Board Will Advise Government On Long-Term Objectives For Space Sector 

The Government of Canada is renewing the Space Advisory Board with the appointment of new members and a new mandate. The Honorable Navdeep Bains (pictured), Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced the new members of the board. These talented and diverse individuals from industry, the academic and research communities, and the not-for-profit sector have been appointed based on their significant knowledge of, and expertise in, the space sector.

As a part of the Government's Innovation and Skills Plan, the board will engage with Canadians to develop a new vision for Canada's space sector and define key elements of a strategy that will be launched this summer. The advisory board's input will inform the strategy, which will focus on using space to drive broader economic growth and innovation, while inspiring the next generation of space scientists.

The new board will be chaired by Dr. Marie Lucy Stojak, Director of the School on Management of Creativity and Innovation at HEC Montréal. The members of the board are:

• Dr. James Drummond, Professor, Dalhousie University
• William MacDonald Evans, President, W. MacDonald Evans Consulting Inc.
• Stéphane Germain, President and CEO, GHGSat Inc.
• Dr. Douglas Hamilton, Clinical Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Adjunct Professor of Electrical Engineering, University of Calgary
• Michelle Mendes, Executive Director, Canadian Space Commerce Association
• Dr. Gordon Osinski, Associate Professor, Western University and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Chair in Planetary Geology
• Michael Pley, President, Pley Consulting Inc. and Chair of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada's Space Committee
• Dr. Afzal Suleman, Canada Research Chair in Computational and Experimental Mechanics and Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Center for Aerospace Research, University of Victoria
• Christine Tovee, independent consultant

"Canada's space sector has a world-class reputation and is a key contributor to innovation. The technologies that are designed for today's space program can be applied in the future to the everyday lives of Canadians," said Minister Bains. "That means the investments we make in today's space sector are investments in a higher standard of living tomorrow. That is why the renewed Space Advisory Board has been tasked with developing a fresh vision for the sector. Its work will result in a blueprint that will guide the development of the next generation of space technologies and inspire the next generation of space scientists."

Canada's space sector plays an important role in Canada's economy, generating revenues of $5.38 billion in 2014. The sector employs more than 10,000 workers, nearly half of which are highly qualified personnel.

(Source: Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development news release)

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