Summer 2007 was Warmer
than Normal
Ottawa, September 14, 2007 - The summer
of 2007 in Canada was not the warmest on
record but temperatures were still higher
than the norm. Information on the summer
weather-that-was is from Environment Canada's
Climate Trends and Variations Bulletin.
It provides a cross-country look at temperatures
and precipitation for the summer 2007 season
and compares it to climate data from the
past 60 years.
Highlights from The Climate Trends and
Variations Bulletin for Canada include:
Summer 2007 in Canada was the 7th warmest
on record, with temperatures 0.9° C
above normal (based on preliminary data).
Most of the country experienced temperatures
less than 1° C above normal, with northern
parts of Nunavut having temperatures more
than 1° C above normal. The warmest
summer in Canada was recorded in 1998, with
temperatures at 1.8° C above normal.
The coolest summer was recorded in 1968,
with temperatures 0.8° C below normal.
The climate region in Canada with the highest
above-normal temperature this summer was
recorded in the region covering most of
Nunavut (+1.4° C). The southern Ontario
and southern Quebec region experienced the
lowest above-normal temperature, this summer
(+0.4° C).
Nationally averaged seasonal temperatures
have been at or above normal during the
last 10 years, with only the springs of
2002 and 2004 experiencing below normal
temperatures (from summer 1997 to summer
2007).
Overall, this summer was the 28th wettest
on record in Canada, with precipitation
at 2.9% above normal. The wettest summer
was in 2005, with precipitation 21.2% above
normal. The driest summer was in 1958 with
precipitation 14.3% below average.
The climate region covering most of Nunavut
experienced its second wettest summer (28%
above normal), whereas the region covering
the southern half of the Prairie Provinces
had their 7th driest summer (26.6% below
normal).
Because weather conditions can vary greatly
from one year to the next due to natural
variability, it is difficult to attribute
this past season's weather to a specific
cause. However, in many respects, these
conditions and associated impacts are consistent
with what scientists predict will happen
more frequently as the world becomes warmer
as a result of climate change.
Please visit: http://www.msc-smc.ec.gc.ca/ccrm/bulletin/national_e.cfm
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Traditional Chinese Medicine Importer Receives
18 Months Sentence
TORONTO, September 13, 2007 - In a precedent-setting
case, Cheung-Hon (Oliver) Mok received an
18-month sentence after pleading guilty
Monday in the Ontario Court of Justice -
Criminal Division to illegally importing
traditional Chinese medicines containing
derivatives of endangered animals and plants.
Mr. Mok, 46, of Richmond Hill, Ontario
was also ordered to serve a two-year period
of probation and must obey stringent court-ordered
reporting conditions aimed at ensuring his
compliance with Canada's federal endangered
species legislation. The conditional sentence
consists of house arrest for nine months
and then curfew for nine months.
The penalty reflected the level of endangerment
of the species involved, the commercial
nature of his activities and his previous
convictions on two counts for similar offences
handed down in the Ontario Court of Justice
- Provincial Division in December 2003.
The items seized by Environment Canada
included turtle and tortoise shells, orchids
and orchid derivatives and coral, all derived
from endangered species protected by the
Convention on International Trade of Endangered
Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
CITES import and export permits were required
to be issued by Canadian and Hong Kong authorities
prior to the import of these goods into
Canada. No such permits were obtained.
Environment Canada's investigation established
that between April 2004 and September 2006,
Mr. Mok used several companies located in
the Greater Toronto Area to receive traditional
Chinese medicines manufactured using endangered
species and illegally imported into Canada
from Hong Kong. These medicines were initially
detected by officers in Vancouver and subsequently
seized as evidence.
Environment Canada is responsible for the
enforcement of wildlife legislation regarding
plants and animals. CITES is an international
agreement to protect plant and animal species
from extinction. CITES regulates international
trade in endangered plant and animal species
as well as species that may become endangered
if trade is not regulated. Canada is a member
of CITES and implements the Convention in
Canada through the Wild Animal and Plant
Protection and Regulation of International
and Interprovincial Trade Act.
Gary Colgan
Director, Wildlife Enforcement Division
