The
Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) is a division of
Environment CanadaEnvironment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC), legally incorporated as...
, which primarily provides public
meteorologicalMeteorology is the interdisciplinary scientific study of the atmosphere that focuses on weather processes and forecasting . Studies in the field stretch back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the eighteenth century...
information and weather forecasts and warnings of severe weather and other environmental hazards. MSC also monitors and conducts research on
climateClimate encompasses the statistics of temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind, rainfall, atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorological elements in a given region over long periods of time...
, 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 CanadaWeatheradio Canada, in French Radiométéo Canada, is a Canadian radio network that broadcasts weather information. Owned and operated by Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada division, the network transmits in both official languages from 183 sites across Canada...
.
There are currently forecast offices in
VancouverVancouver is a coastal city and major seaport located in the Lower Mainland of southwestern British Columbia, Canada. The city is bounded by English Bay, Burrard Inlet, the Fraser River, the city of Burnaby, and the University Endowment Lands. Vancouver is named after Captain George Vancouver, a...
,
British ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . In 1871, it became the sixth province of Canada.The capital of British Columbia is Victoria, the 15th largest metropolitan region in Canada...
;
EdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. The city is located on the North Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province, an area with some of the most fertile farmland on the prairies...
,
AlbertaAlberta is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1, 1905.Alberta is located in western Canada, bounded by the provinces of British Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south....
;
WinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, in south central Canada, near the eastern edge of the Canadian Prairies, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers...
,
ManitobaManitoba is a prairie province in Canada and has an area of . Manitoba is bordered by the provinces of Ontario to the east and Saskatchewan to the west, the territory of Nunavut to the north, and the U.S. states of North Dakota and Minnesota to the south...
;
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
,
OntarioOntario is a province located in east-central Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area. Ontario is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba to the west and Quebec to the east, and 5 U.S...
;
MontrealMontreal is the second-largest city in Canada and the largest city in the province of Quebec. Originally called Ville-Marie , the city takes its present name from Mont-Royal, the triple-peaked hill located in the heart of the city, whose name was also initially given to the island on which the...
,
QuebecQuebec is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking identity and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
;
Dartmouth, Nova ScotiaDartmouth , founded in 1750, is a community and planning area of the Halifax Regional Municipality, a provincially designated Metropolitan Area, and a former city in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia...
; and Gander, Newfoundland.
The Meteorological Service of Canada is ISO9001:2000 Certified.
Private Observations
Prior to 1840, meteorological observations in Canada were made by private individuals, other entities (like
HBCHBC may refer to:*Helena Bonham Carter, an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-nominated English actress*Hudson's Bay Company, the oldest commercial corporation in North America...
), and explorers, but this information was not provided to the general public.
Her Majesty's Magnetic and Meterological Observatory
In 1840, British officials (British Ordance Department) and the
Royal SocietyThe Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, or even the Royal, is a learned society for science that was founded in 1660 and is considered by most to be the oldest such society still in existence...
established an observatory in Toronto, Canada West, one of a few across the
British EmpireThe British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom, that had originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height it was...
.
Meteorological Service of the Dominion
The Toronto observatory ended in 1853, but the Canadian government took over the service and continued collecting climate data. In 1876, the Meteorological Service of Canada was established by Professor G. T. Kingston of the
University of TorontoThe University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated north of the city's Financial District on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. The university was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in the...
and information collected was made available to the public from 1877 onwards. The MSC was then assigned under the
Ministry of Marine and FisheriesFisheries and Oceans Canada , is the department within the government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and scientific interests in oceans and inland waters...
.
Meterological Division of the Air Services Branch
From 1936 to 1946 the services assigned under the
Ministry of TransportTransport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada...
as the
Meteorological Division of the Air Services Branch and as the Meteorological Branch from 1956.
Atmospheric Environment Service and Meteorological Service of Canada
In 1971 the Canadian Meteorological Service was established under the Ministry of Environment (
Environment CanadaEnvironment Canada , legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC), legally incorporated as the Department of the Environment under the Department of the Environment Act Environment Canada (EC), legally incorporated as...
) in 1971. The AES was renamed later as the Meteorological Service of Canada.
Heads of the Observatory/MSC
- 1840 Lieutenant C.J.B. Riddell, Royal Artillery
The Royal Artillery is the common name for the Royal Regiment of Artillery, an arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 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
Andrew Thomson may refer to:*Andrew Thomson , South Africa*Andrew Thomson , Canadian NDP politician and minister...
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
Headquarters
- 1840 Fort York (Bathurst Street)
- 1840-1853 Kings' College
- 1853-1907 Toronto Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory
- 1907-1971 315 Bloor Street West
- 1971-present 4905 Dufferin Street
External links