So we recently had a visitor in from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), a Mr. Robert Culshaw, the Deputy Director of BAS, to be precise. We (in collaboration with the British Council, WWF, the University of Ottawa, The Goethe Institute…) convinced Mr Culshaw to come to Ottawa to participate in a series of events that highlighted the Polar regions (the Arctic and Antarctica), entitled “Poles Apart” that were taking place part of Ottawa’s annual Winterlude celebration. These events included:
- A Poles Apart Mini-Film Festival
- A panel discussion hosted by the University of Ottawa
- A reception at the High Commissioners residence
- A visit to a local high school to discuss the Antarctic treaty
- A Rideau Club Luncheon
- A Science Salon at the High Commission’s Pub, the Q&A
- Visits with Canadian officials
Check out some of the Winterlude photos at the UKinCanada Flickr site.
Throughout this visit there were many discussions about the Arctic and the Antarctic, the similarities and the differences between the work that is done, the politics, the wildlife…and all areas in between. If you were able to participate in any of these events, you’ll probably have had a very interesting and educational experience!
During these discussions, Mr. Culshaw spoke of the importance of the Canada/UK relationship on Polar research, which has been highlighted and solidified through the Canada/UK Polar MoU. The MoU was designed to increase scientific collaboration including scientific exchanges and sharing of polar infrastructure. In November of 2010, Canada also hosted the annual Canada-UK Colloquium, the theme of which was “The Arctic and Northern Dimensions of World Issues”, further demonstrating the strength of Canada/UK ties in Polar issues.
I also managed to
convince our guest to do a short videoblog for us, which I will post
below for everyone to view, as well as a longer video of the
presentation he did for us at our second Science Salon here at the High
Commission.
VideoBlog by Mr. Robert Culshaw, Deputy Director of the British Antarctic Survey (2min):
Full length Science Salon presentation, by Mr. Robert Culshaw (15:12min):