POLAR XPRESS – January 10, 2020

FROM THE TOP

POLAR in the news

Click on the headlines below to read the recent articles mentioning POLAR:

Nunatsiaq News - Our most-read stories of 2019 (January 2, 2020)

TomorrowsNews - What China’s rise as a polar power means for Canada (December 31, 2019)

GlacierHub - Roundup: Iceberg-Tsunami Dynamics, Backcountry Avalanche Risk Rises, and Cruikshank Receives Prestigious Award (December 30, 2019)

LifeSpeak’s Winter Campaign

LifeSpeak’s Winter Campaign, which runs from January 6 to February 15, 2020, includes a 4-part series on “Setting Goals for a Great Year”. The series is currently available by connecting directly to the LifeSpeak website here: canada.lifespeak.com or via the LifeSpeak App.

The next Ask the Expert will be held on January 21, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. EST with Fitness Expert Tim Sitt.

To access LifeSpeak, whether you are using a computer, a tablet or a smartphone, simply log on to the following address: canada.lifespeak.com, select Access Through Group Account and enter the Client Password: canada

We strongly encourage employees to share this communication with their immediate family members who also have access to the wellness platform.

POLAR’S PEOPLE

Bringing Christmas cheer to Cambridge Bay

POLAR employee Martin Léger went above and beyond this Christmas by spreading joy all around the community. Collection efforts coordinated by Martin allowed POLAR employees to raise more than $1,000 in support of the Hamlet’s 2019 Christmas hamper program. Dressed as Santa, Martin visited the Cambridge Bay daycare to spread some Christmas joy. He continued on to visit the kids Christmas activity that was being celebrated at the Community Hall and handed out over 250 gifts to the children! The fun didn’t stop there! Martin then volunteered at the pancake breakfast which served over 300 people. Thank you, Martin, for bringing fantastic Christmas cheer and smiles to all!

Click here to read how the Christmas hampers brought tears of joy to the residence of Cambridge Bay.

Christmas Eve in Ottawa

The Ottawa office was filled with fun and laughter on Christmas Eve when staff brought their spouses and children to work for the day. A group scavenger hunt was organized that led the children throughout the office and ended in the boardrooms. The prize for the hunt was rooms filled with arts and crafts, Christmas movies and video games. While Mr. Claus was tending to those in the North, Ms. Claus made an appearance in Ottawa with a bag full of gifts for all the children. Thank you, Ms. Claus, aka Melissa Bolster, for providing so much fun to not only the children but the adults too!

Take a look at the latest photo albums from the Ottawa Food Bank and Kids Christmas Activities

LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week - Tuvaq - ᑐᕙᖅ

The Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week is: tuvaq. It means: the ice of a frozen sea or lake.

It is pronounced: too-vaq

Listen to the pronunciation here:

Are you ready to Talk the Talk?

UPDATES

Key outcomes from Senior Management Committee

Here are the key outcomes and decisions deriving from the January 8 Senior Management Committee meeting:

• The Senior Management Committee met to review the current financial forecast and discussed budget plans for the remainder of the fiscal year.

POLAR Events Calendar

You will find below the latest version of the POLAR events calendar, including upcoming events and conferences for your information.

Note: The calendar is subject to change. Any travel has to be pre-approved by Directors (and above for international destinations).

Please send any calendar updates or additions to Jerry Kallada at jerry.kallada@polar.gc.ca

POLAR events calendar: January 9, 2020

WORKPLACE NOTICES

New year declutter

With the new year brings new resolutions, which means there is no better time than now to declutter your workspace. Do you feel like you need to move many things around your desk before you can accomplish your task? Are you overwhelmed by the number of “things” surrounding your area? A research study done by psychology professor Joseph Ferrari at DePaul University in Chicago established that clutter can negatively affect your emotional well-being.

Whether time is spent searching for that paper on your desk or the digital document on your computer, precious work minutes are being lost while stress levels increase wondering where it disappeared to. The process of decluttering can impact you in a variety of unexpected ways—from making you feel less stressed at work to even becoming more creative.

Here are some easy ways to declutter your office space:

1. Start small
2. Keep only what you need
3. Organize your desk
4. Store the things you don’t need
5. Create a “spring cleaning” time with your team. By including everyone in the team, it can make the task that many don’t enjoy into something more inviting.