POLAR XPRESS – October 19, 2020

FROM THE TOP

Canada School of Public Service Podcasts

The Canada School of Public Service features a variety of podcast series with a range of learning content on topics such as public service innovation, project management, Indigenous learning and more. Episodes are produced for and by public servants and contain expert advice, interviews, analyses, and stories that will pique your interest and support your learning needs. Take a look at the available series!

Wellness Together Canada portal

The new Wellness Together Canada portal provides free online resources, tools and apps, making it easier for Canadians to find credible information and help them address mental health and substance use issues. Through the portal, Canadians can also connect to peer support workers, social workers, psychologists and other professionals for confidential chat sessions or phone calls, at no cost.

Gwich'in elder recognized for nearly 25 years of char monitoring on N.W.T.'s Rat River

John Carmichael had been the head char monitor since the 90’s, using his traditional fishing camp near Aklavik, NWT, as a base to collect samples. After nearly 25 years of monitoring the Rat River char, the 87-year-old Gwich’in elder retired from the program. The Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board held a recognition ceremony to celebrate Carmichael and the monitoring he’s accomplished. Read more

Women’s History Month

Since 1992, every October the Government of Canada has commemorated Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the courageous women and girls who have contributed to a better, more inclusive Canada and world. This year’s theme for the October commemorations is #BecauseOfYou, celebrating women and girls in Canada who have made a lasting impact on our country’s history.

Get involved

• Visit the Women of Impact in Canada gallery, which recognizes the contributions and achievements of 100 exceptional Canadian women and girls who have made an impact in politics, the arts and sciences, and countless other fields.
• Nominate a women of impact who has inspired you! New inductees will be announced in December 2020.
• View Women in Canadian History: A Timeline, to learn more about notable events in Canadian women’s history.

POLAR’S PEOPLE

A farewell to one of our own

It’s with regret that we, the Communications team, say goodbye to one of our own. Our Communications Manager, Marie-Eve LaRocque, has accepted a position with the Northwest Territories Business Development and Investment Corporation in Yellowknife. She will be leaving POLAR on Monday, October 19, 2020, to begin an exciting new adventure in Yellowknife.

Marie-Eve helped shape and guide our team to its fullest. She’s been an inspiration, a stellar example of how to create and nurture a close-knit team that enjoys coming to work. The support that she has shown, not only for us, but also for POLAR in its entirety, is unmatched. She helped plan the official opening of the CHARS campus, supported the expansion of our social media platforms, encouraged creativity in POLAR’s designs, and helped out other teams with her communications expertise.

Marie-Eve will be greatly missed – but her many contributions will remain with us. We wish her all the best in this new chapter of her life, and we look forward to crossing paths in the future.

The Communications team

POLAR takes a trip to the Canadian Museum of Nature

On Thursday October 8, the POLAR Communications team took a field trip to the Canadian Museum of Nature for a private tour of the Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Age exhibit. POLAR is the Presenting Sponsor for this incredible exhibit, and it was an honour to have the opportunity to tour it in its entirety.

Ailsa Barry, the museum’s Vice President of Experience and Engagement, was kind enough to give the tour, sharing her knowledge of the exhibit and providing insight into the numerous people and organizations that came together to bring it to life.

 

If you would like to see additional photos, check out the new album on the Intranet: Planet Ice: Mysteries of the Ice Age

LEARNING AND PERFORMANCE

The New Economy Series: Cyber Security

Businesses, organizations and individuals across the world are rushing to adopt new digital technologies at an unprecedented pace with the goal of connecting people, pursuing economies of scale, and improving economic output.

However, many of the innovations that have transformed both our lives and the global economy leave our assets, technologies and information vulnerable to threats. Strong cybersecurity measures are critical to protecting sensitive government information and services, safeguarding the integrity of critical infrastructure and Canadian innovations, and securing continued investments.

Date and time: October 20, 2020 | 1:30 pm to 2:45 pm (ET)
Registration deadline: October 20, 2020, 10:00 am (ET)
Language: English, with interpretation in French
Location: This event will be delivered virtually. A link to the live broadcast will be provided upon registration.
Audience: All public servants at all levels
Register for webcast

Lunch & Learn Series

October 21, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST
Marlene Doyle, Manager, Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program, CIRNAC
Presenting on Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program

November 5, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST
Katherine Wilson, Chief of Strategic Policy and Planning, ECCC
Presenting on changing the role of non-Indigenous research partners in practice to support Inuit self-determination in research

November 19, 2020, 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST
Joel Heath, The Arctic Eider Society
Presenting on supporting self-determination for Inuit in research and environmental stewardship through SIKU and the Hudson Bay Consortium

Your suggestions of topics and speakers are always welcome. Please share these with Tyler Bloom at tyler.bloom@polar-polaire.gc.ca and Timothy Straka timothy.straka@polar-polaire.gc.ca.

Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week

The Inuinnaqtun/Inuktitut word of the week is: qaritaujaq. It means computer.

It is pronounced: Qah-ree-tah-ooh-yack

Listen to the pronunciations here:

Are you ready to Talk the Talk?

UPDATES

Key outcomes from the Senior Management Committee Meeting

Here are the key outcomes and decisions from the October 14, 2020, Senior Management Committee discussions:

• SMC reviewed a proposal to allocate POLAR housing, as per its new process.
• SMC considered options for the future publication of the POLAR Blog.
• SMC discussed the Main Estimates for 2021-22.

WORKPLACE NOTICES

Successful migration to Shared Services Canada

The migration of the Ottawa shared and personal drives is now complete. From this point forward you can access POLAR’s Corporate Repository from your internet browser. Note that you must be logged in to your Office 365 account to access these files.

As a reminder, any files saved within your personal drive can be found in One Drive, while your teams files can be found on Share Point.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Logan Carisse.

Accident/Incident Reporting Procedures

If you have an accident while at work and are injured, would you know what to do? Do you have to report it — even if it’s minor? You’ll find the answer – and much more that every POLAR employee needs to know about in the Occupational Health and Safety section of the POLAR intranet site here. For example, you’ll learn what constitutes a workplace injury, the related procedures you must follow and reports that must be completed, as well as other important information. Everyone is encouraged to become better informed of their rights and responsibilities related to Occupational Health and Safety.