Minister McKenna opens new arctic research facility

POND INLET, NU, Aug. 16, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Catherine McKenna, announced the opening of a new research facility in Pond Inlet, located on Northern Baffin Island, in the Qikiqtani Region of Nunavut. This area is recognized internationally as one of the most important ecosystems in the world. As climate change continues to affect Canada's north, this field-research facility—part of a network of arctic research infrastructure—will provide a hub for science collaboration in this region of the eastern Arctic.

Minister McKenna meets Dr. Evan Richardson, research scientist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, at the new Pond Inlet Research Facility. (CNW Group/Environment and Climate Change Canada)

The Pond Inlet Research Facility will support Environment and Climate Change Canada's arctic wildlife programs, including research and monitoring of polar bears and migratory birds as well as monitoring the impacts of contaminants and climate change on arctic wildlife. The facility will also support community-based research and monitoring programs, through knowledge exchange including Inuit and traditional knowledge, as well as educational and employment opportunities. (Several community members were involved in the construction of the facility.)

Located in Eclipse Sound, near the eastern end of the Northwest Passage, the marine waters of this region are well recognized as a circumpolar biodiversity hot spot, and they were recently designated as part of the Lancaster Sound National Marine Conservation Area. The area is also a region with increasing marine transportation and resource development. New research and monitoring will help ensure the ecosystem health of the area for future generations.

Quote

"Science is the foundation of maintaining healthy biodiversity in Canada, and I am thrilled that our scientists have a facility to carry out their research. The facility will strengthen Canada's role in supporting Arctic Council initiatives while helping to address the impacts of climate change on the Arctic."
– Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

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SOURCE Environment and Climate Change Canada

Marie-Pascale Des Rosiers, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, 613-462-5473, [email protected]; Media Relations, Environment and Climate Change Canada, 819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll free), [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.ec.gc.ca