Inuit Research Advisors

Phase 3 (2011-2014)

IRIS 3 Information (Hudson Bay)

The objective of IRIS 3 is to assess the impacts and adaptations of climate change to the Hudson Bay ecosystem, and the people living around the Bay. The resulting document will form a Region Impact Assessment that will contain information that will be useful to Northerners, policy-makers and the general public.

Organization

Dr. David Barber is the Lead of IRIS 3. He is the Director of the Centre for Earth Observation Science (CEOS) at the University of Manitoba and holds a Canada Arctic Research Chair. His research focuses on sea ice dynamics. (Phone number: (204) 474-6981; Email: )

Dan Leitch is the Coordinator for IRIS 3. He works as a Research Associate at the University of Manitoba. He organizes IRIS 3 activities. (Phone number: (204) 474-8599; Email: )

Partnerships and Collaborations

Over the past year, IRIS 3 has developed numerous collaborations towards an initiative called the Hudson Bay Inland Sea Initiative (HBISI) by teaming up with the Nunavut Hudson Bay Inter-Agency Working Group (NTK) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). The principle of the HBISI is to bring further awareness to issues within the Hudson Bay Inland Sea (which includes Hudson Strait, Foxe Basin, James Bay and Ungava Bay). The Hudson Bay ecosystem is encompassed by the jurisdictions of Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, Nunavut and the Federal Government, which poses a jurisdictional challenge. Efforts will be made towards addressing this challenge and finding ways… encourage effective communications towards positive management of the ecosystem. The first event planned is a Hudson Bay Awareness Summit (HBAS). The goals of this event are to focus greater public, political and scientific attention to the Hudson Bay ecosystem, the coastal Inuit and First Nations people, and the economic activities and interests in the Bay.

Activities

In December of 2009, an IRIS workshop was held at the ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting. At this meeting, the IRIS principles and objectives were described to ArcticNet researchers and partners. The workshop was also used to discuss research gaps within the Hudson Bay marine ecosystem that could be addressed during the 2010 Amundsen field program.

In April of 2010, a planning meeting was held in Winnipeg with numerous stakeholders to shape the objectives of the Hudson Bay Inland Sea initiative, and to initiate the first planning towards the Hudson Bay Awareness Summit. Stakeholder representation at this meeting included ArcticNet, IISD, Government of Nunavut / NTK, Nunavut Tunngavik Inc (NTI), DFO, the Province of Manitoba, Government of Canada Policy Research Initiative, and the Grand Council of the Cree. The meeting was also used to establish a steering committee for the HBISI. Moving forward, information backgrounders and flyers are currently being prepared.

A VIP visit of regional politicians, industry and the University of Manitoba was organized for the Amundsen's stop-over in Churchill in July of 2010. This tour was used to raise the profile of ArcticNet, Arctic research, industry and government collaborations, and to inform participants regarding the planned Hudson Bay Inland Sea Initiative.

The next steps are to follow through with the Hudson Bay Awareness Summit, and to use this process to inform and shape the Regional Impact Assessment of the Hudson Bay IRIS.