Natural hazards

Canada has the world’s largest stock of standing western redcedar, but this once-dominant species is showing disturbing signs of distress. After a few years of very dry conditions, trees on lower-elevation sites in eastern Vancouver Island are slowly dying. Scientists at the Pacific Forestry Centre are trying to get to the root of the problem.

December 2019

A trio of Earth observation satellites launched in June 2019 is providing Canadians with a more detailed picture of our country and oceans than ever before.

Known collectively as the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), these satellites mark a significant upgrade to Canada’s RADARSAT program. And by using a new imaging technology assessed and recommended by Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), RCM images provide scientists with more information to better understand our planet.

The boreal forest of North America developed after the last ice age about 10,000 years ago. We might expect that climate change and human occupation of the territory would put the boreal forest at greater risk of fire. But a recent scientific study involving Martin Girardin, a research scientist from the Laurentian Forestry Centre at the Canadian Forest Service, has found the opposite.

For weeks, Simon Tolszczuk-Leclerc and the Emergency Geomatics Service (EGS) team have been following the spring thaw and river ice breakup. They know exactly what to do, and they’re ready to take immediate action.