Polar Knowledge Canada is a departmental corporation of the

Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

under the

Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada Crown''–''Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC; )''Crown–Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada'' is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Crown''–''Indigenou ...

(CIRNAC) portfolio. It is responsible for monitoring, promoting, and disseminating knowledge of the

polar regions The polar regions, also called the frigid geographical zone, zones or polar zones, of Earth are Earth's polar ice caps, the regions of the planet that surround its geographical poles (the North Pole, North and South Poles), lying within the pol ...

(both Arctic and Antarctic), contributing to public awareness of the importance of polar science to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

, enhancing Canada's international profile as a circumpolar nation, and recommending polar science policy direction to government. The organization was established when the former Canadian Polar Commission, formed in 1991, and the Arctic Science and Technology Directorate within CIRNAC that is responsible for Canadian High Arctic Research Station was merged into one unit under the ''Canadian High Arctic Research Station Act'' on June 1, 2015. Its main office is at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay,

Nunavut Nunavut is the largest and northernmost Provinces and territories of Canada#Territories, territory of Canada. It was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the ''Nunavut Act'' and the Nunavut Land Claims Agr ...

, which opened in August 2019.

History

The Canadian Polar Commission was established on February 1, 1991 under the ''Canadian Polar Commission Act''. The first meeting of the Commission was held in

Yellowknife Yellowknife is the capital, largest community, and the only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of t ...

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories is a federal Provinces and territories of Canada, territory of Canada. At a land area of approximately and a 2021 census population of 41,070, it is the second-largest and the most populous of Provinces and territorie ...

in November 1991. It later travelled to

Nunavik Nunavik (; ; ) is an area in Canada which comprises the northern third of the province of Quebec, part of the Nord-du-Québec region and nearly coterminous with Kativik. Covering a land area of north of the 55th parallel, it is the homelan ...

and

to met community representatives. From these meetings, the Commission identified long-term goals of the organization to monitor scientific research in polar science, monitor and report on research into northern economic development, promotion for the integration of traditional knowledge into polar research, communicate with the public about polar issues and conduct research projects on northern science, economics and social development.

References

External links

Polar Knowledge Canada
Federal departments and agencies of Canada Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Development Canada Northern Canada 2015 establishments in Canada Government agencies established in 2015 {{Canada-gov-stub