The Arctic Circle - Coming Up Next

Our Next Speaker

572^nd Meeting

8 October 2024

Adam Coombs

FLYING ON ICE: THE RCAF, THE ARCTIC AND ICE HOCKEY IN THE 20TH CENTURY

This talk examines the history of the RCAF in the Canadian Arctic during its 100-year history. It will cover the various roles that the RCAF played in the Arctic during the Interwar Years and the Second World War and the importance of the Arctic in RCAF planning and operations during the Cold War. The talk will then highlight the significance of ice hockey in the RCAF during this period and particularly how hockey was a central part of RCAF social and cultural life in northerly stations.

Adam Coombs was born and raised in Ottawa and obtained his BA in history at Carleton University. He then completed his MA and PhD at the University of British Columbia with a focus on Canadian history during the 1920s and 30s. After five years working at Library and Archives Canada as the Finance archivist, he joined the Directorate of History and Heritage at the Department of National Defence as the air force historian in July 2023. In addition to collaborating on Volume 4 of the Official History of the RCAF 1945-1968, Adam’s interests include the history of hockey within the Canadian Armed Forces and the experience of Canadian pilots during the First World War.

This meeting is the first of The Arctic Circle’s 2024-25 season. The meeting will be held in the Beaver Lounge on the ground floor of the Warrant Officers’ and Sergeants’ Mess, 4 Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Ottawa. The Mess sits alongside Lisgar Collegiate, facing the Rideau Canal, and is accessible from the Driveway just south of the Laurier Avenue Bridge. Parking is available in front of the Mess and in adjacent lots and is free. The meeting begins at 2000 hrs and the bar will be available from 1900 hrs. As always, guests are welcome.

Next meetings:

Nov 12 Peter Croal: HMCS Labrador's maiden voyage, 70 years on
Dec 10 Jean Holloway: Impact of climate change and forest fires on the Canadian Arctic

Thomas Frisch
Secretary
613-725-2221; tfrisch@sympatico.ca

SPEAKERS PROGRAMME
2024-2025

October 8 Adam Coombs
The Directorate of History and Heritage (DHH)
“The RCAF in the Arctic”

November 12 Peter Croal
National Healing Forest Initiative
“HMCS Labrador: the 70th anniversary of her maiden voyage”

December 10 Jean Halloway
University of Ottawa
“Climate change, permafrost and forest fires”

January 14 AGM and speaker Camille Slack
University of Ottawa
“Food Security Impacts of the Inuvik-Tuktoyaktuk Highway”

February 11 David Pantalony
Ingenium: Canada's Museums of Science and Innovation
"Scientific Instruments in the Arctic: Stories from the Ingenium Collections"

March 11 Michelle Hovak Gillis and Stephen Van Dine
Inuit Circumpolar Council (Canada)
"Qanittaq The Clean Arctic Shipping Initiative"

April 8 Anne Barker
National Research Councils
The Canada-Inuit Nunangat-United Kingdom Research Programme (CINUK)"

April 24 Annual Banquet with speaker (TBD)