Mr. Chair, I appreciate the member's interest in CHARS, as he mentioned, as an educator. Obviously, this sort of science and technology infrastructure will benefit students like his former students for generations to come.
The CHARS Act will repeal the Canadian Polar Commission Act and will incorporate the CPC mandate into that of CHARS. The integration of the Canadian Polar Commission and CHARS into a single organization is proposed to create one point of contact, representation, and leadership for polar science and technology in Canada.
The merger will build on recent advances the Canadian Polar Commission has made and will ensure that science and technology features even more prominently in Canada's north than it has in the past. The merger will increase the national and international prominence of Canadian Arctic science and technology.
As per its mandate, the Canadian Polar Commission focuses on the promotion and dissemination of polar research and knowledge as well as on collaboration and co-operation with Canadian and international institutions. These functions align directly with the work that will be undertaken by CHARS.