About NACW 2018
Environment and Climate Change Canada, in partnership with Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service, is leading the organization of the 17th North American Caribou Workshop (NACW) which will be held in Ottawa, Canada for the first time, from October 29th - November 2nd, 2018. The Organizing Committee invites you to support the 17th NACW.
The NACW is the foremost conference of its kind addressing caribou biology, research and management. With a focus on caribou populations from across North America, it enjoys international attendance and media coverage. The NACW is held every two years and is a central event for sharing knowledge, science and lessons learned, reporting on caribou status and discussing approaches to address key challenges to caribou conservation, management and recovery.
Recognizing the significance of the federal government leading the organization of the NACW in the Nation’s Capital for the first time, the theme of the 17th NACW is “Working Together”. Dedicated conference sessions and activities will showcase current collaborative and cooperative caribou conservation, management and recovery efforts taking place across the country among Indigenous communities, federal and provincial governments and industry stakeholders.
Theme | Working Together
Scientific and traditional knowledge have well-established that the majority of caribou populations are experiencing declines across North America. Caribou is an iconic species that holds a special significance for all North Americans – its current status concerns us all. In order to maintain vital, healthy caribou populations the long-term persistence of this remarkably diverse and widely distributed species requires an unprecedented level of commitment, collaboration and cooperation among groups involved in the conservation of caribou. Working together is of the utmost importance.
The theme of the 17th North American Caribou Workshop is “Working Together”. Under this unifying theme, the conference will serve as a forum for knowledge-sharing and learning, and will provide opportunities for the expansion of networks and the fostering of new collaborations. Conference sessions and activities will contextualize how current collaborative caribou conservation, management and recovery efforts are helping to:
Translate Knowledge into Action
Incorporating Indigenous traditional knowledge and scientific information into current caribou recovery and management efforts and into effective policies
Strengthen Livelihoods & Futures
Considering cultural and sustenance links to caribou as well as socio-economic factors in recovery efforts and the resulting impacts on the people, communities and caribou conservation
Find Innovative Solutions
Looking beyond the challenges and causes of population declines to generate new research which supports timely and appropriate on-the-ground solutions
About Ottawa
Canada’s capital is a dynamic cosmopolitan city of more than one million people, where you’ll hear English and French spoken in the streets and where you can discover Canada’s proud heritage at impressive national sites and famous landmarks, including the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Steeped in culture, Ottawa boasts world-class museums and galleries displaying stunning national collections and special exhibitions from Canada and around the world, plus a strikingly reimagined National Arts Centre—the country’s premier performing arts venue, which just reopened following a multimillion dollar facelift.
Ottawa is a uniquely beautiful place—a vibrant urban centre nestled at the junction of three great rivers, right in the middle of hundreds of kilometres of unspoiled nature, just minutes away. Drive up to the Gatineau Hills, just across the Ottawa River, into Gatineau Park, cottage and lake country. Or south along the historic Rideau River system of lakes and locks to the mighty St Lawrence River and the 1,000 Islands. Hiking and cycling paths and trails are everywhere in and around the city, active in all seasons.
Ottawa is known for being both welcoming and walkable. Explore distinctive local neighbourhoods, including the historic ByWard Market—by day this area boasts a bustling farmers’ market and trendy shops; by night it hums with activity at its restaurants, pubs, and nightclubs. This city enjoys the finer things in life and supports a cutting edge culinary community, unique boutiques and shopping districts and a lively local music and art scene.
The Delta Ottawa City Centre, where the 2017 NACW Conference takes place, is centrally located at the western end of the Supreme Court and Parliament Hill precinct, and backs onto Sparks Street Mall, a bustling historic pedestrian-only east-west thoroughfare of shops, businesses and restaurants.
The hotel is a two block stroll up to Wellington Street and the National Archives, the Supreme Court of Canada and along to Parliament Hill, all standing sentinel over the Ottawa River rushing along behind and below them.
Continue east along Wellington—or Sparks Street—to the Byward Market, the National Arts Centre, the Rideau Centre (shopping), our truly magnificent National War Memorial, the legendary Rideau Canal and Sussex Drive—with its ‘Mile of History’ that features the National Gallery of Canada, the Royal Canadian Mint, the British High Commission, the French Embassy, the Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex, and Government House. It’s about a 20-minute walk altogether from the hotel to the Byward Market, if you don’t stop anywhere along the way.
Across the street from the Centennial Flame on Parliament Hill is the self-service Capital Information Kiosk, where you can get free tickets to view the Parliament of Canada, Museums passes, and a wealth of other touristic information. A block further down Wellington, around the National War Memorial, are kiosks where you can buy tickets for hop-on hop-off bus tours, boat tours, combo tours and more.
To the west—a bit of a hike but still walkable—is Victoria Island, the Chaudière Falls and the Canadian War Museum. Directly across the river is the Canadian Museum of History.
In 2018, Ottawa’s brand new east-west subway line, running roughly underneath Wellington Street, will be open with a station right next to the hotel—a boon to delegates who may not want to walk everywhere.
Getting Here
By Air
The Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport is just 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa, offering more than 130 non-stop flights daily to more than 50 destinations in Canada, the United States and European centres out of its state-of-the-art terminal.
Taxi’s, car service and car rental are just steps outside the airport. Bus service to downtown is also available using bus route 97.
By Road
Ottawa is a four-hour drive north-east from Toronto, and two-hour drive west from Montreal
From Toronto, you can choose the most direct route along the east-west Hwy 417 corridor, then north onto Hwy 416 into Ottawa. Or meander along older Upper Canada highways and backroads into the Ottawa Valley (Hwy 7, or 31).
From Montreal, the most direct route is to drive east to Ottawa along Hwy 417. Or, come in on the Quebec side—cross over the Ottawa River at Hawkesbury onto the older Hwy 50 and meander through Papineauville and Montebello on the Quebec side.
By Train
Convenient, comfortable and affordable, Canada’s passenger train service – VIA Rail – is a great travel choice that offers numerous daily departures to Ottawa from all major cities in southern Ontario and southern Quebec. Ottawa’s Central Station is just minutes east of downtown, and a satellite VIA Rail station is located to the west of the city at Fallowfield-Barrhaven.
Approximate train travel times to Ottawa: Toronto – 5 hours, Montreal – 2 hours, Kingston – 2 hours.
Steering Committee
- Cheryl Johnson, Environment & Climate Change Canada – Chair
- Salena Angelo, Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service – Coordinator
- Lindsay Crawford, Environment & Climate Change Canada – Coordinator
- Al Arsenault, John Wood Group PLC
- John Cheechoo, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
- Megan Hazell, John Wood Group PLC
- Mathieu Leblond, Environment & Climate Change Canada
- Gita Ljubicic, Carleton University
- Micheline Manseau, Environment & Climate Change Canada
- Erin Neave, Environment & Climate Change Canada
- Deborah Simmons, Sahtú Renewable Resources Board
- Darren Sleep, National Council for Air & Stream Improvement
- Justina Ray, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
- John Virgl, Golder Associates
Event Planning & Graphic Design
- David Dunlop & Susan Ball-Dunlop, D. R. Dunlop & Associates, Inc.
Scientific Program
- Cheryl Johnson, Environment & Climate Change Canada – Chair
- Mathieu Leblond, Environment & Climate Change Canada
- Erin Neave, Environment & Climate Change Canada
- Amit Saxena, Devon Energy Corp.
- Darren Sleep, National Council for Air & Stream Improvement
Indigenous Participation
- Micheline Manseau, Environment & Climate Change Canada – Chair
- Walter Bayha, Sahtú Renewable Resources Board
- Danny Beaulieu, Government of Northwest Territories
- John Cheechoo, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami
- Valérie Courtois, Indigenous Leadership Initiative
- Daniel Gladu, Food Matters Manitoba
- Gita Ljubicic, Carleton University
- Erin Neave, Environment & Climate Change Canada
- Michael Neyelle, Sahtú Renewable Resources Board
- Deborah Simmons, Sahtú Renewable Resources Board
- Justina Ray, Wildlife Conservation Society Canada
Sponsorship
- Megan Hazell, John Wood Group PLC – Chair
- Al Arsenault, John Wood Group PLC
- John Virgl, Golder Associates
- Darren Sleep, National Council for Air & Stream Improvement
Communications
- Salena Angelo, Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service – Co-chair
- Lindsay Crawford, Environment & Climate Change Canada – Co-chair
Social Events & Conference Activities
- Salena Angelo, Natural Resources Canada – Canadian Forest Service – Co-chair
- Lindsay Crawford, Environment & Climate Change Canada – Co-chair