National Report- Canada -

Sustaining Arctic Observing NetworksBoard Meeting – Potsdam, GermanyOctober 2012

National Report

Report of National Activities - Coordination across networks and platforms for research and monitoring

Report of National Activities – Access to data

Canadian National SAON Coordinating Committee• Terms of reference

Annex: Canadian-led SAON tasks

Report of National Activities - Coordination across networks and platforms for research and

monitoring

Canadian Network of Northern Research Operators (CNNRO)

• CNNRO is a network coordinated by the Canadian Polar Commission in partnership with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada• CNNRO was created to enable operators of northern research facilities to collaborate, identify opportunities, share best practices, form strategic partnerships• More information about this network can be found on the Canadian Polar Commission's website: www.polarcom.gc.ca• Links to/supports SAON Task #17: INTERACT network of Arctic terrestrial observatory sites

Report of National Activities - Coordination across networks and platforms for research and

monitoringCanadian Network of Northern Research Operators – new addition!Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS)

• In August 2012, announcement of $142.4 million for the construction, equipment, and fit-up of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station• Additional $46.2 million over six years to phase in the Science and Technology Program• To be located in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, the research station will act as a hub for scientific activity in Canada’s Arctic • The new Station is set to open in 2017• Welcome international science and technology partnerships

Report of National Activities - Coordination across networks and platforms for research and

monitoringStrategic Directions

- SAON is uniquely positioned to provide international direction on Arctic observing networks and platforms

- Need to address the challenge of: Breadth of Tasks versus Focus on priorities

- Need to identify key priorities and specific actions to pursue

Report of National Activities – Access to data

Current Activities:

- Canada is actively working on several scientific data management activities :

-SAON Task: Circumpolar Health Observatory; -SAON Task: International Polar Year Data Assembly Centre Network, now the Canadian Polar Data Network; and - SAON Task: Polar Data Profile/Recommended Vocabularies

Report of National Activities – Access to data

Strategic Directions

- SAON is uniquely positioned to provide international direction on Arctic data management

- Opportunity for SAON to advocate for sound data management practices as integral component of Observing activity

- Geospatial presentation of Arctic science data – a niche?

- Lessons learned from Task #5 to preserve and provide access to scientific data and information. Collaborative approach where functional roles are provided to the distributed data centres (e.g. one focuses on metadata, provision of access, another focuses on long term preservation)

National SAON Coordinating Committee

Terms of Reference (Draft):- Governance

- Chair: Helen Joseph; Secretariat: Canadian Polar Commission- Composition: open and accessible membership (currently federal and territorial departments; academics; AC Permanent Participants)

- Regular communication on SAON activities- To prepare National SAON rep for Board meetings- To ensure a “national view” at the Board meetings-Discussion on Canadian-led SAON Tasks; participation in SAON networks

- Regularly update the Canadian Inventory of Arctic monitoring

- Opportunity to promote and increase awareness of SAON

Annex – Update on Canadian-led SAON Tasks

Update on Canadian SAON Tasks

Task 2: Polar Metadata Profile and Recommended VocabulariesTask Leader: John Huck, University of Alberta

- Transfer of Task Leader to Canadian university (May 2012)

- Comparison of ISO profiles completed (January 2012)

- Survey of vocabularies begun (2011)

- Task team reconvened (September 2012)

Update on Canadian SAON Tasks

Task 3: Circumpolar Health ObservatoryTask Co-Leaders: Susan Chatworth, Institute of Circumpolar Health Research and Kue Young, University of Toronto

- Tremendous progress; now fully functional and interactive- All data have been updated to 2009; forming a complete 10-year series 2000-2009-Document repository has been populated with government statistical reports, policy statements, strategies and action plans, etc; all arranged by region-Each “module” has a Methodological Note describing the sources of data and limitationsFuture Plans:- Add new modules on Health Care Expenditures, Indigenous Population, Obesity-Continuous updating beyond 2009 as data become available from national statistical agencies-See www.circhob.circumpolarhealth.org for the Health Observatory

Update on Canadian SAON Tasks

Task 4: Role of Remote Sensing in Arctic MonitoringTask Leader: Canadian Space Agency with partners

At this time, the Task is being put on hold

Further discussions with potential partners need to be undertaken to define how to move forward with this Task

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Update on Canadian SAON Tasks

Task 5: The Canadian IPY Data Assembly Centre Network: A Case StudyTask Leader: Scott Tomlinson, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada

- To develop a Case Study or Best Practices document outlining an approach to sustainable data management network for Arctic Science- IPY Data Assembly Centre Network has been active in preserving data and information from Canada’s IPY Program BUT it has been complex process- Network is still developing; final report is not finalized; could provide periodic recommendations and lessons learned on scientific data management collaborations- Actively seeking other Arctic Science initiatives and partnersSee www.polardata.ca for metadata and data

Update on Canadian SAON Tasks

Task 9: An International Review of Community-based Monitoring in the Context of Sustaining Arctic Observing Networks ProcessTask Leader: Eva Krummel, Inuit Circumpolar Council, Canada- Progress has been good- Eva Krummel, ICC, will describe details

Update on Canadian SAON Tasks

Task 13: Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan (CAFF/Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Programme)Task Leader: Mike Gill, Canada (CAFF)

- Progress continues to be good after approval by CAFF Management Board, February 2011 and by SAOs- Workplans for the Marine Steering Group and Marine Expert Networks have been approved- CBMP Arctic Marine Biodiversity Monitoring Plan continues to exemplify the principles of SAON (e.g. promote, facilitate, coordinate marine biodiversity monitoring activities among circumpolar countries)