Honorary Address
Benoit Beauchamp explaining what makes arctic
geology a cool job in a hot place.
Hot
Talks on a Cool Place: The 2007 Honorary Address
By
Heather Tyminski
For the last 50 years the CSPG Honorary Address has taught kids about geology, and has promoted geosciences to the public; the 2007 CSPG Honorary Address was no different. Held on Wednesday, November 21, this year's Honorary Address taught students and adults, non-geologists and geologists about the Arctic. Jeff MacInnis, the Polar Passage Explorer, captivated the audience with his story of his travels through the Northwest Passage, and Dr. Benoit Beauchamp, Director of the Arctic Institute of North America, excited the audience with his own presentation on what makes geology in the Arctic a "cool job in a hot place."
As in previous years, the Honorary Address speakers first gave their presentations to an audience of students. 800 students attended the afternoon performance, and showed their enthusiasm to the presentation by peppering the speakers with questions afterwards. The numbers may have been lower than last year, but this was due to the shortage of bus drivers, among other reasons. However, the energy and excitement of the 800 kids was enough to fill the auditorium.
MacInnis' presentation certainly incited this enthusiasm and excitement. MacInnis and a colleague became the first people in history to sail the Northwest Passage. In an 18 foot catamaran, MacInnis and his colleague succeeded in a feat that had been attempted and failed by many over the last 400 years. MacInnis talked about his encounters with polar bears, hurricane-force storms, and unbearable weather that didn't stop him from making his dream of conquering the passage come true.
While he recounted his adventure, he always related his experience to everyday life in order to impart some valuable life lessons to his audience. For example, he shared the fact that he originally knew nothing about sailing or navigating before the trip, and that he refused to let that stop him. This was important, for as he taught the audience, you can accomplish whatever you set your mind to.
Beauchamp's address was equally fascinating, as he talked about the Arctic's environment and geology. He discussed how climate change impacts the North the most; glaciers are visibly melting, which is changing the habitat at an extreme rate. For the elementary and junior high students in the audience, he also remarked on how especially fascinating the geology is in that region; because there is so little vegetation, the geology is easier too examine. Showing photographs of the Arctic wildlife, his Arctic hikes and his helicopter trips, his younger and older audience could understand the appeal of a career in Arctic geology.
As in past years, the Honorary Address also featured lobby displays and a silent auction before the presentations and during the intermission. The following companies had lobby displays, giving students and the general public a chance to learn more about the geosciences: Arctic Institute of North America, APEGGA, Calgary Science Network, Calgary's Youth and Science Fair, City of Calgary Waterworks CSEG, CSPG, Komarevich Originals, Shiny Little Things and TELUS World of Science.
The silent auction this year was highly successful, as it collected over $1,900 for the CSPG Trust.
Jeff MacInnis captivating the audience with his arctic adventures.
None of this could have been possible without the Honorary Address Committee, who volunteered their time to make this happen. The Committee includes: Brett Wrathall of Caltex, Jay Williams of Tucker Wireline Services, Alex Wills of Montane Resources Ltd., Alex Wright of SOUND Energy Trust, Penny Colton of Exploratech Service Ltd., Shawn LaFleur of ConocoPhillips, and Dieter Deines of ConocoPhillips, and Honorary Address Chair Jennifer Dunn of ConocoPhillips. The sponsors of this event are also important, as they supported the event (see the following page for the Honorary Address sponsors).
The 50th annual CSPG Honorary Address was a resounding
success, and we look forward to the 2008 Honorary Address.
