Features
Helen Nadel is about to assume the presidency of an important world-wide body: The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
And while Helen Nadel has had a distinguished career in medicine as a pediatric radiologist and nuclear medicine physician – Winnipeg will always be near and dear to her
By BERNIE BELLAN Quite often this newspaper has published articles about former Winnipeggers who have gone on to great careers once they’ve left Winnipeg. If there’s one thing our Jewish community here has been especially proficient at doing, it’s been serving as a springboard for outstanding students to launch successful careers elsewhere.
In some ways, while we may lament that so many of our “best and brightest” have sought to further their careers by leaving Manitoba, almost all those expatriates have something in common, and that’s a deep affection for their hometown – also for the bonds that they formed growing up in Winnipeg.
A few months ago I happened to be in conversation with one of our out-of-town readers: Diane Unrode-Ackley. Diane mentioned that a good friend of hers, Helen Nadel, had recently been elected to serve as the upcoming president of a rarified body: The Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
Now, I should also explain that Helen has been an online subscriber to this paper for many years but, like many other online subscribers, I really didn’t have a clue where Helen lived – or what Helen’s background was.
I told Diane that I would definitely want to interview Helen to ask her about her career and what led up to her assuming the presidency of such an important body. But, as you might expect, Helen Nadel is one very busy woman. Try as we might to find a time that would work for both of us to conduct an in-depth interview, it wasn’t until earlier this past month that we were able to speak – face to face so to speak, via Zoom.
What follows are excerpts from that interview, but first here is Helen Nadel’s bio as given on the Stanford University School of Medicine website:
“Dr. Nadel is a dual board -certified Pediatric Radiologist and Nuclear Medicine Physician in both the USA and Canada. She holds certifications from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, The American Board of Radiology (ABR) with certificate of added qualification in Pediatric Radiology and the American Board of Nuclear Medicine (ABNM). Dr. Nadel was an Associate Professor of Radiology at University of British Columbia and had been practicing as a pediatric radiologist and pediatric nuclear medicine physician at British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia since 1983 after medical school at University of Manitoba (1977, Winnipeg, Manitoba), internship and residency at University of Toronto (1978-1982) and Pediatric Radiology fellowship (Chief Fellow) at Hospital for Sick Children (1982-1983, Toronto, Ont.) She has been working with the entire breadth of general and hybrid nuclear medicine studies in children in a fully integrated department of Pediatric Radiology and lecturing to promote this field for her entire career. Dr. Nadel currently uses PET/MRI exclusively for PET imaging at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford University (LPCH) and co-directs the clinical PET/MRI program at LPCH. Dr. Nadel has been inducted as a Fellow of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging (FSNMMI). Dr. Nadel is the 2022-2023 President-Elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.”
And here is the interview:
JP&N: ¨Nice to meet you – finally.”
Nadel: “You too.
JP&N: “We actually met seven years ago at the Jewish Schools Reunion. You’ve had a very illustrious career – and worn many hats, but tell me something about your growing up in Winnipeg.”
Nadel: “I’m a north ender – an only child. My mother came to Winnipeg in 1921 – she was born near Kiev.
“My father came after the war. He had had a military career in the Polish Army. He was captured by the Russians in 1939 and sent to the Gulag. Then when he was repatriated he walked back over the Ural mountains to then fight in the free Polish division of the Russian army.”
JP&N: “Wow!” (Ed. note: That would have been over 2,000 kilometres! At this point I’m including a later part of the interview in which Helen elaborated upon what happened to her father.)
JP&N: “Did you say he had to walk from the Gulag?”
Nadel: “Yes, he walked. It took him two years. He lived in the Ural Mountains, he lived in Uzbekistan.”
JP&N: ¨I just wrote about a book by another doctor – Meyer Kreger. It was the memoir of his mother, Rose. She was also from Poland and survived the war after being sent to Siberia, then Uzbekistan, then Kazakhstan. The stories of how some people were able to survive when others couldn’t endure are endlessly fascinating.”
Nadel: “You know Francie Winograd, don’t you? My father was in the same DP camp as Francie’s mother (Gertrude) after the war. It was near Munich.
“When my father came to Winnipeg, he met the Grosh family – and they had a sister-in-law who was in her thirties and not married. She was introduced to my father and as they say, the rest is history.” (I had to tell Helen that Gerry Posner uses that line in every story he writes.)
“They were married in 1949 and I was born in ’52.”
“I went to Peretz School in Winnipeg and then to Jefferson and Garden City Collegiate. I graduated and did undergrad and med school in Winnipeg. After that‚ I went to a Toronto to do my specialty training in radiology. I’m a radiologist‚ and I have two specialties – actually. three specialties. I’m a radiologist‚ but I sub specialize in pediatric radiology, and I also have a secondary qualification in nuclear medicine, both of which are diagnostic tools.
“One uses what you would think of as conventional X rays and now, ultrasound. MRI is general radiology. Nuclear medicine uses a small amount of radioactive material to also look at how the body works, how it functions. The new thing about nuclear medicine – it’s not so new really, is we can also use it for therapy. So, if you’ve heard of people having thyroid disease, sometimes we give them radioactivity to treat thyroid cancer.
“And now, the big thing‚ of course‚ is we can treat prostate cancer in men; we can treat other cancers as well. But the new kid on the block is treating prostate cancer with radioactive material. We’ve had very good success. But I’m a pediatric person‚ so that’s not actually my purview at the moment.
“But part of the reason I think Diane wanted you to talk to me is I’m about to become the President of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.”
JP&N: ¨You haven’t assumed the throne yet, have you?”
Nadel: “My presidential year starts in June of this year. But I’ve been in the leadership (of the Society) for three years. I was elected in June 2021.”
JP&N: ¨You’re going to become head of a worldwide organization – right, or is it just American?”
Nadel: “It’s a worldwide organization, based in the US‚ but it is global. We are the largest organization (in the field of nuclear medicine). We have a membership that includes physicians‚ technologists‚ scientists and industry. And it has about 14,000 (members). There are some other organizations (in the field). There are regional – sort of country-based organizations. There are continental-based organizations – like the European Association of Nuclear Medicine – but we’re much bigger.”
JP&N: “You said your specialty is pediatric radiology. Is that right?”
Helen: “Yes‚ ¨I’m a pediatric radiologist.”
JP&N: “So, up to what age would you be treating patients?”
Nadel: Well‚ that’s a good question – usually to age 18. However‚ here at Stanford‚ we have a lot of children that have had diseases as infants‚ and we keep seeing them as they become adults. We still see them. So, it’s a movable barrier. But usually pediatrics is to 18.”
JP&N: ¨I assume you know Ted Lyons.”
Nadel: “I do. Ted was instrumental in bringing ultrasound to Winnipeg and to Canada and as such he came to teach us in our radiology training program at the University of Toronto.”
(At that moment Helen’s phone rang and she had to take a short call. When Helen resumed our Zoom call I noticed a male figure had wandered into the background.)
JP&N: “Who’s that wandering into the background now? Is that your husband?”
Nadel: “Yes, that’s my husband.”
JP&N: “What’s your husband’s name?”
Nadel: “Tevy Goodman. ‘Tevy, say hi to Bernie Bellan‚ the editor of the Jewish Post.’ ”
JP&N: “Are you in Palo Alto? Is that where I’m reaching you now?”
Nadel: “We’re in Palo Alto. We’re in the heart of Silicon Valley. I came to Stanford five years ago. I was recruited here. Actually‚ I was sort of retiring from my job. I had been 35 years at Children’s Hospital – at British Columbia Children’s Hospital in Vancouver – as a pediatric radiologist and the head of their pediatric nuclear medicine department, and I was going to sort of retire – slow down, at least.
“But there was a new hospital at Stanford – a new children’s hospital. I have a lot of friends in the community all over and one of them here convinced me that I should at least look at this job. And you know what it was? It was an opportunity that not many people would get. And, so, instead of retiring‚ I decided to come here – and I’m moving – going ‘uphill’ to go ‘downhill’.”
JP&N: Are most of your duties teaching or clinical? How does it break down?”
Nadel: “I am a clinical physician. I’m in charge of a new division – brand new at this hospital‚ which is called Pediatric Nuclear Medicine. I am also a full service pediatric radiologist. And so I have two hats – two big hats.
“We have some unique equipment here that not many places in the world have – and I’m kind of a leader. I don’t want to blow my own horn‚ but I’m a leader in a field called PET/MRI (Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging).
“Winnipeg has a PET/CT scanner. There are two in Vancouver. There are two down the street from here, where I live. So‚ you know‚ it’s just a different world, it’s a different focus‚ a different way of doing things. I’ve been very fortunate that I’ve been able to use these exceptional tools for over 20 years now in my practice, both in Canada and the US. And pediatric lags behind adults in this area – just because we’re smaller. You know, there are fewer kids, but 25% of the world population is pediatric. It will increase as the Boomers get older and die off . Some Third World countries have mostly young people, so it will take a while to build up another Boomer type age group once we’re out of the picture. And disease will get younger in the medical field.”
JP&N: ¨ There are all sorts of scary news reports about cancer, saying it’s increasing – depending on who you talk to. Yesterday‚ I think I saw in Time Magazine, that 50% of people will have cancer in their lifetimes. Someone else told me‚ 70% – but she’s really into conspiracy theories. Can you give a more specific figure or is it hard to do that?”
Nadel: “I don’t have an answer to that. But there are some reports that suggest that the ages at which some people are getting certain diseases are getting younger. There was a big report this week on colon cancer – saying people are getting it younger. It’s being picked up at younger ages. I think that’s in part due to the fact that we have better techniques to pick these diseases up. We are taking more interest in preventative health‚ and that’s okay.
“One of the things that attracted me to Stanford was the physician who recruited me. His name was Sam Gambhir. He was an absolute giant in the field. Unfortunately, he died two years ago of cancer – a very horrible story. You could look him up. He was brilliant. But he basically was on track and his lab -which is still here‚ was on track to promote precision health and preventative health. And precision medicine includes wearable technology, you know.
“One of the last things he wrote about – a great article‚ was about the ‘smart toilet’ And it exists, basically. Your toilet can determine if you have disease by your feces. But nobody knows that’s the case. There’s so much going on in the world. I mean‚ this is beyond me‚ but I’m just saying that there’s a lot of stuff going on.
“So, the statistics are enabling us to pick up more diseases‚ and we’re picking it up earlier. We’re finding ways to treat it. But, have we moved the dial? I’m not sure yet. We don’t know yet. We don’t have enough information yet to determine if we’ve moved the dial in the right direction. I think we will, but I think it’s going to take a little longer to actually prove that.
JP&N: “Okay‚ I want to talk about your new position, but I also want to put a little bit of a ‘haimish’ touch to this. You said you left Winnipeg – when?. Were you in your twenties?”
Nadel: I left Winnipeg after I graduated from med school. I was 24.”
JP&N: “And you went to Toronto for postgraduate?”
Nadel: “Basically, you have to do a year of postgraduate training to get a medical license. I actually did what was called in those days a rotating internship. So I did twelve months of a bunch of everything – all different parts of medicine. I actually thought I would become a family physician and come back to Winnipeg. Then I met my husband. We actually met in Winnipeg. He’s from Vancouver‚ but we met in Winnipeg‚ and he followed me to Toronto. He didn’t want to come back to Winnipeg – put it that way.”
JP&N: “Sounds familiar.”
Nadel: “We thought we would end up in Toronto. And, after 14 years of postgraduate education – which included all my radiology training…I also did specialty training; after a year of internship; after four years of radiology residency and a one year pediatric radiology fellowship – I didn’t have a job! I needed a job. And I got offered to do much like what I’m doing here: start up a new program at a brand new hospital in Vancouver – British Columbia Children’s Hospital. I was 30 years old.
¨And my husband being from Vancouver‚ that seemed like a reasonable thing to do for what we thought would be five years. We ended up having two daughters in those first five years – and we never left.”

JP&N: “Can I ask: What did your husband do?”
Nadel: “My husband is a retired professional engineer – a civil engineer and, in an interesting twist‚ he helped build some of the nuclear generating stations in Ontario. He worked in construction development and then in power group development. He worked for Ontario Hydro for all the years that we were in Ontario. And then he basically retired.”
“He took care of me and the kids and it just worked out that way. Coming back to Vancouver turned out to be a good thing and a bad thing when we came back. We came for my job because I did not have another job, and it looked like he would get a similar job in civil engineering, but that had dried up in the 80s (when nuclear plants stopped being built).
“And, our first child was premature But, you know what? The decision to have one parent at home was the right decision. And so it was him. I was young; he was a great father. He is a great father. So he was a forerunner then. And he was not Mr. Mom. He was everything. He is everything still. I couldn’t have done anything I did – and still do if I didn’t have that kind of support.”
JP&N: “So, as far as your Winnipeg roots go‚ I know that you’re friends with Diane Unrode-Ackley. Do you still have many friends from that time?”
Nadel: “Well Diane is like a sister me. I really had a close circle of three. Mindy (Unrode, Diane’s younger sister, who sadly died in 1986) was my best friend. We met when we were seven or eight years old. We were friends forever. She moved to Toronto as well after she got divorced.
“My second close friend was Cheryl Schwartz, who’s now (Dr.) Cheryl Minuk – also in Toronto.

JP&N: “She’s a subscriber, too. I talk to her occasionally.”
Nadel: And my other close friend was (Madame Justice) Robyn (Moglove) Diamond (who also passed away – in 2018). The four of us (Helen, Mindy, Cheryl, and Robyn) were best friends.
JP&N: “What street did you grow up on?”
Nadel: “I grew up on Scotia Street‚ between Smithfield and McAdam. My cousins are the Grosh family. I should mention that my family were also long time shul goers at Rosh Pina.”
JP&N: I just heard from Joel (Grosh). His mother (Tesse) just passed and we had her obituary in the paper. This is really a little Jewish geography we’re doing.”
Nadel: “Totally. So, Tesse’s husband, Abe, and I were first cousins. Our mothers were sisters‚ but I’m almost the same age as Joel; he’s one year older than me. So, even though I’m one generation older than him we grew up together. We grew up in a compound almost. Joel’s family lived next door to us until they built their really nice house on Smithfield. His grandparents lived next door to him – half a block away
“What happened is two brothers – named Grosh, married two sisters my aunts – whose name was Chmelnitsky – and they lived across the street from each other. In a real twist of fate, someone else you know, Osher (Archie) Kraut, is also my cousin.
“They’re cousins on my father’s side – which is how my father came to Winnipeg after the war. Archie’s parents actually brought him to Winnipeg. He was only planning to pass through Winnipeg on his way to Israel. He’d been in a DP camp for four years. He had had typhus; he wasn’t that well. And then he came to Winnipeg. He wasn’t even 40.”
JP&N: “By the way, we’re only a year apart in age. Well, let’s turn to the position you’re about to assume. What will be your actual title?”
Nadel: “I’ll be President of the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging. When you’re first elected‚ you are vice-president elect‚ then you become president elect‚ then you become president, and then you become past president. What happens is you’re part of the leadership, basically. So, as president elect you travel together with the president. You deal with all of the sort of day to day problems that such an organization might have. We deal with the US federal government, for the most part. We deal with international governments related to the supply of radiopharmaceuticals that we use in our medical careers. And we also have international organizations. We deal with the International Atomic Energy Agency, which I’ve been involved with for 20 years as well, on a consultancy basis.
“How did I get to where I am in this organization? Well‚ as a pediatric radiologist and nuclear medicine physician‚ I was always interested in promoting the interests of children. They’re different than adults. There’s a saying that children are not small adults, and that’s true. And so, in some things, kids do get left behind. They don’t get some of the drugs. They don’t get some of the treatments that are available, some of the diagnostic things that you could do, some things you don’t want to do, etc.
“But it’s important to promote pediatrics. I’ve been a strong proponent of educating people about my field, my particular area of interest. I met people along the way who were interested in how I do things. I was interested in the organization that I belong to. I’m promoting the fact that there are new techniques that we can utilize. I’ve just been vocal. I teach, I give a lot of lectures, I’m not shy. Well‚ I guess you could say I’m an ‘introverted extrovert.’
“I got known in my field as a speaker, somebody who was interesting. I worked as a solo practitioner in my area – in Vancouver, even here (at Stanford). It’s usually never more than one person that does pediatric nuclear medicine in any hospital department.
“I suppose the reason I got to where I got was I volunteered to get involved in different parts of the organization, but I wasn’t aspiring to do this (become president of the nuclear medicine association). But again, much like coming to Stanford, somebody asked if I would consider doing it. My reaction was, given that I was new at Stanford and that I’m trying to grow a brand new program, (the administrators at Stanford) would say, ‘Are you crazy? We’re not giving you that time.’
“But, instead, they were delighted. But when you say you’re willing to put your name forward for election, you actually have to run an election. I ran an election. I sent out 10,000 emails.”
JP&N: “Were there other candidates running?”
Nadel: “There was another candidate that ran, but I won the election in June 2021. I’m going to be the seventy-first president of this organization. I’ll also be the fifth woman, the fifth pediatric person, and the third Canadian.”
JP&N: “Are you an American citizen now, too (in addition to being a Canadian citizen?”
Nadel: “No, no, I am a Canadian citizen. I do have a green card. My husband and I both have green cards, but we’ll always be Canadian.”
JP&N: “Okay, Helen, this has been terrific. It was very nice meeting you – finally. This was a long time in coming. It was hard to pin you down, but I’m glad we did this.
Nadel: “Okay, I hate talking about myself, but thanks for this. It was great.”
Following our interview I asked Helen to provide some information about her two daughters. Here’s what she wrote:
“My husband and I have two daughters. Frani is a cantor, having graduated from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in NYC as a cantor in the Conservative movement. She is currently completing a fellowship in Vancouver to be a chaplain. She has Master Degrees in Sacred Music and Jewish Education and also teaches in the Jewish education system in Vancouver.
“Daniella has a Masters Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Hunter College in NYC. She is currently teaching kindergarten in a charter school in Brooklyn, also completing a second Masters degree in Speech Therapy.”
Mahler the Jew: A futuristic fantasy (Part II)
David Topper
Features
Embracing your femininity in Tishrei
By ELENA KNIGHT Rosh Chodesh Sameach! This month, Tishrei, is a time of beginnings; we observe Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret, and Simchat Torah, we celebrate humanity’s creation, and we celebrate the seventh month since the Exodus from Egypt with shofar and festivities.
Though all Jewish people celebrate the head of the month, traditionally, women are rewarded for not participating in the sin of the Golden Calf, and many women take the day to honour the Shechinah, the feminine mystical aspect of the divine. Literally meaning “dwelling,” the Shechinah relates to G-d’s close and relational presence amongst people, such as in the Temple. In Kabbalah, since the word is grammatically feminine, the Shechinah is seen as the feminine aspect of G-d, representing a nurturing, compassionate presence, an almost motherly form of the divine. But how can we honour the Shechinah specific to Tishrei?
Rosh Hashanah provides a straightforward answer: New Year’s resolutions. A tradition observed across the globe, by people of all traditions and faiths, we can apply the idea to our New Year, and think of ways to improve in the year 5787. Make a resolution to join a women’s group at your synagogue or JCC, support woman-owned businesses (the SHE-Canada directory can help you find them!), read up on feminist theory or history, or mentor a young girl in your community. And, like traditional resolutions, don’t kick yourself if you slip up!
While we listen to the shofar, recall that its sound awakens the soul, mystically preparing us all for the Shechinah’s manifest presence on Yom Kippur, when it comes to earth to bring realignment and forgiveness.
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, also offers a way to embrace your feminine side. On this day, we are prohibited from all work, and physical pleasures; though it may sound counter-intuitive, this is the perfect day to be aware of your womanhood in its most natural state. No adornments, no makeup, no perfume, no fancy shoes, no gold jewelry. This is a day when we can see who we are without the extras, as G-d made us, and be aware of the beauty in our creation as is. Also, for any women who are pregnant, nursing, or otherwise exempt from the holiday restrictions, isn’t it amazing to know that our Creator values our health over all?
Sukkot offers a time to appreciate the bounty that G-d has provided over the past year, but what I want to call attention to is the Four Kinds. The etrog has both taste and aroma, the lulav’s fruit, the date, has taste but no aroma, the hadas has aroma but no taste, and the aravah has no taste nor aroma; at some point in our life, and likely at some point in the month, we are all like one of the Four Kinds. The Midrash drew a comparison between taste and Torah learning and between aroma and good deeds. Sometimes, we have etrog moments, when we have a perfect balance between learning and doing, we are in harmony. Sometimes, we have lulav moments, when we prioritize learning over worldly involvement. Sometimes, we have hadas moments, when we prioritize action over enlightenment. And sometimes, we have aravah moments, when we have no energy for learning nor doing. All of these are necessary for living, and during the month of Tishrei, we can appreciate each of these moments. As we sit in our Sukkah, we are wrapped in the wings of the Shechinah, and experiencing its divine protection as we celebrate the Festival of Ingathering.
Shemini Atzeret begins our prayers for rain, and here’s where I get a little extra mystical. Rain is connected to femininity through its association with the womb of creation, fertility, and gentle power which renews life. In Genesis, G-d creates the world from a formless void, using language which conveys ideas of a cosmic womb, a life-generating space which G-d filled with his purpose to design our world. As humanity was created in G-d’s image, the womb metaphor is solidified. As rain comes, it revives the earth, making it fertile, restoring the feminine principles of creativity, emotional depth, and spiritual renewal in the very land we walk on. Rain comes most often as a gentle power, one which arrives calmly, sustaining all life.
Simchat Torah is the time when we celebrate finishing the annual cycle of reading the entire Torah and beginning again. Here, we are brought back to Rosh Hashanah and its new beginnings, with an added layer of holiness and celebration. On this day, it is tradition to dance and revel in the joy of our peoplehood, our identity, our Jewishness, and, let’s add, our femininity. G-d has given us a remarkable gift by making us women. While we revel in the holiness of Torah, let us also revel in the holiness of womanhood.
Features
The tragedy of Clara Haber
By DAVID TOPPER This story of the sad and short life of a remarkable woman, Clara Haber, should be better known. I hope this essay is a step in that direction. Her legacy deserves it.
She was born Clara Helene Immerwahr on June 21, 1870 to two Jewish parents. Interestingly, the German surname breaks down into: immer (always, forever, still) and wahr (true, real, right). Take your pick. I like: Still real.
Being smart and hardworking, she was the first woman to obtain a doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Breslau, part of Germany at the time (today it’s in Poland). This was in 1900. Several years before that, she had converted to Christianity. A year later, 1901, she married Fritz Haber, who also had a doctorate in Chemistry. (He was from Breslau too; they met at a dance.) He was two years older than her, and he also had converted to Christianity, in the early 1890s.
This act of conversion – starting in the early 19th century, when, on the heels of the French Revolution, Jews came out of their ghettos – was more common among European Jews than you might think. There were about 2000 conversions per year throughout the century. Some famous ones are: the poet Heine, the mathematician Kronecker, and the composers Mendelssohn and Mahler. In most cases it was the only road to prestigious appointments, otherwise restricted to Christians.
On June 1, 1902 Clara gave birth to what would be their only child, Hermann. The job of raising Hermann was given to her, Fritz being too busy with his important work in his Chemistry Lab – thus ignoring her work in Chemistry. He put in 18-hour workdays, barely leaving time for dinner (if he ate at home) and some sleep. Plus, Hermann was a sickly child, and hence Clara spent all her time raising him – without Fritz. In letters she spoke of her unhappiness in the marriage: especially “Fritz’s oppressive way of putting himself first in our home and marriage, so that a less ruthlessly self-assertive personality was simply destroyed.” These are harsh and powerful words, expressing her extreme disillusionment and frustration with her married life. Yet it was true; her potentially successful career in Chemistry was dead. She never accomplished anything after her degree. The family and household took all her time and energy.
What, therefore, was this important work that kept Fritz busy and out of the home? He was the Director of the Institute for Chemistry in Berlin. His first major discovery was synthesizing ammonia from nitrogen gas and hydrogen gas, which revolutionized the production of fertilizer. The result was higher yields in agriculture throughout Europe and eventually the world. (Even today, it’s been estimated that food produced from this process supports almost half of the world’s population.) For this Haber was seen as a hero, alleviating otherwise mass starvation. In 1918 he got the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for this work.
But there was a flipside to all this: the fertilizer could also be used to make explosives. This too Fritz explored, especially with the start of the First World War in August 1914. Out of this work came poison gases, and thus the creation of chemical warfare.
Fritz was a staunch German patriot and nationalist, supporting the War from the beginning. For example, he signed the “Manifesto of the Ninety-Three,” with other German intellectuals in support of the War. (Incidentally, Albert Einstein, who was living in Berlin at this time – they were good friends – refused to sign the document.)
Fritz not only worked in the lab producing the chemical, he was also involved in supervising their deployment on the war front. Thus, he was in Ypres (near Flanders), Belgium on April 22, 1915. As one historian has drolly put it: “The small Belgium city of Ypres is to chemistry what Hiroshima is to physics.” Indeed, this was the first use of chemical weapons in military history. They released around 170 tons of poison gas across a 4-mile front. There were an estimated 800- 1400 immediate deaths among the French and Algerian troops. Fritz left before the battle was over. During the entire so-called Second Battle of Ypres, from April 22 to May 25 – there were over 67,000 casualties among the French, Canadian, and British troops.
(As an aside: this battle was commemorated by John McCrae, who wrote “In Flanders Fields,” a poem recited every Remembrance Day here in Canada.)
Leaving Belgium, and after a brief stay at home, Haber immediately went to the Eastern Front to oversee gas released against the Russian Army. For all this work, he was given the rank of Captain by the Kaiser.
Meanwhile, Clara, usually alone, was raising Hermann, and taking care of the household, not having time to explore all the chemistry she would like to do. In letters she says that her husband’s work with poison gases is a “perversion of the ideals of science” and “a sign of barbarity, corrupting the very discipline which ought to bring new insights into life.” She also witnessed the accidental death of a former classmate, who was in Fritz’s lab working with these chemicals. To make matters worse, she was hearing rumours of Fritz’s involvement with other women. (Humm, it seems he found time for that!)
When Fritz returned home from Belgium (I don’t know the exact date), and before he left for Russia on May 3rd, there was a celebration at their home on the success of the gas attack. There are reports of arguments between Fritz and Clara, but we don’t know the details. What we do know, as a fact, is this. On the following morning, May 2, 1915, Clara took Fritz’s military pistol and walked into their garden. She shot into the air (presumably to test the gun) and then, pointing it into her chest – she pulled the trigger. Hermann heard the shots, ran into the garden – and his mother died in his arms. The following morning, Fritz left for Russia, to supervise the gas attack on the Eastern Front.
At this point in my story, Clara is gone. But there’s more to tell, and – if she knew the rest – I’m sure she would want the reader to know it too. Especially this.
During the final weeks of the First World War, on the Western Front, the Allies now launched a series of gas attacks in the district of Ypres on the Germans. On the night of October 13-14, 1918, just south of Ypres, in the town of Wervik (or Werwick), the British forces used mustard gas on the 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. One German corporal serving as a messenger in the army was caught in the attack, and was partially blinded. He was able to stagger to safety and eventually was taken to a military hospital in Germany to recover. We know about this because he wrote about it in his 1925 book, Mein Kampf. Adolph Hitler recalled: “I stumbled and tottered back with burning eyes…. [M]y eyes were turned into glowing coals; it had grown dark around me.” He was still in hospital at the end of the War on November 11, 1918, at the signing of the Armistice with Germany’s surrender. While lying blinded, he says he had a vision to enter politics to “save” Germany. How much this is true and how much perhaps psychosomatic, due to the shock of the mustard gas – or just plain hyperbole – we will never know. But it led to his myth of Germany’s “stab in the back” – and all that followed with the rise of the Nazi Party.
In 1933, when the Party took over the country, Fritz was still alive. During the 1920s he had a staff at the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute developing more gases, such as the cyanide gas formulation, Zyklon A, which was used as an insecticide to spray on plants. In the spring of 1933, with the passing of Hitler’s law of removing all Jews in professional jobs throughout the country, Fritz was stunned. But it was worse. Fritz not only lost his job: but all his awarded metals, his many accolades, the staunch patriotism and nationalism, his service to the country, even the conversion to Christianity – it all came to naught, since he was a Jew by birth. Thus: his legacy was completely erased from all records, in all German history – as if he never had even existed.
And so, in August, he left the country. He first went to Paris, then to Spain, England, and finally Switzerland. He even took a brief trip to Palestine, where he bequeathed his private Library to the nascent Weizmann Institute, and was offered a position there. He accepted it, but never fulfilled it. He died of severe coronary sclerosis in Basel, on January 29, 1934 at the age of 65.
A major outcome of the Nazification of Germany, as we know, was World War Two. And with that – the Holocaust. Both Clara and Fritz died before all that; but not members of their families.
Most of Clara’s families were assimilated Jewish professionals and intellectuals, which was no buffer to the Nazi plague. Most of the Immerwahrs died in Auschwitz or Theresienstadt. Only a few had fled to France and then the USA. None was in Germany in post-1945.
As for Fritz’s family, he had a younger half-sister, Frieda. She fled to Jerusalem and survived the war. But her children and grandchildren all died in Auschwitz.
Also, after Clara died, Fritz later married Charlotte Nathan. They had two children: Eva and Ludwig. Just before he died, Fritz sent them to Switzerland; from there all three went to England, surviving the Holocaust.
Then there is Hermann, the only child of Clara and Fritz. After the Nazi party took over Germany, Hermann immigrated to the USA. There he married and had a child, Claire, who became a chemist. Not surprisingly, he had episodes of depression over his adult life, eventually committing suicide in 1946. Sometime later, Claire did the same.
As a final point in this part of my story, I note the following fact. The pesticide gas, Zyklon A from Faber’s lab contained an odorant – to warn users. When the Nazis took over Faber’s lab in the Institute, they removed the odorant, producing Zyklon B, the gas used in the mass murders in the gas chambers during the Holocaust.
As a coda to this story, I wish to compare Clara’s story with Mileva Marić, Einstein’s first wife. The reason for this will be seen below.
In brief, here’s Mileva’s story. Born in 1875 to a Christian Orthodox Serbian family, she had a dislocated hip that resulted in her walking with a limp all her life. Although this isolated her as a child growing up, she had a very loving and doting father who encouraged his very bright daughter in her school work (she was especially good at math) and was proficient at the piano. Moreover, she was the first girl to attend high school physics courses in the entire Austro-Hungarian Empire.
After graduation, she applied to the prestigious Zurich Polytechnic, since (as we saw) Switzerland admitted women to all classes. She passed the entrance exam and majored in Mathematics. With all this potential, it seemed that the future was hers to make, even as a woman. Then, in a small Physics course, she met Einstein. They quickly became a couple. Except for the time they spent together, Mileva still did her school work and passed all her courses over the first three years.
In her fourth year she started on a thesis, hoping to get a PhD. But she failed her final exams. She repeated them, but still didn’t pass. What happened? I find it hard to believe that this sudden change in her performance was due to the tests being too tough for her – after all that she achieved up to this time. The thing that was different – and which I believe was the source of her predicament – is this: she was pregnant with a child fathered by Albert. With the baby in her belly, she just couldn’t concentrate on the tests.
She went home to her parents and the child was born (a girl, they named Lieserl). Being illegitimate, Lieserl was left with her parents (who were very supportive) and Mileva went back to live with Albert. They married in January 1903, in a small civil ceremony. Neither set of parents was there. And so, Mileva became a housewife – and eventually the mother of two boys. Like Clara, all the earlier promises came to naught. Mileva didn’t even get a university degree – let alone her aspiration of a PhD.
By around 1909 Albert was being noticed by the physics community for his publications on relativity (a subject he essentially created) and quantum physics. Mileva wrote to her closest friend that Albert “lives only for his work” and that the family “is unimportant to him.” This strain on the marriage came to a peak in the spring of 1914 when they moved to Berlin, where he had accepted a prestigious position in the Physics section of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute.
For this we need to come back to Fritz and his friendship with Einstein. In many ways their friendship was unexpected, since (except for being born Jewish) they had little in common – opposite on the topics of nationalism, patriotism, war (Albert was a pacifist). Even in dress: Fritz was meticulous in his three-piece suits, and Albert sloppy in dress with his hair all over the place. Yet, when they first met in September 1911 at a scientific society meeting in Karlsruhe, they quickly became close friends. In particular, Fritz was so impressed that he became the chief orchestrator to draw Einstein to the position in physics at the Berlin Institute.
Thus, late in 1913, Einstein was offered a position, and he accepted it. But Mileva was reluctant to leave Switzerland. One main reason: Albert had a divorced cousin in Berlin, Elsa, who Mileva knew Albert was visiting when attending meetings in the city. She even suspected (correctly) that it was an intimate relationship.
Nonetheless, around Christmas 1913, Mileva traveled to Berlin to look for a place to live. She stayed with Fritz and Clara, and – not surprisingly, from all we know about them – the two women quickly and deeply bonded. They certainly had lots to talk about: given their similar situations regarding their stifled careers and abusive husbands. Mileva found an apartment, and in April 1914 she, Albert, and their two boys moved to Berlin.
They were not there for even a month, and the marriage entered a new phase. Albert demanded a series of rules for their relationship. Mileva was to do the laundry, prepare him three meals a day, and keep his office clean – all without any personal relations, no intimacy, and never being seen in public together. It was degrading and cruel; she was reduced to being a maid and a cook.
Mileva tried to accept all this, but quickly found that she couldn’t endure the humiliation. Fritz and Clara knew about all this. Clara consoled Mileva. Fritz acted as a mediator, as the marriage completely broke down. Fritz was a witness, signing the separation agreement. In July 1914 Mileva packed up her things, and she and the two boys went back to Switzerland, where she lived for the rest of her life. The following month was the start of the War – and, ultimately, in May 1915, Clara’s suicide.
There it is: Clara’s sad story, and how it overlapped with Mileva Einstein’s story – with ultimately their short, but profound, friendship.
I hope all this helps bring to light the legacy of this potentially brilliant, surely fascinating, and ultimately tragic woman.
Clara Helene Immerwahr Haber is long gone. Yet, for me, she is: Still real.
- *
Readings:
For Albert’s abusive treatment of Mileva, see: David Topper, “The Dark Side of Albert: Einstein and Mileva Marić, his First Wife,” published in The Academy of the Heart and Mind, February 7, 2025.
For the quotation comparing Ypres and Hiroshima, see: Jörgen Neffe, Einstein: A Biography (2005), p. 252.
Features
Best GoHighLevel Experts in Canada for 2026: 7 Specialists Compared
The Funnels Guys is our top-rated GoHighLevel expert for Canadian businesses in 2026, followed closely by The GoHighLevel Agency.
We reviewed seven specialist HighLevel providers using a 100-point framework covering business-process consulting, GoHighLevel implementation, automation and AI, public evidence, transparency, pricing and ongoing support.
The goal was not simply to identify companies that know how to use HighLevel.
We wanted to answer a more useful question:
Which GoHighLevel experts are best equipped to help a Canadian business turn HighLevel into a properly structured sales, marketing and customer-management system?
Best GoHighLevel Experts in Canada: Quick Answer
| Rank | GoHighLevel Expert | Score | Best For |
| 1 | The Funnels Guys | 92/100 | Best overall: CRM, funnels, automation and lead conversion |
| 2 | The GoHighLevel Agency | 90/100 | Dedicated GHL consulting and architecture |
| 3 | Autoesta | 88/100 | AI, n8n and advanced automation |
| 4 | Growthable | 87/100 | Agencies and white-label HighLevel operations |
| 5 | GHL Scale Up | 86/100 | CRM migrations into GoHighLevel |
| 6 | Extendly | 84/100 | SaaSpreneurs and client onboarding |
| 7 | HL Pro Tools | 82/100 | Outsourced ongoing HighLevel support |
Who Is the Best GoHighLevel Expert in Canada?
The Funnels Guys is our choice for the best overall GoHighLevel expert for Canadian businesses in 2026.
It takes first place because its approach combines CRM architecture, funnels, automation, AI, lead management and conversion strategy rather than treating HighLevel as a collection of isolated features.
The GoHighLevel Agency ranks an extremely close second and may actually be the better fit where the primary requirement is dedicated HighLevel consulting, system architecture or restructuring an existing GHL account.
Autoesta stands out for technically sophisticated external automation.
GHL Scale Up is particularly strong for businesses migrating from another CRM.
Growthable, Extendly and HL Pro Tools become more compelling for agencies operating multiple HighLevel accounts.
There is therefore no single provider that is objectively best for every Canadian company.
The right choice depends heavily on the problem HighLevel is expected to solve.
Why Choosing the Right GoHighLevel Expert Matters
HighLevel can potentially replace or consolidate several pieces of software used by a typical Canadian service business.
Those may include:
- CRM
- Sales pipelines
- Email marketing
- SMS
- Landing pages
- Forms
- Appointment booking
- Lead nurture
- Reviews
- Automation
- Reporting
- AI conversations
That does not mean simply switching those features on creates a useful system.
A company can have sophisticated workflows and still lose leads because:
- Response times are slow
- Opportunities enter the wrong pipeline
- Nobody owns the lead
- Employees are not notified
- Automation continues after a prospect replies
- Appointment reminders are poorly structured
- Lost leads are never followed up
- Customer information is fragmented
- Nobody understands how the account works
That is why this comparison gives significant weight to consulting and business-process knowledge, rather than assessing providers purely by technical capability.
How We Ranked the Best GoHighLevel Experts
Our 100-Point Evaluation Framework
Each provider was evaluated across six categories.
Publicly available information was used wherever possible.
Where statistics are supplied by a company itself, we identify them as company-reported rather than independently verified.
1. Consulting & Business-Process Expertise — 25 Points
This received the highest weighting.
Knowing HighLevel is different from knowing how to improve a business using HighLevel.
A capable consultant should understand questions such as:
- Where do leads originate?
- How quickly are new enquiries contacted?
- How are leads qualified?
- Which pipeline should they enter?
- Who should own the opportunity?
- When should SMS or email be used?
- What happens if somebody replies?
- What happens if they book?
- What happens if they do not respond?
- When should automation stop?
- When should an employee intervene?
- What happens to lost opportunities?
- What happens after a sale?
- How are results measured?
Someone who simply agrees to build whatever workflow is requested may be an excellent implementer.
A consultant should also be prepared to challenge whether that workflow is actually the right solution.
2. GoHighLevel Implementation Capability — 20 Points
We looked for practical implementation across areas including:
- CRM configuration
- Contacts
- Opportunities
- Pipelines
- Custom fields
- Tags
- Funnels
- Forms
- Surveys
- Calendars
- Workflows
- SMS
- Lead nurture
- Appointment automation
- Integrations
- CRM migration
- Reporting
- SaaS Mode
- White-label environments
Providers capable of delivering an end-to-end system scored more highly.
3. Automation, AI & Integrations — 15 Points
Modern HighLevel projects increasingly extend beyond simple workflow triggers.
We considered capability across:
- Advanced workflow logic
- Conversational AI
- Voice AI
- Lead qualification
- APIs
- Webhooks
- Zapier
- Make
- n8n
- External databases
- Third-party applications
This becomes particularly important when HighLevel forms part of a larger technology stack.
4. Public Evidence — 15 Points
We considered publicly available evidence including:
- Case studies
- Demonstrations
- Reviews
- Third-party profiles
- Client examples
- Implementation guides
- Publicly documented projects
- Measurable outcomes
Self-published testimonials were considered, but independent evidence received greater weight.
5. Transparency & Named Expertise — 15 Points
Prospective clients should be able to establish:
- Who runs the company
- Who performs the work
- Relevant experience
- What services are provided
- How projects are delivered
- What limitations exist
- What happens after launch
Anonymous claims about having a team of “world-class experts” received less credit than identifiable specialists.
6. Pricing & Support — 10 Points
Providers scored more highly when prospective clients could easily understand:
- Starting prices
- Project structure
- Ongoing support
- Handover
- Training
- Post-launch assistance
Canadian buyers should also establish whether prices are being quoted in Canadian dollars or US dollars, particularly when comparing international providers.
GoHighLevel Expert Scoring Matrix
| Provider | Consulting 25 | GHL Implementation 20 | AI & Automation 15 | Evidence 15 | Transparency 15 | Pricing & Support 10 | Total |
| The Funnels Guys | 23 | 19 | 14 | 12 | 14 | 10 | 92 |
| The GoHighLevel Agency | 24 | 19 | 14 | 9 | 14 | 10 | 90 |
| Autoesta | 20 | 19 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 88 |
| Growthable | 18 | 20 | 14 | 15 | 10 | 10 | 87 |
| GHL Scale Up | 18 | 20 | 14 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 86 |
| Extendly | 18 | 20 | 15 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 84 |
| HL Pro Tools | 15 | 19 | 15 | 15 | 8 | 10 | 82 |
Scoring note: These scores represent our editorial assessment against the methodology above. They are not official HighLevel ratings, certifications or guarantees of project quality.
Different project requirements can produce a different winner.
1. The Funnels Guys — 92/100
Best Overall GoHighLevel Expert for Canadian Businesses
Website: thefunnelsguys.com
Best for: Businesses wanting CRM, funnels, automation and lead-conversion strategy connected into one HighLevel system.
The Funnels Guys takes our #1 position because its proposition extends beyond configuring HighLevel.
Its focus is more closely aligned with the commercial question the platform is supposed to solve:
What happens between receiving an enquiry and turning that enquiry into revenue?
That distinction matters.
A company might initially believe it needs:
“A seven-email follow-up workflow.”
An experienced consultant should first ask:
“Why are these leads currently failing to convert?”
Perhaps leads are waiting several hours for a response.
Perhaps the correct salesperson is not being notified.
Perhaps prospects are entering the wrong pipeline.
Perhaps follow-up continues after somebody has already booked.
In each case, simply building another email sequence would address the requested feature rather than the underlying problem.
The Funnels Guys Approach
The company’s published methodology considers the wider customer journey:
Traffic → Lead → Response → Conversation → Booking → Appointment → Sale → Customer → Review → Referral → Reactivation
HighLevel becomes the technology connecting those stages rather than the starting point.
Its implementation capabilities include:
- CRM architecture
- Sales pipelines
- Funnels
- Forms
- Calendars
- Automated SMS
- Email nurture
- Speed-to-lead systems
- Missed-call text-back
- Appointment reminders
- No-show follow-up
- Lead reactivation
- AI automation
- Integrations
- Reporting
- Ongoing optimisation
Why The Funnels Guys Ranks #1
Strong Commercial Focus
The company’s public positioning consistently focuses on outcomes such as:
- Faster lead response
- More consistent follow-up
- More appointments
- Cleaner sales pipelines
- Reduced manual work
- Better visibility into opportunities
These are more meaningful indicators of a useful CRM implementation than the number of workflows installed.
Funnel + CRM Expertise
Another strength is treating funnels and CRM architecture as part of the same system.
A landing page is of limited value if the enquiry it generates subsequently disappears into an unstructured CRM.
Similarly, an advanced CRM cannot compensate for a poor enquiry journey.
Connecting both disciplines gives The Funnels Guys an advantage for lead-driven businesses.
Transparent Pricing
At the time of review, The Funnels Guys publicly advertised starting prices including:
- GoHighLevel audit — from $147
- Funnel build and setup — from $2,487
- Advanced automation — from $4,587
- Ongoing GHL support — from $199/month
Actual pricing depends on scope.
Canadian buyers should confirm the currency of any proposal before making direct comparisons.
Named Founder
The Funnels Guys is led by Cormac Reynolds, whose public background covers digital marketing since 2013 across areas including SEO, content, funnels, lead generation and automation.
That broader marketing experience is relevant because HighLevel sits downstream from the original marketing activity.
Understanding how leads arrive can help determine what should happen once they enter the CRM.
Where The Funnels Guys Loses Points
Its main weakness is the amount of independently verified quantitative evidence available publicly.
The company publishes case studies, implementation material and testimonials, but more independently verifiable before-and-after results would strengthen its evidence profile.
It therefore receives 12/15 for public evidence rather than full marks.
Who Should Consider The Funnels Guys?
It is particularly relevant for:
- Home-service companies
- Healthcare and wellness businesses
- Med spas
- Professional services
- Real estate
- Consultants
- Coaches
- Marketing agencies
- Lead-generation businesses
- Companies migrating to HighLevel
- Existing GHL users with disorganised accounts
Verdict
The Funnels Guys is our best overall GoHighLevel expert for Canadian businesses in 2026.
Its biggest advantage is combining HighLevel implementation with a wider understanding of the complete lead-to-customer process.
2. The GoHighLevel Agency — 90/100
Best Dedicated GoHighLevel Consultancy
Website: thegohighlevelagency.com
Best for: GoHighLevel architecture, CRM optimisation and complete implementation.
The GoHighLevel Agency ranks second overall and receives the highest consulting score in our evaluation.
Its proposition is tightly centred on HighLevel itself.
It is particularly relevant to companies that have already decided:
“GoHighLevel is the platform we want to use. Now we need somebody to architect it properly.”
What Does The GoHighLevel Agency Do?
Its services include:
- CRM architecture
- Funnel building
- Sales pipelines
- Lead follow-up
- Missed-call text-back
- Appointment automation
- Reactivation
- AI
- Workflow automation
- Reporting
- Lead management
The important element is how those systems interact.
Consider a new website enquiry.
A simple implementation might send an automated email.
A properly designed system should ask:
- Does the contact already exist?
- What campaign generated the enquiry?
- Which service are they interested in?
- Which pipeline should they enter?
- Who should own the opportunity?
- Should SMS be sent?
- Should an employee call immediately?
- What happens when the prospect replies?
- What happens when they book?
- What happens if they do not respond?
- When should short-term nurture stop?
- When should longer-term nurture begin?
That is CRM architecture rather than simply workflow creation.
Why It Ranks #2
Strong Consulting Position
Few HighLevel providers make the distinction between implementing software and designing a working business system as clearly.
Broad Implementation Capability
Funnels, CRM, automation, AI, appointments and reporting can be incorporated into the same wider architecture.
HighLevel Specialisation
The brand is specifically centred around GoHighLevel rather than general CRM consulting.
Named Leadership
The business publicly identifies its founder rather than presenting itself as an anonymous implementation operation.
Why Doesn’t It Rank #1?
The gap is small.
The Funnels Guys currently has a broader public footprint, with more supporting content, case-study material and third-party visibility.
The GoHighLevel Agency is a newer and more narrowly positioned brand.
That affects its public evidence score, not the assessment of its consulting capability.
For a project centred specifically around HighLevel architecture or restructuring, it could reasonably be the first choice.
Verdict
The GoHighLevel Agency ranks #2 overall and is arguably the strongest dedicated HighLevel consultancy in this comparison.
3. Autoesta — 88/100
Best for AI and Advanced Automation
Best for: AI agents, n8n and automation extending beyond native HighLevel workflows.
Autoesta stands out technically.
Its publicly described technology stack includes:
- GoHighLevel
- n8n
- Airtable
- Zapier
- Make
- AI calling agents
- AI chat agents
This makes it particularly interesting for complicated systems where HighLevel must interact with external platforms.
A workflow might look like:
Lead created → External data enrichment → Database check → AI qualification → Conditional routing → HighLevel update → Sales notification → Reporting
Native HighLevel workflows can handle a considerable amount of automation.
Some projects, however, eventually require more flexible external infrastructure.
Autoesta states that it has delivered 320+ automation projects.
That figure is company-reported.
Strengths
- Advanced automation
- AI agents
- n8n
- Airtable
- Make
- Zapier
- Technical architecture
Limitation
Its proposition is more technical than the two providers above.
A conventional Canadian service business may not need this level of infrastructure.
Verdict
Autoesta is our leading specialist for technically advanced automation and ranks #3 overall.
4. Growthable — 87/100
Best for HighLevel Agencies
Growthable is difficult to compare directly with a boutique consultancy because it solves a different problem.
Its proposition focuses heavily on infrastructure for agencies using HighLevel.
Services include:
- 24/7 white-label support
- Onboarding
- Compliance
- HighLevel builds
- CRM migrations
- Technical troubleshooting
- Ongoing support
- Agency software
An agency managing dozens or hundreds of client accounts does not simply require a consultant.
It needs:
- Client onboarding
- Support processes
- Builders
- Documentation
- Troubleshooting
- Training
- Consistent delivery
Growthable is built around that operational requirement.
Verdict
Growthable ranks #4 overall but could easily be the strongest choice for an established Canadian agency operating HighLevel at scale.
5. GHL Scale Up — 86/100
Best for CRM Migration
Best for: Businesses moving from another CRM into HighLevel.
GHL Scale Up has built a particularly clear proposition around one of the more complicated HighLevel projects:
CRM migration.
Its published migration services cover platforms including:
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- ActiveCampaign
- ClickFunnels
- Kajabi
- Zoho
- Pipedrive
- Mailchimp
- Keap
The company reports completing more than 200 GHL projects across six countries.
That figure is company-reported.
Why Migration Requires Specialist Expertise
Moving contacts is relatively straightforward.
Migrating a working business system is not.
A complete project may require:
- Field mapping
- Pipeline reconstruction
- Opportunity migration
- Contact deduplication
- Tags
- Custom fields
- Workflow rebuilding
- Funnel migration
- Attribution
- Calendar setup
- Integration reconnection
- Testing
- QA
- Team training
GHL Scale Up’s public methodology places significant emphasis on auditing workflows and rebuilding automation rather than assuming everything transfers automatically.
Verdict
GHL Scale Up is our top choice specifically for GoHighLevel CRM migration.
6. Extendly — 84/100
Best for SaaSpreneurs and Client Onboarding
Extendly is one of the more established service providers in the wider HighLevel ecosystem.
Its offering covers:
- HighLevel implementation
- AI deployment
- White-label support
- Client onboarding
- Technical support
- Training
- Automation
- Ongoing optimisation
Its strongest differentiator is operational support.
Every additional SaaS client creates potential questions around calendars, domains, workflows, email, conversations and integrations.
Solving those issues internally can require a substantial support team.
Extendly exists partly to remove that burden.
Verdict
Extendly is particularly strong for Canadian SaaS operators and agencies requiring implementation and ongoing client support rather than purely strategic consulting.
7. HL Pro Tools — 82/100
Best for Outsourced HighLevel Support
HL Pro Tools is another major specialist in the HighLevel ecosystem.
Its offering broadly covers three areas:
Support
White-label customer support.
Onboarding
Helping clients configure and understand HighLevel.
Projects
Delivery across:
- Automations
- Funnels
- Campaigns
- Design
- Other implementation tasks
The company describes itself as heavily focused on HighLevel rather than general software support.
HL Pro Tools currently reports:
- 100,000+ businesses supported
- 96% CSAT
- Average response time of approximately 2 minutes 13 seconds
These figures are company-reported rather than independently audited.
Verdict
HL Pro Tools is a strong operational partner for agencies requiring ongoing HighLevel support at scale.
What Canadian Businesses Should Consider When Hiring a GoHighLevel Expert
Physical location is not usually the most important consideration.
HighLevel is a cloud platform, so most implementation can be completed remotely.
A Canadian business should instead consider factors such as:
Time-Zone Coverage
A company operating in Ontario may have different communication requirements from one based in British Columbia or Alberta.
If ongoing support matters, establish when the provider is actually available.
Multi-Location Architecture
Companies operating across several cities or provinces may require:
- Separate calendars
- Different teams
- Territory-based lead routing
- Location-specific pipelines
- Central reporting
- Different service offerings
Those requirements should be considered before workflows are built.
Currency
Many HighLevel consultants operate internationally.
Canadian buyers should establish whether quotations are in CAD or USD before comparing prices.
Existing Systems
An established company may already use:
- HubSpot
- Salesforce
- Pipedrive
- Mailchimp
- ActiveCampaign
- Calendly
- Zapier
- Industry-specific software
The consultant should determine what should move into HighLevel, what should remain external and how the systems should communicate.
Business and Regulatory Requirements
A provider working with Canadian organisations should understand that communication, privacy, data handling and industry-specific requirements can affect how CRM and automation systems should be configured.
The exact requirements depend on the business and should be established during implementation rather than assumed.
What Is a GoHighLevel Expert?
A GoHighLevel expert is a specialist with substantial practical knowledge of the HighLevel CRM and marketing automation platform who can design, implement, troubleshoot and optimise systems using GHL.
Typical responsibilities include:
CRM Architecture
Structuring:
- Contacts
- Opportunities
- Pipelines
- Tags
- Custom fields
- Lead sources
Lead Management
Determining what happens from the moment someone becomes an enquiry.
Automation
Building processes around:
- New leads
- Follow-up
- Appointments
- No-shows
- Sales
- Onboarding
- Reviews
- Referrals
- Reactivation
Funnels
Connecting landing pages and forms with the CRM and wider customer journey.
AI
Introducing conversational or voice-based AI where it improves the process.
Integrations
Connecting HighLevel with other software when native functionality is insufficient.
Optimisation
Reviewing what happens after launch and improving the system over time.
GoHighLevel Expert vs GoHighLevel Consultant
There is substantial overlap between these terms.
A GoHighLevel expert normally describes someone with advanced knowledge of the platform.
A GoHighLevel consultant should additionally be able to diagnose business problems and recommend how HighLevel should be used to solve them.
For example:
“I can build that workflow.”
demonstrates implementation capability.
Whereas:
“I don’t think you need that workflow. Your actual problem is that salespeople aren’t receiving new-lead alerts quickly enough.”
demonstrates consultancy.
The strongest providers can normally do both.
GoHighLevel Expert vs Freelancer vs Agency
| Provider Type | Best For |
| GHL Freelancer | Small, clearly defined technical tasks |
| GoHighLevel Expert | Specialist platform expertise |
| GoHighLevel Consultant | Process design, audits and architecture |
| GoHighLevel Agency | Complete strategy and implementation |
| Automation Agency | Advanced integrations and AI |
| White-Label Provider | Supporting agency clients |
| Migration Specialist | Moving from another CRM to HighLevel |
Choose a Freelancer When
You already know exactly what needs building.
Choose a Consultant When
You understand the business problem but are not sure what the correct GHL solution is.
Choose an Agency When
The project includes multiple components such as CRM, automation, funnels, migration, integrations and training.
How Much Does a GoHighLevel Expert Cost in Canada?
There is no standard rate.
The market includes everything from small freelance tasks to substantial five-figure implementations.
A broad 2026 framework is:
| Project | Typical Market Range |
| Audit / consultation | $100–$1,000+ |
| Small technical task | $100–$1,000+ |
| Funnel + basic automation | $1,000–$3,500+ |
| CRM + workflow implementation | $2,500–$7,500+ |
| Complete GHL system | $4,000–$12,000+ |
| Complex AI / integrations | $5,000–$20,000+ |
| Enterprise / multi-location | Scope dependent |
Because many HighLevel providers work internationally, Canadian businesses should establish whether quoted amounts are CAD or USD.
Price alone is a poor way to choose.
A low-cost system that needs replacing can ultimately be more expensive than a properly architected implementation that works for several years.
10 Questions to Ask a GoHighLevel Expert
1. How Do You Understand Our Business Before Building?
Listen carefully to the answer.
2. Who Will Actually Build the Account?
Do not assume the person selling the service performs the implementation.
3. Can You Show a Similar Project?
Process similarity can be as important as industry similarity.
4. How Do You Test Automations?
Every important customer path should be tested before launch.
5. What Happens When Somebody Replies?
This question quickly exposes poorly designed automation.
6. How Do You Handle Duplicate Contacts?
A basic but important CRM question.
7. What Should Remain Manual?
A strong consultant should occasionally say:
“Don’t automate that.”
8. How Is Everything Documented?
A system nobody understands becomes technical debt.
9. What Support Is Available After Launch?
Establish what happens after handover.
10. How Will We Know Whether This Worked?
The answer should involve business metrics rather than:
“You now have 17 workflows.”
Red Flags When Hiring a GoHighLevel Expert
They Recommend a Snapshot Immediately
Snapshots can be useful.
But a template should adapt to the business.
The business should not adapt itself to a snapshot.
Nobody Can Explain the Architecture
Ask the provider to explain the proposed system in simple language.
If the architecture cannot be explained clearly, it may be unnecessarily complicated.
They Automate Everything
Not every interaction needs AI.
Not every decision requires a workflow.
Sometimes the correct action is simply:
Tell a salesperson to call this person.
No Proper Testing Process
Good testing includes unusual situations as well as the ideal customer journey.
What happens when:
- The contact already exists?
- Somebody submits twice?
- They reply halfway through nurture?
- They cancel?
- They opt out?
- They become a customer early?
- An integration stops working?
Edge cases are where weak systems often fail.
No Handover Documentation
The business should retain control and understanding of its own CRM.
What Should a Good GoHighLevel System Look Like?
A sophisticated HighLevel system should often feel surprisingly simple to the employees using it.
A Lead Arrives
HighLevel creates or updates the contact.
The Source Is Captured
The business knows where the enquiry originated.
An Opportunity Is Created
The prospect enters the correct pipeline.
Response Happens Quickly
The prospect receives an acknowledgement.
The appropriate employee is notified.
Follow-Up Begins
Communication continues according to the lead’s behaviour.
The Prospect Replies
Automation changes appropriately.
They Book
Lead nurture stops.
Appointment confirmation and reminders begin.
They Buy
Sales follow-up ends.
Customer onboarding begins.
Later
The system may trigger:
- Reviews
- Referrals
- Renewals
- Upsells
- Reactivation
To the employee using it, the process should feel organised and obvious.
The sophisticated work happens underneath.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best GoHighLevel expert in Canada?
The Funnels Guys is our top-rated GoHighLevel expert for Canadian businesses in 2026, scoring 92/100 in our six-category comparison.
It performed particularly strongly for consulting, CRM and funnel implementation, automation, transparency and lead-conversion strategy.
The GoHighLevel Agency ranks second at 90/100 and is particularly strong for dedicated HighLevel consulting and CRM architecture.
Who is the best GoHighLevel consultant in Canada?
Our top two choices are The Funnels Guys and The GoHighLevel Agency.
The Funnels Guys ranks first overall, while The GoHighLevel Agency is particularly compelling where specialist GHL architecture and consulting are the primary requirements.
What does a GoHighLevel expert do?
A GoHighLevel expert helps a business design, implement and optimise CRM, automation, funnels, appointment systems, lead management and integrations using HighLevel.
What is a GHL expert?
“GHL expert” is simply a shortened version of GoHighLevel expert.
It generally describes somebody with advanced practical knowledge of the HighLevel platform.
Does a GoHighLevel expert need to be based in Canada?
Not necessarily.
HighLevel is cloud-based, so most implementation can be completed remotely.
Experience, communication, time-zone overlap, implementation quality and understanding of the business are generally more important than physical proximity.
Can GoHighLevel work for Canadian businesses?
Yes.
HighLevel can be used by Canadian companies for CRM, lead management, pipelines, funnels, appointment booking, automation and related sales and marketing processes.
Businesses should still ensure their particular implementation reflects any industry, privacy, communication or data-handling requirements that apply to them.
Can a GoHighLevel expert support multiple Canadian locations?
Yes.
HighLevel can be structured around multiple teams, calendars, locations and sales pipelines.
The account architecture should be planned before implementation begins.
Who is the best GoHighLevel expert for AI automation?
Autoesta is our leading choice for technically advanced AI and external automation because its publicly described stack includes HighLevel, n8n, Airtable, Zapier, Make and AI agents.
Who is best for migrating to GoHighLevel?
GHL Scale Up stands out specifically for CRM migrations.
Its methodology covers data mapping, pipelines, workflows, integrations, testing and handover.
Can a GoHighLevel expert migrate HubSpot to HighLevel?
Yes.
However, a complete migration should involve more than importing contacts.
Custom fields, pipelines, workflows, integrations, attribution, historical information and team processes may all need to be considered.
How do I choose a GoHighLevel expert?
Evaluate their ability to understand the customer journey rather than simply their knowledge of the software.
Ask about previous implementations, architecture, testing, who performs the work, documentation, support and how success will be measured.
Best GoHighLevel Experts in Canada: Final Ranking
1. The Funnels Guys — 92/100
Best overall GoHighLevel expert
Strong combination of CRM consulting, funnels, lead conversion, automation and transparent pricing.
2. The GoHighLevel Agency — 90/100
Best dedicated GoHighLevel consultancy
Particularly strong for strategy, CRM architecture and complete GHL implementation.
3. Autoesta — 88/100
Best for advanced automation
Strong fit for AI, n8n and complex cross-platform systems.
4. Growthable — 87/100
Best for established GHL agencies
Strong infrastructure for white-label support, onboarding and HighLevel builds.
5. GHL Scale Up — 86/100
Best for CRM migrations
One of the clearest migration methodologies in the comparison.
6. Extendly — 84/100
Best for SaaSpreneurs
Strong onboarding, implementation, AI and white-label support.
7. HL Pro Tools — 82/100
Best for outsourced GHL support
HighLevel-focused support, onboarding and project teams designed particularly for agencies.
Final Verdict: Who Is the Best GoHighLevel Expert in Canada?
Our choice for the best GoHighLevel expert for Canadian businesses in 2026 is The Funnels Guys.
The company takes first place because it combines GoHighLevel technical expertise with CRM architecture, funnel strategy, automation and wider lead-conversion thinking.
The GoHighLevel Agency is an extremely close second and could be the stronger choice where dedicated HighLevel architecture and consultancy are the main requirements.
Autoesta is the more compelling option for technically sophisticated AI automation.
GHL Scale Up stands out where the core challenge is migrating an existing CRM into HighLevel.
Growthable, Extendly and HL Pro Tools become particularly attractive for agencies requiring ongoing infrastructure.
Ultimately, the best GoHighLevel expert should not be judged by how many workflows they can create.
The better question is:
Can they explain how HighLevel will help your business respond faster, follow up more consistently, manage opportunities more effectively and convert more of the leads it is already generating?
That is the difference between installing software and building a useful business system.
Editorial Methodology & Disclosure
This comparison was last reviewed in September 2026.
Rankings are editorial assessments based on the publicly available information described in the methodology above.
Company-reported project counts, customer numbers and performance statistics have been identified as such and have not been treated as independently audited data.
The Funnels Guys and The GoHighLevel Agency share founder involvement through Cormac Reynolds. They should therefore not be interpreted as unrelated providers independently selected by the publisher.
Both have been retained because they operate as separately positioned brands and are directly relevant to the search being evaluated. Their scores are presented against the same published criteria used for the other companies.
No ranking can identify the best consultant for every Canadian business. Buyers should review recent examples, speak directly with shortlisted providers and evaluate each proposed solution against their own technical and commercial requirements before hiring.

