What's New

• October 09
  Western Canadian museum professionals participate in U.S. exchange program
  Two museum professionals from western Canada participated in a 10-day professional exchange program in early October sponsored by the U.S. Consulate Calgary. Ian Moir, a senior archivist at the Prince of Wales Northern Heritage Centre in Yellowknife, and Marlon Janzen, a dioramist at the Royal Saskatchewan Museum in Regina, travelled to the U.S. with eight other participants from across Canada where they were introduced to their counterparts in museums and art galleries in Washington D.C., Atlanta and Minneapolis. The site visits provided a opportunity for the Canadians to learn more about U.S. curatorial methods and discuss issues of common interest in the areas of museum design, collection development and audience engagement. “Even though we are working in different jurisdications and have different associations backing us, we discovered a lot of the issues we are dealing with are the same on both sides of the border,” said Moir adding he has brought back some best practice ideas and good contacts to share with his colleagues at the Northern Heritage Centre.

• 03 September 2009: Tuktoyaktuk
  Consul General Lochman meets youth, community leaders in the far north
  Consul General Laura Lochman travelled to Tuktoyaktuk, a small Inuvialuit community on the Arctic Ocean, to talk to community leaders and young people about issues important to the hamlet. Tuk is Canada’s northernmost mainland community. The Consul General’s tour included a stop at Mangilaluk School to talk to students in grades 9-12 about the work of the Consulate, her role as Consul General and about Canada-U.S. relations. She touched on cooperative activities undertaken by the two countries in the Arctic region, and took questions from students and teachers about her career path as well as issues such as Arctic sovereignty. CG Lochman also visited a Grade 4 class to talk about literacy and students’ interest in reading, presenting the class with a set of Scholastic books for the school library.
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• 02 September 2009: Inuvik
  Consul General Lochman travels to the Mackenzie River Delta
  Consul General Laura Lochman spent the day in Inuvik meeting with government and community to leaders, including Peter Clarkson, executive regional director for the Northwest Territories government, Inuvik Mayor Derek Lindsay, Nellie Cournoyea, CEO and chair of the Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, and Richard Nerysoo, president of the Gwich’in Tribal Council. The Consul General gave interviews to the Northern News Service and CBC North at the end of her visit which included a tour of Inuvik’s new economic and construction projects, community facilities and historic sites.
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• 31 August – 01 September : Yellowknife
  Consul General Lochman makes first official visit to the Northwest Territories
  Consul General Laura Lochman made her first visit to the Northwest Territories to meet with government, business, and community leaders as well as representatives from the military, academic and cultural sectors. While in Yellowknife, the Consul General met with NWT Premier Floyd Roland, NWT Commissioner Tony Whitford, Minister of Finance, Environment and Natural Resources Michael Miltenberger, RCMP superintendent Thomas Middleton, Mayor of Yellowknife Gordon Van Tighem and Brigadier General David Millar of Joint Task Force North. The Consul General received briefings on the Territories’ economic, tourism and investment activity and toured a diamond polishing and cutting facility and Aurora College’s Yellowknife Campus. Her trip included a dinner with representatives from the city’s cultural and media sectors and First Nations communities.
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• 30 October 08
  Arctic Trip - North Warning System
  From October 7 to 10, Terry Breese, the Deputy Chief of Mission (DCM) of the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, traveled to the Arctic region of Canada to view first-hand the "North Warning System" (NWS) that Canada and the United States operate as part of their joint defense of North America. This was the first Arctic visit for a DCM, and Breese covered over 5400 miles during the four-day trip. [more]

• 11 August 08
  Two Scientific Cruises to Map Arctic Seafloor
  The U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force, chaired by the Department of State, plans two Arctic cruises by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy this summer, one of which will be conducted in collaboration with the Government of Canada. The cruises are part of an interagency effort to collect scientific data about the continental shelf and oceanic basins in the Arctic.
  The first cruise, August 14 to September 5 from Barrow, Alaska, will employ a sophisticated echo sounder that will collect data to create a three-dimensional map of the Arctic seafloor in an area known as the Chukchi Cap. This cruise is led by the University of New Hampshire’s Joint Hydrographic Center, with support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. [more] [Related - September 2, 2008].
  

• 13 June 08
  NASA Aircraft Examine Impact of Forest Fires on Arctic Climate
  WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the summer fire season heats up, NASA aircraft are set to follow the trail of smoke plumes from some of Earth's northernmost forest fires, examining their contribution to arctic pollution and implications for climate change. [More].
  

• 14 May 08
  U.S. adds Polar Bears to List of Threatened Species
  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne today announced that he is accepting the recommendation of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dale Hall to list the polar bear as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The listing is based on the best available science, which shows that loss of sea ice threatens and will likely continue to threaten polar bear habitat. This loss of habitat puts polar bears at risk of becoming endangered in the foreseeable future, the standard established by the ESA for designating a threatened species. [More].
  The proposed ESA special 4(d) rule is available at - http://www.doi.gov/issues/polar_bears.html - for a 60 day public comment period.
  

  
  

• 08 May 08
  Minister Baird and Secretary Kempthorne Hold Bilateral Meeting
  OTTAWA — Canada's Minister of the Environment, John Baird, held a bilateral meeting earlier today with U.S. Secretary of the Interior, Dirk Kempthorne. The Minister and Secretary were also joined by the President of Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Mary Simon, as well as a number of officials from both countries.
  
  "Today's bilateral meeting included a number of cross-border issues, including the recent announcement by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) on the status of the polar bear, and other important issues that cross the 49th parallel," said Minister Baird. [More].

• On November 29 there was a Video WebCast on: Native American Traditions, Oral History and the Indian Wars of the American West. In commemoration of National American Indian Heritage Month, Dennis Zotigh and Peter Cozzens looked at Native American traditions and the climactic struggles between Native Americans and the white man in the American West. View the webcast.

• Internet Tools & Curriculum Design for Young Learners of English: Technology and Classroom Activities: USINFO webchat covered new ways to teach younger learners
  On June 14, English as a Second Language (ESL) expert Judie Haynes discussed new ways to motivate students and make language learning fun. Transcript.

• “The United States, Climate Change, and the Arctic”
  The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Canada and The Center for U.S. Studies and the International Geopolitical Center of the Raoul-Dandurand Chair of Strategic and Diplomatic Studies at the University of Québec at Montréal (UQAM) hosted an online webchat at the at the International Conference, “The United States, Climate Change, and the Arctic”. Montréal, Québec, April 19 – 20, 2007.

• CRS Report : Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): Legislative Actions Through the 109th Congress Updated April 9, 2007.
• CRS Report : Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR): New Directions in the 110th Congress. February 8, 2007.

• "Ask the Ambassador" Live Web Chat -- Friday, February 16, 2 pm EST (1900 GMT).
  Ambassador David H. Wilkins was available live to answer questions on this "Ask the Ambassador" web chat. The Ambassador invited Canadians to engage with him on a dialog on issues of concern to Canadians "North of Sixty". Transcript of web chat.

• Traveling Tales: On a plane between Tuktoyaktuk and Inuvik recently, U.S. Consulate Calgary public affairs representative Betty Rice began talking with Alana Mero, from Aurora College. Ms. Mero spoke eloquently about the cooperation between U.S. and Canadian rescue teams who put aside questions of nationalism or borders to help Canadians and Americans in need. At our request, Ms. Mero has graciously contributed this article as a guest writer for the U.S. North of 60 Virtual Presence Posts. July 06.
• Ambassador Wilkins' Inaugural Visit to the NWT, May 06.
• Hay River Rotary Assists Children of New Orleans. 16 November 05.
• American Artists Participate in Great Northern Arts Festival. 15-24 July 05.
• In July 2005, the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa donated three Scholastic Book collections to libraries in the Northwest Territories.
• U.S. Embassy Supports the Centre for Indigenous Theatre's 2005 Summer School North in Yellowknife, July 05.
• American and Canadian scientists explain NASA's THEMIS project to Northern audiences. Videoconference Sheds Light on Aurora Borealis Study, 18 July 05.

• Ecole Sir John Franklin High School Students take part in an on-line dialogue with former U.S. Ambassador Cellucci. 9 March 05.
• Former Ambassador Paul Cellucci formally launched the "North of 60: U.S. Virtual Presence Posts in Canada" at the Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa, 2 March 05.