Polar Knowledge Canada

06/01/2026

June is National Indigenous History Month. It’s a time to honour the rich cultures, traditions, and experiences of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples whose presence has shaped this land since time immemorial.

At Polar Knowledge Canada, we are proud to work alongside Indigenous people as we advance Arctic science priorities. We look forward to a future of collaboration founded in respect and cooperation.

06/01/2026

💻📓💡Education & public engagement are at the heart of the Museum! Our curriculum-linked school workshops make science fun, accessible, and inclusive for students across Canada.

Up until now, we’ve reported reaching 16,180+ students online and onsite. We’re on track for 18,000 by June! We have delivered our virtual workshops to all provinces and territories—23 of which were delivered to Indigenous communities thanks to our friends at North Connected North. Our most booked virtual workshop this year was Exploring Rocks & Minerals 💎 ✧˖°.🌋 Our most booked onsite workshop this year was Discovery-Tank Experience °:•.🐠*.•🪸.

A teacher from Northwest Territories says:
"My students connected with the Northern Indigenous culture and connection to the land and the animals. It was all engaging, easy to follow and interesting. We appreciate that the instructor shared real life things that individuals did and can do to help protect their environments. This makes tangible and empowering connections for the youth. Mahsi cho for the excellent workshop." (Arctic Ecosystems)

Thank you to our amazing supporters: The Centre for Ocean Literacy Collaboration, Jane Atkinson Smith Foundation, Polar Knowledge Canada, and TD Friends of the Environment Foundation for an incredible school year.

05/18/2026

🏛️ This , POLAR is celebrating the power of museums to connect people, cultures and stories. 🗺️

We're proud to support the Polar Knowledge Canada Northern Voices Gallery at the Canadian Museum of Nature (CMN), a dedicated exhibition space where Northern communities can share their own perspectives of the Arctic and relationships with the land. ❄️

The current exhibition - Qikiqtait: Where Inuit Knowledge and Innovation Come Together - was created by the Arctic Eider Society in collaboration with the CMN and showcases the innovation and stewardship of Sanikiluarmiut (the people of Sanikiluaq, a community located in the unique Hudson Bay archipelago of Qikiqtait). 🦆

At POLAR, we're committed to advancing knowledge and collaboration in the North. We recognize the vital role that museums play in fostering dialogue, understanding, and respect across cultures and communities.

The Qikiqtait exhibition will run until September 2027. It is included with general museum admission.

🔗 Visit the CMN website for details and tickets: https://nature.ca/en/visit-us/whats-on/listing/qikiqtait/
📸 Canadian Museum of Nature

05/06/2026

Reminder: This funding call closes on May 13! See below for details.
🥩🫐🪿🌱🪺🎣

📢 Call for funding applications‼️

POLAR is accepting proposals for wildlife health and country food research through a targeted Food Security and Sovereignty Contribution Funding Call. 🥩🫐🪿🌱🪺🎣

Applications will be accepted until 23:59 EDT on May 13, 2026.

Funding will support research projects that increase understanding of the health, availability and sustainability of country foods in northern and Arctic Canada.

Up to $300,000 per project will be made available over three years.

🔗 Learn more here: https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/funding/science-and-technology-program/country-foods-and-food-security.html

🔗 Subscribe to our Grants and Contributions newsletter so you never miss an announcement: https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=uG5DAct-Uk29lX4iz8hJQnGmeygj5jJKjsLPSkO-MkRUOTFaVlJWRkxZQ1o4NDI0Tlk3MzkwUDVJRCQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl

📸 Matthew Gilbert

04/25/2026

Here's a World Veterinary Day fun fact: POLAR has two veterinarians on staff!

Veterinarians play a vital role in Arctic science. Our veterinary scientists study the interconnectedness of wildlife, human, and ecosystem health, helping advance food security in the North. In POLAR’s Science and Technology Framework, this research falls under our "One Health" research pillar.

🐟🩺 Meet Dr. Zoé Stacey, one of POLAR’s veterinarians.

Zoé is an aquatic animal health specialist working to better understand the health of Northern fish populations as they face the pressures of a rapidly changing Arctic. ❄️🌊

Using surveillance sampling across Nunavut and the Yukon, her research is building essential baseline data to track fish health over time. These observations provide important insights into the impacts of climate change, while supporting healthy ecosystems and country food sources that are central to the lives of Northerners. 🎣

Her work contributes to knowledge that can help Northern communities, researchers and decision-makers better understand changes affecting fish populations, supporting informed discussions around wildlife health, harvesting and long‑term stewardship.

On World Veterinary Day, we celebrate Zoé and all veterinarians whose work helps strengthen the health of Arctic systems and communities. ✨

04/22/2026

Today is ! 🌎

❄️ Did you know that the climate is changing faster in the Arctic than anywhere else on the planet? Warming temperatures and longer ice-free seasons are affecting wildlife and ecosystems in Nunavut’s national parks. These changes are also impacting Inuit communities, traditional lifestyles and cultural harvesting practices.

Small changes make a big difference. Let’s consume less and waste less to reduce our impact on the planet and improve our quality of life. When spending time outdoors, always respect the land by following Leave No Trace principles: pack out your garbage, avoid disturbing wildlife, and be considerate of others.

Together, we can protect the land for generations to come. 💚

📷 Nicole McFadden
📌 Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area

04/20/2026

💭 Did you know? POLAR is Canada’s representative on the Council of Managers of National Antarctic Programs (COMNAP). This means that we’re working with 33 other countries to support science in Antarctica!

We're happy to share that both COMNAP and the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) have opened applications for this year’s Antarctic Early-Career Award and Antarctic Fellowship – each offering funding up to $15,000 USD for 2026!

These two awards enable early-career researchers to work with a project team from another country, creating new opportunities and often creating partnerships that last for many years and over many Antarctic field seasons.

📅 The deadline to apply is June 14, 2026.

🔗 Learn more and apply here: https://www.comnap.aq/early-career-award

📸 Mary Paquet

04/16/2026

✈️ From across Nunavut to Iqaluktuuttiaq (Cambridge Bay)

This week, students from Nunavut high schools are at CHARS, engaging in hands-on learning and connecting with pathways in science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM). 🧠💡🧪🔬💥⚙️🤓

Led by Makigiaqta Inuit Training Corporation, the 5th annual STEAM Careers Camp centres Inuit youth as leaders in their communities and in Arctic research.

POLAR is proud to be part of this journey alongside incredible partners: Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., Nunavut Wildlife Management Board, Actua, Ampere Canada, Shad Canada, The Arctic Rose Foundation, University of Guelph



📷 © Elise Imbeau, Viventem

04/13/2026

🌿 Happy Plant Appreciation Day! 🌿

Did you know that the Canadian High Arctic Research Station (CHARS) is home to an herbarium, right in the High Arctic?

This unique reference collection supports national and international researchers and showcases some of the remarkable plant life of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.

Inside, you’ll find carefully curated specimens of vascular plants (tracheophytes), mosses (bryophytes) and lichens, each telling a story about life in one of the world’s most extreme environments. ❄️🌱

The CHARS Herbarium grew thanks to dedicated polar researchers and specimen donations from the Canadian Museum of Nature. Together, these collections help advance Arctic science by preserving critical baseline knowledge about northern plant biodiversity.

Botanists have been collecting Arctic plants for over 100 years! You can see reproductions of some of these original specimens hanging on the walls at CHARS.

04/10/2026

POLAR, along with colleagues from Canada and Chile, visited the science team and crew taking part in the 2026 Canadian Antarctic Research Expedition.

The expedition was supported by the Chilean Navy icebreaker Almirante Viel, in close cooperation with the Royal Canadian Navy. The expedition itself was a true international effort, with two Chilean scientists joining the Canadian research team on board. 🚢🔬

The expedition builds on the Chile-Canada Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Polar and Antarctic Cooperation, signed in 2025 by Polar Knowledge Canada and Instituto Antártico Chileno (INACH) - a milestone agreement strengthening long-term cooperation in Antarctic science.

Together, these partnerships advance shared knowledge, cooperation and discovery at the ends of the Earth, helping deepen our understanding of both poles. ↕️

Royal Canadian Navy | Fisheries and Oceans Canada | Environment and Climate Change | Simply Science | Marine Environmental Observation Prediction & Response Network | Embassy of Canada to Chile