Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been associated with Antarctica since the first over-wintering party of 1899. Hugh Blackwall Evans of Vermilion, Alberta, was a member of that party.
Recently NRCan scientists, using Canadian RADARSAT imagery, discovered a huge ice stream flowing into the Filchner Ice Shelf. This has been named the Blackwall Ice Stream in honour of Mr. Evans. This is the first time that the Geographical Names Board of Canada has approved a name in Antarctica. We extend best wishes to Eleanor Evans in Vermilion and other family members.
More recently, through Nahanni Productions of Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, Pat and Rosemary Keough published a book that includes 330 magnificent colour prints of Antarctica. The book weighs 12.6 kilograms. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in Antarctica and a reinforced bookshelf.
Interest in Antarctica is increasing across Canada. Canadians feel that we should ratify the environmental protocol to the Antarctic treaty soon.