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MINISTER NAMES CANADIAN POLAR COMMISSION BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OTTAWA, ONTARIO (March 15, 2002) -The Honourable Robert Nault, Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development announced today the appointments to the Canadian Polar Commission (CPC) Board of Directors for 2002 - 2005, through Order in Council and are effective immediately.

Peter Johnson, the former Vice-Chair of the CPC Board of Directors and geography professor at the University of Ottawa, has been named the new Chairperson. Mr. Johnson, a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America has been involved in northern science throughout his teaching and research career. He has been a member of the CPC for three years.

Richard Binder is the new Vice-Chair. Mr. Binder is President of the Inuvialuit Hunters and Trappers Committee, a director of the Inuvialuit Game Council and a member of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement Environmental Impact Review Board. He has been a member of the commission for three years.

Michael Robinson, past Executive Director of the Arctic Institute of North America and currently the President and CEO of the Glenbow Museum in Calgary served as the CPC Chairperson from 1999 to 2002. Mr. Robinson will continue to contribute to the CPC in a less time consuming role as a Director.

Leah Aksaajuq Otak is a new addition as a Director for the CPC Board. Ms. Otak has been the director of Culture and Heritage for the Government of Nunavut since 1999 and spent nine years as operation manager for the Igloolik Research Centre (Nunavut Research Institute).

Gordon Miles of Iqaluit, Nunavut has been appointed as a Director. Mr. Miles is the Manager of Business Services for the Kakivak Association in Iqaluit and has experience managing grants and loans programs for Inuit small business.

Jocelyn Barrett is also newly appointed as a Director to the CPC Board. Ms. Barrett is legal Advisor to the Makivik Corporation in Kuujjuaq, Quebec. She has served as an advisor for several Kativik Regional Government departments .

The seventh CPC Director is Mr. Piers McDonald, who was appointed in July 2001. Mr.McDonald was Yukon government leader from 1996 to 2000. He spent 18 years as a Member of the Legislative Assembly and served as Minister of Education, Community and Transportation Services and Finance. Mr. McDonald has worked in the private sector since retiring from politics two years ago.

"I am pleased that all these extraordinary people have agreed to serve on the Canadian Polar Commission," said Minister Nault. "They have all demonstrated their commitment to Canada's polar region and the role Canada will play in the circumpolar North's development within the global economy."

"It is important for Nunavut to have strong representation on the Canadian Polar Commission Board of Directors," said Nancy Karetak-Lindell, Member of Parliament for Nunavut on the first ever Nunavut appointments to the CPC. "I look forward to the important contributions of the two members from Nunavut in shaping the northern polar research."

The Canadian Polar Commission is the Government of Canada's lead agency in the area of polar knowledge and has the responsibility of monitoring, promoting and disseminating knowledge of polar regions. The commission also contributes to public awareness of the importance of polar science to Canada , enhancing Canada's profile as a circumpolar nation, and recommending polar science policy and direction to government

For more information, please contact:

Michael FitzPatrick
Media Relations Officer
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Hull, Quebec
(819)994-2044

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