The Canada Research Chairs Program stands at the centre of a national strategy to make Canada one of the world's top five countries for research and development. Chairholders advance the frontiers of knowledge in their fields, not only through their own work, but also by teaching and supervising students and coordinating the work of other researchers.
A Message from the Chair.
"Having had the privilege as a public servant to travel across this vast country, my commitment to the environment and to the sustainable development of human communities only deepened from my childhood. Our country has such riches-of place, of so many different cultures, of the arts, and a wonderful diversity of species with which we share our space. I believe that we have the necessary capitals already in place, particularly intellectual and social, that just needs to be re-connected with the emotions we hold dearly in this country. And yet, we are separated by deep solitudes, silos and stovepipes. We have lost our ability to see the aggregate impact of our individual decisions on the sustainable development of our land, air and water, and more importantly, we have lost 'shared meaning' about the things that are important for our communities and ultimately our humanity. We need unprecedented levels of dialogue, and strategic partnerships between our researchers and community leaders to realize the implementation of sustainable development in our lifetime."
Charter of Environmental Rights and Responsibilities
Professor Ann Dale developed the charter in 1992 to define the principles that are integral in sustainable community development and responsible living. These thirteen principles have provided framework for and mission to CRC's research on sustainability, and they serve as guides for practitioners and researchers on how to develop community in a responsible and meaningful fashion.