Meteorological Service of Canada
| Meteorological Service of Canada | |
|---|---|
| MSC | |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1871 |
| Preceding agencies | Dominion Meteorological Service (of Canada) Meteorological Branch, Transport Canada |
| Jurisdiction | Federal government of Canada |
| Headquarters | Ottawa, Ontario |
| Parent agency | Environment Canada |
The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) is a division of Environment Canada, which primarily provides public meteorological information and weather forecasts and warnings of severe weather and other environmental hazards. MSC also monitors and conducts research on climate, atmospheric science, air quality, water quantities, ice and other environmental issues. MSC operates a network of radio stations throughout Canada transmitting weather and environmental information 24 hours per day called Weatheradio Canada.
There are currently five weather forecast offices:
- Pacific and Yukon Storm Prediction Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia
- Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre, split between an office in Edmonton, Alberta and Winnipeg, Manitoba
- Ontario Storm Prediction Centre (Downsview, Ontario)
- Quebec Storm Prediction Centre (Montreal, Quebec)
- Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia). The Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre also houses the Canadian Hurricane Centre plus manages the Newfoundland and Labrador Weather Office Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador.
MSC also operates the Canadian Ice Service [1] which provides ice observations and forecasts for mariners. In support of Canada's military, some MSC meteorologists are seconded to the Department of National Defence (Canada).
The Meteorological Service of Canada is ISO9001:2000 Certified.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Private Observations
Prior to 1840, meteorological observations in Canada were made by private individuals, other entities (like HBC), and explorers, but this information was not provided to the general public.[2]
[edit] Her Majesty's Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory
In 1840, British officials (British Ordnance Department) and the Royal Society established an observatory in Toronto, Canada West, one of a few across the British Empire.[3]
[edit] Meteorological Service of the Dominion
The Toronto observatory ended in 1853, but the Canadian government took over the service and continued collecting climate data. On May 1, 1871, the Government of Canada established the Meteorological Service of Canada by providing a $5000 grant to Professor G. T. Kingston of the University of Toronto to establish a network of weather observations. This information was collected and made available to the public from 1877 onwards. The MSC was then assigned under the Ministry of Marine and Fisheries.
[edit] Meteorological Division of the Air Services Branch
From 1936 to 1946 the services assigned under the Ministry of Transport as the Meteorological Division of the Air Services Branch' and as the Meteorological Branch from 1956.[4]
[edit] Atmospheric Environment Service and Meteorological Service of Canada
In 1971 the Canadian Meteorological Service was established under the Ministry of Environment (Environment Canada) in 1971.[5] The AES was renamed later as the Meteorological Service of Canada.
[edit] Heads of the Observatory/MSC
- 1840 Lieutenant C.J.B. Riddell, Royal Artillery
- 1841 Captain J.G. Younghusband
- 1841-1853 Captain Henry Lefroy
- Professor J.B. Cherriman 1853-1855 - Provisional Director of the Toronto Observatory
- Professor G. T. Kingston 1855-1880 - Director of the Toronto Observatory, Superintendent of the MSC
- Charles Carpmael 1880-1894, Director
- Sir R. Frederick Stupart 1894-1929, Director
- John Patterson M.A. F.R.C.S. 1929-1946, Director
- Andrew Thomson D.Sc., M.A. OBE 1946-1959 - Controller of the Meteorological Division
- Patrick D. McTaggart-Cowan DSc LLD MBE 1959-1964 - Director of the Meteorological Division
- J.R.H. Noble 1964-1971 - Assistant Minister, Atmospheric Environment Service
- J.R.H. Noble 1964-1971 - Administrator, Atmospheric Environment Service
[edit] Headquarters
- 1840 Old Fort York (Bathurst Street), Toronto, Upper Canada - housed in unused barracks
- 1840-1853 Kings' College, Toronto, Upper Canada/Canada West - still located at King's College Circle, University of Toronto (see Toronto Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory)
- 1907-1971 Dominion Meteorological Building 315 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario - now Admissions and Awards Building, University of Toronto[6]
- 1971–present 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario
[edit] See also
- Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society
- Environment Canada
- NinJo, SMC new workstation
- Forecast region
- The Weather Network
