Electronic Bulletin No. 5 of the Canadian Geoscience Council
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. President's Message
2. Appointment of CGC Executive Officer, Dr. Tim Aston
3. Geoscientists receive the Order of Canada
4. Upcoming Member Society Meetings:
| - KEGS | - CGU |
| - CGS | - CIM |
| - CSEG | - CSPG |
| - GAC/MAC | - PDAC |
| - SEG | |
1. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Greetings! I hope your summer was productive. For many of us, summer is
the time for fieldwork, when we get away from the office desk to acquire
new and exciting data that keeps us intellectually and professionally
engaged. In the fall, we pick up the pieces of our other lives and for
some of us that includes the business of the Canadian Geoscience Council
(CGC). Let me announce some good news, and then give you a 'heads up'
regarding a couple of activities with which CGC will be busy over the
coming months.
Good news!
CFI INVITES FULL PROPOSALS FOR CANADIAN INVOLVEMENT IN IODP, NEPTUNE
In the Fall 2000 mini-budget, the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
was funded to support new Canadian involvement in international research.
Two $100 million funds have been set up: the International Joint Ventures
Fund, to establish in Canada up to four high profile research
infrastructure projects aimed at taking advantage of unique research
opportunities with leading facilities in other countries; and the
International Access Fund, which is to help Canadian institutions and
researchers access major international collaborative programs and
facilities in other countries. CFI has begun competitions for those funds
by inviting letters of intent from the community. After reviewing the
letters, CFI has selected a few proposals for full consideration.
CGC has been involved in reviewing and supporting two proposals that have
been selected from the letters of intent. The Atlantic Canada Petroleum
Institute, with the support of the CanadaODP Council and Secretariat, is
proposing to involve "Canada in the international Integrated Ocean Drilling
Program" (see http://www.dal.ca/~odp/index.html).
This new phase of ocean drilling will include new riser capability to drill up to 8 km into the
seabed in up to 2.5 kilometres of water. A whole new range of targets will
thus be opened up, especially on continental margins. Canada could expect
to drill both our active and passive margins for a number of scientific
objectives not previously addressable, related to resources, hazards, and
global change. The University of Victoria, with the support of the Canadian
NEPTUNE Management Board and its Science Committee (a trans-Canada group
brought together by the Institute for Pacific Ocean Science and
Technology), proposes "NEPTUNE Canada" (see
http://www.neptunecanada.ca), as our share of a project with the
U.S. to instrument the Juan de Fuca plate, off the west coast, with a
fibre-optic network of instruments to provide long time-series data on the
water column and subseafloor).
These initial successes are a tremendous fillip to the marine science
community in Canada. Well done, proponents, and good luck with the next
round!
NEW MEMBERS FOR CGC
At the May meetings of CGC in St. John's, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada and the Society of Economic Geologists joined CGC as members. In addition, the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists rejoined CGC after a number of years as an observer. We are grateful for the support of these organisations and take their membership as a vote of confidence in the directions that we are taking to assist and promote geoscience in Canada.
LOOKING AHEAD
CGC meets at the end of October in Ottawa. Here are a couple of items (among many) that we will be discussing.
A vision for NRCan's Earth Sciences Sector for 2021
The Earth Sciences Sector (ESS) of Natural Resources Canada includes the Polar Continental Shelf Unit, Geomatics Canada, and the Geological Survey of Canada. ESS is attempting to create a vision of its role for 2021, including the context within which it might be operating. This will be a topic for discussion when CGC meets with senior managers of ESS on 30 October. CGC will then present its thoughts to ESS formally. If you have ideas on this you would like to share, please let me know (e-mail: jeremyh@mun.ca).
The future of mineral deposits research in Canada
CGC was a participant in the NUNA conference on this issue, held in March this year at Queen's University. A report on the conference is published (A. Galley et al., Geoscience Canada, Vol. 28, No. 3, pp. 150-155, September 2001). CGC will deliberate on its role in furthering the recommendations of the report during its upcoming meetings. A key issue will be sponsorship of new proposals for establishing a broad-based research network that casts mineral deposits research in the wider social, political and economic context of sustainable mining in Canada for the 21st century.
CGC Forum on Continental Drilling: building a continuing Canadian contribution to the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP)? A follow-up to drilling gas hydrates in the Mackenzie delta.
Earlier this year, CGC urged the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) to subscribe to the International Continental Drilling Program for one year, to help obtain extra resources for the test drilling of gas hydrates in the Mackenzie delta. The special one-off subscription was paid and the resources obtained. Now the question arises: will Canada wish to continue its participation in this multi-faceted international drilling program? The potential exists for participation in a number of projects of interest to the welfare of Canadians, especially with regard to climate change in the north, and the state of stress and fluid flow in the shallow crust that affect groundwater and subterranean waste disposal.
CGC intends to host a forum on continental drilling over the winter. Stay tuned!
Jeremy Hall
President CGC
jeremyh@mun.ca
2. APPOINTMENT OF DR. TIM ASTON AS CGC EXECUTIVE OFFICER
CGC has appointed Dr. Tim Aston as its Executive Officer. Tim's primary role will be working in Ottawa to raise the profile of geoscience among decision makers. Our colleagues in the Geological Survey of Canada have often stood alone to champion geoscience in, and for, the federal government. Their internal advocacy comes with a self-interest of which decision-makers are suspicious unless a more independent, external, voice for geoscience echoes the advice. CGC has been, and should be, that voice. But to fulfil that role effectively requires more than the occasional, voluntary effort of CGC members and directors that has been our past contribution: hence the new role.
Tim has an honours B.Sc. in Mining Geology from the University of Wales (University College, Cardiff) and a PhD in Mining Engineering from the University of Nottingham. He is a P.Eng., registered in Ontario, Alberta and Nova Scotia; a C.Eng. (U.K.); and a member of the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy. He has also completed the Mineral Deposit Evaluation Course at Imperial College, London. Now in mid-career, Tim has worked with CANMET as Research Scientist, Research Program Advisor, and Project Leader. More recently, he has worked as Senior Geotechnical Engineer with Norwest Mine Services Ltd. He is currently Principal of Merlin Geotechnical Associates.
We wish Tim good fortune in his new role.
3. GEOSCIENTISTS RECEIVE ORDER OF CANADA
Three leading geoscientists were recently named as recipients of the Order of Canada.
C. Richard Harrington was made an Officer of the Order for his research as a paleontologist at the Canadian Museum of Nature
Nat Rutter was made an Officer of the Order for his work in Quaternary Geology at the University of Alberta.
Roger F. Tomlinson was made a Member of the Order for ground-breaking research in Geographic Information Systems.
CGC congratulates these three outstanding geoscientists on this>well-deserved honour. They join three other geoscientists who were invested earlier in 2001. Professor W. Glen Caldwell of the University of Western Ontario was made an Officer in the Order of Canada for his research in Cretaceous Geology. Professor Norbert Morgenstern of the University of Alberta was invested as a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of his contributions to research and practice in geotechnical engineering. Dr. Steve Blasco of the Department of Natural Resources was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his work in marine geophysics.
4. UPCOMING MEMBER SOCIETY MEETINGS
Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society (KEGS)
Joint meeting between KEGS and Minerals and Geotechnical Logging Society (MGLS)
8th International Symposium on Logging for Minerals and Geotechnical
Applications, August 21-23, 2002, Sheraton Center Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
Further details: http://www.mgls.org/2002sym/call2002.html
Canadian Geophysical Union
May 18-21, 2002 Banff, Alberta
Canadian Geotechnical Society
55th Annual Conference: Ground and Water: Theory to Practice
October 20-23, 2002, Niagara Falls, Ontario
Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (CIM)
Annual Conference and Exhibition, April 28-May 1, 2002, Vancouver
Further details: http://www.cimvancouver2002.org/
Canadian Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Annual Convention May 6-9, 2002
Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists
Diamond Jubilee Convention, June 3-7, 2002, Calgary
Geological Association of Canada and the Mineralogical Association of Canada (GAC/MAC)
47th Joint Annual Meeting, From Plains to Shield: The Making of a Continent's Interior..."
University of Saskatchewan, May 27-29, 2002.
Further details: http://www.usask.ca/geology
e-mail: Mel Stauffer - mel.stauffer@usask.ca
Abstracts: Accepted from November 1, 2001 until January 15, 2002
Exhibits: Contact Exhibits Chairman, Les Coleman, e-mail: les.coleman@sk.sympatico.ca prior to February 1, 2002
Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada
Annual Convention March 10-13, 2002
Further details: http://www.pdac.ca/pdac/conv/index.html
Society of Economic Geologists
SEG Global Exploration 2002: Integrated Methods for Discovery, April 14-16,
2002, Denver, Colorado
Further details:http://www.seg2002.org
Antoni Lewkowicz
Communications Director CGC
alewkowi@uottawa.ca