Date: Monday, September 25, 2017
Time: 12:00 p.m.
Location: Lahm Ridge Tower Basement Boardroom
The Northern Contaminants Program works to reduce, and wherever possible, eliminate contaminants in traditionally harvested foods, while providing information to assist informed decision-making by individuals and their communities in their food use.
On the Program’s 25th anniversary, join Simon Smith of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) for a presentation on the Northern Contaminants Program and its work to move knowledge to policy action.
The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) is a practical example of a national program that has experience at all stages of the knowledge to action continuum. The NCP has more than 25 years of generating new data and information on long-range contaminants in Canada’s North, and has successes in influencing and contributing to policy actions at local, regional, national and international levels.
The program itself does not make policy, but strives to inform and influence those organizations that do. Program results have played a major role in the issuance of public health advice/advisories around consumption of traditional foods. It is also very well connected to the international community, and has influenced global agreements like the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants and recently-ratified Minimata Convention on Mercury.
Simon Smith has worked at INAC’s NCP in the National Capital Region for the past 15 years. In that time, he has focused mainly on the Communication, Capacity Building, and Outreach subprogram of the NCP, but has also dabbled in other parts of the program, including liaising with the NCP’s Indigenous Partners and five Regional Contaminants Committees. Prior to working at INAC, Simon was employed by Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami in Ottawa, and the Makivik Corporation in Kuujjuaq, Quebec. Simon has a B.Sc. from Queen’s University in Kingston, and went on from there to study fluvial geomorphology at the University of Guelph.
Want to learn more?
The Northern Contaminants Program works to reduce, and wherever possible, eliminate contaminants in traditionally harvested foods, while providing information to assist informed decision-making by individuals and their communities in their food use.
This year marks the Northern Contaminants Program’s 25th anniversary. Join Canadian scientists, Northerners, and policy-makers for an overview of issues related to contaminants from long-range sources in Canada’s North.
There will be a free half-day introduction to the issue of long-range contaminants in the North on Tuesday, September 26, 2017. To learn more about the workshop and to register, click here.
Price: All individuals with an interest in public service are welcomed to attend. This event is free for members of IPAC, $20 for non-members payable at the time of registration.
Become a member of IPAC today! Already a member? Please consider inviting a friend.
Social Media: Stay connected with IPAC-NWT – Like us on our new Facebook Page (exciting content coming soon!) We also invite our audience to join the conversation on Twitter. Follow us at @IPAC_NWT and use the hashtag #IPACNWT to join in the conversation.
Remote access: Want to dial in? No problem! Write to us at nwtipac@gmail.com by Thursday, September 21 for conference call information.
For registration assistance, please contact us.
IPAC Northwest Territories Region 