Mike W. Bryant
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 19/01) - Environment Canada's role in providing weather information to the North may be shrinking once more.

The department pulled its personnel out of weather stations in Inuvik and Yellowknife in 1996, leaving them entirely automated and unmanned.

Now, in an attempt to streamline its services across the country, Environment Canada may make even more cuts -- many of them directed at the North.

"We could see a reduction of services in the North," conceded director of meteorological services for the North and Prairie Region Tim Goos.

Goos said it was still uncertain where the cuts will go, but it could mean the closure of its Arctic forecasting department in Edmonton.

Part of the problem is the high cost of maintaining the department's meteorological equipment in the North.

Environment Canada's North and Prairie region has a budget of $40 million. While Goos said there are no foreseeable cuts to its budget in the near future, they may have to choose between cutting jobs or making repairs.

Last year, Environment Canada replaced three automated stations situated on the Mackenzie River. The stations in Inuvik and Yellowknife are nearly 40 years-old.

"We have a number of stations that are in danger of failure, and in the winter that could be a problem," said Goos. "We might not be able to replace them until the spring."

Another problem for the department's meteorological services is its own redundancy.

A bulk of the weather information Environment Canada receives comes from Nav Can, which has manned stations in most NWT communities that have a landing strip.

And of course, there is the media, which in larger centres often hire their own meteorologists.

"It will likely be different in Lutsel K'e than it is Edmonton," said Goos. "In Edmonton they have 14 radio and TV stations."

What Environment Canada appears to be gearing towards applies to its own namesake -- the environment. Last year, the department set up the Climate Change Action Fund.