Honouring a hundred years of scientific achievements and industrial innovations

January 25, 2016 – Ottawa, ON

As Canada prepares for the 150th anniversary of Confederation, the National Research Council (NRC), Canada’s “go-to” research and technology organization (RTO), is kicking off its centennial celebrations. Throughout the year, NRC will be holding special events and activities with communities across the country to celebrate its history and honour the people behind its ground-breaking scientific achievements, while looking forward to the next 100 years.

Established on June 6, 1916, the National Research Council rallied the nation’s science and technology resources to counter threats faced by Canadians and their wartime allies. NRC’s advisory role soon evolved into one directly involved in research, with a mandate to solve pressing national challenges. Today’s nuclear energy, aerospace, and communication industries can trace their roots to NRC’s war research efforts.

Over the last 50 years, the National Research Council turned to civilian pursuits of national importance and set up support structures to help Canadian businesses innovate. This led to the invention of the pacemaker, the world’s first motorized wheelchair, national construction codes, aviation firsts, bomb detection, anti-counterfeiting technology, tools for avalanche and flood preparedness, Canada’s first astronaut team and the Canadarm, precision time-keeping, world-class observatories, award-winning computer animation, vaccines that have saved thousands of children, and so much more.

The National Research Council will officially celebrate its birthday on June 6, 2016. Celebrations will kick off in Ottawa at the annual Winterlude festival with an ice sculpture made up of 100 blocks of ice—paying tribute to a century of discovery.

Source: Release