Science and Research Committee on May 28th, 2024

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Mr. Hik, Canada signed the Agreement on Enhancing International Arctic Scientific Cooperation on May 11, 2017. One of the objectives was to attract world-class researchers to do research in the north.

Do you feel that Canada has been able to attract talent since then?

[David Hik]

Even before that Arctic Council agreement, Canada was very attractive for international collaboration and partnership. The intent was to improve the mobility of researchers, infrastructures, samples and data. That agreement was enabled through three Arctic science ministerial meetings up until the last one in 2020. There's a pause right now.

That's been important. Canada is a very attractive place for international researchers. That agreement helped a little bit, but there were already lots of mechanisms in place.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Hik, I'm a little confused. Richard Boudreault, the first president of Polar Knowledge Canada, appeared before the committee last Tuesday. He told us that there is a shortage of researchers in Canada to do northern research. According to him, Iceland had 13 times as many researchers per square metre as Canada, and there was a shortfall of about $500 million for northern research right now.

I don't know if the fact that you're in your current position prevents you from telling us the truth, if you lack information or if Mr. Boudreault lied to us. I would like you to enlighten us on this.

[David Hik]

I'm not sure how his calculations were made. I was in Iceland yesterday morning, and it's a much smaller country, so maybe the density per square metre of scientists is higher.

Quite honestly, I think we have a wonderful community of researchers across Canada in the academic community, in government and, increasingly, in the north.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Hik, Mr. Boudreault told us that Canada would need three or four times as many researchers to reach the average number of researchers in other Arctic Circle countries.

You just told me that, since 2017, you have managed to attract talent from outside the country. There's a bit of a disconnect between the two narratives. I remind you that Mr. Boudreault was the first president of Polar Knowledge Canada. Either you don't have a clear picture of the data or what you're saying doesn't match the current overall reality.

[David Hik]

I think there are two things. There are the Canadian researchers, researchers who are trained and working in Canada, and there are researchers from other countries who are collaborators in conducting research in Canada. In my experience, there's been growth in both of those communities. There have been Canadian researchers, and there's more and more interest from international researchers.

[The Chair, Liberal, Valerie Bradford]

Thank you.

We'll now have our final questioner today, MP Cannings, for two and a half minutes.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

I will continue with Dr. Hik.

Polar Knowledge Canada is based in Cambridge Bay, where CHARS is. How do you coordinate things across the Arctic from Herschel Island or Kluane to Pond Inlet to Nunavik when you're in a remote area yourself?

The Arctic, as you said, is a very big place. How do you manage to develop your mandate over that huge area?

[David Hik]

There are challenges having a federal agency headquartered in Cambridge Bay on an Arctic island, and there are lots of challenges that go along with operating there.

We have staff in Yukon, Whitehorse, Yellowknife, Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit in the north. We also have staff across Canada, working not just in the national capital region but in other locations as well, often co-located with other federal departments. We have staff in the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, in universities and in wildlife health laboratories, and we're able to leverage those relationships.

We also have an ear on the ground, if you will, with organizations and with people in other communities very directly by having staff who are not just concentrated in Cambridge Bay in the north but located in other communities. That's at the research scientist level, at the staff level and at the executive level as well.

[The Chair, Liberal, Valerie Bradford]

You have 45 seconds.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

That's okay. I'll leave it there.

[The Chair, Liberal, Valerie Bradford]

Thank you very much to our witnesses—Dr. Kimberly Strong, Andrew Applejohn and Dr. David Hik—for your testimony and participation in relation to our study of science and research in Canada's Arctic in relation to climate change. You may submit additional information through the clerk. Please see the clerk for any questions.

Again, we thank you. It was fascinating testimony today.

Before we adjourn, I want to give a brief reminder to members that at Thursday's meeting we will continue our study on science and research in Canada's Arctic in relation to climate change for one hour. Then we will resume consideration of the draft report for the study of the integration of indigenous traditional knowledge and science in government policy development.

We will also consider the travel budget proposal that was shared with members yesterday. It came out to your P9s, I believe, around 5:00 p.m. It's very detailed. I would congratulate the clerk, the support staff and our analysts for coming up with a very comprehensive proposal, which hopefully you will have a chance to look at so that we can consider it fully on Thursday. We will need to make a decision on it so we can submit it by the deadline on Friday.

Thank you very much.

The meeting is adjourned.