Royal Canadian Geographic Society to honour late Arctic scientist

The Royal Canadian Geographic Society has launched a new honour named after the late Martin Bergmann, the former director of Resolute Bay’s Polar Continental Shelf Program.

The society recently developed the Martin Bergmann Medal for Excellence in Arctic leadership, Science and Exploration, the first of which will be presented to the late scientist’s wife Sheila on his behalf in April, 2012.

The society plans to award the medal to future recipients once every year.

Bergmann, who sat on the society’s board of directors, was among 12 who died last Aug. 20, when First Air flight 6560 crashed into a hillside outside of Resolute Bay.Since 2007, Bergmann had served as the well-liked director Polar Continental Shelf Program, which provides and manages logistical services to scientists across the High Arctic.

The Royal Canadian Geographic Society has set up a fund to support the costs of the medal and the travel of its future recipients, and is looking for donations.

Visit www.cfo-fco.ca and click on “Martin Bergmann Arctic Medal” to make a contribution.

But the society’s medal isn’t the first honour the late scientist has received.

A new private, non-profit foundation, the Arctic Research Foundation, where Bergmann sat as a member of the board, plans to name its recently-acquired, 19-metre (64-foot) research vessel “The Martin Bergmann” in his memory.
The revamped fishing trawler from Newfoundland will be based out of Cambridge Bay, the future home of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.