The Networks of Centres of Excellence program has announced that the Canadian Mountain Network will receive $18.3 million in funding over five years (2019–2024) to support its ambitious research, training, and knowledge mobilization agenda.
The Canadian Mountain Network (CMN) is an alliance of partners from universities, governments, Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, not-for-profits, and businesses dedicated to the sustainability of mountain environments and communities across the country and around the world.
Comprising over a quarter of Canada’s landmass, mountainous regions are essential providers of ecosystem services, such as water, maintenance of biodiversity, recreation opportunities, and cultural and spiritual connection. However, local and global drivers of change are affecting these regions and downstream communities in ways that Canada does not currently have the capacity to observe, study, forecast, adapt to, or mitigate.
"With this new funding, the Canadian Mountain Network will act as a catalyst for improving Canada’s ability to identify and respond to changing conditions in its vast mountainous regions."
Stan Boutin, CMN Co-Research Director and Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta
Collaboration will be a key component of this initiative, with the aim of identifying critical research gaps and opportunities that link Canada’s inter-jurisdictional mountainous regions.
As a Network of Centres of Excellence, hosted by the University of Alberta, CMN’s vision is that all Canadians benefit from state-of-the-art research, tools, and training that embody multiple ways of knowing. The goal is for decision making and action to enhance the sustainability and well-being of Canada's mountain places and peoples. Read a summary of CMN’s application to the NCE program here. The Network’s Leadership Team and Board of Directors are currently working to translate the application into a strategic plan and look forward to sharing more with CMN’s supporters and partners in the months ahead.
"The Canadian Mountain Network is breaking new ground to build a national research network that brings together Indigenous and Western ways of knowing and doing to support the sustainability and prosperity of our vital mountain regions."
Dr. Joe Dragon, CMN Board Chair and Deputy Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Government of the Northwest Territories
A key focus of the Network’s approach and activities is to support reconciliation through research by creating opportunities for collaboration. CMN’s research agenda will support projects based on partnerships across disciplines and sectors, including projects led by Indigenous communities and based on Indigenous research methodologies.
"For the first time through the Canadian Mountain Network, Indigenous communities and their representatives will have leadership roles in not only in a network’s research program but also in its management and governance."
Norma Kassi, CMN co-Research Director and Director of Indigenous Collaboration at the Arctic Institute for Community-Based Research
The Network is supported by dozens of diverse organizations across the country, including Indigenous organizations, municipalities, provincial and territorial governments, businesses, post-secondary institutions, and not-for-profits.
In addition to its research program, the Network will support the development of a comprehensive mountain observations program, an innovative training program for the next generation of mountain researchers and professionals, and an effective knowledge mobilization program to support evidence-based decision making based on multiple ways of knowing.
Find out more about the Canadian Mountain Network.
The Network’s Leadership Team would like to acknowledge the committed support and effort of many individuals, organizations, and communities across Canada since 2016 to make this initiative a reality. In particular, they recognize the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta for its leadership in supporting the development of the application, as well as its ongoing contributions. They also recognize the generous contributions of CMN’s other Sustaining Partners, which include the University of Calgary and the Government of Yukon.
This article was first published on the CMN website.
