Canada strengthens climate investment

Environment and Climate Change Canada has announced its latest investment in state-of-the-art weather-prediction information technology and radar modernization. The Canadian government department is spending C$83m (US$62m) on 20 new weather radars, which will be supplied by Selex ES. The first will be in situ by autumn 2017, with subsequent installations over the next seven years. The contract also contains options to install up to 13 extra radars in the Canadian Weather Radar Network by March 31, 2023. The radars will be at sites across Canada and will enable better anticipation of severe weather. They will supply data to almost every sector of the economy, from health sciences to environmental management, agriculture and transportation. The Selex ES contract comes less than a year after Environment and Climate Change Canada awarded a C$430m (US$322m) contract to IBM Canada to design, build, renew and host a state-of-the-art, high-performance computing (HPC) solution in Montreal, Quebec. The combined use of the new radars and the recently acquired supercomputer will give Canadians more time to take appropriate action to protect themselves, their family and their property from the effects of severe weather. “This important investment will help us modernize Canada’s weather-service infrastructure and make sure our meteorologists can provide the fastest and most accurate weather forecasts. This is essential to protect the health, safety and security of Canadians. It is also a central service for our economic prosperity in the face of changing weather and environmental conditions”, said Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Government of Canada.