Introduction

Year 1992, the 21st of the Canadian Geoscience Council (CGC), has been highlighted by the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the Geological Survey of Canada. In order to celebrate this special occasion, a series of activities were conducted, ranging from geological exhibitions to the climbing of Mount Logan. All these activities have shed a unique light on the importance and relevance of geosciences in the exploration and development of the Canadian territory and all this without forgetting the special role played by natural resources in the creation of wealth for Canadians. I would like to take this opportunity to thank C. Smith for his excellent work of coordinating these very impressive activities.

An important facet of the geoscientific awareness, maintained by the Geological Survey of Canada, is the very significant scientific and financial support it provided to the Canadian Geoscience Council.

One must also underline the international role played by the Geological Survey of Canada (reflected on the Canadian geoscientific community) where its expertise and excellent work is regularly recognized. Such recognition recently came in the form of a complete edition of Geotimes in August 1992 dedicated to that celebration. During this year, we must also recognize the election of a Canadian, Dr. W. Fyfe, as the President of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

CGC, in concert with the geoscientific community has also decided to commemorate its appreciation of the Geological Survey of Canada at the occasion of its sesquicentennial anniversary. To do this, D. Mustard is leading a fund raising campaign that will enable the erection of a distinctive monument at 601 Booth Street in Ottawa.

1992 is also the second year of full in-house management of CGC activities. This is a positive evolution which marks a maturation of the organization and a strengthening of its mission statement as stated in CGC Annual Report of 1990.

Actions carried out by CGC have led to closer links with member societies, an example being the establishment of the Canadian Geoscience Education Board (CGEB) which is detailed later. These actions also indicate an opening toward new horizons where geoscience has an important role to play; for example, in the attempted liaison with the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society as well as in the setting of a task force on groundwater in Canada.

As time goes on, more and more of the activities of CGC reflect the interests of the geoscientific community. The constituent Member Societies are very strong with about 15,000 members grouped into 13 learned societies whose activities are summarised in this annual report.

The term of office of the President covers the interval between January 20th 1992 and January 18th 1993, and this report covers activities during that period. I have also taken this opportunity to express some personal opinions resulting from my experience and opportunities related to my duties at the presidency of CGC.

Involvement in the Milieu

CGC is attempting a greater involvement in the geoscientific community in general via various initiatives which tend to reflect the preoccupation of the geoscientific milieu. The environment has been particularly of concern to CGC during 1992 as the later has intensified its involvement in some public debates such as the development of natural resources and particularly groundwater. The setting up of the Canadian Geoscience Education Board and the continued efforts towards the professional registration of geoscientists all lead in the same direction. These aspects are developed later.

Responsible Development

Over the last few years we have seen a growing interest within the population about our environment and the last major event in Rio has shown how complex the situation is. For natural resources, many are using the term "sustainable development" which can be understood as including the management of our resources with appropriate respect for the environment. However, in most cases, the main thrust of the proponents of this issue may be rather on the side of environmental protection than on the public wealth. The main two elements if wealth of this country are the people and its natural resources. If there is one thing on which Provinces and Territories shall plan their development it is on their natural resources.

The importance of natural resources in the generation of wealth needs consideration of different approaches for land use planning such as: urban development, wilderness areas and parks. There are, and will be, ways of developing our natural resources in harmony with the environment but should be in a responsible manner that would involve considering the overall benefit to the society.

The geoscientific community will have to tell the populace that if the present mood persists, development of natural resources is at risk and ultimately the standard of living and the quality of life. Although it is believed that more and more of our students should enter environmental fields, it is becoming clear that if there is a decline in the development of natural resources there may be a rapid decrease in our financial capacity to take care of the environment. Such prospects can be supported by an increasingly larger proportion of Canadian R & D expenditures by the private sector toward the natural resources of other countries. To be proactive in this matter, the geoscientific community must demonstrate that it can act in a responsible manner by making sure that all components of the environment, along with the public interest, are taken into account in the development of natural resources (renewable or not).

I would like here to underline a recent article by Horn and Telfer (CIM Bulletin, September 1992, pp.: 59-66) which goes along the same line in stressing the important role of the mining industry in the Canadian trade balance.

What we must convince the people of, is that the development of natural resources is a major challenge and a necessity for the good wealth of the country. In doing so, the geoscientific community shall engage itself in a process of defining what we would call "responsible development".

Water

CGC is now engaged in a major evaluation of the status of groundwater resources research in Canada. This initiative is strongly supported by the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC). CGC believes that there is a need for a reassessment of who is doing what in relation to knowledge of our groundwater resources, its development and protection. CGC, in collaboration with the GSC, set up a task force that tabled the preliminary version of its final report at the 81st CGC meeting in Ottawa in January 1993. The task force was chaired by J. Cherry from the University of Waterloo.

Geoscience Education

CGC has recognized that many member societies were concerned by the decrease or stagnation in the number of students entering geoscience programs at the university. The first major step in that direction, which was taken by CGC two years ago, was the expansion of the EdGEO Program which provides training for elementary and secondary school teachers in geosciences. The recent distribution of more than 30,000 copies of the booklet titled "Explore Careers in Geoscience" is also a step in the same direction.

Recently, member societies have joined their efforts in setting up the Canadian Geoscience Education Board (CGEB). It will look at:
(1) geoscience awareness at all levels,
(2) lobbying education departments for improving high school curricula in geosciences,
(3) liaison with its member societies and others in matters related to geoscience education at large.

The CGEB was officially launched on the 13th of September at the 80th CGC meeting in Sainte-Foy and its interim chairperson is L. Ferguson of Mount Allison University.

Registration of Geoscientists

During the course of the last five years, the Professional Registration Committee of CGC (PRC-CGC) has been very active, especially since major support was received from the Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists and Geophysicists of Alberta (APEGGA). The success of this major undertaking is largely due to the efficient directorship of J. Gale and G. Williams.

CGC is very proud of the achievement of this committee so far. It is important to stress that the forthcoming changes in various provinces about the registration of geoscientists will ultimately improve the quality and adequacy of the geoscientific profession. The PRC-CGC is already studying aspects of accreditation of various geoscientific curricula in various Provinces and Territories. This alone will help improve the training of geoscientists. The direct involvement of the geoscientific community in the accreditation process for undergraduate programs will help greatly in encouraging universities to maintain even stronger links with the profession.

Major Geoscientific Projects

The geoscientific community is engaged in major projects such as LITHOPROBE and the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP). In the first case it is a completely Canadian project and in the second a major international collaborative effort.

LITHOPROBE is a very lively project which has recently been refinanced by the National Science and Engineering Research of Council (NSERC). For ODP, all scientific evaluations have strongly supported the project and confirmed the importance of this programme for Canada. However, recent developments indicate that there will be a need to work for establishing a solid financial base to support the Canadian participation in ODP, probably the most important international geoscientific project in existence.

CGC has also given its full support for the Canadian Continental Drilling Program (CCDP). This project had some initial difficulties but the first drilling project was commenced Western Canada in 1992. It has a broad geoscientific base and strong support from provincial governments and the mineral industry.

CGC is also very interested in the UNESCO program on the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction (IDNDR). This program, launched by the United Nations in 1990 (and of which Canada is a co-signer), has not yet been made a reality in Canada. CGC will have to increase its efforts to ensure that Canada plays its role in this program, specially if one considers the Canadian expertise present either at the government level, in the private sector or in the university community. I see the IDNDR program as an unique occasion for geoscientists to collaborate with scientists in other disciplines such as oceanography, hydraulics and meteorology. To summarize, important projects are at risk. This is something to worry about. it may reflect the necessity for a better planning of these mega-projects, specially in these times of financial restraints. A question frequently asked is whether or not it is possible to support so many very sound scientific projects at the same time? The answer is simple.

Even if all these projects were funded at once, the total amount of money allocated would still be far less than what is currently provided in some other fundamental sciences such as physics or chemistry. However, if it still is difficult to obtain the funding for some projects, we may have to revise the strategy and consider formulating only projects that have a predictable end.

Government Relations

CGC often serves as a source of specialists for various committees at the request of the governmental geoscientific community. In addition, many of our members are active on permanent committees.

Advice

The President of CGC is an ex officio member the Ministerial National Industrial Advisory Committee to the Minister of Energy and Resources regarding the activities of the Geological Survey of Canada and I have attended two meetings this year, one in Ottawa and the second in Vancouver -Victoria region.

Lobby and Representation

Another important activity of the CGC Executive is to maintain regular contacts with not only the Geological Survey of Canada, but also with Environment Canada and other provincial or federal departments. In May 1992, many members of the Executive had the occasion to meet with the Minister for Natural Resources of Nova Scotia, Mr. Leefe and his senior colleagues. Later, at the occasion of the 80th meeting in Sainte-Foy, members of the Executive also met with the Deputy Minister of Energy and Resources, J. Lebuis and his senior colleagues. In June I also had the opportunity to meet with B. Holmes of the Yukon Territorial Government. Such meetings are now projected on a regular basis when CGC meetings are held outside the National Capital.

Another aspect of Canadian relationships is the regular maintenance of regular contacts between CGC and the Canadian Institute of Professional Engineers. The last meeting was in Whitehorse, last June.

Similarly, there is an opportunity offered every year to CGC to present a brief at the Mines Ministers' Conference. The most recent one was last September in Whitehorse, Yukon at which meeting CGC was represented by its Treasurer, J. Hamilton.

International Activities

The geoscientific community has always been well represented at the international level. Two years ago, the Geological Survey of Canada transferred to CGC the managerial responsibilities of international scientific relationships. These activities are monitored by the CGC Foreign Secretary, C. Stearn of McGill University and who has prepared the report presented below.

A significant event in 1992 was the holding of the 28th International Geological Congress in Kyoto, Japan. A strong Canadian delegation of seven members, led by K. Babcock director of the Geological Survey of Canada attended the meeting. The presence of Canada at the highest level in the international geoscientific community is now ensured by the recent election, in Kyoto, of W. Fyfe as President of the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS).

Into the Future

CGC has a promising future. Its action will widen as the size of the geoscientific family will enlarge. We should, for example, re-establish concrete links with the Canadian Soil Science Society, an important component of any environmental issue. In many cases, soil scientists are essential collaborators in day to day geoscientific activities. The establishment of regular contacts with other departments like Fisheries and Oceans and Indians Affairs and Northern Development should be pursued since many of their activities are related to geoscience in general.

Action Plan

In 1990, CGC established its Mission Statement, the next logical action might be to prepare an action plan, possibly a five year plan, in the form of a document that would provide guidance. Such an Action Plan could include a component related to "responsible development". In this way, CGC could provide a platform that is at arm's length from both industry and government. CGC can offer to the public, and to interested groups or agencies, documents or position papers stressing the importance of natural resources to the Provinces and Territories. It can also stress the need for the geoscientific industrial community to integrate environmental and societal concerns in the evaluation and decision making process related to development and exploitation of natural resources.

Tri-lateral Free Trade

Even if the tri-lateral free trade agreement is not accepted by all, one fact remains is that there is a strong movement for the establishment of a North American economic space. Because of this strong tendency, it will be necessary to establish formal collaborations between North American geoscientific organizations. Such an example is given by the Canadian Geotechnical Society which has been publishing for the last few years a trimestrial newsletter with contributions from Canadian, American and Mexicans.

The Canada Prize

I hope that in a near future we will be able to announce the definitive launching of the Canada Prize for Earth Sciences and Environment. This initiative of CGC, started three years ago and will enable the Canadian geoscientific community to clearly underline its consideration for the environment and the natural resources.

Finances

To achieve its projects, CGC needs money. It is expected that, with time, more and more of the funds will originate from the member societies, and a policy of self-financing will be pursued for most of the activities that will be initiated. As of today, CGC's work is only done from volunteers who donate their time. CGC often supplies various levels of government with highly qualified scientists. In return some departments provide CGC with a sustaining grant. However we note a decline in the number of government contributors. CGC will have to intensify its efforts in demonstrating the pertinence of its activities and in return the responsibilities of these departments toward the geoscientific community. However, other sources of income may have to be explored.

A Final Word?

In closing, those who know me will understand that I cannot close without mentioning that 1992 was also a intense year from a political point of view. My experience as President of CGC and my other years as a geoscientist have convince me of the existence of strong and specific regions but whose boundaries are often not respected by geological ones! From this point of view, I think that our politicians should take advantage of, and some inspiration from, the operating models provided by many Canadian scientific organizations. They have learned to adapt themselves, as much as possible, to the geopolitical characteristics of Canada.

Acknowledgments

It is not an easy task to follow so many eminent geoscientists that have presided over the destiny of CGC. However, it has been made very pleasant by the frank collaboration provided by either the Executive, the Council and also by the managers of the Geological Survey of Canada, particularly K. Babcock, C. Finley, and R. Riddihough.

I would also like to thank the members of the CGC Executive, J. Gartner, J. Hamilton, A. Morgan, B. Norford, D. Pollock, C. Riddell, C. Stearn, and also D. Mustard and I. Thomson former Presidents of CGC. The work of the President would be very difficult if not impossible, without the support and help of the Executive and most particularly that of the Executive Director, A. Morgan.

I also wish to thank my colleagues, the personal and the students of the department of geology and geological engineering at Universiti Laval for their support and understanding. Finally, I wish to offer my sincere thank to my wife Ghyslaine and my daughters Virginie and Ariane for their support and great tolerance vis-`-vis my many absences.

Jacques Locat