Governor General
Delegate Biographies - Finland and Iceland« Visit to Circumpolar Countries
Working in the Northern EnvironmentJean BoulvaRegional Science Director for the Quebec Region in the federal Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and Director of the Maurice Lamontagne Institute (MLI) in Mont-Joli, Quebec, Jean Boulva is responsible for the scientific direction and administration of the oceanography, environmental science and fisheries research programs as well as the Canadian Hydrographic Service in the waters under MLI’s mandate, essentially the St. Lawrence estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence, northern Quebec and the Canadian Arctic. Before being named Director of the Maurice Lamontagne Institute in 1986, Mr. Boulva conducted research in oceanography and marine biology in the western Canadian Arctic between 1961 and 1964. From 1973 to 1975 he spent time honing his knowledge of marine fisheries at the Sète laboratory of the French Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea (IFREMER), and participated in a study tour focussing on marine sciences, botany and ornithology in the arctic regions of Norway and Finland. He was a professor of marine ecology at Université Laval in 1975-76. From 1976 to 1986 he worked as a scientific advisor at DFO’s regional office in Quebec City, where he helped set up the Regional Science Branch. He followed that up with stints as senior scientist, acting director of research and director of fisheries research. In 1981-82, he was assigned to the Department’s new regional office in Moncton to set up a new research centre. Born in Montreal, Dr. Boulva obtained a BSc from Université de Montréal in 1968. After completing a master’s degree in marine biology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, he was awarded a doctorate in biology from the same institution, having written a thesis on population dynamics of marine mammals. Mr. Boulva has written numerous publications, including a historical survey of marine sciences in Quebec, a study of little-known species of Arctic cod, a report on the biology of the common seal in eastern Canada and several other publications and reports on the fisheries and the conservation of marine species. He often sits as a guest expert on advisory committees and the boards of teaching and research agencies, and he has given several lectures on various aspects of marine biology. Dr. Arthur CollinDr. Arthur Collin, President of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, has served the Canadian government in the environmental field since 1955. As a scientist for the Fisheries Research Board in Ottawa and for the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Dr. Collin travelled through the Arctic during the late 1950s and early 1960s, studying the physical oceanography of the polar basin and the Arctic Archipelago and publishing scientific papers on Arctic oceanography. After serving as Dominion Hydrographer and Chief Science Advisor to the federal government, he moved to the private sector as Director of Industrial Strategic Technologies with the accounting firm Coopers & Lybrand and as Vice-President of PRECARN Associates Inc. Dr. Collin is currently a member of the Government of Canada's Council of Science and Technology Advisors and of the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' Science Advisory Council. Arthur Collin holds a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences from McGill University. He has been a member of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society's Board of Governors since 1990 and is involved with the Society's Massey Medal, which recognizes achievement in the exploration, development or description of the geography of Canada. Dr. Collin has also chaired the Board of Directors of the Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre in Ottawa since 1998. As part of his study of the Arctic oceans, Dr. Collin visited Iceland's fisheries research laboratory in 1963. In 1979 he went to Finland as head of Canada's delegation on the long-range transport of atmospheric pollution, returning there in 1991 to lecture on technology transfer. Dr. Henry Friesen, C.C.Dr. Henry Friesen is an internationally renowned endocrinology researcher, lecturer and health research administrator. During his ten years as President of the Medical Research Council of Canada, Dr. Friesen laid the foundations for the federal government's Canadian Institutes of Health Research. He is currently a senior fellow of the Centre for the Advancement of Medicine at the University of Manitoba and is Chair of Genome Canada, a corporation spearheading genomics research in Canada. Following his medical training in Winnipeg and Boston, Dr. Friesen became a researcher and professor, first at McGill University and then at the University of Manitoba. His research led to the discovery of the human hormone prolactin, which he demonstrated was the cause of infertility in a large number of women. In collaboration with a pharmaceutical company Dr. Friesen proved the drug Bromocriptine was an effective treatment for this condition. He has published more than 460 research papers, served in a wide variety of health organizations and helped to train many scientists in the field of endocrinology. The many honours that Dr. Friesen has received for his research and his stewardship of Canada's health research system include the Gairdner Foundation International Award, the Royal Society of Canada's McLaughlin Medal, the Endocrine Society's Fred Conrad Koch Award, eight honorary university degrees and induction into the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame. Jon K. Grant, O.C., LL.DCurrently Chairman of CCL Industries, Vice-Chair of Agricore United, Chair of the Canadian Canoe Museum, and incoming Chair of the Nature Conservancy of Canada, Jon Grant has become one of the first Canadian business leaders to marry the concept of environmentally conscious decision-making with his commercial interests. After graduation from the Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, Mr. Grant began his career in the food industry, eventually joining the Quaker Oats Company in 1974, to become President and Chief Executive Officer, a position he held for almost 20 years. Upon retirement, he was appointed Chair of a Crown Corporation, the Canada Lands Company (1995-2001). Mr. Grant has contributed countless hours of public service in fields related to higher education and protection of the environment, as Chair of Trent University's Board of Governors, as a director of Pollution Probe, and as Chair of the Ontario Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. In addition, he was a trustee of the World Wildlife Fund of Canada and a member of the Canadian Polar Commission, where he ensured that the interests of Aboriginal peoples remained at the forefront in efforts to protect the Arctic ecosystem. In 1990, Mr. Grant was awarded with the Knight of the Golden Pencil Award, the food industry's highest award for outstanding service. In 1991, he received an honorary doctorate from Trent University for his part in encouraging Canadian industry to adopt an environmental code of ethics, and in 1993, was presented with The Sustainable Development Award for Business Leadership by the Global Tomorrow Coalition of Washington, DC. A member of the Canadian delegation at the Third and Fourth Circumpolar Affairs Ministerial Conferences for the protection of the Arctic environment, Mr. Grant has travelled widely, particularly in Russia and Scandinavia, on behalf of various commercial and environmental initiatives. Chris and Patti SloanChris and Patti Sloan are working to protect Canada's wild fishery by educating Canadians about its value. They are also strengthening the fishing business by developing markets for its products. The Sloans have been partners for 17 years, fishing for salmon and tuna, as well as for shrimp and halibut. Chris Sloan has worked 25 years in the fishing industry, 18 of those as skipper of a small fishing vessel. Both Chris and Patti Sloan are members of the British Columbia Council of Professional Fish Harvesters. To help build a sustainable commercial fishery, the Sloans collect data on stock composition and run timing for Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans. They have participated in lobbies on matters such as the dangers that open netcage fish farming pose to the marine environment. They also serve on the Regional Aquatic Management Society's West Coast Association, which includes Aboriginal fishermen, local governments, sports and commercial fishermen and environmentalists. Patti Sloan is a director of the BC Salmon Marketing Council, a director of the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters and a member of the Joint Women's Committee on the Future of the Fishing Industry in BC. She has organized rallies against the restructuring of the fishing industry, advocating greater provincial and local management of the trade. To build the market for wild fish, Patti Sloan's company, Wild Westcoast Seafoods of Qualicum Beach, has been developing and promoting value-added fish products for salmon and tuna since 1998. The Sloans' network extends beyond Canada to other northern waters: through the Canadian Council of Professional Fish Harvesters, the Sloans are associates of Arthur Bogason, Chairman of Iceland's Association of Small Boat Owners. Living in the Circumpolar WorldLieutenant-General (Ret.) Roméo Dallaire, O.C., C.M.M., C.S.M., C.D., LL.D.Lt-Gen Roméo Dallaire is one of Canada's most decorated soldiers, and is recognized worldwide as a peacekeeper and humanitarian. He was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross for his courageous attempts to bring international attention to the Rwanda genocide while leading the UN Assistance Mission in Rwanda. Stephen Lewis, a member of the international panel investigating the tragedy, declared, "If there is one exemplary human being in all of this, it's General Dallaire." In the aftermath of Rwanda, General Dallaire struggled personally to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder, making the difficult decision to speak out as a voice for compassion and change. He has become a vocal advocate for reform within the Canadian Forces, shedding light on a largely unknown affliction and calling for improvements to the Forces' mental health support system. Since his retirement in 2000, General Dallaire has toured around the world, speaking on leadership and international conflict resolution. He currently serves with the Canadian International Development Agency as its special advisor on War-affected children. Roméo Dallaire was awarded a Fellowship at the Carr Centre for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University where he will pursue work in conflict resolution until 2005. In January 2002, the Beth Shalom Holocaust Centre in the United Kingdom honoured General Dallaire as the inaugural recipient of the Aegis Award for his efforts in Rwanda. He is also the recipient of the Vimy Award, the Legion of Merit from the United States and numerous honorary degrees from Canadian universities. His much-anticipated book, Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda (Random House, 2003), is scheduled for release in November. Shelagh GrantShelagh Grant is an Adjunct Professor of Canadian Studies at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario. Professor Grant's book Sovereignty or Security? (University of British Columbia Press, 1988) explores the evolution of Canada's northern policies during the war and post war years and their subsequent impact on the Yukon and Northwest Territories. Her most recent book, entitled Arctic Justice: On Trial for Murder, Pond Inlet, 1923 (McGill-Queen's University Press, 2002), is a compelling account of Inuit-White contact in the High Arctic, as well as a social history of Baffin Island in the twentieth century. Her 1993 Report to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples entitled Errors Exposed: Inuit Relocations to the High Arctic, 1953-1960 documenting the forced relocation of the Inuit from Northern Quebec to Grise Fiord and Resolute sparked much controversy. Professor Grant has a reputation as an outspoken and courageous voice in the south for Inuit interests. Professor Grant earned a B.A. and an M.A. in history from Trent University, where she taught for many years. A former Chair of the Canadian Northern Studies Trust Fund Committee, she is currently on several advisory boards and a member of organizations such as the Canadian Historical Association, the Association of Canadian Studies and the Canadian Institute for International Affairs. She is also the recipient of the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development's 1996 Northern Science Award and the Canadian Historical Association's 2003 CLIO Award for Northern History. Professor Grant has participated in several international conferences, including the Circumpolar Universities Conferences in Scotland (2000) and in Siberia (1991) and the Northern Research Forum in Iceland (2000) where she presented a paper entitled "The Circumpolar Region: Hinterland or Homeland." Peter IrniqPeter Irniq is the Commissioner of Nunavut, the most senior government position in the most recently created of the three northern territories in Canada and the one which has the greatest percentage of Inuit people. An Inuit cultural teacher, he has lived most of his life in the Northwest Territories (NWT) and Nunavut. He was elected to the Territorial Council of the NWT in 1975 and represented the riding of the Keewatin Region for four years. He was the first Inuk to hold the position of Superintendent of Renewable Resources and the first Speaker of the Keewatin Regional Council before serving as a Director of the Tunngavik Federation of Nunavut. Mr. Irniq became Executive Director of the Inuit Cultural Institute, a member of the Nunavut Implementation Commission and Deputy Minister of Culture, Language, Elders and Youth before accepting the position of Commissioner in 2000. Mr. Irniq has long encouraged the Inuit to participate at higher levels in employment, education and business while promoting the preservation of Nunavut's culture and language by working with elders and youth. As such, he is recognized as a strong teacher of Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ), which involves the sharing of Inuit knowledge from elders to the younger generation in such areas as wildlife, hunting techniques and survival skills. Recently appointed a Board Member of the Arctic Institute of North America, he is frequently a spokesperson for the Inuit, both in Canada and abroad, stressing the importance of maintaining and protecting their traditional ways of life by adopting initiatives in such areas as community economic development, wildlife management, youth and education, alternative justice and progressive government. Dr. Peter JohnsonSince 1970, Dr. Johnson has focused research on cold environments as professor of geography at the University of Ottawa, participating as both Chair and member of the Northern and Native Studies Group. He has broadened his initial interests in northern hydrology and paleohydrology to build a research focus in the development of science policy, believing that the relationship between science and decision-making is central to the development of strategies on current circum-Arctic and polar research issues. Dr. Johnson currently is Chair of the Canadian Polar Commission and Vice-President of the International Arctic Science Committee. He is the Canadian Polar Commission representative on the Council of Science and Technology Advisors, participating in the development of reports on human resources in government science and the communication of government science. He is the Science Advisor to the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network Northern Node. Internationally he is a Council member of the University of the Arctic and a member of the Steering Committee for the Northern Research Forum. In the last few years he has also worked on task forces on northern science and e-learning issues. His scientific interests extend from the physical sciences to the social issues facing northern communities and the links between science and development. At the September 2002 Northern Research Forum in Veliky Novgorod, Russia, he chaired and contributed to a plenary session entitled "Human Capital in the North", a session which was attended by President Olafur Ragnar Grimmsson of Iceland. Dr. Johnson maintains an active link to fieldwork and, among other topics, offers courses introducing students to the conduct of research in the North. Since 1973, his course "Field Research in Northern Canada" has exposed nearly 200 students to the North and northern research issues. James McDonaldAn Associate Professor of First Nations Studies and Chair of the Anthropology Department at the University of Northern British Columbia (Prince George), Dr. James McDonald's scholarly interests have ranged from the economic and social aspects of colonization, to indigenous movements for decolonization and explorations of the relationships between culture and decolonization. He is currently researching indigenous populations in Canada, as well as in the circumpolar world including northern Russia, Scandinavia and the Scottish Highlands, in the context of cultural recovery. Educated in Canada (B.A. University of Manitoba, M.A. University of Alberta, Ph.D. University of British Columbia), Dr. McDonald's career has included academic appointments at York University, the University of Western Ontario, the University of British Columbia and the University of Alberta, as well as curatorial appointments with the Royal Ontario Museum. He also holds the position of Vice-President of the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies and sits on the Executive Committee of the University of the Arctic. Dr. McDonald has conducted extensive field work with British Columbia First Nations, as well as in Alaska, Russia and Fiji. He maintains strong linkages with Aboriginal communities and is active in conducting research for and advising both government and First Nations in British Columbia. In 1995, he taught a course in Native Populations of North America and Nordic Countries at Vaxjo University, Sweden, and undertook a study tour of ethnographic museums in Stolkholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and southern Sweden. Ambassador Mary Simon, C.M.Mary Simon has been the Ambassador for Circumpolar Affairs at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade since 1994. She was the Canadian Ambassador to Denmark (1999-2001), a member of the Joint Public Advisory Committee of NAFTA's Commission on Environmental Cooperation (1997-2000) and the Chancellor of Trent University (1995 to 1999). In 2001, she was appointed Councillor for the International Council for Conflict Resolution with the Carter Center. Ms. Simon has devoted her life's work towards gaining further recognition of Aboriginal rights and to promoting the study of Northern affairs. She began her career with the CBC Northern Service as a producer and announcer. She was subsequently elected Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Northern Quebec Inuit Association and went on to hold a number of positions with the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, Canada's National Inuit Organization. For 14 years (1980-1994), she served as Executive Council Member, President and Special Envoy of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference. Mary Simon has received many honours for her leadership in developing strategies for Aboriginal and Northern affairs. She has been awarded the National Order of Quebec, the Gold Order of Greenland, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award and the Gold Medal of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. She is a Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North America and of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. She has received honorary doctorate of law degrees from both McGill and Queen's Universities. Ambassador Simon has gained the respect of many heads of government and international organizations through her diplomacy and firmness of purpose. She has become a respected international advisor on important issues such as the environment, human rights, scientific research and development and peace. Dr. François TrudelFrançois Trudel is the Director of Inuit and Circumpolar Studies, a group affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences at Laval University whose mandate is to bring together university researchers whose work deals with Aboriginal, northern and circumpolar questions. Dr. Trudel is also Professor of Anthropology at Laval. He has written extensively about the Inuit of Nunavik (in northern Quebec) and of Nunavut (Canada's eastern Arctic). He is particularly interested in the fur trade with the Inuit of Quebec, shamanism versus evangelism, the oral history of Aboriginals and the Aboriginal language policies adopted by the Canadian and Quebec Governments. A graduate of Laval University (M.A.) and of the University of Connecticut (Ph.D.), Dr. Trudel represents Laval at meetings of the University of the Arctic and is a member of the Management Committee of the International Ph.D School for the Study of Arctic Societies (IPSSAS). He is currently working on two parallel projects: Mémoire et histoire au Nunavut (in cooperation with Nunavut Arctic College and the Iqaluit Elders Society) and La mémoire longue: récits de vie et biographies chez les Inuits du Nunavut. Working on his own or with others, Dr. Trudel is also completing work on four books including The Journals and Ethnographic Notes of the Rev. Edmund James Peck: The Baffin Years: 1894-1905 (to be published by the University of Toronto Press) and Outpost Life in Ungava Bay: The Correspondence and Photography of John Foster Caldwell to be published by McGill-Queen's University Press. Dr. Trudel has established professional contacts with the Arctic Centre of the University of Lapland in Finland where he spent part of a year's sabbatical, taking advantage of the opportunity to spend time in various Saami communities. One of his recent articles "Northern History and the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples: An Assessment" was published by the University of Iceland Press in 2001 in the Report entitled Aspects of Arctic and Sub-arctic History: Proceedings of the International Congress on the History of the Arctic and Sub-arctic Region. Sheila Watt-CloutierSheila Watt-Cloutier is Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference (ICC), the Inuit organization that represents the interests internationally of Inuit resident in northern Canada, Greenland, Alaska, and Chukotka in the Far East of the Federation of Russia. Currently living in Iqaluit, Nunavut, she was born in Kuujjuaq, Nunavik (northern Quebec), and was raised traditionally on the land for ten years before attending school in southern Canada and in Churchill, Manitoba. Ms. Watt-Cloutier has an educational background in counselling, education, and human development. Her early experience as an Inuktitut interpreter for the Ungava Hospital in Nunavik led to a lifetime commitment toward improving health conditions and education in Aboriginal communities. Youth issues are a priority for Ms. Watt-Cloutier. She contributed significantly to "Silatunirmut: The Path to Wisdom," the 1992 report of the review of educational programming in Nunavik, and she co-wrote, produced and co-directed the acclaimed youth awareness video "Capturing Spirit: The Inuit Journey." Ms. Watt-Cloutier has long been a political spokesperson for Inuit. From 1995 to 1998, she was Corporate Secretary of Makivik Corporation set-up under the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Land Claims Agreement. She was elected President of ICC Canada in 1995 and re-elected to this position in 1998, becoming international Chair of ICC in 2002. During her years at ICC Canada, Ms. Watt-Cloutier was spokesperson for a coalition of northern Indigenous Peoples that persuaded states to conclude a global agreement, signed in Stockholm in 2001, to ban the generation and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as DDT and PCBs, that contaminate the Arctic food web. She received the inaugural global environment award from the World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations in recognition for this work. Ms. Watt-Cloutier is currently heavily engaged in climate change initiatives with the aim of persuading states to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases. She contributed markedly to ICC Canada's 1996-2000 Institution-Building Project for Northern Russian Indigenous Peoples' Project (INRIPP-1), and the ongoing, phase two of this project focussing on economic development and training in remote northern communities. She visited Chukotka earlier this year and announced a pilot project with the region's Indigenous Peoples to promote the marketing internationally of local arts and crafts. Modern CulturePatricia E. BoveyPatricia E. Bovey began her career as Curator of Traditional Art at The Winnipeg Art Gallery. In 1980, she became Director of the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, a position which she held until 1999 when she returned to the Winnipeg Art Gallery as Director. Ms. Bovey has been involved in a number of professional organizations during her career. She has served on the Canadian Art Museum Directors' Organization since 1981, acting as President from 1987 to 1990. She participated in the Federal Task Force on the National Museums of Canada in 1986 and was on the Board of Governors of the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design from 1983 to1990, acting as Chair from 1987 to 1989. Ms. Bovey was a member of the Winnipeg Tourism Board, the Founding Board of Trustees for the British Columbia Government House Foundation and was a member and later Chair of the Oak Bay Municipal Advisory Design Panel. She was a member of the Canada Council for the Arts from 1990 to 1993, and was voted to the Association of Art Museum Directors in 2002. Ms. Bovey holds numerous publications on art to her credit. Her publications and articles include: Tony Tascona: Resonance (2001); A Passion for Art: The Art and Dynamics of the Limners (1996); Myfanwy Pavelic: Inner Explorations (1994); John Koerner: Past/Present (1991); Carole Sabiston: Flying (1990); Robin Hopper: Ceramic Explorations 1957-1987 (1987); Ivan Eyre: Drawings 1965-1981 (1982) and several works on Lionel LeMoine FitzGerald. She has also lectured across Canada and internationally and received travel awards to participate in speaking and research engagements from the Japan Foundation, the British Council and the Government of France. In 1999 she participated in the Ditchley Foundation International Conference, The Role and Running of Museums. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ms. Bovey was educated at the University of Toronto, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in History, and Klessheim University in Salzburg, Austria. She has been Assistant Professor, Art History at the University of Winnipeg; Professor, Cultural Resource Management Programme, University of Victoria and Adjunct Professor, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria. Ms. Bovey's numerous awards include the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal: 2002, YMCA/YWCA Women of Distinction Award for Arts and Culture, Winnipeg: 2002, Canada 125 Medal, 1992 and the 1999 Victoria Community Awards, Arts Leader Award of Merit. In May of 2003, she was appointed to the membership of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation. Measha BrueggergosmanAt the age of 26, Measha Brueggergosman has already been acclaimed in concert and on the operatic stage. Ms. Brueggergosman recently appeared as Liù in Turandot at Cincinnati Opera, where she has also sung roles in Elektra and Dead Man Walking. She performed the Verdi Requiem as part of the International Beethoven Festival in Bonn, as well as with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra under Sir Andrew Davis. Further Canadian appearances have included the gala re-opening of Toronto's Roy Thomson Hall and performances with the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the National Arts Centre Orchestra and the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra. Born in New Brunswick, Measha Brueggergosman is a graduate of the University of Toronto and received her master's degree in concert repertoire and oratorio from the Hochschule für Musik Augsburg in Germany, where she is currently pursuing predoctoral studies. Winner of the 2002 Jeunesses Musicales Montreal International Competition's Grand Prize, she has garnered awards in other international competitions such as Wigmore Hall (London, England), George London Foundation (New York City) and Robert-Schumann (Germany). She was the first-ever winner of the Bernard Diamant Prize for young Canadian classical singers and is the recipient of both Canada Council and Chalmers Performing Arts grants. She was nominated for a Gemini award in 2001 for her title role performance in a CBC television production of the opera Beatrice Chancy. Ms. Brueggergosman has won critical acclaim and performed before distinguished audiences, singing before Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Command Performance at Roy Thompson Hall (Toronto) and at the Governor General's 50th Anniversary Concert at Rideau Hall (2002). In August of this year, she won Norway's "Troldhaugen Grieg Prize" for the best interpretation of Edvard Grieg's work at The Queen Sonja International Music Competition. Measha Brueggergosman will perform in concert during the State Visit with cellist Shauna Rolston and composer/pianist Heather Schmidt on October 7 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and on October 11 at the City Theatre in Reykjavik. Edward BurtynskyEdward Burtynsky has been described by some, including Dan Falk of the Globe and Mail, as "one of Canada's most respected photographers." Burtynsky's remarkable photographic depictions of industrial landscapes have been included in the collections of 15 major galleries around the world, including the National Gallery of Canada, the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The St. Catharines, Ontario native is a graduate of Ryerson Polytechnical University (Bachelor of Arts, photographic arts) and Niagara College (graphic arts). Burtynsky links his early exposure to the sights and images of the General Motors plant in his hometown to the development of his photographic work. His pieces explore the intricate links between industry and nature, combining the raw elements of mining, quarrying, shipping, oil and recycling into gritty, highly expressive images that find beauty in the most unlikely of places without manipulating the image. In 1985, he founded Toronto Image Works, a darkroom rental facility, custom laboratory, digital imaging and new media computer training center for members of the arts community. Recent exhibitions include Manufactured Landscapes at the National Gallery of Canada (2003) and Before the Flood (2003), which will be showcased in San Francisco, Toronto and London this year. Burtynsky's visually compelling works have been displayed in solo and group exhibitions across Canada and in the United States, as well as in England, Germany, the Czech Republic and Norway. Selected items from the Manufactured Landscapes series will be exhibited at Helsinki's Cable Factory this fall and will be officially opened by the Governor General during the State Visit on October 7. Arthur Charles Erickson, C.C.One of Canada's most celebrated architects, Arthur Erickson has created a global legacy of award-winning public and private buildings, with over 40 major completed works in eight countries. He holds many prestigious awards, including the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal for Outstanding Architect (1984), the French Academy of Architecture Gold Medal (1984), the American Institute of Architects Gold Medal (1986), the Honorary Fellow Royal Institute of British Architects (2001) and Honourary Master, Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and School (2001). Mr. Erickson has received much acclaim for the design of private houses such as the Pang and Ng residences in Vancouver and the Helmut Eppich 1 House featured on Adrienne Clarkson Presents, a residence which was built on the site of a converted refuse dump which is not a botanical oasis. Mr. Erickson is also well known in Canada for outstanding public architecture that both reflects and enhances its setting: on the West Coast, the Vancouver Law Courts, the Museum of Anthropology, the Vancouver Art Gallery, Victoria's Laurel Point Inn, Simon Fraser University, the new Library at the University of British Columbia, the Liu Centre for international relations, the Dance Centre, the Waterfall Building, and the Portland Hotel for compromised street people; across Canada, Lethbridge University, Saskatoon City Hospital, Roy Thompson Hall in Toronto, and Dalhousie University's Law Library in Halifax. Recent major projects abroad include the Canadian Embassy in Washington, DC, California Plaza in Los Angeles, the San Diego Convention Centre, several buildings for the California University system, Fresno City Hall, and his most recent project, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Washington, the Dalian Cultural Centre, People's Republic of China; the Oil Sector Complex, Kuwait City. A prolific speaker and writer, Arthur Erickson's articles and lectures have appeared in Macleans Magazine, Time Magazine, The New Yorker, Wallpaper, Architectural Record and the Canadian Architect. Along with James Hillman and William Whyte, Mr. Erickson also co-authored the book The City As Dwelling: Walking, Sitting, Shaping (Dallas Institute Publications) and he himself has been the subject of a number of studies including The Arthur Erickson Architectural Drawings: An Inventory of the Collection at the Canadian Architectural Archives (University of Calgary Press, 1994), as well as his more recent archives at the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal. Wayne JohnstonWayne Johnston, a native of Newfoundland, is best known for his novel The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Knopf Canada, 1998) which won the Canadian Authors Association Award for Fiction. In listing the nominees for the Governor General's 1998 Literary Awards, the Canada Council stated that, "The Colony of Unrequited Dreams does for Newfoundland what Dostoyevsky did for Russia." Among Johnson's other books which develop the theme of isolation are: The Story of Bobby O'Malley (Oberon Press, 1987), which won the 1985 W. H. Smith/Books in Canada First Novel Award, and The Time of Their Lives, (Oberon Press, 1987) which earned him the Canadian Authors' Association Award for Most Promising Young Writer. Johnston's novel The Divine Ryans (McClelland & Stewart, 1990) won the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Prize and has been adapted into a film for which he wrote the screen play. Johnston also wrote the screen play for Human Amusements (McClelland & Stewart, 1994). The author's first work of non-fiction Baltimore's Mansion (Knopf Canada, 1999), which focuses on the passionate dilemma of the relationship between Newfoundland and Canada, was a national bestseller and earned him the inaugural Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction. Johnston's most recent book The Navigator of New York (Doubleday, 2002) was nominated for the 2002 Giller Prize. Wajdi MouawadPlaywright, director and actor, Wajdi Mouawad is the artistic director of the Théâtre de Quat'Sous and the co-founder of the Théâtre Ô Parleur. In 2000, he won the Governor General's Award for Drama for his play Littoral, which he also directed. He has written nine plays, including Rêves, les Mains d'Edwige au moment de la naissance and Alphonse. Born in Lebanon, Mr. Mouawad lived in France before immigrating to Canada in 1977; he graduated from the National Theatre School in 1991. His play Journée de noces chez les Cro-Magnons (1992) reflects his upbringing in war-torn Lebanon and traces the story of a family that decides to proceed with the marriage of their only daughter despite the bombs which threaten them on a daily basis. In 1998, Mr. Mouawad received the Quebec Critics' Circle Award for the production of his own play Willy Protagoras enfermé dans les toilettes. In February 1999, the production of his adaptation of Don Quixote won the Masque award for best Montreal presentation and Les Trois Soeurs, under his direction, received the Masque for Best Quebec Production in 2002 -2003. Mr. Mouawad will direct his own play Incendies, which will open the National Arts Centre's 2003-04 French Theatre Season. He recently published his first novel, Visage retrouvé (Leméac Éditeur, 2002). Shauna RolstonCellist Shauna Rolston performs regularly around the world and at many prestigious international festivals, including the Kuhmo Festival in Finland, the Tivoli Festival in Denmark and the Stavanger Festival in Norway. She has collaborated with many renowned conductors including Jukka-Pekka Saraste of Finland and Moscow-based Pavel Kogan. Shauna Rolston began playing cello at age two, made her debut at New York City's Town Hall at 16 and, three years later, was recognized as a Young Artist to Watch by Musical America magazine. Named by Macleans magazine in 1993 as one of the Canadian Leaders of the Future, Ms. Rolston has also been honoured with the Alberta Achievement Award for Excellence in Music Performance and Canada's 125th Anniversary Commemorative Medal for Significant Contributions to Canada. "This is the Colour of My Dreams", was named Best Classical CD at Canada's 2002 West Coast Music Awards. Ms. Rolston's formative studies were with Claude Kenneson and later at the Banff Centre under the guidance of Janos Starker, Gabriel Magyar and Zara Nelsova. She also participated in the master classes of Pierre Fournier and William Pleeth. Shauna earned degrees in history of art and music from Yale University where she studied with Aldo Parisot. in 1995, Shauna became a professor of music at the University of Toronto and co-head of the string department. Shauna Rolston will perform during the State Visit in concerts with soprano Measha Brueggergosman and composer/pianist Heather Schmidt on October 7 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki and on October 11 at the City Theatre in Reykjavik. Gilles SaucierGilles Saucier, architect, focuses on "urban scenography" in his work and has established the importance of a Canadian identity in architecture. In 2002, he was the recipient of the Governor General's Medal in Architecture for his work on Le Pavillon du Jardin des Premières Nations in Montreal's Botanical Garden. Mr. Saucier's company Saucier+Perrotte Architectes is currently designing the permanent research facility of the Perimeter Institute of Theoretical Physics (a research centre in basic physics) in Waterloo, Ontario and the School of Music at McGill University in Montreal. The company's past projects include: The Cinémathèque québecoise (1997), le Théâtre d'aujourd'hui et du Rideau-Vert in Montreal (1991) and the Gérald-Godin College in Ste-Geneviève, Québec (2001). The work of Saucier+Perrotte Architectes has concentrated primarily on the Mr. Saucier graduated from Laval University in Quebec City in 1982 and was a finalist for the Canadian Prix de Rome in 1988. That same year, he established Saucier+Perrotte Architectes in partnership with André Perrotte. Mr. Saucier has taught and lectured extensively in numerous Canadian and American university faculties of architecture. Dr. Heather SchmidtComposer and pianist Heather Schmidt is currently the composer-in-residence at the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also had several short-term residencies in Ontario including those with Strings of the Future (Ottawa), the Niagara Symphony (St. Catherines) and Orchestra London Canada. Her compositions and ensembles have been performed by orchestras around the world, including the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, the Henschel Quartet from Germany and The Juilliard Symphony in New York. Heather Schmidt's recent concert appearances have included performances in New York City, Washington, D.C., Chicago, the Czech Republic, Germany and Brazil. She won first prize and the Maestro's Choice Millennium Foundation Award at the 2000 Canadian Concerto Competition with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and first prize at the 2001 Eckhardt-Gramatte National Music Competition (piano). She also garnered three consecutive BMI awards (1993, 1994, 1995), two SOCAN Composer Awards (1994, 1997), the Zwilich Prize in the International Leagues of Women Composers Competition (1994, 1996) and Canada Council's Robert Fleming Prize (1994). In 2003, she received a Juno Award nomination in the category of "Best Classical Composition" for her Cello Concerto which was recorded by Shauna Rolston with the CBC Radio Orchestra conducted by Mario Bernardi. Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Dr. Schmidt began her piano studies at the age of four and, two years later, she gave her debut public appearance as a pianist and also won her first composition award. At the age of 21, she became the youngest student to earn a Doctorate of Music from Indiana University. She also pursued her professional studies at The Juilliard School in New York. Together with Shauna Rolston, Heather Schmidt has performed the works of Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. She has set Jane Urquhart's poem "Planet" to music and will perform it in a recital with Shauna Rolston and Measha Brueggergosman on October 7 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. She will also perform on October 11 at the City Theatre in Reykjavik. Jeffrey SpaldingThe painter Jeffrey Spalding, Director and Chief Curator of the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, is a champion of Canadian art, passionately interested in how that art relates to itself and to the rest of the world. Using oil and wax on canvas, oil on canvas, oil on wood, and acrylic, Mr. Spalding paints surreal landscapes which are deeply compelling. His works, such as Event (Yellow) (1989) and Event – In the Stream, Bimini (1990), have been described as "hovering between representation and abstraction." He is also known for his haunting and deeply disturbing paintings of Niagara Falls. As a guest speaker, Mr. Spalding has lectured across Canada and abroad. When he visits the various regions of Canada, he strives to discover the authentic "experience" and art of each locale. For example, he has challenged the hegemony, first of Britain (the colonial power), then of the political centre (Ontario) in historical and contemporary Canadian art. As Director of Florida's Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala, Jeffrey Spalding boosted attendance from 17,000 to 210,000 by bringing in international exhibitions of masterworks. From 1982 to 1999, he served as Director of the Art Gallery of the University of Lethbridge, Alberta, where he was chief curator as well as a Professor of Art. Mr. Spalding's current art history research investigates the relationship between Lawren Harris (1885–1970, one of Canada's greatest painters who was a member of the Group of Seven and the art of Rockwell Kent (a traveller to circumpolar regions), Nicholas Roerich of Russia and certain Scandinavian artists. He also has a strong interest in a pre-eminent Icelandic sculptor of the early 20th century named Einar Jonsson. Howard SutcliffeHoward Sutcliffe is an architect who explores the relationship between architecture, landscape and furniture. His works are inspired by his home city of Toronto, as well as by the surrounding Canadian landscape. Shim-Sutcliffe Architects, in which Mr. Sutcliffe is a principal, has won much acclaim for building and furniture design, including six Governor General's Awards for Architecture, awards from the American and Canadian wood councils and the Toronto Arts Award for Architecture and Design. The company's buildings grace both rural (including Moorelands Camp Dining Hall at Lake Kawagama, the Island House in the Thousand Islands and the Muskoka Boathouse on Lake Muskoka, all in Ontario) and urban settings (such as Ledbury Park, Laneway House, Craven Road House and Garden Pavilion and Reflecting Pool in Toronto). Shim-Sutcliffe Architects' award-winning furnishings, which include Faucet, Club Chair and Mail Box, have been selected to represent Canada in international exhibitions. Commentary on the firm's works has been published widely in Europe, North America and Asia. Mr. Sutcliffe studied environmental design and architecture at the University of Waterloo, then worked with Canadian architects Ronald Thom, Paul Merrick, Barton Myers and KPMB Architects. Early in his career, Mr. Sutcliffe won the Canada Council for the Arts' Ronald J. Thom Award for design achievement. In 1993, Howard Sutcliffe and his partner Brigitte Shim travelled extensively throughout Scandinavia (particularly Finland) "trying to observe the role of modernism in relation to the landscape". They focused, among others, on a number of buildings designed by the late Alvar Aalto, Finland's best-known architect. Jane UrquhartJane Urquhart's fourth novel The Underpainter (Viking, 1997) won a Governor General's Award for Literature and her latest novel The Stonecarvers, (McClelland & Stewart, 2001) was shortlisted for the Giller Prize. Like many Canadian writers, Ms. Urquhart began her literary career writing poetry before publishing her début novel The Whirlpool (McClelland & Stewart, 1986), which was the first Canadian book to win France's prestigious "Prix du Meilleur Livre Étranger". The Whirlpool, like the novels which have succeeded it, blends space, time and settings into a narrative which reveals Ms. Urquhart's love of Canadian history and landscape, as well as of the world of art and artists. Her third novel Away (McClelland & Stewart, 1993, which describes the lives of Irish immigrants in nineteenth century Ontario, won the 1994 Trillium Award and was shortlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Away also has the distinction of having remained on the Globe & Mail's National Bestseller list for 132 weeks, the longest record for any Canadian book. Timothy Findley described this most successful novel as "... a great romantic tale – rich in imagery and with language worthy of Emily Bronte and Thomas Hardy." Ms. Urquhart has also published a collection of short fiction entitled Storm Glass (The Porcupine's Quill, Inc., 1987) and three books of poetry: I'm Walking in the Garden of His Imaginary Palace (Aya Press, 1982), False Shuffles (Press Porcepic, 1982) and The Little Flowers of Madame de Montespan (The Porcupine's Quill, Inc., 1995). Jane Urquhart's poem "Planet" has been set to music by composer/pianist Heather Schmidt and is scheduled to be performed by Ms. Schmidt in a recital on Tuesday, October 7 at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki. Ms. Urquhart sat on the Jury Panel for the Giller Prize in 1995 and 2000 and was a jury member in 1997 for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, the world's largest literary prize for a single work of fiction. Ms. Urquhart's books have been published in Holland, France, Germany, Britain, Norway, Sweden, Australia and The United States and have been translated into thirteen languages. Canadian Wine PromotionDr. Linda BrambleLinda Bramble is a professor at Brock University's Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) in St. Catharines, Ontario, an internationally recognized, cutting-edge institution located in the Niagara wine-producing region. CCOVI is dedicated to meeting the research and educational needs of the cool climate grape growing and wine producing regions of the world. Dr. Bramble currently teaches several wine-related courses at CCOVI, as well as the certification program for the International Sommelier Guild. She is also Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Business, Brock University. In her role as CCOVI Industry Liaison, she is responsible for designing professional development programs to enhance the knowledge base of both wine enthusiasts and wine professionals in Ontario. A wine journalist, Dr. Bramble has been writing about wine since the early eighties, producing over 450 articles in regional, national and international publications. She currently Senior Editor for Vines Magazine where she does wine reviews, travel and a feature column and is the editor of CCOVI Connections; until recently, she also had a weekly radio show on food and wine. Among her books are the second edition of Touring Niagara's Wine Country (Lorimer Press, 2003) and Undiscovered Niagara (Boston Mills Press, 1990); she also contributed to The Oxford Companion to Wines of North America (Oxford University Press, 2000) and has recently completed two books for the trade: Excellence in Wine Sales and Service and Winery Tourism: A Guide to Market Readiness for Owner/Operators. Dr. Bramble graduated from the University of Buffalo with a Doctor of Philosophy and was the Program Director of the Niagara Institute where she developed and moderated seminars on Values and Leadership before turning her attention to the wine industry. She was recognized as the Business Person of the Year at the 2001 Niagara Grape and Wine Festival and was conferred The Women in Gastronomy Achievement Award in 2002. Anthony GismondiAnthony Gismondi is one of Canada's most influential wine critics. A top-rated writer, broadcaster and speaker, his expertise is widely acknowledged throughout the international wine community. The Simon Fraser University graduate has been the weekly wine columnist for the Vancouver Sun since 1989. Mr. Gismondi is also a consultant to Air Canada where he assists in the selection of in-flight wines served system-wide by Canada's largest airline. Mr. Gismondi is a senior editor with responsibilities for international wines at "Wine Access - Canada's Essential Guide to Wine and Spirits." The magazine is published nine times a year and is available nationally on newsstands or by subscription. In 2002, he launched a comprehensive wine website that contains a large and growing database of wines and stories chronicling his work and adventures in the world of wine. Additionally, he and food writer/author Kasey Wilson co-host a popular fast-paced live radio show called The Best of Food and Wine on CFUN/CHUM radio. The Best of Food & Wine has broadcast on location from food and wine festivals in New York, Sonoma, Seattle, Banff, Victoria, and Whistler. Mr. Gismondi travels widely in the exercise of his career as a wine critic and has visited the vinifera regions of California, Washington State, Spain, South Africa, Italy, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand and France, as well as the Niagara Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley in Canada. The Restaurant Association of BC recognized him as Media-Person of the Year for Outstanding Reporting in the Field of Hospitality in 1998. Gary KoestlerGary Koestler, a Deputy Director in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's International Trade Policy Directorate, is responsible for wine trade policy and instrumental in the development of Canadian national wine standards. Mr. Koestler has been involved in the development of the Canadian viticulture and wine sector since the early 1980s. He has participated in many international wine trade negotiations, including the 2001 agreement to permit access to the European market for Canadian ice wine. Mr. Koestler also provided input and direction in the initial establishment of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) appellation and subsequently helped to implement a new system to register and protect Canadian and foreign Geographical Indications (GIs) for wines and spirits. He also administered a research and development project, in cooperation with the Geisenheim Research Institute in Germany and British Columbia grape growers, to evaluate new grape varieties for the Okanagan Valley, as well as another, in cooperation with Brights Wines, which led to the growth of a new viticultural area in South Western Ontario. Mr. Koestler participated on the team which negotiated a bilateral agreement on wine and spirits trade issues with the European Commission. The agreement, which was signed in September 2003, achieves recognition of Canadian wine standards in the European Union and improves market access conditions. A member of the Bytown Vintners Wine Club, of the National Capital Sommelier Guild and of the Ontario Wine Judges Commission, he accompanied the wine delegation on the 2001 State Visits to Argentina and Chile and to Germany. Tony StewartTony Stewart is proprietor of Quail's Gate Vineyards Estate Winery, located in the Okanagan region of British Columbia, an area made famous for its award-winning wines. He is a director of the British Columbia Wine Institute, participating in the Marketing, Export and Finance Committees and is now Chairman of the Institute and sits on the Board of the Canadian Vintners Association. Mr. Stewart joined his brother, Ben, at Quail's Gate in 1992. The winery, first opened in 1989, is the product of a third-generation pioneering Okanagan family farm. The Stewart sons have been actively involved in the evolution of the vineyard with their father, Dick, and have played important roles in expanding the wine industry in British Columbia. In 2002, Mr. Stewart received Canada's Top 40 Under 40 Award, which recognizes outstanding achievements of entrepreneurs in business, public service and the non-profit sectors who are under the age of 40. Quail's Gate has received numerous national and international awards for its top-quality wines, including several medals from wine festivals in France and California, and the 1999 BC Business Excellence Award for manufacturing. This year the winery received the Lieutenant Governor's Award of Excellence in the British Columbia Wine Industry for its 2001 Family Reserve Pinot Noir, and a gold medal at the Jerry Mead's New World International Wine Competition for its 2000 Riesling Ice Wine. Donald and Elaine TriggsDonald Triggs is the President, Chief Executive Officer and director of Vincor International Inc., the largest vintner in Canada and fourth largest wine producer and marketer in North America. Elaine Triggs, a chartered accountant and former fashion design teacher, is the owner and manager of Delaine Vineyards (named for the couple), a 100-acre grape-growing facility off the Niagara Parkway near Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Delaine Vineyards has produced the award-winning Jackson-Triggs Niagara Estate Winery 2001 Delaine Vineyard Riesling. Having earned degrees in agriculture and business, Mr. Triggs became involved in the wine industry in 1972, when he was charged with managing the wine interests of Labatt Limited. When Labatt abandoned this aspect of its business in 1989, he and Allan Jackson purchased Inniskillin, and merged with Cartier Vintners and T.G. Bright in 1993 to form Vincor. The conglomerate has gone on to produce some of the world's finest wines, with vineyards expanding throughout California, Washington state, British Columbia, Ontario, Quebec and New Brunswick. Vincor's philosophy is to leave its subsidiary winemakers, Vincor (Québec) Inc., Inniskillin Okanagan Vineyards Inc., Inniskillin Wines Inc., Sumac Ridge Estate Winery Ltd., Hawthorne Mountain Vineyards Ltd., Spagnol's Wine & Beer Making Supplies Ltd., R. H. Phillips, Inc. and The Hogue Cellars, Inc, free to pursue their own style. Donald Triggs is active in several professional associations, including the Canadian Wine Institute and the Public Policy Forum. He is also a former director and chairman of the Ontario Wine Council. In recognition of his role in the Canadian and global wine industry, he was recently awarded the title of Commandeur d'Honneur du Bontemps de Medoc et des Graves. Donald and Elaine Triggs recently supported the creation of the Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute at Brock University through a $150,000 donation towards the Institution's Triggs International Premium Vinifera Lecture Series. In 2002, Jackson and Triggs announced the opening of a new open-air amphitheatre at the Estate Winery that features a summer program of music and theatrical performances with the opportunity to savour fine VQA wines. Inniskillin ice wines, a product of Vincor International Inc., are currently available in Finland, Norway and Denmark. |
