POLAR XPRESS – March 8, 2021

From the top

International Women’s Day

By Brittany Dale from the Planning and Reporting Team

The United Nations (UN) recognized International Women’s Day for the first time on March 8, 1975. Every year, the UN declares a theme for the annual celebration of the advancement of women’s rights. The themes of this year’s International Women’s Day are #ChooseToChallenge and “Women in Leadership: Achieving an Equal Future in a COVID-19 World.” These themes ask us to challenge and speak out against gender bias and inequality while celebrating women’s achievements—especially in a COVID-19 world. The pandemic has impacted women and girls in profound ways and has put a spotlight on the inequalities they still face every day.

Every year, the Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) hosts events to celebrate International Women’s Day. This year’s workshop is Women Who Lead: Celebrating International Women’s Day 2021. Participants are invited to chat with Rumana Monzur, a lawyer, human rights activist and domestic violence survivor. Rumana will reflect on her journey, from losing her sight in 2011 to her current work as counsel at the Department of Justice. Following this presentation, there will be an interactive panel discussion that touches on resilience, career development and the challenges facing women in leadership roles in the post-pandemic world. This webcast is open to all public servants on March 8, 2021 from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.

While International Women’s Day only happens once a year, women face challenges every day. It’s important that as an organization, POLAR actively works to dismantle barriers to diversity and inclusion. While the Introduction to Gender-based Analysis (GBA+) is a mandatory course for all POLAR staff, there are additional courses on GBA+ offered through the Canada School of Public Service to all public servants. . GBA+ provides an opportunity to deepen knowledge and examine the impact of programs, initiatives and policies on different groups of women, men and people of different gender identities. The "plus" indicates other identity factors that define a person, including race, ethnic origin, religion, age and intellectual or physical disabilities.

You can find more information on POLAR’s commitments to improve our GBA+ capacity in our Departmental Plan 2021-2022.

Women in STEM: Breaking Barriers

Sarah Paquet, Director and CEO of the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, and Lisa Cambell, President of the Canadian Space Agency, are bringing together a panel of amazing women for a virtual International Womens Day event on March 12, 2021. The theme of the event is Women in STEM: Breaking Barriers with Izella Dornell, Farah Alibay, and Sarah Gallagher. The topics of discussion will include their personal leadership stories, the challenges they have faced as Women in STEM and the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Date and time: March 12, 2021 | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm (ET)
Registration deadline: March 9, 2021, 4:00 pm (ET)
Register by email

Please note, prior to registering for an event, you must request permission from your supervisor.

Performance Feedback in Times of Covid

This workshop will provide guidance on how to give constructive performance feedback in times of organizational stress, with a focus on understanding both manager and employee expectations. You will also learn best practices to improve how you communicate feedback to employees, which will help improve performance.

Date and time: March 10, 2021 | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm (ET)
Registration deadline: March 8, 2021, 11:30 pm (ET)
Language: English, with interpretation in French
Audience: Managers and leaders of the federal public service of Canada
Register for webex

Please note, prior to registering for an event, you must request permission from your supervisor.

International Day of La Francophonie!

Every year on March 20, Francophones and Francophiles around the world celebrate the International Day of La Francophonie. The International Day of La Francophonie was inaugurated in 1988. The day commemorates the creation of the institution of La Francophonie, a place of solidarity among French-speaking countries and a recognized force in international relations. French is the official language of 32 states, the language of education for more than 80 million people, and the foreign language of over 50 million people.

In partnership with the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canada School of Public Service is bringing together young Francophones and Francophiles from coast to coast to coast to discuss their realities, their pride and their hopes for the Canadian Francophonie.

Date and time: March 19, 2021 | 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm (ET)
Registration deadline: March 19, 2021, 10:00 am (ET)
Language: French, with interpretation in English
Location: This event will be delivered virtually. Registered participants will receive a link to the live broadcast.
Audience: All public servants at all levels
Register for webcast

Please note, prior to registering for an event, you must request permission from your supervisor.

Better Sleep for Better Health

Sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions. But it isn’t just about your physical health, sleep is also important for your mental health. Join the LifeSpeak series, Better Sleep for Better Health, as they talk about the benefits of sleep, share tips on how to overcome insomnia and debunk common myths about sleep.

To access LifeSpeak from any device:

1. visit canada.lifespeak.com,
2. select “Access Through Group Account,”
3. enter the Client Password “Canada.”

Upcoming Canada School of Public Service Events

Elder Talk on Ancestral Knowledge

Join the CSPS for a discussion with Knowledge Keeper, Ka'nahsohon Kevin Deer. He will share his thoughts and teachings that stem from his ancestral knowledge. Kevin will share Iroquoian world views and his lived experiences. Participants will gain a greater awareness of Indigenous ways of knowing, including spiritual and cultural practices.

Date and time: March 18, 2021 | 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm (ET)
Registration deadline: March 18, 2021, 10:00 am (ET)
Language: English, with interpretation in French
Location: This event will be delivered virtually. Registered participants will receive a link to the live broadcast.
Audience: All public servants at all levels
Register for webcast

Please note, prior to registering for an event, you must request permission from your supervisor.

Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit: Traditional Knowledge in the Contemporary World

What is Inuit Traditional Knowledge? How is it relevant to the contemporary world and to decolonialization? Join the roundtable with a traditional lighting of the qulliq by Aaju Peter followed by topics presented by Inuit and non-Inuit speakers.

Date and time: March 19, 2021 | 9:00 am (ET)
Registration deadline: March 18, 2021, 4:00 pm (ET)
Zoom registration

Please note, prior to registering for an event, you must request permission from your supervisor.

Learning and performance

Inuktut word of the week

The Inuktut word of the week is: qairulik | ᖃᐃᕈᓕᒃ. It means “harp seal”.

Pronounce it like this: qa-ee-roh-leek

Listen to the pronunciation here:

Have a word you would like to see in Inuktut? Send us an email: polarxpresspolaire@polar.gc.ca

Are you ready to Talk the Talk?

Updates

Key outcomes from Executive Team Meeting (ETM)

Here are the key outcomes from the March 3, 2021, ETM:

• All managers and supervisors were invited to this special one-hour ETM to discuss the upcoming Performance Evaluation process.
• In attendance were two guest speakers from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: Mario Baril, Ombudsman, Mental Health and Employee Well-Being, and Michael Nadon, Senior Conflict Resolution Practitioner. They provided an overview of the services offered by their offices, as well as some practical and helpful suggestions on preparing for employee performance assessment conversations.
• The President emphasized the importance of employees striving to meet their performance objectives. She also reminded managers that the definition of a “Succeeded” rating is when an employee has effectively achieved all of his or her work objectives. A communication will be sent to all staff in the near future to provide more information on ratings and their definition to ensure that there is a consistent understanding and application of performance ratings across the organization.

Workplace notices

Another crossword puzzle complete!

We, in Communications, hope you enjoyed the seal crossword as much as we enjoyed creating it! Check your answers below to see how well you did.

Down

1. May
2. polar bear
3. whiskers
4. skin
5. intestine
6. bearded seal
7. elephant seal

Across

1. kayak
2. qulliq
3. noise
4. tent
5. harp seal
6. blubber
7. ulu
8. pinnipeds
9. ringed seal

16/16 Perfect Score! You’re a ringed seal.

13/16 Nearly there! You’re a harp seal.

9/16 More than half! You’re a bearded seal.

8/16 or less. You did your best! You’re an elephant seal.