About us

Overview

The Northern Climate ExChange (NCE) opened in February 2000, at the Northern Research Institute of Yukon College. The centre was created in response to growing concern over the impacts of climate change on the land, life, and communities of northern Canada. The effects of climate change are projected to be greatest and to come most swiftly to the polar regions of the world, and there is growing evidence that the impacts of climate change are already being noticed in these regions.

While the focus of the work of the NCE is on activities within the Yukon, the NCE has received funding to undertake projects that are relevant across northern Canada. Funding for the centre is from the Government of Canada, Government of Yukon and Yukon College. The NCE receives direction and guidance from a Management Committee and Program Committees, and NCE Advisors.

Mission statement

The mission of the Northern Climate ExChange is to provide a credible independent source of information, develop shared understanding and promote action on climate change in northern Canada.

Approach

Work carried out by the NCE adheres to a number of guiding principles. The approach of the NCE:

• Recognizes that community participation in research and decision making is essential to long term resource, environmental and cultural sustainability in the North;
• Realizes the opportunity to strengthen links across northern Canada and among circumpolar nations through the exchange of knowledge and expertise; and
• Places appropriate emphasis on the collection of local information and scientific knowledge and perspectives in order to reflect northern insight and needs.

Goals

Programs, projects and initiatives carried out by the NCE are consistent with one or more of the following goals. The NCE Steering Committee developed these goals when the centre was established. The goals provide strategic direction to present and future activities of the NCE.

The goals of the NCE are to:

• Facilitate a clearer understanding of the impacts of climate change on the northern economy, environment and social fabric;
• Support the contributions of indigenous peoples to the climate change knowledge base by promoting the acceptance of traditional knowledge and aboriginal expertise;
• Increase science and research capacity among northerners and improve the links between scientific and local information;
• Promote local economic opportunities in the development of resource efficient technologies and practices that can contribute to mitigating climate change impacts;
• Foster partnerships and strengthen Canada's role as a scientific and political leader in the circumpolar North;
• Contribute to regional and national northern policy decisions and development of policy tools;
• Foster consensus-based decision making especially among northern communities;
• Facilitate the development of a circumpolar "trade route" to share knowledge, expertise and technology;
• Increase general awareness of the issue of climate change, its impacts on the north, and the global benefits of northern-based research;
• Advance a virtual framework for circumpolar climate change research alongside the University of the Arctic developments;
• Promote the establishment of a series of coordination points in the North to anchor climate change research activities; and
• Provide public education and outreach programs on climate change in the North.

Vision

The long-term vision of the NCE is to serve as a northern entry point into the study of climate change in the North by:

• Promoting and coordinating research and education on the impacts of, and adaptations to climate change in the North;
• Supporting the development of resource-efficient technologies and practices that can contribute to mitigating climate change and its impacts; and
• Facilitating the exchange of scientific and local information, technology, and expertise on climate change.

Governance

The NCE is governed by the policies and procedures of its host institution, and the terms and conditions of its funding agreements.

The NCE also receives guidance from two steering committees, the NCE Management Committee and NCE Program Committee, and NCE Advisors.

Host Institution

The NCE is a program of the Northern Research Institute at Yukon College.

Yukon College is the only public post-secondary institution in the Yukon, and is a board-governed entity established under Yukon's College Act. Yukon College is part of the University of the Arctic -- a burgeoning network of academic institutions and programs in the circumpolar North -- and is playing an important role in developing program structures to deliver higher education.

The Northern Research Institute (NRI) is the research unit of Yukon College. The NRI promotes, coordinates and undertakes research activities that both complement the College's goal of excellence in all areas of Yukon and Northern Studies, and fosters development of northern capabilities.

Funding Agreements

Yukon College holds four contribution agreements that fund NCE programs and activities. Three agreements are with different components of the Government of Canada, and one agreement is with the Government of Yukon's Department of Environment.

Management Committee

The NCE meets regularly with a Management Committee that is comprised of representatives from the Government of Yukon, Government of Canada and Yukon College. The Committee was established to provide direction to NCE and its staff.

Duties of the Management Committee are to:

• determine the annual financial and/or in-kind contribution of each partner by December 31 of each year;
• assist the NCE in accomplishing its goals and objectives;
• review and approve new program and project proposals developed by NCE;
• review and approve annual program evaluations prepared by NCE; and
• seek advice, guidance and support from NCE Program Committees and Stakeholders.

Program Committees

NCE Program Committees assemble around topics or projects on an as-needed basis. This ad-hoc committee structure was developed to provide an opportunity to discuss the NCE and its associated programs and to provide technical support and guidance to NCE staff on their projects and initiatives. More than one NCE Program Committee may exist at a time, each with a different focus or project.

Depending on the nature of the discussions, representation on NCE Program Committees is sought from a number of government and non-government departments and agencies.

NCE programs

Staff

NCE staff coordinate a wide range of climate change programs and services for Yukon and northern Canada, and participate in the Yukon's climate change strategy. An introduction to NCE staff is provided below.

Lacia Kinnear – NCE Coordinator

As Coordinator of the Northern Climate ExChange, Lacia Kinnear manages all NCE activities. Lacia has over 8 years of experience in the environmental field, including areas related to education, advocacy, policy development and research. Before heading North, Lacia spent over a year as the Director of Environmental Education preparing programs and securing funding for education projects for the Sierra Club of Canada – Atlantic Chapter. Upon arriving in the Yukon, Lacia was working with the Yukon Federal Council to develop and implement a green procurement policy and strategic plan.

Lacia has a Bachelor of Art Degree in Geography from the University of Guelph, with a minor in Geographical Information Systems and Resource Management. She also has a Masters of Environmental Studies Degree from the School for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University.

Lacia moved to the North to explore the vast wilderness of the Yukon and has since embraced local activities including cross-country skiing, biking and cancan dancing.

Ryan Hennessey – Community Adaptation Project Manager

Ryan Hennessey coordinates our community adaptation projects. Three Yukon communities are involved in this process, which will see them develop capacity to deal with climate change.

Ryan recently moved to the Yukon from Atlantic Canada where he was employed by the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN). While with C-CIARN Ryan actively promoted awareness of climate change impacts on Canadians and why adaptation is an important component of preparing for climate change. His past work encompasses a broad range of environmental experie nce including the preparation of land use, infrastructure and conservation management plans, environmental assessments, development of communication resources, and project management.

Ryan has a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture degree from the University of Guelph, and is in the process of completing his Masters of Environmental Studies from Dalhousie University. He is a long time runner and biker and is in the process of discovering all of the opportunities the long Yukon winter has to offer.

John Streicker – Whitehorse Adaptation Coordinator

John Streicker is a Professional Engineer specializing in climate change impacts in the Canadian North and responses to those impacts: mitigation, adaptation and public education. John is the past manager of the three northern offices of the Canadian Climate Impacts and Adaptation Research Network (C-CIARN).

John is a lecturer on climate change at Yukon College and the science advisor for the Northern Climate ExChange. He has made presentations to the United Nations Youth Summit, the United Nations Environment Programme and Canadian Parliament. He writes for Encyclopedia Britannica on the Arctic and on Climate Change, and he was an editor on the Polar Chapter of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's recent publication.

He is excited to be working with the community of Whitehorse on their community adaptation plan.

Sebastian Jones – Dawson Adaptation Coordinator

Sebastian Jones was born in England and soon realized the winters there left something to be desired. He made it to the Yukon while still a teenager and has never been disappointed with the climate. This might go some way towards explaining why, after some years as a Community Steward with the Yukon Fish & Wildlife Management Board, he took a position with the Northern Climate ExChange to help coordinate a climate change adaptation plan for Dawson City where he lives.

Sebastian has spent many years living in the bush, mostly down the river from Dawson but also on the Dempster. He passionately believes looking after our land and its inhabitants (including humans) should be our top priority. He lives in a small house in West Dawson with his partner Shelley and 16 dogs.