President's Report, 2003

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The President’s Report for 2002-2003 is in two sections, first section addressing the issues facing Canadian geoscience and CGC in particular. The actions which the Board believes should be undertaken and choices that must be made are outlined. The second section of the President’s report provides a summary of the activities undertaken by CGC during the last year.


I. The Canadian Geoscience Council: A Time for Change.

As my first year as President of CGC draws to an end, it is apparent that Canadian geoscience organizations and the Canadian Geoscience Council in particular are at a crucial point in their history. The year began for CGC with the preparations for a summit meeting which was held in Calgary in August 2002. This meeting was attended by representatives from most CGC member organizations and from most sectors of the geoscience community. The outcome of this meeting was seen as disappointing by many, with no immediate solutions to what were perceived as recurrent problems. The meeting outlined the need for improved communication both within our own community and perhaps even more importantly with the public and decision makers. In very frank discussions the need to improve the public perception of geoscience, to showcase current innovation and ensure the future growth of innovative Canadian geoscience was seen as a high priority. In response, CGC will be proposing the formation of a Standing Committee on Innovation in Geoscience. It is intended that this committee will address the often ill-informed views of decision makers on Canadian geoscience. It will focus attention on the significant innovations underway within Canadian geoscience and stimulate further developments. The activities of the Innovation in Geoscience Standing Committee will be important not just with respect to academic research initiatives (NSERC reallocation) but in conveying to decision makers the important role that geoscience innovation in the varied sectors of industry plays in the Canadian economy. The false perception of a discipline lacking in innovation will harm Canadian Geoscience not only in the actions of decision makers but more importantly in not taking advantage of the opportunity to attract young Canadians into our discipline. The CGC remains fully supportive of activities in geoscience education and sees this as crucial to the future of our profession.

Following the Calgary summit the volunteer Board of the Canadian Geoscience Council with the enthusiastic efforts of its Executive Officer, Bob Mummery, has sought to identify the manner in which CGC can best serve the Canadian geoscience community. At its 109th Council Meeting in Ottawa in November 2002, the message of the Board was that the funding and operational structure of CGC must change. These proposed changes will be discussed in detail at the 110th Council Meeting in Vancouver in May 2003. This activity has been seen by some as introspective however I believe that if an examination of CGC’s current modus operandi had not been undertaken CGC’s future would be in jeopardy. The Canadian Geoscience Council is not alone in having to come to terms with the demands of a different society and profession. The Australian Geoscience Council went through a similar exercise, and within Canada numerous organizations are changing in order to react more efficiently, in a results-based manner to geoscience issues. As an outcome of the 110th Council meeting in Ottawa, Council suggested that the CGC Board undertake a survey of the operational infrastructure/funding of its member organizations and also that it explore an alternative operational structure for CGC. Both tasks have been undertaken and will be used as a basis for the future of CGC. It is unfortunate that just as this process should commence, CGC will lose, temporarily, two valued member organizations: the Geological Association of Canada (GAC) and the Association of Exploration Geochemists (AEG). We would like to thank both for their past support. The current President of GAC was a member of the CGC Board for the last two years and very supportive of Council. The financial issues faced by several Canadian geoscience organizations reflect similar problems faced by CGC. The Canadian Geoscience Council has been exploring alternative methods of funding and cost-sharing economy measures that might be of benefit to its member organizations.

It is essential that the CGC be representative of all the major sectors of the geoscience community – industry, academia and government. The President and Board would like to work towards a truly representative Council both professionally and regionally. CGC must be run from the bottom up and it is the view of the current Board that a major change of structure is required to achieve this. A reduced board membership and direct involvement of council members in GCC activities is believed to be the most efficient and perhaps only viable method of representing Canadian geoscience effectively. A partial volunteer Board of Directors is simply unable to respond to the diversity of issues it faces. Similarly, it is considered essential that there should be and expansion of working parties or CGC panels of experts to react to diverse issues including natural hazards, groundwater, climate change and resource exploitation. During the next few months we will be calling for volunteer experts from the member societies to come together to provide a coherent focus for these activities. A Board of Directors cannot, and should not, attempt to represent Canadian geoscience on these issues without the assistance of such groups.

In summary, the present CGC Board believes there must be:

• A radical change in the structure and management of the CGC
• A call for regular teleconference meetings of the Presidents of member organizations
• Continued support for geoscience education and international activities
• An attempt to improve communication in Canadian geoscience both regionally and sectorially and at all levels
• Continued investigation and efforts to attain alternative funding mechanisms in order that all geoscience organizations can be represented in CGC (regardless of immediate financial constraints)
• A determination of the scope for economies in Canadian geoscience organizations. (Sharing of costs in common activities by member organizations)
• Both continued support for its present Standing Committees and increased efforts to ensure CGC activities include major issues currently facing geoscience such as groundwater, natural hazards, climate change (drawing on the expertise of panels of experts/working groups)
• Formation of a Standing Committee to address the critical issue of “Innovations in Geoscience”


As President of CGC I have been encouraged by recent meetings with several Presidents of member organizations and their apparent commitment to a geoscience body representing Canadian geoscience. The common view of most of the Presidents I have met is however, that the present CGC modus operandi must change if it is to fill the role required. Unfortunately, the council member organizations have failed to provide a single nomination for the CGC Board of Directors in 2003-4. This will effectively mean that the Board will have a complement of three (possibly four) Directors leaving 5 positions unfilled including the crucial position of President Elect. To undertake the changes needed to provide a both relevant and functional CGC the support of the member organizations is needed – from the lack of nominations this is clearly not forthcoming. The Board will seek advice at the AGM and 110th Council meeting in Vancouver as to its course of action:

• Restructure and change the management of CGC or
• Consider suspension of all but the most essential activities during 2003-4 and if no progress/interest from Council is forthcoming - move to dissolve CGC at the 2004 AGM.

II. CGC Activities 2002-3


External relations

Public awareness

• The CGC remains committed in its support of the Canadian Geoscience Education Network (CGEN) and the EdGeo program of teachers’ workshops. We have committed to supporting CGEN’s organization of the international GeoSciEd IV meeting of geoscience educators being held in Calgary in 2003.The President and Executive Officer have discussed with member organizations the importance of maintaining initiatives within the sphere of geoscience education and potential collaborative ventures.

• At the last AGM of CGC in May 2002 a part-time Executive Officer, Bob Mummery, was appointed to establish stronger involvement with the petroleum sector and to continue the initiatives of the previous incumbent, Tim Aston. Bob has been extremely active during the year not the least in organizing a summit meeting of all member organizations and conducting the survey of member society infrastructure and funding.

• Additional draft CGC position papers were developed on groundwater and climate change. The latter was developed at the request of the November 109th Council meeting in Ottawa and was the subject of considerable (and sometimes heated) internal discussion within the board during drafting. A draft was released to council member representatives and was similarly the subject of controversy. The President has suggested the formation of a “Standing Committee of Climate Change Experts” and the organization of a workshop and would welcome volunteers to be involved in forming this CGC committee.

• A PowerPoint presentation was prepared to describe the role of CGC and it activities. Members of the Board of Directors have given presentations of varying length at the AGM’s of member organizations and at other appropriate venues. A PowerPoint display was also developed to summarize the issues raised by the CGC survey of member organizations.

• Micki Allen, Administrative Director, has represented CGC with a CGC poster display and the CGC brochure at several conferences during the year.

Promotion of Geoscience

• Following the 2002 AGM in Vancouver it was recognized by Council that a real need existed for a meeting of senior members of the Executive of Council Member organizations. During the summer of 2002, a small group of volunteers led by Bob Mummery undertook preparations for a summit meeting. A professional facilitator was hired to run the meeting. Presidents and senior members of CGC Council organizations were invited to the two day summit meeting which was held in Calgary on August 24 -25 2002. The focus of the meeting were the issues facing Canadian geoscience and geoscience institutions and ways we might work together to deal with these issues. The summit meeting highlighted significant problems facing the geoscience community. The meeting fell short of providing solutions to issues but suggested possible areas of for future collaboration and attention. One significant outcome of the summit was the commissioning of a group of geoscientists, who are intent on providing a proactive approach to addressing the “Geoscience Needs of Canadians”. It is intended to extend this initiative with the formation of a “Standing Committee on Innovation in Geoscience”

• The Past President, Jeremy Hall, published “The contribution of Geoscience to Canada’s Innovation Strategy: smart tools and human resources for vibrant resource and environmental industries” as a CGC Sector Discussion Report submission to “Canada’s Innovation Strategy :www.innovationstrategy.gc.ca/cmb/innovation.nsf/ SectorReports/CGC It is intended to extend this initiative with the formation of a “Standing Committee on Innovation in Geoscience”

• An oral presentation was given, by invitation of NRCan, at the Mines Minister’s Conference in Winnipeg, September 2002 by Bryan Schreiner, CGC Issues Director, on the CGC Brief on Geoscience in Canada’s Innovation Strategy.

• A CGC Standing Committee on Sustainable Mineral Resource Development was formed after the Vancouver AGM in order to provide a forum for discussion on the future of mineral deposits research in Canada. This group held a successful 2-day workshop on “Sustainable Mining in the 21st Century” in Vancouver in May 2002. (http:www.cim.org/ geosoc/sum21_report.cfm). A meeting will also held in Vancouver as part of GAC/MAC. Jeremy Richards chaired this working group for 2002-2003 and will be stepping down as chair after GAC/MAC in Vancouver, May 2003. We would like to thank Jeremy for his efforts in the sustainable mineral resource development committee. In spite of a lack of success in obtaining funding SD is an important issue and more widely accepted in developing program objectives. There is considerable support for the Standing CGC Committee to continue.

• The CGC Standing Committee on the International Continental Drilling Program (ICDP) held a very successful workshop on drilling the Sudbury Impact structure in September 2002. (80 participants). ICDP has approved funding for an international workshop which will be held in September 2003 in Sudbury. A workshop on drilling in the Arctic was held in Edmonton in April 2003 (20 participants). There will be a half-day session on Canadian participation in ICDP on 12 May 2003, during the meeting of the Canadian Geophysical Union in Banff.

• At the 109th Council meeting in November 2002 a brief presentation on funding issues and the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program was made by Matt Salisbury. CGC remains committed to supporting applications for funding through appropriate letters of support.

• CGC has been involved in preliminary discussions with the Engineering Geology Division of the Canadian Geotechnical Society with regards to initiating a task force or Standing Committee to help establish a “Canadian National Network on Geohazards”. Corey Froese, CGS provided an outline of current natural hazard initiatives in Canada at the Ottawa Council meeting in November 2002. CGC agreed to support this initiative on a receipt of a letter requesting formation of the standing committee. The President of CGC, as member of the GSC Advisory Board, will be involved in review of the GSC Natural Hazards program in Victoria, BC in June 2003.

• At the November 2002 Council meeting, Council suggested the Board devise and circulate a questionnaire to Canadian geoscience societies to gather facts on budgets, memberships, activities and challenges faced. The interest in allocation of resources to shared objectives was also to be assessed. This survey has been completed with response from all major member organizations. The exercise has proved extremely useful. The results have been summarized and the President, Past President and Executive Officer have met with member organizations to discuss the results of the surveys and future initiatives.

• The President of CGC forwarded letters to Ottawa in support of maintaining the AECL Underground Research Laboratory at Pinawa, Manitoba. This research facility, which faces imminent closure, has been at the forefront of international and highly innovative research in engineering and geoscience issues related to the storage of underground nuclear waste.

Internal relations

• The Board of CGC commissioned a more detailed analysis of the results of the CGC census of geoscientists in Canada. This paper entitled “Analysis of Canadian Geoscience Council Geoscientist Census 2001” was recently published in Geoscience Canada by Tara Coultish; Reprints of the paper were distributed at the 109th CGC meeting in Ottawa.

• Don James was approved as the new Finance Director for CGC at the November 2002 Council meeting.

• Publication of e-mail bulletins has been affected by the resignation of the Communications Director; this position remaining unfilled throughout 2002-2003.

• At the 109th Council meeting, November 2002, Ottawa the need to fill vacant positions on the CGC Board was emphasized. The Past President, Jeremy Hall, as Chair of the Nominating Committee, submitted a call for nominations for vacant positions on the CGC Board. No nominations were received from member organizations.

• The President presented a paper on the Future Options for CGC at the 109th Council meeting. The crux of this presentation was that CGC must change its management structure to be an effective focus for Canadian Geoscience. This was agreed by the Council members and the Board proposes a transition to a new management structure in 2003-4.

• The Executive Officer, after agreement by Council, obtained a subscription for CGC in the Big Online organization. A proposal has been drafted in order to develop additional funding mechanisms for CGC.

• CGC continues its advisory role to the federal government, and especially Natural Resources Canada. The President of CGC sits, ex officio, on the Minister’s National Advisory Board for Earth Sciences (MNABES), which meets twice a year. The President attended a meeting of the GSC Advisory Committee in November 2002 in Ottawa and also provided written input to the review of the new GSC programs. A further meeting of the GSC Advisory committee is scheduled for June 2003. The MNABES meeting in November 2002 was cancelled and has yet to be rescheduled.

• The President of CGC agreed to accept an invitation to join the National Resources Working Group and submitted written feedback to a recent survey.

• CGC continues as the adhering body in Canada to the International Union of Geological Sciences, and has also maintained its responsibility for administering Canadian participation in projects of the International Geological Correlation Program. Changes in the CGC funding mechanisms for International Activities were passed at the last AGM in Vancouver, transferring responsibility for the administration of the allocated research funds to IGCP.







Doug Stead, B.Sc., MSc, PhD.
President of CGC
Department of Earth Sciences, Simon Fraser University

 

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