QUEBEC -- May 8, 2009
-- Environment Canada is pleased to offer
the public a diverse program on Sunday May
17, 2008 as part of the 4th edition of the
Spring Festival at the Cap Tourmente National
Wildlife Area, organized in partnership
with the Association des amis du cap Tourmente.
On this occasion, Environment Canada will
reveal a new ground-breaking observation
tool: The Cap Tourmente Geotour.
The Cap Tourmente GeoTour
allows nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts
to stroll the trails of the National Wildlife
Area from a totally new environmental perspective.
Using a GPS navigation device, they are
able to discover the natural and historic
wonders of 27 points of interest in the
Wildlife Area. The GPS provides information,
audio capsules and images, allowing the
user to make beautiful observations. The
GeoTour as well as a BioKit, created by
Environment Canada’s Biosphere, will be
available this summer.
Workshops, nest-building
and introduction to bird watching and photography
will also be included in the program of
this special annual one-day event. The activities
proposed will introduce participants to
the biology of birds of prey- a fascinating
species. An education and rehabilitation
specialist from the Union québécoise
de réhabilitation des oiseaux de
proie (UQROP) will conduct workshops with
live bird demonstrations and provide educational
materials to educate the public about different
species of birds of prey.
Children will be invited
to take part in various activities at Club
de Captou, which will stimulate their senses
and encourage them to discover the plants
and animals living in the Wildlife Area.Games
and face painting are also included in the
program.
Do you dream about seeing
these birds of prey up close? Take advantage
of the opportunity to visit the Bois-sent-bon
observation station to view large snowbirds
at the end of the week before they leave
for their arctic nesting places. Enthusiastic
naturalist guides will be on site to inform
you about the biology of this unique species
of bird.
The Cap Tourmente National
Wildlife Area is part of a network of 51
protected areas across Canada dedicated
to conserving essential habitat for wildlife
species, some of which are considered endangered.The
Wildlife Area is open everyday from 8:30
a.m. to 5:00 p.m. until the end of October.
Festival activities will be ongoing at the
Léon-Provencher pavilion from 10:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In case of rain, activities
will be cancelled.
For more information
about this one-day event, please visit the
Association des amis du cap Tourmente website
at www.captourmente.com
Environment Canada
Media relations
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Creating Jobs and Benefitting
Science: Government of Canada Invests in
Upgrading Local Federal Laboratories
Guelph Ontario, -- May
8, 2009 --The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister
of Human Resources and Skills Development
and MP Joe Preston (Elgin—Middlesex—London)
today announced more than $7.5 million in
funding, over the next two years, to modernize
three local federal laboratories.
In Budget 2009, Canada’s
Economic Action Plan, the federal government
committed to an accelerated investment program
to provide $250 million, over the next two
years, to modernize federal laboratories.
The funding, one of the many job-creating
investments in the Economic Action Plan,
will improve these facilities while providing
economic stimulus in regions across the
country.
“This program is addressing
important maintenance issues in our laboratories
and will quickly bring economic stimulus
to this region,” said Minister Finley. “This
funding will provide jobs for workers ranging
from retrofitting laboratory space to meet
new and future research activities to refurbishing
sewage lines and upgrading laboratory stations
to accommodate modern equipment.”
“Our government is making
smart investments that will create jobs
and improve research facilities that will
keep our farmers at the cutting edge,” said
Mr. Preston. “The new facility will enhance
research and development, resulting in even
better health and safety outcomes for Canadians.”
The facilities being
upgraded in the region are:
Centre for Inland Waters
Hydraulics Laboratory (Environment Canada)
- $4,196,000
Wastewater Technology Centre (Environment
Canada) - $2,386,000
Guelph Food Research Centre (Agriculture
and Agri-Food Canada) - $1,150,000
“The Environment Canada projects will help
maintain and further the excellence of my
department’s world-class scientific activities,”
said the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister
of the Environment.
To learn more about
Canada’s Economic Action Plan visit www.actionplan.gc.ca.
Meagan Murdoch
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Gerry Ritz
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The Biosphere Presents
"Water Bearers" An Art-Nature
Exhibit Created By 900 Students
Montréal, Qué,
-- May 1, 2009 -- This coming May 4, Environment
Canada’s Biosphere will launch an outdoor
exhibit named “Water Bearers”. This art-nature
exhibit will feature thirteen group sculptures
made with branches by 900 grade school children
as part of an educational activity on water.
A celebratory rally of all the young artists
who participated in the “Water Bearers”
project will mark the launch of the exhibit.
The project, entitled
“Water: Food for thought and source of creation”,
was designed to raise the students’ awareness
of the impact of their daily activities
on water conservation through a glimpse
at the history of the technical, logistical,
and environmental water usage and management
solutions developed by Montrealers through
the ages. Students involved in the project
learned about archaeology, history, sciences,
and art from an environmental perspective.
Participants visited
Pointe-à-Callière, the Montréal
Museum of Archaeology and History, as well
as Hydro-Québec’s hydroelectric generating
station at Beauharnois. Next, they participated
in the “On the Water Trail” educational
activity at the Biosphere and the creative
workshop directed by renowned artist Marc
Walter in collaboration with choreographer-dancer
Maureen Shea. The students were then invited
to create a number of sculptures using branches
and to experiment with movements inspired
by these creations.
This project, which
was carried out over several weeks, is an
initiative of the Ministère de l’Éducation,
du Loisir et du Sport du Québec as
part of the “Soutien à l'école
montréalaise” program of the Montréal
School Board. Some 900 students from underprivileged
areas participated in the program. The exhibit
has been set up all around the Biosphere
and will be open through the summer.
