The New Vanguard Defence

The relaunched Conversations with Vanguard Defense opens with a look at what happens when a veteran journalist steps into one of Canada’s most connected and jargon-heavy industries.

Henry Louis sits down with new editor-in-chief Steve Ladurantaye to unpack the newsroom reset, the rapid-fire website overhaul, and the bigger editorial ambition behind Vanguard’s next chapter.

Steve Ladurantaye brings a rare mix of local, national, digital, and broadcast experience from the Ottawa Business Journal, Globe and Mail, Twitter, CBC, STV in Scotland, and Zonda. In this conversation, he explains what he’s already learned in his first few weeks inside defense and why the industry’s mix of acronyms, dual-use technology, and tightly woven relationships makes access and context more important than ever.

You'll hear how Vanguard plans to move beyond the press release with deeper reporting, smarter context, and more original storytelling across web, magazine, podcast, and social. Henry and Steve also talk about building a two-way relationship with the defense community, why the podcast can give developing companies and influential voices a more direct platform, and how listener feedback will shape what comes next.

We break down the opportunity in a fast-changing sector where startups, established firms, and public institutions all need better ways to connect. If you care about Canadian defense, industry storytelling, or how a legacy publication reinvents itself for a more engaged audience, this episode sets the tone for everything that follows.Perfect for defense professionals, industry watchers, founders, and anyone who wants a smarter, more accessible take on the stories shaping the sector.