What's New / Quoi de neuf

Index of all What's New Items / L'index de tous les Quoi de neuf

Information Items - See Below /

Pour Information Seulement - Voyez en bas

Requests for Input / Requêtes pour Commentaires

click here / cliquez ici

Recent requests show "New" tag / Requêtes récentes sont marquées par "nouveau"

(Lorsqu'un texte est inscrit ici uniquement en anglais, c'est que son auteur s'exprime en cette langue ou encore qu'on n'a pas eu le temps d'en faire la traduction à cause d'une date limite... le webmestre)

2010 Photo Contest

The August 2010 Bulletin is available to members on-line and is also in the postal mail.

The results of our 2010 photo contest may also be seen here.

Webmaster

(updated 30 July 2010)

More News from Congress 2010

Following the Congress, several delegates met to discuss the presentations they heard. Many of the presentations focused on climate change and these delegates agreed on the following statement.

(15 June 2010)

CMOS - CGU Congress 2010

Ottawa, June 4, 2010. The CMOS-CGU joint congress wrapped up a successful week of meetings at Ottawa's Crowne Plaza hotel today. This was the 44th annual CMOS Congress and the third joint congress CMOS has held with the Canadian Geophysical Union (CGU). 990 delegates attended, including over 50 high school teachers who came for a special day on Thursday, June 3. It was the largest congress CMOS has ever held.

Many of the messages left by a series of impressive plenary speakers confirmed once again the results of climate change research which indicate that measurable warming is already under way. Climate warming was a main theme of plenary speakers on Arctic and Antarctic impacts especially ice extent, glacier melting and shifts in traditional biosystems to new geographical areas. Another speaker exposed the issue of acidification of the oceans through chemical reactions with carbon dioxide and the possible extinction of shellfish whose shells will dissolve in the acidic water. Another speaker told the delegates that some lizards in Mexico are already extinct due to climate change in their habitats. Finally, the congress learned that weather forecasting models, using ever larger computers, now make nine-day forecasts possible with good accuracy, and that an additional day is added every decade. Over 700 oral and poster papers were presented in multiple sessions occupying every conference room in the hotel.

On Wednesday evening June 2, a public talk, titled Our Melting Poles: Where Life on Earth is Changing, was presented to about 260 people by Professor Warwick Vincent of Laval University. Members of the media attended, and there followed two excellent press reports about the issues raised during the congress which are linked here, with credit to the Ottawa Citizen.

Many prizes and awards were announced during the Congress. Details of these awards, for both CMOS and CGU members, will be posted here very shortly, with photos where possible. A list of Award winners may be seen now. As well, at a special luncheon on June 2, the Environment Canada Patterson Medal was awarded to Bruce Angle, and the Fisheries and Oceans Parsons Medal was awarded to Dr. Brian Petrie.

The Congress Photo Collage has been completed. Some identities are needed. Anyone with personal photos from the congress is welcome to add them. Please contact webmaster@cmos.ca

Finally, if you are reading this as one of the 990 people who were at the Congress, and forgot to fill in the Satisfaction Survey, you can still do that now. Please use this link.

Webmaster, CMOS

(12 June 2010)

Good News about Oceanographic Research at Dalhousie University, Halifax

We have been provided with the following two links which detail exciting news about ocean reaserch. Hopefully, these links will be available for a while.

Link One - From Dalhousie

( 18 May 2010)

Call for nominations for the Patterson Medal / Appel de proposition pour la médaille Patterson

(1 Feb / fév 2010)

Call for Nominations for the Parsons Medal / Appel de proposition pour la médaille Parsons

(11 Jan / janv 2010)

National Occupational Standards for Meteorologists - ECO Canada: Meteorological Contacts Needed

ECO Canada currently needs help building its list of contacts to be drawn upon for participation in consultations, focus groups, and survey taking. Your help would be appreciated in building a base contact list - they have asked if you would be willing to fill out their Roster of Meteorological Professionals & Technologists, available at:

www.eco.ca/meteorology

There is an interesting role for retired meteorologists described on this site as well.

(6 January 2010)

RISE in North America 2010

After the very successful start of RISE in North America 2009 - in which DAAD supported 70 projects by funding undergraduate German students to serve as research assistants - the program is returning in 2010.

Research groups in the U. S. and in Canada interested in hosting a German research assistant in the summer of 2010 are invited to submit project offers on www.daad.de/rise-northamerica

(21 December 2009)

Five-Society Letter on Climate Change, 26 November 2009 /

Lettre des cinq sociétés au sujet du changement du climat, le 26 novembre 2009

pdf document pdf

(1 December 2009)

CFCAS's mandate has been extended by one year to March 31, 2012 /

Le mandat de la FCSCA a été prolongé d'une année, jusqu'au 31 mars 2012

(26 Nov/ nov 2009)

Two CMOS Members Become Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada

See: Royal Society of Canada Fellows (CMOS Members)

(19 September 2009)

Brief to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance by the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS)

pdf document pdf

Mémoire au Comité permanent des finances de la Chambre des communes par la Société canadienne de météorologie et d’océanographie (SCMO)

(September 14 septembre 2009)

WMO Meeting Co-sponsored by CMOS

World Meteorological Organization's Symposium on Nowcasting and Very-Short-Range Forecasting (WSN09), Whistler (British Columbia, Canada) 30 August to 4 September 2009

(1 August 2009)

EC Awards Ceremony June 17, 2008 : The Recipients

Citation of Excellence 2008 Environment Canada's Citation of Excellence recognizes the extraordinary achievements by individuals or teams, which benefit the Department, its clients or employees. The Citation also recognizes employees and teams that represent the Department in a positive way through activities that foster and improve teamwork, morale and the work environment. Barbara Hoglund Citation of Excellence for Organizational Wellness The Barbara Hoglund Citation of Excellence is awarded to an employee who:

* Initiated positive, far reaching actions that have contributed to the wellness of Environment Canada employees;
* Performed duties under extraordinary circumstances while respecting the human element;
* Managed work in a way that eliminated excessive workload and related stress;
* Encouraged and supported employees' aspirations to achieve a work-life balance; or,
* Lead by example in establishing a balance between work and personal life.

Peter Bowyer, Meteorological Services Canada

When Peter Bowyer noticed that morale at work was low, he did not feed the vicious cycle by complaining about it. Instead, he did something about it. He approached management with an intriguing proposal to deliver lunch-hour sessions on the Art and Science of Balancing Life. This 12-part health and wellness series included topics like a common sense approach to diet and exercise. Based on his own experiences and advice he had gleaned from self-help gurus, Peter packaged practical information in palatable portions, ideal for a lunch-hour break. An entertaining and energetic speaker, his sessions were well attended, not due just to their content, but also to Peter's delivery style and good nature. His talks had an impact on his co-workers, many of whom supported Peter's nomination with personal letters. The role of morale booster is not new to Peter. In 2005, he took on the full-time role of Executive Coordinator for the Government of Canada's Workplace Charitable Campaign (GCWCC), of which Environment Canada was the lead. He proved to be an inspiration not only to Environment Canada but throughout the federal public service in Nova Scotia. It was one of the most successful campaigns in the province's history, in no small part due to Pete's energy and his message about the impact of giving. Peter has always demonstrated incredible passion for his work on marine weather and hurricanes, and provided national and international leadership in this area. At the same time, he has personified a deeply rooted respect and love for family and non-work activities that others have consistently admired and used as a model for work-life balance. For his exceptional support, example and initiatives which have contributed to the overall wellness of Environment Canada employees, Peter Bowyer is honoured with the Barbara Hoglund Citation of Excellence.

(8 July 2009)

CMOS Congress - Halifax, NS - Photos

The Congress official photographer took over 500 photos during the Halifax Congress. A collage of the best ones can now be seen at:

http://www.cmos.ca/CongressPhotos/collage2009congress.html

If you forget this address, just go to "Photos" on our main page.

If you were at Congress you may be in the collage. Please contact: webmaster@cmos.ca if you would like a high resolution copy of any photo. Also, please help us out with identification of many people.

Finally, if you have any photos you took at Congress which are different from the collage, please let us know and we will be glad to share them.

CMOS Webmaster

(June 24, 2009)

CMOS Congress - Halifax, NS

Halifax, NS June 4, 2009. The 43rd annual Congress of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society wrapped up a successful week of presentations and meetings here today. About 550 delegates attended the Congress, including 50 teachers who attended a very successful special day on June 3. Some of the main messages left by a series of impressive plenary speakers included:

fertilization of the oceans with iron is an unlikely strategy to capture atmospheric carbon dioxide created by human activity,
confirmation and monitoring of continued loss of global sea and glacial ice by the "Grace" satellite was described,
present and future geostationary satellite systems remain the single best tool available for accurate hurricane forecasting
for the first time, results from experiments on the impact of vast African duststorms on oceanic weather were described, based on observations from the Cape Verde Islands which lie off Africa near the genesis area of many tropical storms,
the role of the Grand Banks and Flemish Cap in the Atlantic deep water currents was explained, and
results from new satellites which measure greenhouse gas emissions were shown. They graphically illustrated the global extent of large plumes of carbon dioxide from China and from burning forests in the Amazon area (these results indicated a visible lessening of Chinese emissions in the past two years with the current financial recession suspected as the cause).

On Tuesday evening, a public talk by Peter Boyer of the Canadian Hurricane Centre was held at the Atlantic Museum on the Halifax waterfront. About 200 people attended, over half from the general public. Peter's talk included a history of recent hurricanes and remnants which have hit Atlantic Canada. His many graphic photos, diagrams and illustrations enthralled the crowd.

Several awards were announced and presented during the Congress. These included the Society's prizes and awards as well as the Environment Canada Patterson Medal for a major achievement in meteorology, and the Fisheries and Oceans Parsons Medal for oceanography. The names, and photos (where available) of all the winners are now posted here. At the Awards Banquet on Wednesday evening, Phil "The Forecaster" Chadwick entertained the delegates with one of his trademarked "Weather, Life, Art & Tom Thomson" talks.

CMOS Webmaster

(June 4 & 14, 2009)

Notice: The 2009 CMOS photo contest is cancelled. The contest will be reinstated in 2010. Check in the fall of 2009 for further details. /

note: Le concours de photographie SCMO 2009 est annulé. On va retenir le concours en 2010. Visitez en l'automne 2009 pour plus de détails.

(19 April 2009)

Opportunity to attend Project Atmosphere - summer meteorology workshop

The Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS) invites you to apply to PROJECT ATMOSPHERE, a 2-week summer workshop (July 19 - 31, 2009) on meteorology specifically designed for teachers and run by the American Meteorological Society (AMS). The workshop is held at the National Weather Service training school in Kansas City. Expenses for the workshop, other than travel, are covered by allowances from the AMS. CMOS and the Canadian Council for Geographic Education each provide a $300 subsidy for travel to and from the workshop. For more information and a copy of the application form please go to www.cmos.ca/hsworkshop.html.

The deadline for applications is March 31, 2009. This opportunity is open to elementary and high school teachers. If you would like more information or have questions please contact cmos@cmos.ca

(10 Feb 2009)

Nation-wide contest for students and teachers / Concours à l’échelle du pays pour les étudiants et professeurs

Canadian Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Change (CANDAC) is holding a nation-wide contest for students in grade 11 and 12 and their teachers. Fifteen students and six teachers will be chosen to partake in the experience of a lifetime! The winners of the contest will accompany CANDAC members on a fully-funded 11-day excursion to Resolute and Eureka in Nunavut for an educational Arctic adventure!

See brochure in pdf format for more information

Un concours API offert par le Réseau canadien de détection des changements atmosphériques (CANDAC) a lancé un concours à l’échelle du pays pour les étudiants en 11ème et 12ème année et leurs professeurs. Quinze étudiants et six professeurs seront choisis pour participer à une expérience unique ! Les gagnants du concours accompagneront les membres de CANDAC pour une excursion de 11 jours entièrement financée, dans le Nunavut, à Resolute et Eureka, pour une aventure arctique éducative !

Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements, voir document en format pdf

Deadline for applications: January 12, 2009 / Date limite pour les demandes d’inscription : 12 janvier 2009

(December 4 décembre 2008)

An Open Letter on Climate Change Science to all Canadian Elected Government Leaders / Lettre ouverte concernant la science des changements climatiques à tous les dirigeants gouvernementaux élus au Canada

See / voir Media / médias

(June 27 juin 2008)

CMOS Congress - Kelowna BC

Kelowna BC, May 29, 2008. The 42nd annual Congress of the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society wrapped up a successful week of presentations and meetings here today. Over 500 delegates attended the Congress. Some of the main messages left by a series of impressive plenary speakers included:

not only is climate change real and here now, but the most pressing task ahead is to adapt to the changes as well as continue mitigation efforts;
multi-year sea ice is disappearing from the Arctic in huge amounts, seasonal re-freezing each winter is masking this;
a water shortage is looming, even in Canada where we are thought to have so much fresh water;
USA cutbacks are poised to seriously affect the continuity of existing meteorological and oceanographic satellite coverage;
global non-renewable energy supplies are dwindling as demand continues to increase, creating an unsustainable scenario which will bring us to a critical shortage much sooner than most governments will admit; and
numerical weather prediction science is now well enough developed that more data observations and the cost of faster computers are all that stand in the way of producing good numerical forecasts for difficult points such as Whistler, BC.

On Tuesday evening, two public talks were held at the Congress hotel. A large attendance of Kelowna residents and Congress delegates heard Mike Roberts, local TV weatherman extraordinaire, take the audience behind the scenes of his special way of reporting Okanagan weather. Following Mike, David Phillips gave one of his patented Canadian Weather Story talks. David reiterated that he had also observed enough evidence to conclude climate change was indeed under way now. He suggested we can adapt to it in a practical manner without experiencing the scary scenarios set out by many commentators.

Several awards were announced and presented during the Congress. These included the Society's prizes and awards as well as the Environment Canada Patterson Medal for a major achievement in meteorology and the Fisheries and Oceans Parsons Medal for oceanography. The names, and photos (where available) of all the winners are posted elsewhere on this web site. See 2007 "Winners of Prizes and Awards".

On the final day of the Congress, delegates were treated to the latest available information about weather and dust conditions on Mars. Dr. Peter Taylor, long-time member and supporter of CMOS is a lead investigator of Canadian built temperature and pressure sensors which are aboard the Phoenix lander which touched down on Mars on the first day of the Congress.

A photo collage from the Congress is now available. Anyone with "private" photos that could fit into the collage is urged to contribute them to: webmaster@cmos.ca. Help is also needed with many identifications (see "?") beside some photo links.

CMOS Webmaster

(30 May 2008 & 5 June 2008)

NSERC Report (GSC 09 Environmental Earth Sciences Committee) - 2008

A bilingual pdf document - click above link.

(20 May 2008)

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URL: http://www.cmos.ca/whatsnew.html