Creating Jobs and Benefitting Science – Government of Canada Invests in Modernizing Federal Laboratories in Nunavut

May 11, 2009

OTTAWA, Ont. - The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Nunavut, today announced more than $1.8 million in funding over the next two years to modernize the Polar Continental Shelf Program facility in Resolute and the Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory in Alert.

In Budget 2009, Canada’s Economic Action Plan, the federal government committed to an accelerated investment program to provide $250-million, over the next two years, to modernize federal laboratories. The funding, one of the many job-creating investments in the Economic Action Plan, will improve these facilities while providing economic stimulus in regions across the country.

“This program is addressing important maintenance issues at this facility and will quickly bring economic stimulus to this region,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “This funding will provide jobs for workers ranging from replacing electrical cables and plumbing pumps to upgrading existing structures. With this funding, our scientists and researchers will have healthier and more modern work environments that will better support research and development, leading to better health and safety outcomes for Canadians.”

The facilities being modernized in the region are:

• The Polar Continental Shelf Program (Natural Resources Canada) - $1,008,764
• Dr. Neill Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory (Environment Canada) - $836,000

“Our Government’s Economic Action Plan is making important investments in communities across Canada,” said the Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Natural Resources Canada. “Canada’s science labs are engaged in world-class research that contributes to Canada’s economic performance. Today’s investment will create jobs immediately and will contribute to improved competitiveness in the natural resources sector in the years ahead.”

 “The project at Alert will help maintain and further the excellence of Environment Canada’s world-class scientific activities,” said the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment.

To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.

Related documents

• Modernizing Federal Laboratories Initiative: Individual Project Descriptions [Backgrounder 2009-05-11]
• Modernizing Federal Laboratories Initiative [Backgrounder 2009-05-11]
  
  

For more information contact:

Media Relations
Environment Canada
819-934-8008
Media Relations
Natural Resources Canada
Ottawa
613-992-4447

 

 

Nunavut -May 11, 2009 -The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Member of Parliament for Nunavut, announced $836,000 in funding over the next two years to modernize the Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory in Alert.

3. Maintenance and modernization of the Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) Observatory

Department                 
Environment Canada

Location
Alert, Nunavut

Name and function of Laboratory/ Facility    
The Dr. Neil Trivett Global Atmosphere Watch Observatory was opened in 1986. Two people work for Environment Canada there. The observatory is Canada's most northerly Arctic research station, where Environment Canada monitors background concentrations of trace gases and aerosols to identify trends in the composition of the Earth’s atmosphere. Located at the Department of National Defence’s Canadian Forces Station Alert, the Observatory is an official World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Global Atmosphere Watch station.

Funding amount           
Amount of funding received through the Modernizing Laboratories Initiative:
$836,000
Amount to be spent in 2009-10: $673,000
Amount to be spent in 2010-11: $163,000

Project description      
Work will be done to replace the electrical system and fibre optic cable for data streams, and to upgrade a 10-metre measurements platform tower.  This work will increase the Observatory’s operating capacity.


Backgrounder
MODERNIZING FEDERAL LABORATORIES INTIATIVE

Project: Arctic Research Facilities                  
Department:  NRCAN-RNCAN
Location :  Resolute, Nunavut
Name and function of Laboratory/Facility: Arctic Research Facilities
The Polar Continental Shelf Program (PCSP) is an organization within Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) that provides cost-effective logistics and support services to about 130 research projects annually throughout the Canadian Arctic. The only federal land/air logistic provider in the Arctic, the PCSP has a longstanding excellent reputation among the national and international scientific community. The implementation of UNCLOS and other recent initiatives identified under the Arctic Agenda relies heavily on thePCSP and thus has significantly increased the demand for logistics support and the use of PCSP facilities.
The PCSP lab in Resolute, Nunavut, supports science that enables the Government of Canada and all three territorial partners to meet their regulatory responsibilities in Canada's North. Scientists at the facility conduct research on infrastructure safety, land management, resource development and climate change impacts and adaptation. Researchers from NRCan and other departments and agencies - Fisheries and Oceans, National Defence, Environment Canada, the Canadian Space Agency - use the facility to gather data in order to deliver core regulatory activities. 
The PCSP facilities serve as both a laboratory for research and as a staging area for research conducted across the Canadian Arctic. The research facilities can accommodate up to 41 clients simultaneously and provide work stations, sample storage facilities and shipping services. 

Funding amount



Project description   

This project addresses deferred maintenance as identified in the 2008 asset assessment (building condition report) and includes such items as replacing plumbing pumps and interior and exterior doors and upgrading storage tanks to ensure the integrity of the facilities and the safety of PCSP clients. 
Deferred maintenance on the facility totals $1,008,764 over two years.  Jobs created by the delivery of this program will be in the construction sector and in supporting services and industries.  Direct jobs are created in the construction sector, from construction workers toexperts in advanced building retrofits and energy efficiency, indirect jobs are created in industries serving the construction material supply chain, from resource extraction to manufacturing.
Prepared by: Geoff Munro, Chief Scientist and Associate Deputy Minister, Innovation and Energy Technology Sector, 613-947-1435 and Dr. Richard Tobin, Associate Deputy Minister, Corporate Management and Services Sector (613) 995-4252 with the Earth Sciences Sector