The Science Media Centre of Canada | Annual Report 2009-2010 CONTENTS Introduction 1

SMCC Overview 2

The Year Ahead 3 Letter from the Founding Chair 4 Letter from the Executive Director 6 Key Achievements 8 Financials 12 Special Acknowledgements 16

THE SCIENCE MEDIA CENTRE OF CANADA 1867 St.Laurent Blvd PO Box 9724, Station T MAIN NUMBERS: Ottawa, ON (613) 249-8209 K1G 5A3 (438) 288-3909 (403) 456-2109 EMAIL: [email protected] (604) 248-4209 FAX: 613-990-3654 (902) 442-6909 www.sciencemedia.ca (647) 729-1909 Science has never been more pervasive in everyday life, yet seldom have so many people felt so unconnected to it. Fewer and fewer specialized medi- cal and science journalists exist in the mass media. The burden has fallen instead on general assignment report- ers, who mostly lack the expertise to present science in an engaging fashion. In 2008, a small group of con- cerned journalists, researchers and public supporters of science decided the way to tackle this problem was primarily by providing help to general assignment reporters in the form of the Science Media Centre of Canada. 2 The Science Media Centre of Canada Public debateandpolicydecisionswillbenefit. that isaccurate,incisive,andevidence-based. issues throughmediacoverageofscience Increase publicengagementwithscience quantity ofreportinginallfieldsscience. accurate science. Inform publicdebatewithevidence-based the humanities. engineering, environment andsomeaspectsof also includesstoriesdealing withtechnology, natural, socialandbiomedical sciencesand citizen oppositiontocellphonetowers. the crucialfactualunderpinning-suchas like planet–tostorieswherescienceprovides story -suchasthediscoveryofanewEarth- everything fromstorieswherescienceisthe science playsanimportantpart. This means will helpjournalistscoverstoriesinwhich The ScienceMediaCentreofCanada(SMCC) OVERVIEW SMCC The word“science”encompassesthe Improvethequalityand with them,itwillnotbe aclone.Itwillbe the SMCCplanstoco-operate energetically Britain, Australia andNewZealand. Although science. producers andevenjournalistsspecializingin will proveusefultofeaturewriters,editors, also intendstoprovidearangeofservicesthat General Assignment reporters. Yet theCentre overworked andtoooftenunderappreciated specializing incoveringscience,theusually journalists whodon’t havetheluxuryof The SMCCwillgiveprioritytohelping Science mediacentres exist alreadyin

organizations. or boosttheprofileof specific individualsor not intendedtoendorse particularpolicies inform andsometimes triggerdebate,butare based isparamount. The SMCC’s activities to everyoneviathemedia.Beingevidence- results ofevidence-basedresearchaccessible the bestsourcesofexpertise. dian approachtoidentifyinganddistributing regional concernswhiletakingapan-Cana in FrenchandEnglishrespondingto indisputably Canadianprovidingservices The SMCC’s roleistomakethe organiz values ational - AHEAD THE YEAR Museum. the CanadaScienceand Technology Ottawa officeprovidedprobonoat Gemmell whoworkoutofthemain staffers Amorina KingdonandSusan officer there,GillesProvost,joins scientifiques duQuébec.Ourmedia at the Association descommunicateurs graciously providedbyourcolleagues second officeinMontreal,withspace We alsoopenedphysicaldoorswitha 24 hoursaday, sevendaysaweek. doors” acrossthecountryandoperating September 27 services toCanadianjournalistson individuals. so manyorganizations, companiesand for thestrongandcontinuedsupportof to beevenmoreso. We arethankful SMCC andthenext12monthspromise It hasbeenanexcitingyearforthe • • • • • THE YEARAHEAD OBJECTIVES FOR SMCC code ofethics. related expertiseandto developan on whoitapproachesfor scientificand Committee todevelop a clearpolicy Engage theEditorial Advisory as capacityallows. amonth,toincrease (‘webinar’) Hold atleastonewebseminar grounders weekly Experts Comments,andBack- Issue “HeadsUp”mediaalerts, languages Provide servicesinbothofficial 1100 expertsbeforeyearend all sectorsidentifiedandhaveatleast database toincluderesearchersacross Committee inbuildingourexpert Engage theResearch Advisory As planned,welaunchedour th , openingour“virtual

3 Annual Report 2009-2010 • Develop and conduct half-day work- shops for scientists, “Journalism 101 for Scientists,” that introduces them to the media. This offers researchers a glimpse into the world of journalism, its norms, culture and values. The goal is to help them understand of the demands of today’s 24 hour news cycle, and give some perspective on the kinds of LETTER information journalists are looking for and why. • Develop and conduct half-day work- from the shops for journalists, “Science 101 for Journalists,” aimed at the media. Risk and numeracy are two of the first planned workshop topics. FOUNDING OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES CHAIR • Revamp our website to provide informa- As publically available information on the latest tion to journalists quicker and more findings in science and technology grows in quantity, effectively in both languages. The new the analytical and critical roles that quality media are site is intended to be easily navigated, expected to play are increasingly important, particu- and at the same time, easy to update. larly as they influence public opinion on the one hand • Develop Key Performance Indicators and policy makers on the other. Opportunities opened (KPIs) to monitor our performance by new scientific discoveries and their applications and ensure we are providing effective also lead to potentially unknown risks or fear of risk service. or even rejection from a misinformed or ill-informed • Fundraising; promote the SMCC and public. encourage stakeholders to contribute to As the importance of science and technology its effective operations through financial and its understanding escalates, we are also seeing a and in-kind contributions. The fundrais- dramatic shift in journalism. Shaped by the emergence ing objective is $1 million for the fiscal of 24-7 news channels and, of course, the worldwide year. web and its many outgrowths, there seems an explo- • Developing an Image Bank remains an sion in publically available information on the latest important goal of the upcoming year. findings in science and technology. The latest findings Securing stable funding will help ensure can be mixed with an equally abundant amount of “so this important element of the SMCC called information” or even opinion, making the ana- service. lytical and critical thinking of media even more im- • Be an active participant in the growing portant. In today’s global newsrooms there is pressure international network of Science Media to provide more content with fewer resources. That is Centres operating in the U.K., Australia where the Science Media Centre of Canada (SMCC) and New Zealand (and soon in Japan and comes in. Denmark). Plans are in the works for a The SMCC concept is something I came formalized international collaboration, across while trying to find ways to help bring science with an official signing at the World and technology to a broader Canadian constituency Federation of Journalists conference in

The Science Media Centre of Canada of Media Centre Science The Cairo in June 2011.

4 LETTER from the

Suzanne Corbeil FOUNDING Founding Chair, Science Media Centre of Canada CHAIR – in other words help set the right conditions for a science I would also like to add a very special thank you culture to flourish in Canada - that was the beginning. to the over 100 Charter Members who provided a finan- Three years later we have a business plan to guide us, a cial contribution to the early start-up phase of the SMCC. website to communicate with our constituents, a capable Without their visionary support, the SMCC would not Executive Director, three informed and motivated staff, have been launched. impressive Research Advisory, Editorial and IT Commit- It has been my sincere privilege to be a founder, tees, all guided by a professional Board of Directors. With champion and inaugural Chair of the SMCC. I believe the this governance structure in place we were well positioned Science Media Centre of Canada will be a key contributor for the launch on September 27, 2010. to raising the level of science discourse and will support As a non-profit, charitable organization we are the emergence of a stronger culture of science and tech- now ready to assist generalist journalists to cover science nology in Canada. when it hits the headlines, providing a free service that will connect them to evidence-based science and exper- tise. The ultimate goal of the SMCC is to raise the level of “In today’s global discourse in Canada on science issues through reporting that is more informed, more accurate and more incisive. newsrooms there is Science media centres exist already in Britain, Australia and New Zealand and others are about to open pressure to provide more in Japan and Denmark. Although the SMCC plans to co-operate energetically with them, it will not be a clone: content with fewer the SMCC will be a uniquely Canadian service. However,

based on the experience of the other SMC’s, we can safely resources. That is where predict that the quantity and quality of scientific informa- tion available through the media will rise. the SMCC comes in.” None of this would have been possible without the early support of the Steering Committee (see page 9) who provided strategic advice and support to the early development of the SMCC. Annual Report 2009-2010 2009-2010 Annual Report

5 LETTER from the Executive Director

From volcanic eruptions and air travel to the oil sands But in a world where science stories and issues con- and climate change, science and scientific issues con- tinue to grow, does the public understand the underly- tinued to be hot topics in Canada this year. Who would ing science sufficiently to make knowledgeable and think the country would be riveted by the pros and cons informed decisions? of the seemingly arcane topic of a census? In the dead We get the majority of our scientific informa- of summer when we would normally be kicking back tion from mass media but that source is undergoing with a beer and a good book, Canadians debated the mammoth institutional upheaval. The accelerated news importance of a mandatory long form census to pro- cycle and increasing demands on journalists to feed vide essential data for evidence-based policy decisions different media platforms, means less time to research and argued whether it was an unreasonable invasion and analyze increasingly complex science stories. of privacy. Canadians watched as the head of Statis- From flu vaccines to embryonic stem cell research to tics Canada, Munir Sheikh, resigned over the Federal oil extraction from oil sands and genetically modified Government’s decision to scrap the census in favour of salmon, there are social, economic, legal and political a voluntary survey. Mounting opposition from business- consequences to consider and fewer skilled specialist es, physicians, economists and public policy makers journalists with a background in science to handle these was joined by international concern when an opinion stories. article in Nature called on academics around the globe Increasingly the challenges and questions to protest the Canadian government decision. facing us today have science at their core. Additional Yes, there is interest in science. Research media coverage of science issues is essential – but more conducted by the Pew Centre in the US shows that coverage is only part of the solution. If we believe in when people search news on the internet, two-thirds are true civic engagement, then the media coverage must searching for science, technology and health news. be evidence-based and well told. Putting scientific re- The Science Media Centre of Canada of Media Centre Science The

6 “We get the majority of our scientific information from mass media but that source is undergoing mammoth in- stitutional upheaval.”

Penny Park Executive Director, Science Media Centre of Canada

search in context serves to increase strive to work effectively within own biases to evaluate the science public understanding by making it. We recognize that civic engage- and engage in a useful discussion it relevant. This in turn helps to ment on science issues is built on a of the trade-offs of costs, benefits spark discussion and further debate. foundation of accurate facts. and risk? Reading, watching or listening to But scientists too must be Social scientists are point- science news is correlated to posi- willing to step up and enter the dis- ing the way to a two-way conversa- tive attitudes towards science and cussion in terms that the public can tion – it’s not about spin – it’s about content that is presented in terms understand. A recent series of work- access to full information and being of everyday experience, using shops by the American Academy of included in solutions. Collaboration language and metaphors from ev- Arts and Sciences found that while and open public discussion before eryday life is more likely to affect the public might misunderstand sci- policy decisions are made will help attitudes. ence, scientists frequently misun- create consensus. The Science Media Centre derstand the public. The Science Media Centre of Canada stands to help raise the Partly the problem arises of Canada has opened its doors to level of discourse on science and because scientists believe that when contribute to that discussion, by

science issues. We offer a free ser- the public has the facts, the public making evidence based science vice for Canadian journalists, pro- will agree with them. The reality is more accessible to the journalists, viding research support, connecting that we come to our decisions about and hence to the public. them with evidence-based scientific science through preconceived ideas information and peer reviewed sci- and values, often looking at evi- entific expertise. We understand the dence to confirm what we already time frame of today’s journalist and believe. How then to overcome our Annual Report 2009-2010 2009-2010 Annual Report

7 8 The Science Media Centre of Canada KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Charter Membercampaignraisescloseto$500,000 Oct. 2luncheoninOttawaheadlinedbyFionaFox Centre’s goalsandplansoverthecomingmonths. move fromthecurrent50-plusCharterMembers. Inaugural eventdrewmorethan100gueststoan Charter Membershipafterstrongsupportforthe grounders onscienceissueswhichwillbemade of theU.K.SMCforlivelydiscussionabout CSWA and ACS begindevelopmentofBack established forCanadianscientificsocieties- Steering Committeeextendsthedeadlinefor SMCC participatesin6 Ottawa mediaofficerhired- AmiKingdon New categoryofCharterMembership of ScienceJournalistsinLondon. Inaugural ExecutiveDirector $1,000 chartermemberfee. Bilingual websitelaunched Over 75CharterMembers DECECEMBER 2008 appointed -PennyPark available tojournalists. DECEMBER 2009 th World Conference OCTOBER 2009 JULY 2009 MAY 2010 -

(19 Channel Canada’s DailyPlanet of CanadamemberandhostDiscovery Jay Ingram(notablesciencejournalist,Order NOVEMBER 2009 First meetingoftheBoard ofDirectors JUNE 2010 Science Centres First conferencecallwithotherinternational services oftheSMCC. Research andInnovationexplainsgoals MaRS, withsupportfromtheOntarioMinistryof “Evening withJayIngram”in Toronto hosted by the Universityof Victoria. Inaugural launcheventin Victoria sponsored by APRIL 2010 Hendry Warren LLP appointedauditor MARCH 2010 Technology Museum Opening ofofficeintheCanadaScienceand JANUARY 2010 become SMCCChampions. April 2009newsletter. 20 CharterMembersreportedinthe for thefirstsixyears. raising targets andfinancialprojections laying outanaggressivetimeline,ambitiousfund proudly deliversafinalversionoftheBusinessPlan Halifax GlobalManagementConsultants APRIL 2009 th ChancelloroftheUniversity Alberta) ) andLindaHughes

- CHAMPIONS STEERING COMMITTEE SUZANNE CORBEIL Suzanne Corbeil launched Corbeil Consulting Inc, in 2009 Suzanne Corbeil, Chair Penny Park Principal, Corbeil Consulting Inc. Supervising Producer, Specials, after serving as Vice-President of External Relations and Discovery Channel Peter Calamai Communications at the Canada Foundation for Innova- National Science Reporter, Allison Sekular tion for over nine years. She is currently engaged as the The Toronto Star Associate Vice-President and Dean (Graduate Studies), Director of Global Outreach with the Perimeter Institute Adjunct Research Professor, Professor, Department of School of Journalism and Com- for Theoretical Physics - working to build mathematical Psychology, Neurosicence & munication, capacity in developing countries. She has been a key Behaviour, McMaster University. Jean-Marc Fleury The Science Media Centre of player in advancing the public agenda in S & T and in Executive Director, World Canada gratefully acknowledges building strong relationships with governments and among Federation of Science Journalists the time and effort of the Steering a variety of partners. Suzanne is committed to advancing Sandrine Michard Committee, who expertly guided science communications, and is the Founding Chair of Vice-President of Corporate the SMCC from initial stages Communications, L’Oréal the Science Media Centre of Canada. She has extensive through incorporation and the Canada creation of the Board of Directors experience in the social services and not-for-profit sectors Mary Anne Moser in June 2010. through her work and volunteer activities. Director of Communications, Schulich School of Engineering, LINDA HUGHES Yves Melanson Linda Hughes is the 19th Chancellor of the Coordinator, Canada Foundation . for Innovation Deeply committed to her community, she is a member of the Edmonton Homeless Commission and serves on the boards for the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation and BOARD OF the Edmonton Community Foundation. She is a founding member of the NorQuest College Foundation and a former DIRECTORS chair of the board of the United Way of the Alberta Capital Donald W. Campbell Don Newman Region. Senior Strategy Advisor, Former Senior Parliamentary Davis LLP Editor, CBC Television News Former Publisher and President of the Edmonton Journal, Suzanne Corbeil, Chair Peter Nicholson Hughes has been a leading figure in Canadian media for Principal, Corbeil Consulting Inc. Inaugural President, Council of Canadian Academies more than 20 years. Thomas d’Aquino Chairman and Chief Executive Iain Stewart of Intercounsel Ltd. Associate Vice President (Research), Dalhousie University JAY INGRAM Randy Goebel Jay Ingram has been the host of Discovery Channel Interim Vice President, Alberta Penny Park (ex-officio) Canada’s Daily Planet since it began in 1995. Prior to Innovates Technology Futures Executive Director, Science Media Centre of Canada joining Discovery, he hosted CBC Radio’s national science Kevin Keough Executive Director, Alberta Prion show, Quirks and Quarks, from 1979 to 1992. During that Research Institute time he won two ACTRA awards, one for best host, and Jeannette Kopak several Canadian Science Writers’ awards. Director of Business Develop- ment and Operations, Centre for He also wrote and hosted two CBC Radio documentary Digital Media, Great Northern series. He was a contributing editor to Owl magazine for Way Campus 10 years and wrote a weekly science column in the Toronto Paul Lewis Star for 12 years. Ingram has also written 10 books. President and General Manager, Discovery Channel Annual Report 2009-2010 2009-2010 Annual Report

9 RESEARCH EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL ADVISORY Mick Bhatia (Cancer Research) PANEL Director and Senior Scientist, McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute / Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences Kathryn O’Hara Eddy Carmack (Ocean Sciences) CTV Chair in Science Broad- Senior Research Scientist and climate oceanographer for the Department cast Journalism, Carleton of Fisheries and Oceans at the Institute of Ocean Sciences University Tim Caulfield (Law) Peter Calamai Research Director of the Health Law Institute at the University of Alberta Board of the Canadian Science Writers’ Association, Adjunct Aled Edwards (Genomics) Professor at Carleton Professor, Banting and Best Department of Medical Research, University / Director and CEO of the Structural Genomics Consortium Jeffrey Dvorkin Louis Fortier (Biology, Arctic Ecosystems) Professor of Journalism, Canada Research Chair, Arctic Ecosystems and Climate Change, Ryerson University Université Laval Jim Handman Jeffrey Hutchings (Biology, Climate) Executive Producer, CBC Professor of Biology, Dalhousie University / Chair, Royal Society of Canada (Quirks and Quarks) Expert Panel on Ocean Climate Change and Biodiversity Pierre Sormany Vicky Kaspi (Physics and Astronomy) Chief News Editor, Radio- Professor of Physics, Lorne Trottier Chair, Canada Research Chair, Canada McGill University Christie Nicholson Daniel Krewski (Epidemiology) Freelance science writer Director, McLaughlin Centre for Population Health Risk Assessment, (online) University of Ottawa Donald E. Low (Infection and Immunology) Microbiologist-in-Chief, Mount Sinai Hospital / Head of the Department of Microbiology at the University Health Network / Professor, University of Toronto IT Andrew Miall (Geology) Professor of Geology, Gordon Stollery Chair in Basin Analysis and Petroleum ADVISORY Geology, University of Toronto Jatin Nathwani (Engineering) PANEL Ontario Research Chair, Public Policy and Sustainable Energy Management, University of Waterloo / Executive Director, WISE Rob Smith Vern Paetkau (Biochemistry and Microbiology) Chief Technology Consultant, Professor Emeritus, Biochemistry and Microbiology, University of Victoria MaRS Discovery District Nils Petersen (Nanotechnology) Marcello Pavan Director General of the National Institute for Nanotechnology Education and Outreach, TRIUMF national laboratory Robert Reisz (Paleontology) for nuclear and particle physics Professor of Biology at University of Toronto - Mississauga research Molly Shoichet (Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry) Brian Dawson Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering, Professor, Departments of Director of Informatics Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto Services, Canadian Museum Richard Wassersug (Anatomy and Neurobiology) of Science and Technology Professor, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Dalhousie University Andrew Weaver (Climate Science) Professor and Canada Research Chair, Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Victoria Samuel Weiss (Stem Cells) Professor, Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy/Pharmacology & Therapeutics / Director, Hotchkiss Brain Institute The Science Media Centre of Canada of Media Centre Science The

10 CHARTER MEMBERS

Actua CBC Radio Canada Ontario Ministry of Research Alberta Innovates – Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC) & Innovation Health Solutions Fund Chemical Institute of Canada (CIC)- Perimeter Institute for Amgen Canada Inc. Chemical Education Fund Theoretical Physics ArcticNet (Université Laval) Chemistry Industry Association Polytechnics Canada Association of Canadian Community of Canada PrioNet Canada Colleges (ACCC) Council of Canadian Academies Professional Institute of the Public Association of Canadian Academic CropLife Service of Canada (PIPSC) Healthcare Organizations (ACAHO) Dalhousie University Red River College Association of the Chemical Discovery Channel Rita Smith Profession of Alberta Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. Royal Society of Canada Association of Universities and Ryerson University Colleges Canada (AUCC) Environment Canada Science Alberta Foundation Bayer CropScience Inc. Ernest C. Manning Awards Foundation Simon Fraser University (SFU) Canada Foundation for Innovation GE Canada (CFI) Halifax Global SNOLAB (Queen’s University) Canadian Association of Physicists Imperial Oil Foundation Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Canadian Foundation for Climate and Institute for Quantum Computing Atmospheric Sciences (CFCAS) (U of Waterloo) Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences Institute of Particle Physics Syngenta Canadian Federation for the International Development TorStar Corporation Humanities and Social Sciences Research Centre (IDRC) Triumf Canadian Health Services KPMG TVO Research Foundation Lang Michener Université de Montréal Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) Let’s Talk Science Université du Québec à Montréal Canadian Institute for Health L’Oréal Canada University of Alberta Information (CIHI) Mark Miller Media Link Ltd. (3ML) The University of British Columbia Canadian Institutes of Health MaRS Discovery District The University of Calgary Research (CIHR) McLaughlin-Rotman Centre University of Guelph Canadian Light Source Inc. (CLS) for Global Health University of Manitoba Canadian Science & Technology McMaster University University of New Brunswick Museum Corporation Merck Frosst University of Ontario Institute Canadian Science Writers’ Association Mount Saint Vincent University of Technology (UOIT) Canadian Society for Chemical Natural Sciences and Engineering University of Ottawa Engineering (CSChE). Research Council (NSERC) University of Saskatchewan Canadian Society for Chemical Networks of Centres of Excellence University of Victoria Technology (CSCT). of Canada The University of Western Ontario Canadian Society for Chemistry Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) (CSC). Vancouver Aquarium Dr. Nils Petersen Canadian Society for Exercise York University Physiology O’Brien Publishing Youth Science Foundation CANARIE Ontario Centres of Excellence Carleton University Annual Report 2009-2010 2009-2010 Annual Report

11 FINANCIALS The Science Media Centre of Canada of Media Centre Science The

12 August 17, 2010 AUDITORS’

REPORT

To the Directors of Statement of Financial Position Science Media Centre of Canada: June 30, 2010, with comparative figures for 2009 We have audited the balance sheet of Science Media Centre of Canada as at June 30, 2010 and the statements of rev- Assets 2010 2009 enue and expenditures and changes in net assets for the year (unaudited) then ended. These financial statements are the responsibility Current assets of the Organization’s management. Our responsibility is to Cash $ 345,143 $ - Accounts express an opinion on these financial statements based on receivable - 125,551 our audit. $ 345,143 $ 125,551 We conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those Liabilities and standards require that we plan and perform an audit to Net Assets obtain reasonable assurance whether the financial state- Current liabilities ments are free of material misstatement. An audit includes Accounts payable $ 38,441 $ - examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and accrued charges and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also Net assets includes assessing the accounting principles used and Net assets 306,702 125,551 significant estimates made by the Organization, as well as $ 345,143 $ 125,551 evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. In our opinion, these financial statements present Approved on behalf of the Board: fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Organization as at June 30, 2010 and the results of its oper- ations and cash flows for the year then ended in accordance Director with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles.

HENDRY WARREN LLP Chartered Accountants Licensed Public Accountants Ottawa, Ontario

Annual Report 2009-2010 2009-2010 Annual Report

13 Statement of Revenues and Expenditures and Cash Flow Statement Statement of Changes in Net Assets Year ended June 30, 2010, with comparative Year ended June 30, 2010, with comparative figures for 2009 figures for 2009 Operating Revenues 2010 2009 activities 2010 2009 (unaudited) (unaudited) Charter member NET INCOME $ 181,151 $ 125,551 contributions $ 337,120 $ 153,000 Changes in working Outreach and capital balances technical support 5,000 $ - (Note 4) 163,992 (125,551) 342,120 153,000 Cash provided by operating 345,143 - activities Expenditures Increase in cash 345,143 - ADVERTISING 6,744 1,367 Cash, end of year $ 345,143 $ -

Bank charges See accompanying notes and interest 133 -

Communications 685 - and marketing Office 5,210 222 Professional 52,769 20,000 NOTES services

Salaries and 86,312 wages - 1. Organization Telephone and Science Media Centre of Canada is a not- communications 3,794 5,146 for-profit organization established for the Travel and meetings 5,322 714 purpose of advancing the public’s knowledge 160,969 27,449 and engagement with science through the provision of educational resources to jour- nalists, researching science related issues as Excess of revenues 181,151 125,551 over expenditures they emerge, and making the results of such Net assets, beginning of year 125,551 - research available to reporters. The Organiza- tion was incorporated on June 30, 2009 under Net assets, end of year $ 306,702 $ 125,551 the Canada Corporations Act as a not-for- See accompanying notes profit organization and became a registered charity under the Income Tax Act effective July 1, 2010.

2. Significant accounting policies The financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian generally accepted accounting principles and reflect the following policies: Revenue recognition The Organization follows the deferral method of accounting for contributions. Restricted contributions are recognized as revenue in the year in which the related expenses are in- The Science Media Centre of Canada of Media Centre Science The

14 curred. Unrestricted contributions are recognized as the spectrum under which its mandate is delivered. revenue when received or receivable if the amount The Organization is not subject to externally im- to be received can be reasonably estimated and col- posed capital requirements. lection is reasonably assured. It is the intention of the Board of Directors to Charter member fees are recognized in the year establish a net asset reserve equal to one year’s they are received as they do not apply to a specific operating costs of $700,000 to $800,000 to ensure period. ongoing operations in the event of an economic downturn or other eventuality affecting the flow of In-kind contributions revenue. On occasion, in-kind contributions are made to the Organization. It is the Organization’s policy to 4. Changes in working capital record only those amounts over $5,000 that would balances otherwise have been purchased, and for which Changes in working capital balances have valuation evidence exists, in the financial state- provided (used) cash as follows: ments. The Canada Science and Technology Museum 2010 2009 provides office space and office support in Ottawa (unaudited) which is not reflected in the financial statements. Accounts receivable $ 125,551 $ (125,551) Use of estimates Accounts payable and The preparation of these financial statements in accrued charges 38,441 - conformity with Canadian generally accepted ac- $ 163,992 $ (125,551) counting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported 5. Comparative figures amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of These figures were not audited or reviewed and contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the represent transactions pre-incorporation. Prior financial statements, and the amounts of revenues to January 4, 2010 all revenue was collected and expenses during the period. In the opinion of by, and all expenses were paid by, the Canada management, these financial statements reflect all Foundation for Innovation, on behalf of the adjustments necessary to present fairly the results Organization. No formal trust agreement exists of the periods presented. Actual results could differ to cover this relationship and the transactions from these reported estimates. during this period.

Financial instruments The Organization’s financial instruments consist of cash, accounts receivable, accounts payable and ac- crued charges. It is management’s opinion that the Organization is not exposed to significant interest, currency or credit risks arising from these financial instruments.

3. Capital disclosures The Organization’s capital consists of net assets. The Organization’s primary objective with respect to its capital management is to ensure that it has sufficient cash resources to continue to fulfil its mandate as governed by its by-laws, and to broaden Annual Report 2009-2010 2009-2010 Annual Report

15 SPECIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

STAFF CREDITS

Penny Park, Penny Park’s Photo Executive Director Steve Stober Photography

Susan Gemmell, Suzanne Corbeil’s photo Office Manager & Dwayne Brown Studio, Partnerships Co-ordinator Ottawa

Ami Kingdon, Design Media Officer Amie Beausoleil

Gilles Provost, Media Officer The Science Media Centre of Canada of Media Centre Science The

16