Governor General Heading to Canada's Arctic for a Scientific Program on Board the CCGS Amundsen

OTTAWA, Aug. 29, 2018 /CNW/ - Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette, Governor General of Canada, will be in Canada's Arctic from August 30 to September 1, 2018, where she will visit the Hamlet of Pangnirtung, in Nunavut, before boarding the Canadian research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen, in Qikiqtarjuaq, for a 36-hour scientific program to explore the Arctic Ocean. This will be the first visit by a governor general to the community of Qikiqtarjuaq.

Canada's Arctic and northern communities are facing complex environmental, health and social challenges. The Governor General's visit will underscore the importance of scientific study and data collection in understanding Arctic issues and trends. 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.

In Pangnirtung, located on Baffin Island, the Governor General will meet with the mayor and councillors and attend a community feast. On the occasion of the 15^th anniversary of the Amundsen Science program, the Governor General, accompanied by Dr. Mona Nemer, Canada's Chief Science Advisor, and the Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, will join the vessel's crew on the final leg of its latest expedition to exchange with scientists and to witness first-hand marine-based research conducted in the vicinity of Qikiqtarjuaq. 

Below is Her Excellency's detailed itinerary.                                 

Thursday, August 30
Hamlet of Pangnirtung, Nunavut

4:30 p.m.
Meeting with Mayor of Pangnirtung and Councillors
The Governor General and her guests will meet with His Worship Stevie Komoartok, Mayor of the Hamlet of Pangnirtung, and with councillors to discuss the daily realities of the community.
Council Chamber
PHOTO OP—At the beginning of the meeting

6:30 p.m.
Community Feast
The Governor General and her guests will attend a community feast, which will be an immersive experience of Inuit tradition and culture. The Governor General will address members of the hamlet on this occasion.
Community Centre
OPEN TO MEDIA

Friday, August 31 – Saturday, September 1
Arctic Ocean

9 a.m.
Scientific Workshop on the Canadian Research Icebreaker CCGS Amundsen
Over the next 36 hours, the Governor General, joined by Dr. Nemer, Minister Duncan, and Her Worship Mary Killiktee, Mayor of Qikiqtarjuaq, will witness the innovative marine-based research work conducted by ArcticNet. Through science operations, an ice island survey and informal discussions with scientists and Amundsen Science representatives, the Governor General will see how the Arctic is warming up a lot faster than the southern latitudes. The scientific workshop will also be an opportunity to recognize the need to pursue and further increase collaboration to protect the Arctic's rich and fragile environment threatened by climate change.
OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ONLY                                              

About ArcticNet
ArcticNet is a Network of Centres of Excellence of Canada that brings together scientists and managers in the natural, human health and social sciences with their partners from Inuit organizations, northern communities, federal and provincial agencies and the private sector. Its objective is to study the impacts of climate change and modernization in the coastal Canadian Arctic. Over 150 ArcticNet researchers and 1 000 graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates, technicians and other specialists from 34 Canadian universities, and 20 federal and provincial agencies and departments collaborate with more than 150 partner organizations in 14 countries. For more information, visit www.arcticnet.ulaval.ca/index.php.

About Amundsen Science
Amundsen Science is the organization responsible for the management of the scientific program of the research icebreaker CCGS Amundsen. Hosted at Université Laval and primarily funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation, Amundsen Science maintains the ship's pool of scientific equipment, coordinates the deployment of the icebreaker for research, and provides technical support at sea for user programs. For more information on Amundsen Science and the CCGS Amundsen, visit www.amundsen.ulaval.ca.

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SOURCE Governor General of Canada

Media information: Marie-Ève Létourneau, Rideau Hall Press Office, 613-998-0287, 613-302-0912 (cell), [email protected]