POLAR XPRESS – August 24, 2020

FROM THE TOP

Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages

POLAR is very proud to announce that it is the Presenting Partner and principal sponsor for the Canadian Museum of Nature’s new exhibit: Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages. This incredible exhibition will be featuring more that 120 real specimens, models and artifacts of the time. Visitors will take a journey across more than 80,000 years of Earth’s history with five exciting themed zones from deep time to the modern day. The combination of environmental science, natural sciences, human history and culture is sure to keep everyone captivated right to the end! The exhibit will be shown from September 25, 2020 to January 3, 2021. Learn more!

Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Ages

Policies and Guidelines

Head over to the intranet to see the new policies and guidelines that have been added to our internal site! You will find essential guidelines for POLAR managers and employees as well as POLAR-approved policies and directives related to human resources and delegation of authority at POLAR. Check them out here!

Celebrating Public Service Pride Week

Celebrating Public Service Pride Week

While celebrations will look different this year, the spirit of Public Service Pride Week (PSPW) is stronger than ever! This year’s Public Service Pride Week (PSPW) will focus on mental health and well-being. It is always an important subject, but 2020 has been difficult for many due to physical distancing measures, widespread protests against racism and all forms of discrimination and inequality, and tragic world events like the recent explosion in Beirut.

Although an in-person flag raising cannot take place this year, departments and agencies throughout the public service will post the PSPW flag on social media on Monday, August 24, at 9:30 a.m. The animated PSPW flag features the six colours of the LGBTQ rainbow; black and brown stripes to represent Black and racialized people; and baby blue, pink and white stripes for trans inclusion.

Join the conversation on social media by following, sharing and liking @2020PSPW on Twitter and show your pride using #PSPW2020

POLAR’S PEOPLE

Inuit language learning resource

POLAR’s junior planning and reporting analyst Desiree Autut has put together an Inuit language learning chart for all staff to access in the interest of learning Inuktut (all Inuktitut dialects) or Inuinnaqtun. As an organization, POLAR works closely with Northerners and Indigenous peoples, providing an excellent opportunity for employees to learn the Inuit languages spoken in the North. Discover all the different digital forms of learning available to us through this document.

LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

Canada School of Public Service rebroadcasting

The Canada School of Public Service (CSPS) will be rebroadcasting the Occupational Health Tips for Managers as COVID-19 restrictions ease workshop. Discussions will focus on personal prevention measures, increased cleaning, the use of physical barriers in federal buildings, and recommendations regarding personal protective equipment. Register now!

Date and time: August 25, 2020 | 1:30 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Registration deadline: 10:00 a.m. (ET) on August 25, 2020
Language: Bilingual, with interpretation in both official languages
Location: Available across Canada by webcast

COVID-19 international science symposium

Biosafety Level 4 Zoonotic Laboratory Network (BSL4ZNET), led by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, is an international network of 17 government organizations across five countries (Canada, United States, Australia, Germany and United Kingdom) that seeks to enhance scientific knowledge and to protect animal and human health.

BSL4Znet is hosting an international COVID-19 science symposium to help contribute scientific knowledge towards the global control of SARS-COV-2. The event is free and held virtually on Wednesdays until September 16. Please note that the symposium will be held in English only.

Upcoming sessions:

Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week

The Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week is quanaqpiaqqutit! It means: thank you very much!

It is pronounced: qwannaq-pyaq-qoo-teet

Listen to the pronunciations here:

Are you ready to Talk the Talk?

Talk the talk

UPDATES

Key outcomes from Senior Management Committee

Here are the key outcomes and decisions from the August 19, 2020, Senior Management Committee discussions:

  • SMC members were updated on the Return to Workplace, for both Cambridge Bay and Ottawa work sites. A more detailed discussion will be held at the next Executive Team Meeting.
  • SMC members reviewed the critical path for the production of the Departmental Results Report, noting the importance of meeting the identified milestones to ensure that a complete and Minister-approved plan is submitted to Treasury Board Secretariat before the final deadline.

WORKPLACE NOTICES

CHARS campus official opening anniversary

August 21, 2020 marked the one-year anniversary of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station Campus opening. The CHARS Campus official opening ceremony marked an incredible milestone for POLAR and all Canadians, take a look back on this beautiful day with this video!

COVID-19 Update

The health and safety of staff, collaborators, elders and other community members across the North remains POLAR’s top priority. POLAR has made adjustments to its program delivery related to the operations of the CHARS Campus. Read the latest update here: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/covid-19.html.