The Meteorological Service of Canada, MSC has a history stretching back over 130 years. By constantly adapting to keep pace with technological evolution, it has met the increasing needs of Canadians for weather information over that time period. It is a respected member of the World Meteorological Organization of the United Nations and a core-of-government service to Canadians.
Publicly funded national weather services such as the MSC provide meteorological services to citizens through a network of public and private sector organizations. In Canada, the MSC serves as the backbone of this national network. These national weather services develop and manage large-scale monitoring networks, satellite and telecommunications systems, certain critical science and modelling work, data management and communication and dissemination functions for which no other public, private or academic partner has the mandate, expertise or resources.
The $75 million investment announced on March 13 will allow the MSC to improve its services to all Canadians. With respect to the specific questions: (a) the MSC office in Quebec City is not closing. However, some staff will need to relocate.
With respect to (b), Environment Canada did not conduct city by city economic assessments. The department was seeking a configuration of weather forecasting offices across the country that would best serve all Canadians, including those currently served by the Quebec City forecasters. Many options were considered, including models for weather services that are used in other countries. The model of five forecasting centres is the model that best serves the unique Canadian situation, since the country has a vast geographic territory to serve and a limited population and resources to do it with.
With respect to (c), consultation with stakeholders is an ongoing exercise in the MSC. The information gathered in support of the announced direction was extensive. Farmers indicated that they want better forecasts on precipitation. Energy groups also expressed their need for better precipitation forecasts. Forest agencies noted their need for more weather data over Canada’s vast forests to better assess forest flammability and manage large forest fires. Several economic sectors across Canada depend heavily on the MSC for weather information. These include energy, forestry, agriculture, transportation, fisheries, construction and tourism which account for about $150 billion of the country’s GDP.
With respect to (d), discussions were held with employees across the country. Twenty-two workshops were held in Calgary, Charlottetown, Edmonton, Fredericton, Gander, Halifax, Kelowna, Montreal, the National Capital Region, Quebec City, Regina, Rimouski, Saskatoon, St. John’s, Thunder Bay, Toronto, Vancouver, Victoria, Whitehorse, Winnipeg and Yellowknife. In these workshops, the employees stated in particular that they wanted the MSC to be recognized as a science based organization with greater visibility in Canada and that there was a need for greater investment in technology to modernize the infrastructure. They added that they were not receiving the training they needed to stay abreast of new science and technology.
With respect to (e), the origins of the exercise can be traced back to 1997 when the MSC conducted an alternative service delivery study. The conclusions of this two year review indicated that changes had to be made in order to take advantage of the evolving sciences and to address employee concerns in areas such as training and development. Over the next few years, various options were discussed by management to address these needs in a sustainable manner for the next 10 to 20 years, including consideration of human resource rejuvenation, observing equipment re-capitalization, forecasting technology advances, research priorities, and developing user needs.
With respect to (f), since there is no downsizing, there will be jobs within MSC for all employees, though there will be a need to relocate some staff. This will not be an easy choice for some. A guarantee of a reasonable job offer will be provided to all affected employees. Over the next two years, managers will work with affected employees in identifying their options regarding redeployment opportunities within the MSC, Environment Canada or, if required, other federal departments. Every reasonable effort will be made to respond to employee concerns, needs and career aspirations. In this regard, affected employees will have access to services to support them through this process.
With respect to (g), the Quebec City office is not closing; the forecast function is being relocated. There will continue to be MSC staff in Quebec City.
With respect to (h), again, this is not and never was a downsizing exercise.
With respect to (i), the Quebec City office is not closing; the forecast function is being relocated. There will continue to be MSC staff in Quebec City.
With respect to (j), the people of the Quebec City region and the media will not see anything different from today. All the services and information to which they have become accustomed will continue to be provided uninterrupted. In fact, the quality of the products and services will improve.
The MSC will continue its tradition of excellence in service to the people of Quebec and indeed, all Canadians, 24 hours a day, every day of the year no matter where they live, and that this service will continue to improve. This can only be accomplished by the ongoing professional development of MSC employees, by the continued optimization of emerging technologies, by the expansion of partnerships with other government departments, academia and the private sector, and with the outreach to Canadians for an improved understanding of their needs and the MSC products related to these changes.
