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(Le texte original anglais n'a pas été traduit pour respecter les propos de l'auteur.) Denis A. St-Onge
Dr. Denis St-Onge is well-known throughout the community of geographers in Canada. His career has been long and varied, but a core characteristic has been his inability to say "no". This generosity of spirit has led to him serve his fellow geographers in numerous ways over the past three decades.
Among the positions he held during this period are: President of the CAG, President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society; President of the Canadian Geoscience Council; President of the Canadian National Committee for INQUA; Vice-president of the Canadian Social Sciences Federation and Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of Ottawa.
In addition, he has been a chair or member of more than 20 commissions and committees where the hard work of supporting geoscience has been carried out. Within his regular job in government, he was Director of the Terrain Sciences Division of the Geological Survey of Canada and Scientific Advisor to the Polar Continental Shelf Project. In these two administrative positions, Dr. St-Onge strongly supported geographical research in the Arctic.
Perhaps the greatest impact of Dr. St-Onge has been in the popularization of geography through the development of Canadian Geographic. During his tenure as President of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, the magazine's circulation expanded enormously, generating significant income for the society, which in turn became able to further geographical education through activities such as the Great Canadian Geography Challenge and student scholarships. A major project which came to fruition during his tenure was the production of a version of Canadian Geographic en français to allow the dissemination of popular geography to francophones in Canada.
This award from the CAG adds another star to the numerous honours that Dr. St-Onge has received for his academic work. These include an honorary doctorate from his Alma Mater, the University of Manitoba, the André Cailleux medal from the Association Québécoise pour l'étude du Quaternaire, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society Medal, and in 1996, the Order of Canada.
Although formally retired, Denis St-Onge continues to be one of the hardest-working geographers in Canada. Currently he is Professor Emeritus at the University of Ottawa and Chair of the Partnership Group for Science and Engineering, a cooperative group of more than 20 national organizations which addresses issues of science and applications of research in Canada. The bestowing of the CAG Award for Service to the Profession is a well-deserved honour to one who has consistently and continually served us on the national and international stages.
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