Harper Government Invests in State-of-the-Art Satellite Station

INUVIK, NWT, July 30, 2015 /CNW/ - Dr. Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment, on behalf of the Honourable Greg Rickford, Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, today announced an investment of $3.7 million for the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility (ISSF). The funding will be used to improve and build roads granting access to the facility. Dr. Carrie also celebrated the inauguration of a new satellite antenna and operations building at the facility.

Geospatial data received at the ISSF is used to support emergency preparedness and response, shipping and navigation, environmental monitoring, northern sovereignty and resource development. The new antenna will receive satellite data and imagery and send commands to a new generation of Earth observation satellites.  

The Government of Canada is working with the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Town of Inuvik, the private sector and academia, to continue to expand and improve the facility in order to make Inuvik one of the largest geospatial data receiving stations in the world.

Quick Facts

• The Government of Canada, in collaboration with the German Aerospace Centre and PrioraNet Canada, established the ISSF in 2010.
• Situated north of the Arctic Circle, in Inuvik, NWT, the ISSF's new antenna is uniquely positioned to track and receive data in real-time from the new generation of polar-orbiting satellites for scientific, mapping, weather, surveillance and other purposes.
• Canada's Economic Action Plan 2012 allocated $38.9 million for the revitalization of Natural Resources Canada's satellite stations located in Inuvik, NWT, Gatineau, Quebec, and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
• In 2013, the Government of Canada announced the New Building Canada Plan, the largest and longest federal commitment to infrastructure in Canadian history, with some $70 billion pledged over the next decade. In November 2014, Prime Minister Harper announced an additional $5.8 billion to build and renew federal government infrastructure across the country. 
• Northerners will benefit both in the short term and in the long term from the development of the ISSF. The facility is currently contributing to the region's economy by creating jobs and leveraging local skills, knowledge and workmanship.

Quotes

"Our government continues to harness science and technology to further develop Canada's North and improve the lives of its citizens. The new antenna and satellite operations building will further the Inuvik Satellite Station Facility's ability to generate a host of scientific, security and economic benefits for northerners and all Canadians."
Greg Rickford 
Canada's Minister of Natural Resources

"By investing in geospatial infrastructure for the 21st century, Canada strengthens its position as a world leader in satellite infrastructure. Canadian scientists will use this cutting-edge technology to monitor our land and borders to enhance the safety, security and long-term prosperity of our communities."
Dr. Colin Carrie,
Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of the Environment

Related Products

• Government of Canada's Satellite Station Facilities

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SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

For further information: Media may contact: Alexandra Lemieux, Press Secretary, Office of Canada's Minister of Natural Resources, 613-996-2007; or Media Relations, Natural Resources Canada, Ottawa, 613-992-4447; The general public may contact: Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. EDT, Telephone: [phone], TTY: 613-996-4397, (teletype for the hearing-impaired), E-mail: [email protected]