The Canada Region Young Professional (YP) Committee (Meriem Grifi, Robyn Paul, Katie Power, Leanne Tingley and Zen Weleschuk) has been making great strides to increase awareness and activities for YP members in the Region. Our current initiatives include improving the student-to-YP transition, collaborating with other societies and expanding knowledge of the YP program beyond Calgary, Canada’s central oil patch.
The group is excited to bring more opportunities to YPs across the country.
We are planning a couple of volunteering events this spring, as well as a Skype series to connect Student Chapters across the country with working YPs. Follow us on Twitter @aapg_canada_yp for updates on these projects.
One of the group’s biggest accomplishments this year was putting together a proposal for the first-ever YP field trip. The trip, which the team has been working on since last June, will precede the AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition 2016 in Calgary this summer. All YPs attending this year’s ACE are encouraged to register for the Young Professionals Guided Hike to Stanley Glacier and Marble Canyon, Kootenay National Park. Participants will have the chance to learn about and see some Burgess Shale fossils. Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron, a world-renowned leader in research on the Burgess Shale, will be one of the field trip guides along with Dr. Robert Gaines. Along the trail, our guides will provide interesting facts and history on the formation and paleontology of the area, making this a trip you won’t want to miss.
The field trip takes place Saturday, June 18. There are only 24 spots available so registration will fill up fast.
The committee is actively working on a coast-to-coast YP program within the Region and has had great success with recent events in Newfoundland and Alberta.
AAPG Canada Region YP Events and Updates
On Monday, Dec. 21, a mix of East Coast AAPG student and YP members visited a local core facility for an afternoon short course on the history and geology of the Jeanne d’Arc Basin.
Frank Ryan and Harry Fowlow led the discussion and participants had the opportunity to examine some sample logs and to ask questions, which led to a number of thoughtful group discussions. And, some holiday chocolates were up for grabs for correct answers, which spurred some healthy competition.
The rest of the afternoon focused heavily on the geology of the main reservoir units at Hibernia, including the Ben Nevis/Avalon and Hibernia sandstones. Thanks to posters provided by Niall Toomey, there were a number of visual aids to help describe the environment of deposition of these sandstones.
Attendance for this event was double that of the inaugural event held the year before.
It would not have been possible without the generosity of Steve Finney, Edgars Rudzitis and the people at Geotech Services Core facility in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
Additionally, many thanks to Frank Ryan and Harry Fowlow for volunteering their time and knowledge for this event.
Western Canada Update
In western Canada, the Inter Society Young Professionals Holiday Social commenced on Dec. 15 in Calgary, co-hosted by SPE, CSPG, SEG, CSEG and AAPG. This event was developed jointly to bring YPs more opportunity to network and bridge the gap between engineering and earth science. The appetizers, all-night bowling and scavenger hunt-style bingo game helped keep the event moving at a high pace. Also, AAPG supplied t-shirts to promote the Sundown Science Series, which were in high enough demand that none were left over by the end of the event.
Overall, it was a huge success with 231 people in attendance, of whom at least 34 were AAPG members, 44 were CSEG members, 68 from SPE and 85 non-members.
Together, we raised a whopping $545 at the door for the Calgary Food Bank.
Thanks to everyone who came out and helped make this year’s social a success, and a special thanks to Michael Hauer and the SPE team for giving us the opportunity to collaborate with them on this event.
How To Get Involved
Want to get involved with YP activities in your area? Connect with us! Like the AAPG Young Professionals Special Interest Group Page on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@aapgypsig) or visit us online at www.aapg.org/youngpros to contact your Region/Section YP Committee representative.
Editor’s Note: Robyn Paul is the West Coast Canada YP lead and a recent graduate of the University of Calgary. Katie Power is the East Coast Canada YP lead and a student and research assistant at the Memorial University of Newfoundland. Meriem Grifi is the Canada Region YP lead and works at Husky Energy.