Polar Knowledge Canada merges Polar Commission with CHARS

The federal government announced the creation of a new organization mergingthe mandates of the Canadian Polar Commission with the Canadian High Arctic Research Station under construction in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

The announcement was made Monday.

Polar Knowledge Canada will be "Canada's primary point of contact for Arctic science," according to a news release.

"These collaborations will help provide Northerners with up-to-date information needed for effective action on the issues we face every day for economic development, environmental and wildlife stewardship, community health and well-being and to plan wisely for the future," saidNellie Cournoyea, interim chair ofPolar Knowledge Canada, in the release.

The new organizationwill beheadquartered at theCanadian High Arctic Research Station, which is expected to open in 2017.