I'll look for more details. It's actually a fairly arm's-length satellite of the department. I don't spend a lot of time with them, other than, as you described it, the fact that it's a body that was created basically to create a forum and a management vehicle for coordination of northern science issues.
The federal government has many departments involved in northern science. Many universities, think tanks, and other people also are involved in northern science. The commission plays a very important role in that. They had a big part to play in the International Polar Year activity of the last few years. As we move forward on the High Arctic research station, which will create a word-class facility in Canada's north, they undoubtedly are going to have a big in-basket of work on coordination of science activities.
Because they're such a tiny entity, occasionally we have to transfer the money to help them do various things. One of the things they're involved in is the recognition of good science and we simply provided them some money to do the awards.
I hope that gives you some picture of what they do.