In Business
  • Innovation & Creativity
  • Business Leadership
  • Presentation Skills
  • Influence & Negotiation
  • Nutrition & Fitness
  • Workplace Culture
  • Adaptability & Agility
Janey Brown is a keynote speaker, workshop host, and singer-songwriter who focuses on mental health and holistic wellness. As a former...
Raz Chan

Raz Chan

Professional Martial Artist | Anti Racism | Resilience & Self Defense Expert

Featured

Raz Chan

Speaker Topics

  • Nutrition & Fitness
  • Personal Growth
  • Work Life Balance
  • Racial Justice
  • Peak Performance
  • Health Performance
  • Health & Wellness
  • Cultural Diversity
Discover the awe-inspiring story of Professor Raz Chan, a true fighter who overcame challenges and racism to become a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu...

Frequently Asked Questions

What is John Westhaver known for and what is their expertise as a keynote speaker in Canada?

John Westhaver is known for defined subject matter expertise based on professional experience and industry background. As a keynote speaker in Canada for conferences and conventions, their presentations align with organizational objectives and audience outcomes. Corporate keynote speakers in Canada are selected based on credibility, relevance, and practical application. Expertise alignment supports informed booking decisions. Read More

What topics does John Westhaver speak on for conferences, conventions, corporate events, and annual general meetings in Canada?

John Westhaver delivers keynote presentations on defined topic areas confirmed during booking. Canadian business speakers for corporate meetings in Canada align topic selection with event objectives and audience priorities. Conference speakers in Canada adapt messaging for conventions, trade shows, and summits. Topics are finalized prior to written confirmation. Read More

How do I know if John Westhaver is the right fit for my audience, conference, convention, or AGM?

John Westhaver is evaluated based on audience alignment, event objectives, and subject matter relevance. Event planners booking keynote speakers in Canada for corporate conferences review experience, delivery style, and industry context. Canadian business speakers for annual general meetings must align with program goals and audience expectations. Fit is clarified during the pre decision call. Read More

Where is John Westhaver from and where do they speak across Canada?

John Westhaver is from Victoria, British Columbia and is available for events across Canada. Conference speakers in Canada frequently travel nationally with defined travel terms. Corporate keynote speakers coordinate scheduling through structured agreements. Availability is confirmed through formal inquiry. Read More

Is John Westhaver available as a virtual keynote speaker for online conferences, webinars, or hybrid events in Canada?

John Westhaver is available as a virtual keynote speaker for online conferences, corporate webinars, and hybrid events in Canada. Virtual keynote speakers in Canada deliver structured presentations adapted for remote audiences. Format, platform coordination, and timing are confirmed during booking. Virtual availability is documented through written agreement in Canada. Read More

Does John Westhaver deliver keynote presentations, workshops, training sessions, breakout sessions, fireside chats, or panel discussions?

John Westhaver may deliver keynote presentations as well as workshops and breakout sessions. Canadian business speakers for corporate training in Canada define session length and format during booking. Conference speakers may also participate in fireside chats or panel discussions depending on program design. Session formats are confirmed in writing. Read More

How do I contact John Westhaver to check availability and begin the booking process in Canada?

John Westhaver is contacted through Speakers Bureau of Canada to confirm availability and event details. Event planners and meeting planners typically schedule a pre decision call to clarify format, objectives, and scope. Booking begins once event requirements are defined. Written confirmation follows agreement execution. Read More

How do I book John Westhaver for a conference, convention, trade show, summit, or corporate meeting in Canada?

John Westhaver is booked through a structured agreement process confirming availability, fee structure, and logistics. Booking keynote speakers in Canada for conventions and trade shows includes written contracts and defined payment terms. Canadian business speakers for annual general meetings require scope confirmation before date holds convert to confirmed status. Booking is finalized upon agreement execution. Read More

How much does it cost to book John Westhaver as a keynote speaker in Canada?

John Westhaver keynote speaker fees depend on event type, audience size, format, and location. The cost to book a keynote speaker in Canada varies based on preparation scope and delivery structure. Corporate keynote speakers in Canada confirm fees through a booking agent and written agreement. Final pricing reflects defined scope and contract terms. Read More

Are there additional costs to hire John Westhaver for a corporate event, convention, or trade show in Canada?

Additional costs to hire John Westhaver may include travel expenses, extended sessions, workshops, meet and greets, emcee duties, or event host roles. Keynote speakers in Canada for business conventions often separate honorarium from travel and related logistics. Canadian business speakers confirm these components in writing before agreement execution. All additional costs are outlined contractually. Read More

How far in advance should I book John Westhaver for a conference, convention, or business meeting in Canada?

John Westhaver should be booked once event dates, location, and format are confirmed. Conference speakers in Canada often secure dates several months in advance. Corporate keynote speakers for annual general meetings may have limited availability during peak seasons. Early inquiry improves confirmation certainty. Read More

Is John Westhaver represented by an agent in Canada and how is the agreement handled?

John Westhaver is represented by Speakers Bureau of Canada for booking coordination and agreement management. Keynote speakers in Canada often work through an agency to formalize contracts and payment handling. Agent representation ensures structured communication between organizers and the speaker. Representation clarifies agreement terms before confirmation. Read More