Mr. Ian Church

Growing up in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Ian graduated from Simon Fraser University in 1969. He was self-employed for a few years providing environmental services to regional governments and to the private sector before joining Parks Canada in 1970. Over the years he served in a variety of roles including Naturalist, Interpreter, Resource Management Specialist, section head and Park Superintendent. Ian worked in parks located in British Columbia, Manitoba, the NWT and Atlantic Canada. He left Parks Canada in 1998, joining Northern Program, DIAND in the role as Director, Environment for the Yukon, primarily responsible for environmental assessment. In April 2003 Canada devolved the responsibility for most resource management functions to the Yukon Government. Ian continued managing the Yukon’s environmental assessment unit, now with the Yukon Government, until 2005 when he assume his current position where he now is dealing with issues such as climate change and biodiversity.

Strongly committed to protecting the environment while bettering the human condition, Ian feels that the assembling of knowledge and the involvement with all citizens in applying that knowledge in developing solutions is key to our future. The Framework of the International Polar Year (IPY) furthers these objectives on a local, national and global scale. He has been a member of the Canadian IPY National Committee since the summer of 2004 and appointed as Chair in May 2005.