Canada’s Governor General heads north to spotlight Arctic science
Canada’s Governor General left for the northeastern territory of Nunavut on Thursday for a three-day trip to the Arctic.
Julie Payette, the Queen’s representative in Canada, will arrive in the Inuit community of Pangnirtung on Baffin Island, to meet with the mayor and municipal council Thursday, followed by a community feast.
Payette then travels to Qikiqtarjuaq, a community 175 kilometres north of Pangnirtung, to board the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen for a science workshop on August 31 and September 1.
Ecology, geology and climatology of Arctic seas
The icebreaker is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.
“The powerful combination of Canada’s Network of Centres of Excellence ArcticNet and Canada’s research icebreaker the CCGS Amundsen has enabled top-notch research on Inuit Health, Arctic geopolitics, and the ecology, geology and climatology of Arctic seas,” Louis Fortier, the scientific leader of the CCGS Amundsen and scientific director of ArcticNet, a network of researchers that study climate change, said in a news release on Thursday.
Payette will be joined on the Amundsen by Mona Nemer, Canada’s chief science advisor, and Kirsty Duncan, Canada’s minister of science and sport.
“The Governor General’s visit will underscore the importance of scientific study and data collection in understanding Arctic issues and trends,” the office of the Governor General of Canada said in a separate news release. “These activities allow for evidence-based decision-making and the development of practical solutions.
“This visit will also highlight collaboration by recognizing the knowledge of Inuit and northerners who are at the forefront of the changes taking place in the Arctic.”
The Governor General’s visit ends on Saturday.
Write to Eilís Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Ottawa, Quebec announce $53-million for construction at northern research institute, Eye on the Arctic
Finland: Finnish researcher testing plants to purify lakes and seas, Yle News
Norway: New building to help boost cooperation for Arctic research center in Northern Norway, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Densely-packed ice makes navigation difficult in Russian Arctic, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Swedish icebreaker reaches North Pole for climate study, The Independent Barents Observer
United States: Russian and American scientists team up to study Arctic Russia’s weakening sea ice, The Independent Barents Observer
