The MSC provides Canadians with the weather, marine, climate, hydrological, ice and air quality information they need 24 hours per day, 365 days a year. Whether for long-term predictions of the future state of the atmosphere, warnings of hazardous sea ice conditions, seasonal forecasts of the possibility of drought, short-fuse weather warnings of an imminent severe thunderstorm or air quality and smog alerts for the next day, MSC personnel work to monitor, understand and predict the physical environment of Canada, thus helping to ensure the health, safety and prosperity of its citizens.
In 2002-2003, the Government of Canada re-affirmed its belief in the essential nature of the services provided by the MSC by announcing increased funding to revitalize and transform the MSC and ensure we are poised to continually upgrade our infrastructure, advance our science and improve our services.
Key to this transformation will be the investment in our people. The new funding will allow us to continue revitalization of our workforce and give our staff the time needed for ongoing training and professional development. 2002-2003 was a challenging year for everyone in the MSC because of the uncertainty regarding how to move the organization forward. We recognize the professionalism of our staff during the past year and their continued dedication to their work and the organization.
During 2002-2003, the MSC made great strides towards sustainable monitoring networks and data archives. For example, the AMDAR system that enables reporting of temperatures and wind speeds from in-flight commercial aircraft was implemented on part of the Air Canada Jazz fleet of short haul aircraft. The new funding will allow for increased investment in new sources of data such as this, and will also allow the MSC to improve the integrity and accessibility of data archives.
Easier access to data is particularly important to our many partners. Without our research colleagues in academia, our monitoring partners in the provinces and the private sector and critical partners in the media who enable us to get our message to Canadians, we would not be able to fulfill our mission. Access to our data is necessary if our partners are to do their part. This past year, the MSC significantly reduced the cost of data and we are working to ensure that data will soon be freely available through our Internet site.
This modernization of the MSC, as with all of the changes that have taken place at the MSC since 1871, is directed toward one goal: providing the best and most useful weather information and services possible to ensure the health, security, economic growth and quality of life of Canadians.
In this annual report, we are pleased to be able to continue reporting on our performance. This past year, we completed a cross-country survey to assess how Canadians feel about the services the MSC provides and to determine where improvements are sought. Some of the key findings of the survey are presented in this report. We look forward to increasing that satisfaction in the coming years with the continuing evolution of the MSC to a more sustainable and accountable institution.
Marc Denis Everell
The Green LaneTM,
Environment Canada's World Wide Web Site.