Royal Canadian Geographical Society

History

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society was founded in 1929 by Charles Camsell and a group of eminent Canadians, including Marius Barbeau, an ethnographer and folklorist who is today considered a founder of Canadian anthropology, Hon. A.E. Arsenault, Premier of Prince Edward Island and Justice of the province's Supreme Court, Lawrence J. Burpee, Secretary for Canada, International Joint Commission, John Wesley Dafoe, Managing Editor, Winnipeg Free Press, Hon. Albert Hudson, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada, and Dr. O.D. Skelton, Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs.

The Rt. Hon. Viscount Willingdon, Governor-General of Canada, was founding Patron. J. B. Joseph Tyrrell, a geologist and cartographer whose exploits include the discovery of Albertosaurus bones in Alberta's Bandlands, and making first contact with the Ihalmiut ("People from Beyond") of the Keewatin district of Canada's Northwest Territories, served as founding Honorary President. Arthur Philemon Coleman, a geologist and explorer who between 1884 and 1908 made eight trips of discovery to the Canadian Rockies, was named Honorary Vice-President. At its first meeting, Dr. Camsell said the Society was formed "purely for patriotic purposes," and hoped it would "be a unifying influence upon the life of Canada." A report by the Acting Secretary, E.S. Martindale, stated the intention of the founders: "The work of making the resources and other geographic factors of each part of the Dominion more widely known and more clearly understood is one of the best educational services that can be undertaken -- and one that cannot be rendered except through a geographic organization animated by a broad national purpose."

Among those who have addressed meetings of the RCGS over the years are Sir Francis Younghusband, Sir Hubert Wilkins, Maj. L. T. Burwash, Dr. Isaiah Bowman, Dr. Wade Davis, Michael Palin, Dr. Phil Currie, and Sir Christopher Ondaatje.

The RCGS publishes the award-winning English-language magazine, Canadian Geographic , which has been published continuously since 1930 (when it was called the Canadian Geographical Journal). The society also publishes Canadian Geographic Travel quarterly. The Society’s French-language magazine, Géographica, which is published in collaboration with La Presse, was introduced in 1997.

Alan Beddoe designed the arms for The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and his fonds includes a black and white photograph of the letters patent.

In October 2016, it was announced that the Society's new home would be an iconic building at 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa.

Programs

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society helps fund education, expeditions, research and lectures programs. Notably, it was a partner in the 2014 Victoria Strait Expedition that located HMS Erebus, one of two exploration vessels lost on the British Arctic Expedition commanded by Sir John Franklin.

Each fall, the Society hosts the annual College of Fellows Annual Dinner, with notable past speakers include Sir Francis Younghusband, Major General Sir James Howden MacBrien, Jeopardy! host Alex Trebek, artist Robert Bateman, actor Dan Aykroyd, ethnobotanist Wade Davis, Climate Canada's senior climatologist David Phillips, storm chaser George Kourounis, and award-winning author Margaret Atwood. In addition, the dinner has been attended by both Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Governor General David Johnston in the past.

College of Fellows

The Society's Board of Governors and its program committees are made up entirely of volunteers, who are members of the College of Fellows. Traditionally, Fellows were elected "in recognition of outstanding service to Canada."

Past Fellows of the Society include such eminent names as the painter A.Y. Jackson, explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson, mariner and explorer Capt. Joseph-Elzéar Bernier, journalist Agnes C. Laut, American businessman and explorer Fenley Hunter, Nobel Prize recipient Prof. F.G. Banting, Edward Shackleton, Baron Shackleton, geographer and son of Sir Ernest Shackleton, broadcaster and traveller Lowell Thomas, businessman James Armstrong Richardson Sr., Saskatchewan Premier T.C. Tommy Douglas, explorer Henry Larsen, historian L'abbé Arthur Maheux, anthropologist Diamond Jenness, businessman E.P. Taylor, Canadian Prime Ministers R.B. Bennett, Louis St. Laurent, and Lester B. Pearson, hotelier Conrad Hilton, former Conservative leader and Nova Scotia Premier Robert Stanfield, and geographer and GIS originator Roger Tomlinson. Current Fellows include Gilbert M. Grosvenor, of the National Geographic Society, ethnobotanist Wade Davis, astronauts Steve MacLean, Jeremy Hansen and Jerry M. Linenger, and businessman and author Sir Christopher Ondaatje. Besides regular Fellows, the Society elects Honorary Fellows, people recognized for special or outstanding achievements. The President, and other members of the executive, are elected by the College of Fellows at the Society's annual general meeting.

Fellows are entitled to use the post-nominal letters FRCGS (Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society).

Organization

The Governor General of Canada serves as the patron of the Society. The Society has honorary officers, including Honorary Presidents and Honorary Vice-Presidents. A volunteer Board of Governors, chaired by the President of the Board, and an Executive Committee, provide general oversight.

Day-to-day operations of the Society, its programs and business, are provided by its Chief Executive Officer, currently John G. Geiger. The CEO is also responsible for strategic leadership, in consultation with the Board of Governors.

Presidents

1930 — 1941: Dr. Charles Camsell, Geologist in Charge of Explorations for the Geological Survey of Canada, and Commissioner of the Northwest Territories. Oversaw the exploration of the uncharted parts of Canada's North — a vast area covering 1.4 million square kilometres or about 25 percent of the country.

1941 — 1944: Dr. George J. Desbarats, Deputy Minister of Marine and Fisheries and of National Defence. He was the Canadian official who first learned that explorer Vilhjalmur Stefansson was separated from his ship, and that the Karluk was missing in the Arctic ice.

1944 — 1950: Mr. Charles C. Cowan

1950 — 1955: Air Marshal Robert Leckie, an aviation pioneer and Chief of the Air Staff for the Royal Canadian Air Force. An outstanding fighter pilot during the First World War, he flew attacks on German Zeppelins, and downed two.

1955 — 1963: Maj.-Gen. Hugh A. Young, commanded the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade at Normandy, and served as Deputy Minister of Public Works. Commissioner of the Northwest Territories from 1950-53. As head of the Advisory Committee on Northern Development, in 1953 he studied threats to Canadian sovereignty in the Arctic.

1963 — 1967: Dr. Omond Solandt, scientist and first Chairman of both Canada’s Defence Research Board and the Science Council of Canada. He was a scientific advisor to Lord Louis Mountbatten, the last Viceroy of India, and later a member of the joint military mission sent to Japan to evaluate the effects of the atomic bomb.

1967 — 1977: Dr. Pierre Camu, geographer and civil servant. Served as President of the St. Lawrence Seaway Authority, and later as Chair of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC). He is co-founder of the Trans Canada Trail.

1977 — 1986: Mr. Denis Coolican, served as president of the Canadian Bank Note Company.

1986 — 1992: Dr. Alexander T. Davidson, geographer and civil servant. Served as chief of resources for the federal Department of Northern Affairs, and assistant deputy minister of rural development; water; policy, planning and research for Environment Canada; and Parks Canada. He also was Chairman of the federal Panel Concerning Low Level Military Flights in Labrador-Goose Bay.

1992 — 1998: Dr. Denis A. St-Onge, geoscientist with the Geological Survey of Canada. Conducted pioneering research into the evolution of landscape under extreme cold climate on Ellef Ringnes Island in the High Arctic. He is credited with developing a unique method of mapping geomorphology.

1998 — 2004: Dr. Arthur E. Collin, served as Scientific Advisor for the Maritime Forces (1965) and as the Dominion Hydrographer (1968). From 1971 to 1980 he served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans and the Environment.

2004 — 2010: Ms Gisèle Jacob, Director General with Environment Canada and Deputy Secretary General for the Canadian Human Rights Commission. She also served as chair of the Geographical Names Board of Canada.

2010 — 2013: Mr. John G. Geiger, author of Frozen In Time: The Fate of The Franklin Expedition and other books, former head of the editorial board of The Globe and Mail, current Chief Executive Officer of the RCGS.

2013 — 2016: Dr. Paul Ruest

2016 — present: Mr. Gavin Fitch, QC, lawyer.

Notable Vice-Presidents

1930 - 1934: J. Mackintosh Bell, geologist, explorer and writer. His field work included pioneer exploration in Arctic Canada for the Geological Survey of Canada. He later became director of the Geological Survey of New Zealand.

1939 - 1941: Senator W. A. Buchanan, former Member of Parliament and publisher of the Lethbridge Herald.

1939 - 1954: Gen. A.G.L. Andrew McNaughton, Chief of the General Staff for Canada, Commanding officer of the First Canadian Infantry Division, and Ambassador to the United Nations.

1968 - Dr. John Tuzo Wilson, geophysicist and geologist who achieved worldwide acclaim for his contributions to the theory of plate tectonics.

Awards

The Society awards the following awards:

Gold Medal

Recognizing a particular achievement by one or more individuals in the general field of geography or a significant national or international event. It was first awarded in 1972.

Recipients

Source: RCGS

2016: Marc R. St-Onge, Paul F. HoffmanĤ, Denis St-Onge and the Geological Survey of Canada

2015: Jacob Verhoef, Graeme Gibson and Margaret Atwood

2014: Canada's Astronauts and the Canadian Space Agency

2013: Michael Palin, Robert Bateman, and Yvan Desy and Sylvain Lemay of Natural Resources Canada

2012: Dr. Philip Currie

2011: Sir Christopher Ondaatje and Dr. Jerry Linenger

2010: Alex Trebek and Canadian International Polar Year National Committee

2009: Dr. Wade Davis

2007: The Nature of Québec/Le Québec au naturel

2006: The Atlas of Canada

2004: Jean Lemire and Edryd Shaw

2003: Roger F. Tomlinson

2002: Gordon Slade

2001: Norman Hallendy

2000: Bernard Voyer

1998: Mary May Simon

1997: Peter Gzowski

1996: Gilbert M. Grosvenor

1995: Harold K. Eidsvik, Dr. Lawrence W. Morley and Dr. Victor K. Prest

1994: The Historical Atlas of Canada, volumes II and III

1988: The Historical Atlas of Canada, Volume I, William G. Dean, Richard Colebrook Harris, and Geoffrey J. Matthews

1986: Dr. Derek C. Ford

1980: Selma Barkham

1978: Dr. J. Tuzo Wilson

1976: National Atlas of Canada

1973: Maj. Gen. William J. Megill

1972: Dr. Stanislaw Lesczychki

Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration

The Sir Christopher Ondaatje Medal for Exploration, named after Gold Medal and Camsell Medal recipient Sir Christopher Ondaatje, was established in 2013.

Recipients

Source: RCGS

2016: Richard Weber

2015: Jean Lemire

2014: George Hobson

2013: Jill Heinerth

3M Environmental Innovation Award

The 3M Environmental Innovation Award was established in 2009 by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) and 3M Canada to recognize outstanding individuals in business, government, academia or community organizations whose innovative contributions to environmental change are benefiting Canada and Canadians.

Recipients

Source: RCGS

2015: GreenBug Energy Inc.

2014: Ross Thurston

2013: Jeff Golfman

2012: Dr. Fraser Taylor

2011: Michel Séguin

2010: Frank van Biesen

2009: Sidney Ribaux

Camsell Medal

The Royal Canadian Geographical Society awards the Camsell Medal to bestow recognition upon, and to express the Society's appreciation to, individuals who have given outstanding service to the Society. The award was established by the Society’s Board of Governors in 1992.

Recipients

Source: RCGS

2016: Mark Graham, Peter Harrison and Christine Duverger-Harrison

2015: Bruce Amos and Louise Maffett

2014: Christopher Burn and Iain Wallace

2013: Sir Christopher Ondaatje

2012: Jean Fournier

2011: Gisèle Jacob and Arthur E. Collin

2010: Pierre Bergeron and Helen Kerfoot

2009: James Raffan and Ted Johnson

2008: Kenneth Boland and Carman Joynt

2007: Stuart Semple and Brian Osborne

2006: Karen Lochhead and Michael Schmidt

2005: James Maxwell and Denis St-Onge

2004: Samuel P. Arsenault and Alexander T. Davidson

2003: Blair Seaborn and David Kirkwood

2002: Alan O. Gibbons

2001: Dickson Mansfield

2000: Winifred Wadasinghe-Wijay

1999: Pierre Camu and Grete Hale

1998: Pierre Des Marais II and Dr. George Hobson

1997: Enid Byford and Robert Goddard

1996: David Bartlett

1995: William M. Gilchrist and Col. Louis M. Sebert

1994: Wendy Simpson-Lewis

1993: David W. Phillips and Dr. Ernest P. Weeks

1992: Dr. J. Keith Fraser and Samuel F. Hughes

The Martin Bergmann Medal for Excellence in Arctic Leadership and Science

Established by the Royal Canadian Geographical Society in 2012, the medal recognizes achievement for "excellence in Arctic leadership and science." It is named in honour of Martin "Marty" Bergmann, a public servant.

Recipients

Source: RCGS

2016: Warwick Vincent

2015: John Smol

2014: Donald Forbes

2013: David Hik

2012: Martin Bergmann

Lawrence J. Burpee Medal

Established by the society in 2013, this medal is awarded to recognize outstanding contribution to the general advancement of geography, or to other achievement that greatly enhances the ability of the society to fulfill its mission.

Recipients

Source: RCGS

2016: Simon Winchester

2015: Louie Kamookak, Wendy Cecil and Alex Trebek

2014: Marc-André Bernier, Ryan Harris, Jonathan Moore and Andrew Campbell (Parks Canada)

Massey Medal

Recognizing outstanding personal achievement in the exploration, development or description of the geography of Canada. The award was established in 1959 by the Massey Foundation, named for industrialist Hart Massey.

Recent Recipients

Source: RCGS

2016: Steve Blasco

2015: Brian Osborne

2014: Derald Smith

2013: David Ley

2012: Graeme Wynn

2011: David Livingstone

2010: Raymond Price

2009: Michael Church

2008: Bruce Mitchell

2007: Eddy Carmack

2006: Serge Courville

2005: Tim Oke

2004: Larry Stuart Bourne

2003: Richard Colebrook Harris

2002: John Oliver Wheeler

2001: Lawrence McCann

1999: Alexander T. Davidson

1998: William C. Wonders

1997: James A. Houston

1996: James P. Bruce

1995: Pierre Camu

Canadian Geographic Education

Canadian Geographic Education — formerly the Canadian Council for Geographic Education (CCGE) — is a joint initiative of The Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the National Geographic Society of Washington, D.C. established in 1993. The programs of the Can Geo Education aim to strengthen geographic education in the classroom. In addition to increasing the emphasis on geography within the school system, the Can Geo Education endeavours to increase the public awareness of the importance of geographical literacy.