Government of Canada Investments Support New Research for Weather and Environmental Services

MONTRÉAL, Aug. 15, 2014 /CNW/ - Today, Dr. Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa and Parliamentary Secretary to the Environment Minister, was in Montréal, Québec on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council to announce the Government of Canada's investment of over $2.7 million to support research in the areas of weather and environmental services.

The funding is part of Environment Canada's 2014-2015 annual grants and contributions plan that is used to engage key university partners, international organizations and not-for-profit organizations who have expertise in areas weather and environmental services.

Dr. Carrie was joined by René Roy, Director of Scientific Programming at Ouranos, an organization that combines climate science with the adaptation needs of society and one of the funding recipients.

Quick Facts

• Since 2006, Environment Canada has invested over $4 billion in science and technology. These investments support scientists working in well-equipped labs on important environmental issues.
• Since 2012, the Government of Canada has provided $79 million to strengthen weather monitoring infrastructure.
• The Government of Canada is actively collaborating with the meteorological community in Canada and internationally in sharing the latest scientific knowledge and data to improve accuracy of weather, climate and air quality information available to Canadians.
• The funds announced today will be distributed over the next five years and will contribute to better and more accessible information on weather conditions.

Quotes
"Our Government is proud to support the meteorological community here in Canada. Our investments announced today will encourage, support and leverage activities that enable Canadians to access, understand and use information on changing weather conditions."

- Dr. Colin Carrie, Member of Parliament for Oshawa and Parliamentary Secretary to Canada's Environment Minister

"Ouranos received funding from Environment Canada for research to be conducted on future climatic conditions of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence basin. This information will be able to support future work on vulnerability analysis and identification of possible adaptation measures over this basin."

- Anne Frigon, Leader of the Climate Simulation and Analysis Group, Ouranos

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For more information and to view a backgrounder on this announcement, please visit the Web site of Environment Canada.           

SOURCE: Environment Canada

Ted Laking
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of the Environment
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Media Relations
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