British Columbia

Canadian Centre for Climate Monitoring and AnalysisCanadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis (Victoria, BC)

The role of the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis is to develop sophisticated global and regional climate models, and more comprehensive Earth System models, and use them to understand climate variability and change, and to make quantitative projections of future climate. The Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis is located on the campus of the University of Victoria and is involved in a range of climate-related research networks involving other universities across Canada, building upon their core expertise and infrastructure.

The Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis models are highly regarded internationally, and the results are widely used to analyze climate change impacts and to support decision and policy-making. Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis scientists have made substantial contributions to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change scientific assessment reports over the years.

Some highlights of Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis include:

  • Access to one of the most powerful supercomputing facilities in Canada, used to develop more complete and complex models of the climate system.
  • Centre of Canadian expertise that is one of only a handful of such institutes in the world and which is widely recognized as an international leader in climate modeling.
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Douglas Jung BuildingDouglas Jung Building (Vancouver, BC)

Located in downtown Vancouver, the Douglas Jung Building houses several Environment Canada activities as well as Department of Fisheries and Oceans offices. The site supports a number of business lines, as well as the executive offices of the region, scientific equipment and materials, and a 24/7 weather operation. Science and Technology activities at the site include Freshwater Quality Monitoring and Surveillance, Marine Water Quality Monitoring and CEPA Substances Risk Assessment.

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Pacific and Yukon Region National Lab for Coastal and Mountain Meteorology (Vancouver, BC)

The National Laboratory for Coastal and Mountain Meteorology was formed in 2004. The lab’s mission is to provide improved scientific understanding and prediction of high-impact weather, primarily focussing on prediction of weather phenomena in coastal and mountainous environments. The lab is co-located with the Environment Canada Storm Prediction Centre in Vancouver. Outputs include applied research to address forecasting issues identified in the Department and facilitation of technology transfer of science results into the operational weather forecasting program.

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Pacific Environmental Science CentrePacific Environmental Science Centre (Vancouver, BC)

The Pacific Environmental Science Centre is the home to scientists conducting marine water quality monitoring surveys in British Columbia and microbiological analyses in support of Environment Canada’s responsibilities under the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program. The ISO/IEC 17025-accredited microbiology laboratory also analyses sanitary wastewater from facilities as part of wastewater system assessments for the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program. It also houses the Pacific and Yukon Laboratory for Environmental Testing.

Some highlights of the Pacific and Yukon Laboratory for Environmental Testing include:

  • State-of-the-are facility built in 1995 for marine, estuarine, and freshwater ecotoxicology.
  • Centre of Excellence for Salmonid genomics and toxicogenomic analysis.
  • Chemical and Toxicological Centre of expertise for Legal analysis and expert testimony in support of Fisheries Act 36.3.
  • Centre of expertise on sulfur in fuels analysis that supports Environment Canada enforcement.
  • Area of Specialization for Birds Oiled at Sea Program.
  • Marine and freshwater monitoring expertise and involvement in the Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network.
  • Fixed and mobile labs for shellfish water quality work.
  • Association with the Wild Bird Trust on Vancouver Port Authority Lands.
  • Fresh Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Field Operations Laboratory.
  • National Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network Taxonomy Laboratory.
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Pacific Wildlife Research CentrePacific Wildlife Research Centre (Delta, BC)

The Pacific Wildlife Research Centre is located on the Alaksen National Wildlife Area in Delta, B.C., just south of Vancouver and next to the Fraser River. The Alaksen National Wildlife Area provides sanctuary for wintering waterfowl, including Lesser Snow Geese, and for migratory songbirds.

The Alaksen National Wildlife Area also forms part of a network of locally recognized and protected conservation areas, including British Columbia Wildlife Management Areas, Important Bird Areas and a Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network site, designed to protect and manage the Fraser River Estuary, a unique and threatened landscape on Canada’s rugged west coast.

Staff from the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Wildlife and Landscape Science Directorate are housed at the Pacific Wildlife Research Centre, located on Westham Island, on which operate several private farms. Staff help manage this working farm landscape for the benefit of wintering wildlife.

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Water and Climate Impacts Research Centre (Victoria, BC)

Environment Canada and the University of Victoria jointly established the Water & Climate Impacts Research Centre. The Water & Climate Impacts Research Centremandate mandate is to facilitate hydrological and environmentally-based inter-disciplinary research assessing the impacts of climate change on Canadian water resources. In support of the mandate, a joint Environment Canada-University of Victoria Research Chair in the field of Climate Impacts on Water Resources has been established.

The main highlights of the facility are:

  • State of the climate-hydrologic model systems and associated computer and hydro-ecological process-study laboratories.