Annual Report
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PROGRAMS COLLEGE OF FELLOWS NOMINATIONS The Fellows Committee met twice in 2019 to steward Any Fellow can submit a Fellowship nomination. Please The Nominating Committee met on Oct. 9, 2019, and the increased frequency of public events AWARDS the nomination process for new Fellows. This year, the visit rcgs.org/fellows for more information on how to to review the Board positions that are to be filled were all recognized for their roles in the new Society has welcomed 133 new nominations for the nominate someone in 2020. at the Annual General Meeting, including those domestic and international status of the Society. To recognize outstanding achievement in the fields of exploration, geography, education and science, the College of Fellows. of the President and two Governors. Nominations for Governor were assessed with a Society presented the following awards to deserving individuals that made an impact in 2019. To learn more view to meeting these needs. about each award, recipient, or how to nominate someone in 2020, please visit rcgs.org/awards. The recommendations of the Committee will be ANNUAL ADVANCEMENT presented to the College of Fellows for election As we celebrate our 90th Anniversary, the at the Annual General Meeting in Ottawa on Nominating Committee is sensitive to the RT. HON. VINCENT MASSEY MEDAL SIR CHRISTOPHER ONDAATJE The RCGS is buoyed by the support of its community with an eye to improving donors’ experiences with the Nov. 20, 2019. impending 100th anniversary of the founding MEDAL FOR EXPLORATION Awarded to Derek Ford, geomorphologist. and their generous gifts to the Society. Individual organization. of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society REPORT Awarded to Charles “Chas” Yonge, 2018-19 donations by Fellows, Can Geo subscribers and The Committee reviewed the current status of and to the fact that the Board of Governors speleologist. In 2019, our priorities have remained focused on other Canadians with a deep love of their country business operations and heightened profile of will need to increase its work during the overseeing the RCGS fundraising strategy and GOLD MEDAL financially support and validate the important work of the Society, noting the dramatic growth over the next decade to prepare for this auspicious MARTIN BERGMANN MEDAL development operations, particularly on raising critical Awarded to Richard Boudreault, environ- FOR EXCELLENCE IN ARCTIC the Society. The Advancement Committee is pleased last year in both fundraising and public visibility. anniversary. Over the past year, work was core funding for priority programs. As the Society mental engineer; Jennifer Baichwal, film- LEADERSHIP AND SCIENCE to report a fifth year of growth in fundraising, with The Committee also discussed the increasing undertaken to develop a list of skills, executive continues to grow, the Advancement Committee is maker; Edward Burtynsky, photographer; Awarded to Wayne Pollard, geocryologist. more than $1.4M received by the end of fiscal 2018. need for Governors to possess the appropriate capacities and experience suited to ensuring also constantly planning for the future, gathering and The Right Honourable Joe Clark, former The committee has worked diligently to build new skills to support and oversee the larger role that the success of the Society. A list of potential shaping new ideas that will help ensure the ongoing Prime Minister; The Right Honourable CAPT. JOSEPH-ELZÉAR processes and professionalize systems in line with the RCGS is rapidly assuming in Canadian life. nominees was drawn up from individuals who BERNIER MEDAL financial stability of the RCGS. Adrienne Clarkson, former Governor the Society’s ongoing Imagine Canada application, The impact of the new Society headquarters have clearly demonstrated their commitment Awarded to Elizabeth Campbell, photo- General; Nicolas de Pencier, filmmaker; at 50 Sussex Drive, the importance of the to the Society and who have the requisite grammetrist; and James Fordyce, lawyer. Andrew Feustel, astronaut; Jane Goodall, Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada and many abilities and experience to advance its mission. primatologist; The Right Honourable POLICY AND PLANNING COMMITTEE new projects being undertaken by the Society, David Johnston, former Governor LOUIE KAMOOKAK MEDAL General; Harrison Schmitt, astronaut; and Awarded to Ron DiFrancesco, executive Under the leadership of the Board of Governors to be accredited. These criteria are grouped under Michael Ulica, president of the National client manager; George Jacob, museum and through the support of the Policy and Planning five separate categories: Board Governance, Financial Geographic Society. chief executive officer;Jessie Jean Isberg, Committee, the RCGS continues to deliver on essential Accountability, Fundraising, Staff Management and HONORARY OFFICERS musician; Lorie Karnath, explorer; Genesis milestones and outcomes aligned with the Strategic Volunteer Involvement. PATRON HONORARY VICE-PRESIDENTS P-Orridge, artist and musician; Andrew Plan 2015-2020. These are guided by the Society’s By the January 2020 meeting of the Board of Governors, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Julie Payette Roberta Bondar, O.C., O.Ont. CHARLES CAMSELL MEDAL Pritchard, RCGS counsel; and Prince appreciation of the value of exploration, education the Committee expects that the first three sections C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.Q., C.D. Pierre Camu, O.C. Awarded to Beth Dye, former governor, Ermias Sahle Selassie of Ethiopia. and environmental awareness, and reflect its ambition (Board Governance, Financial Accountability and Governor General of Canada Arthur E. Collin and Joseph Frey, secretary, for their service to continuously expand its capacity for connecting ALEX TREBEK MEDAL FOR Fundraising, accounting for 51 of the 73 criteria) will Wade Davis, C.M. to the Society. Canadians and the world with Canada’s geography. VICE-PATRONS GEOGRAPHIC LITERACY be complete. The Committee will engage a third party Gisèle Jacob The Honourable Nellie T. Kusugak, O.Nu. Awarded to Alex Trebek, host of Jeopardy!, As a fundamental part of this process, the RCGS consultant with expertise in human resources issues Joseph MacInnis, C.M., O.Ont. Sir Christopher Ondaatje, O.C., C.B.E. and Andrew Young, educator. continues to work toward accreditation through Imagine in the non-profit sector to assist with the final two Denis A. St-Onge, O.C. LAWRENCE J. BURPEE MEDAL The Right Hon. John N. Turner, P.C., C.C., Q.C. Canada’s Standards Program. As mandated by the Board sections (Staff Management and Volunteer Involvement, Awarded to Anne Innis Dagg, zoologist; EXPLORERS-IN-RESIDENCE INNOVATION IN GEOGRAPHY of Governors, the Policy and Planning Committee has representing the remaining 22 criteria). The Committee’s Brian May, astrophysicist and musician; TEACHING AWARD HONORARY PRESIDENT Jill Heinerth, Johnny Issaluk, George Kourounis, been monitoring and providing direction for the work goal is to submit the Society’s application to Imagine and Richard Wiese, explorer. Awarded to Mary Ellen Gucciardi, educator. Alex Trebek, O.C. Mylène Paquette, Adam Shoalts, Ray Zahab PRESIDENT’S LETTER being done to meet the 73 criteria that must be satisfied Canada prior to the 2020 Annual General Meeting. “This is the most important moment in The Royal This year, the Society was also instrumental in Canadian Geographical Society’s 90 year history,” a number of landmark expeditions. Expedition BOARD OF GOVERNORS proclaimed CEO John Geiger at the official committee chair John Pollack was part of the opening of our new home at 50 Sussex Drive, team that announced in late 2018 the discovery PRESIDENT COUNSEL Ottawa, on May 13. I couldn’t agree more. of a previously unknown massive cave (its Gavin Fitch, Q.C., Calgary Andrew Pritchard, Ottawa entrance measures 100 metres by 60 metres) VICE-PRESIDENTS GOVERNORS The event, attended by Prime Minister Justin in British Columbia’s Wells Gray Provincial Jean C. Andrey, Waterloo, Ont. Trudeau, RCGS Honorary President Alex Trebek, Wendy Cecil, C.M., Toronto Park. And in March, climbers Lonnie Dupre Connie Wyatt Anderson, The Pas, Man. Glenn Blackwood, St. John’s Honorary Vice-Presidents Roberta Bondar, and Pascale Marceau completed the first winter James Boxall, Halifax Wade Davis and Joe MacInnis, and a host of ascent of 4,860-metre Mount Wood (Canada’s SECRETARY Carl Gauthier, Ottawa other Society VIPs, was the pinnacle of another sixth-highest peak), in Yukon’s Kluane National Joseph Frey, C.D., Toronto John Hovland, Toronto spectacular year. Park, on an RCGS flagged expedition. And the Claire Kennedy, Toronto TREASURER RCGS marine ensign flew for the first time Kathryn McCain, Toronto That evening, we invested Johnny Issaluk, actor, Keith Exelby, Ottawa during the RCGS Resolute’s inaugural voyage, Inuit Games athlete, Inuit-cultural ambassador Lynn Moorman, Calgary from Costa Rica through the Panama Canal. and Nunavut-based Arctic explorer, as our newest IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT John Pollack, Bonnington, B.C. Paul Ruest, Winnipeg Paul VanZant, Amaranth, Ont. Explorer-in-Residence. And we announced that Meanwhile, the Society continued its solid FINANCIAL INFORMATION the Society’s annual Geographic Literacy Award financial performance in 2018-19. Under the RESEARCH GRANTS had been renamed the Alex Trebek Medal for strong leadership of CEO John Geiger and COO JULY 1, 2018 TO JUNE 30, 2019 SOCIETY COMMITTEES Geographic Literacy. In October, Trebek himself Gilles Gagnier, the RCGS achieved considerable The Research Grants Committee