POLAR XPRESS – June 1, 2020

FROM THE TOP

June 1st marks POLAR’s 5-year anniversary

 

To all POLAR staff,

With today marking POLAR’s fifth anniversary, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the significant progress we have made since June 1st, 2015. On that day, a handful of folks were brought together to build—literally and figuratively—a brand new organization called “Polar Knowledge Canada.” Five short years later POLAR is a prominent player in the world of Arctic knowledge creation, mobilization, and collaboration – and we have the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of Northerners and all Canadians. That’s a unique position to be in. It’s also a privilege.

I would like to recognize those who were with us in the early days, many of whom have moved on from POLAR. I’d also like to reiterate my sincerest thanks to those of you who are still with POLAR, including those who have just recently joined us. There is no question that the success of an organization depends completely on the efforts and performance of its people, and I remain confident and grateful to lead such a talented and diligent team.

It has been an exciting five years. We have had many successes, and we’ve overcome a diversity of challenges along the way. As we were approaching this anniversary and were achieving a more “steady state,” along came COVID-19, confronting POLAR, like most organizations around the world, with new and unprecedented challenges. But yet again, POLAR staff have risen to the occasion and demonstrated what a versatile, capable, and passionate group we are. Your continued commitment and shared values are key to our successes and our important contributions to Canada.

Although we would have hoped for a different kind of celebration today (cake at the very least) I do hope that each of you will mark the occasion by looking back over your time at POLAR—whether it’s years, months, or weeks—and take pride in your own contribution to this organization’s five years of achievement.

Best,

David J. Scott

Circumpolar reads

The POLAR Communications team has taken staff suggestions from the POLAR XPRESS survey to incorporate fascinating news articles about the circumpolar regions. These articles have been hand-picked to bring you interesting knowledge about the regions and its people.

This week’s reads are all focused around history: they describe past events and people, as well as topics that are relevant to today.

Simon Anaviapik (LLD), from Pond Inlet, Nunavut, was widely respected as an elder, intellectual, and teacher. He assisted and provided for the involvement of Inuit in scientific research in Pond Inlet and elsewhere on Baffin Island. He was instrumental to the success of the Arctic Research Establishment, a community-run environmental monitoring centre that operated in Pond Inlet from the 1970s to the 1990s. Anaviapik was the key motivator for Pond Inlet Inuit to participate in a multidisciplinary, international scientific research project known as the EOS Routing Study. His experience and advice in observing natural phenomena in the High Arctic led to valuable data contributions towards sea-ice research.

Anaviapik’s grandaughter Alex is a key member of the Ikaarvik project.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) changes

Please be advised that on May 28, 2020, a change has been made to how the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 1-800# is managed. Individuals are now greeted with a voicemail providing options to direct their call. The reason for this change is to enhance the caller’s experience with the EAP intake process, and to ensure that callers requiring immediate assistance are handled in priority.

The Employee Assistance Program is available to you and your family members at any time at 1-800-268-7708.

POLAR’S PEOPLE

The Lunch and Learn series 2020

On April 8th, KM&E launched a new initiative for POLAR staff: the 2020 Lunch & Learn Series. The series has taken off with growing numbers of staff attending each new event. Staff engagement with the presenters has been excellent with great questions being posed after each event. Here is a look back since the beginning:

April 23, 2020 – Paul Sokoloff, Canadian Museum of Nature
Paul Sokoloff shared Canadian Museum of Nature Arctic flora research and led staff on a journey through time via the Museum’s Herbarium. Paul also spoke with staff about his team’s recent field seasons working in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories.

April 30, 2020 – Jennifer Provencher, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
Jennifer Provencher discussed the importance of studying seabird bycatch in a growing Arctic fishery. She explained how the Wildlife Health Unit of ECCC has been using a variety of tools to collaborate with the fishing industry to better understand the potential effects on wildlife from fisheries.

May 7, 2020 – Shelly Elverum and Eric Solomon, Ikaarvik
Shelly Elverum and Eric Solomon spoke about the importance of working with youth in Indigenous communities to identify local research priorities through community-driven projects. The Ikaarvik co-leads also shared their perspectives on potential opportunities for POLAR to help advance new approaches to solving current polar knowledge challenges.

May 14, 2020 – Maéva Gauthier, Ph.D. Student (UVic); Fish-Eye Project and Live It
Maéva Gauthier described her Ph.D. work on using participatory video to engage Inuvialuit youth in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT, on global issues affecting their community. This work involved the youth creating a film about climate change and one about youth navigating life in the modern and traditional worlds, and establishing a youth led video production initiative called Tuk TV.

May 22, 2020 – Patrick Maher, Nipissing University
Patrick Maher led staff on a journey through his life as an outdoor-enthusiast, scholar and educator. Patrick shared his research on the different ways people connect with land and culture, and how these experiences can inspire people to take action. He provided examples of how he has used experiential learning to develop meaningful and community-oriented field programs in academic settings, and demonstrated how it can also be applied more broadly to tourism in remote and polar regions.

May 28, 2020 – Matilde Tomaselli, POLAR
Matilde Tomaselli shared with staff the trajectory of her career, from rescuing loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean Sea to researching muskoxen in the Arctic. She provided insights into the field of participatory epidemiology, highlighted the importance of working with local communities and youth, and invited staff to integrate multiple sources of knowledge in order to improve research design and outcomes.

Upcoming Events:

June 4, 2020 – Robert Cooke, POLAR
As POLAR’s team lead in Clean Energy & Infrastructure, Rob will provide an overview of POLAR’s role in the future of clean energy in the Canadian North.

June 11, 2020 – Priscilla Ferrazzi, Legal Advisor & Research Contracts Associate, Queen’s University | Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta
Priscilla Ferrazzi will be presenting on the starting points for Inuit research training.

KM&E welcomes input on upcoming Lunch and Learn events. Please share your ideas with Tyler Bloom tyler.bloom@polar-polaire.gc.ca and Timothy Straka timothy.straka@polar-polaire.gc.ca.

LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

Busrides’ Going Remote Guide

The Canada School of Public Service (CSPC) Digital Academy has come together to launch Busrides.ca to help public servants solve the biggest problems many face within the Government: how to keep pace with the digital transformation happening all around us. This online platform sharing bite-sized learning is designed to give public servants a basic and shared conceptualization of a Government of Canada digital lens.

In the fall of 2019, the CSPS Digital Academy surveyed nearly 300 public servants to determine how Busrides could provide a unique learning experience that raises digital awareness in the Government of Canada context. Their newest series Going Remote Guide is designed to share resources to help navigate a new world of remote work, from mental health to tips for managers and employees.

Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week

The Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week ikaarvik. It means: bridge

bridge

It is pronounced: e-kar-vik

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 May 26, 2020 Senior Management Committee discussions:

  • SMC. Facilities Management and Human Resources will work together to analyze POLAR’s planned staffing to determine if there is a requirement for additional housing. In the medium to longer term, Facilities Management will lead the development of a POLAR housing policy, as well as conduct an analysis on the possibility of a housing allowance as a potential alternative to providing Government housing for Cambridge Bay employees.
  • Senior Management Committee discussed the ongoing use and maintenance of such lists as the “Who Does What” document, and the POLAR Directory. SMC decided in favour of utilizing existing technologies to share this type of information rather than manually maintaining multiple additional documents.

POLAR Events Calendar

You will find below the latest version of the POLAR events calendar for your information.

All travel is currently postponed until further notice.

Please send any calendar updates or additions to Janine Angohiatok at janine.angohiatok@polar.gc.ca.

POLAR events calendar: May 29, 2020

WORKPLACE NOTICES

How to improve your posture

If you’ve never been a remote team member, you may still be trying to figure out how to navigate working from home. This can include trying to arrange an ergonomic set-up for your office. Are you finding yourself hunched over the kitchen table, the living room coffee table or slumped on the couch?

Here are a few helpful ergonomic tips for working at home:

  • Change your position often
    • Be aware of how your posture changes throughout the day and make necessary adjustments regularly. Remaining in one position too long can cause pain to your shoulders, neck and back. Perhaps if you begin at the kitchen table, move over to the kitchen island to stand for a period of time to give your body a change.
  • Place a pillow on your seat
    • Placing a pillow under your seat can make a world of difference on an ordinary chair. If a thin pillow isn’t available, try folding up a towel to your seat size to add some extra comfort.
  • Elevate your laptop
    • Your monitor should ideally be just below eye level in order to avoid straining your neck. You can easily adjust your laptop’s height by placing it on top of a stack of books, or maybe a shoebox you’ve got lying around.

Once the work day is done, moving our bodies is a great way to unwind while the sun is still up. With the warm weather, many have turned to gardening, which, although very rewarding, can cause some aches and pains. Published by the Canadian Chiropractic Association are some helpful tips and tricks to avoid the aches. Click here to learn how to Plant and Rake Without the Ache. Happy gardening!