Editing Meteorological Service of Canada

{{Short description|Weather and meteorological institute}}
{{Expand French|Service météorologique du Canada|topic=gov|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox government agency
| name = Meteorological Service of Canada
| native_name = Service météorologique du Canada
| logo = 
| logo_alt = 
| headquarters = [[Toronto]], [[Ontario]]
|image           = CMC-vue ouest.JPG
|image_caption   = Canadian Metrological Centre, [[Dorval]], [[Quebec]]
| formed = 1871
| jurisdiction = [[Government of Canada]]
| employees = 
| minister1_name = ADM Cecile Siewe
| minister1_pfo = 
| chief1_name = 
| chief1_position = 
| parent_department = [[Environment and Climate Change Canada]]
| website = {{URL|https://weather.gc.ca/}}
}} 
The '''Meteorological Service of Canada''' ('''MSC'''; {{langx|fr|Service météorologique du Canada – SMC}}) is a branch of [[Environment and Climate Change Canada]], which primarily provides public [[meteorology|meteorological]] information and [[weather forecast]]s and warnings of severe weather and other environmental hazards.  MSC also monitors and conducts research on the [[climate]], [[atmospheric science]], [[air quality]], water quantities, ice and other [[environmental issues]]. MSC operates a network of radio stations throughout Canada transmitting weather and environmental information 24 hours a day called [[Weatheradio Canada]].

==History==
===Private Observations===

Prior to 1840, meteorological observations in Canada were made by private individuals, other entities (like [[Hudson's Bay Company|HBC]]), and explorers, but this information was not provided to the general public.<ref name="marianopolis1">{{cite web |url=http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/QuebecHistory/encyclopedia/MeteorologyinCanada-CanadianWeather.htm |title=Meteorology in Canada |last=Bélanger |first=Claude |date=2005 |website=[[Marionapolis College]] |access-date=2022-04-21}}</ref>

===Her Majesty's Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory===
In 1840, British officials ([[Board of Ordnance|British Ordnance Department]]) and the [[Royal Society]] established an observatory in Toronto, [[Canada West]], one of a few across the [[British Empire]]<ref name="marianopolis1"/> and likely modeled after the [[Royal Observatory, Greenwich]].

===Meteorological Service of the Dominion===
The Toronto observatory ended in 1853, but the colonial government of the province of Canada took over the service and continued collecting climate data. On May 1, 1871, the new [[Government of Canada|Dominion of Canada]] established the Meteorological Service of Canada by providing a $5000 grant to Professor [[George Kingston (meteorologist)|G. T. Kingston]] of the [[University of Toronto]] to establish a network of weather observations. This information was collected and made available to the public from 1877 onwards. The MSC was then assigned under the [[Fisheries and Oceans Canada|Department of Marine and Fisheries]].

===Meteorological Division of the Air Services Branch===

From 1936 to 1946 the services assigned under the [[Transport Canada|Department of Transport]] as the ''Meteorological Division of the Air Services Branch''' and as the ''Meteorological Branch'' from 1956.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmos.ca/CenturyMeteorology1971_part2.pdf |title=The Post War Growth 1947–1970 |date=10 September 1971 |author=Morley K. Thomas |publisher=[[Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society]] |access-date=2022-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219153732/http://www.cmos.ca/CenturyMeteorology1971_part2.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-19}}</ref>

In 1939, the ''Meteorological Division, Air Services Branch'' was expanding rapidly to serve commercial aviation. In September 1939 the full-time staff of the Meteorological Division based in Toronto numbered 213, of which 51 were meteorologists and 57 were meteorological observers.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cmosarchives.ca/History/wxsvchistory.html#Atmosphere%20Volume%209%20Number%203 |title=A Brief History of Meteorological Services in Canada Part 3: 1939-1945  |last=Thomas |first=Morley K. |date=10 September 1971 |website=[[Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society]] |access-date=2022-04-21}}</ref>

===Atmospheric Environment Service and Meteorological Service of Canada===

In 1971 the Canadian Meteorological Service was established under the Department of Environment ([[Environment Canada]]) in 1971.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cmos.ca/CenturyMeteorology1971_part1.pdf |title=A Century of Canadian Meteorology  |date=10 September 1971 |author=Morley K. Thomas |publisher=[[Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society]] |access-date=2022-04-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219153826/http://www.cmos.ca/centurymeteorology1971_part1.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-19}}</ref> The AES was renamed later as the '''Meteorological Service of Canada'''.

== Organization ==
There are currently six public weather forecast offices:

* Pacific and Yukon Storm Prediction Centre in [[Vancouver]], [[British Columbia]]
* [[Prairie and Arctic Storm Prediction Centre]], split between an office in [[Edmonton]], [[Alberta]] and [[Winnipeg]], [[Manitoba]]
* Ontario Storm Prediction Centre (Toronto)
* Quebec Storm Prediction Centre (Montreal, Quebec)
* Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre ([[Dartmouth, Nova Scotia]]). The Atlantic Storm Prediction Centre also houses the [[Canadian Hurricane Centre]].
* Newfoundland and Labrador Weather Office ([[Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador]])

There are two centres dedicated to aviation weather forecasting: Canadian Meteorological Aviation Centre-East, located in Montreal, and Canadian Meteorological Aviation Centre-West, located in Edmonton.

MSC also operates the [[Canadian Center for Meteorological and Environmental Prediction]], which is tasked with providing forecast guidance, and the [[Canadian Ice Service]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/ice-forecasts-observations/about-ice-service.html |title=Canadian Ice Service |date=2022-03-11 |website=Government of Canada |access-date=2022-04-21}}</ref> which provides ice observations and forecasts for mariners.  In support of Canada's military, some MSC meteorologists are seconded to the [[Department of National Defence (Canada)|Department of National Defence]].

The Meteorological Service of Canada was [[ISO9001:2000]] Certified for their Hydrometric Monitoring Program.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.ec.gc.ca/ae-ve/default.asp?lang=En&n=514E38D8-1&offset=3&toc=show | title=Audit and Evaluation Annual Report 2009–2010 | publisher= [[Environment and Climate Change Canada]] | date=July 29, 2013 | access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref><!-- {{citation needed|reason=Requirements for ISO certifications are not met anymore|date=October 2015}}-left for historical purposes. I couldn't understand the reason (DadaNeem) -->

==Heads of the Observatory/MSC==

* 1840, Lieutenant C.J.B. Riddell, [[Royal Artillery]]
* 1841, Captain J.G. Younghusband
* 1841–1853, Captain Sir [[John Henry Lefroy]]
* 1853–1855, Professor John Bradford Cherriman, Provisional Director of the Toronto Observatory
* 1855–1880, Professor G. T. Kingston, Director of the Toronto Observatory, Superintendent of the MSC
* 1880–1894, [[Charles Carpmael]], Director
* 1894–1929, Sir [[R. Frederick Stupart]], Director
* 1929–1946, [[John Patterson (meteorologist)|John Patterson]] M.A. F.R.C.S., Director
* 1946–1959, Andrew Thomson D.Sc., M.A. OBE, Controller of the Meteorological Division
* 1959–1964, [[Patrick D. McTaggart-Cowan]] DSc LLD MBE, Director of the Meteorological Division
* 1964–1971, J.R.H. Noble, Assistant Minister, Atmospheric Environment Service
* 1964–1971, J.R.H. Noble, Administrator, Atmospheric Environment Service

==Headquarters==

* 1840, [[Old Fort York]] (Bathurst Street), Toronto, Upper Canada — housed in unused barracks
* 1840–1853, Kings' College, Toronto, Upper Canada/Canada West — still located at King's College Circle, [[University of Toronto]] (see [[Toronto Magnetic and Meteorological Observatory]])
* 1907–1971, Dominion Meteorological Building, 315 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario — now Admissions and Awards Building, [[University of Toronto]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/1116.php |title=University of Toronto Admissions and Awards Building : 315 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario |publisher=Glass Steel and Stone |access-date=2014-01-22 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140202132213/http://www.glasssteelandstone.com/BuildingDetail/1116.php |archive-date=2014-02-02 }}</ref>
* 1972–present, 4905 Dufferin Street, Toronto, Ontario (by architects Boignon & Armstrong)

==See also==
* [[Canadian Hurricane Centre]]
* [[Environment and Climate Change Canada]]
* [[Canadian Meteorological Centre]]
* [[Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society]]
* [[NinJo]], SMC forecasting workstation software
* [[Forecast region]]
* [[R. E. Munn]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

* [https://weather.gc.ca/ Environment and Climate Change Canada weather information]
* [https://eccc-msc.github.io/open-data/ MSC Open Data documentation]

{{National Meteorological Organisations}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meteorological Service Of Canada}}
[[Category:Meteorological Service of Canada| ]]
[[Category:1871 establishments in Canada]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1871]]
[[Category:Governmental meteorological agencies in North America]]