News Release
The Council of Canadian Academies (CCA) would like to take this opportunity to thank its dedicated expert volunteer community for their invaluable time, energy, and expertise in support of evidence-based decision-making.
From April 10 to 16, organizations across Canada will recognize the contributions and achievements of their volunteers as part of National Volunteer Week. According to Volunteer Canada, Canadians volunteer an average of 154 hours per year, or close to 2 billion hours in total. In 2013, 12.7 million Canadians (44%) volunteered their time. In the past 10 years, the CCA has been privileged to work with almost 900 expert volunteers, who have helped to produce more than 35 reports on topics as diverse as ocean science, food security, policing, and medicines for children.
The CCA convenes the best experts in their respective fields to evaluate the existing evidence and provide an objective assessment of the science underlying key policy issues. This work would not be possible without the time and energy of the top minds in Canada and abroad who volunteer to serve on its panels. Many volunteers come from its three distinguished member academies: the Royal Society of Canada the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. The CCA would also like to recognize the essential roles played by its Board of Governors and Scientific Advisory Committee. These groups provide valuable input, oversight, and strategic thinking critical to the good governance of the CCA.
The CCA has enjoyed a remarkable first 10 years with its volunteers and looks forward to continuing to work with the best and brightest minds for many years to come.