I now know what I will be doing after the M.Phil finishes. It has just been confirmed that I will be working for Environment Canada in Ottawa from July 16th of this year until July 15th of 2008. I will be working as an analyst on climate change policy within the Strategic Policy Branch.
After all this academic study of environmental politics, it should be fascinating to work on it from the policy side. One could hardly ask for an area of employment that has become more important and visible of late.
Once exams finish on Wednesday, I will begin the process of relocating my climate change materials to Ottawa, finding an apartment, and arranging flights. Given the need to get sorted everything sorted out before I start, I should probably be leaving Vancouver around the 12th of July, having arrived from Oxford on the 2nd. People who know anything about housing in Ottawa are encouraged to get in touch with me. I am looking for somewhere to live from which it will be feasible to walk or cycle to work in Gatineau.
All told, this is a very exciting development.
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My search for accomodation is now on Metafilter.
As far as the blog redesign/blurb goes, I have some plans…
Nicely done. It should be very interesting, and a good chance to make a difference.
Congratulations, Milan. I was very confident they would give the position to you. It will be an excellent and very topical opportunity for which few, if any, people are more suited than you.
Congrats, Milan. Sounds like a perfect posting.
Of course, this already-censored blog will need to become more censored still…
Congratulations!
The responsibilities that come with leaving the ranks of minimum-wage employment…
Congratulations. You will need to change the descriptive blurb for the blog. ‘Weblog of a climate change analyst’ certainly has a different sound to it.
Cabin Feever?
Maybe B can come.
I am delighted for you! Another chance to get to know a new city and make a difference in the area od environmental planning. They could not have found a better guy. Bravo and the best of luck!
Congrats milan. This is incredible. Seriously, I do not know a single person that puts so much work into things like you do. You deserve it, and I continue to admire your ambition and success. I would wish you luck, but really that would be an understatement to your obvious commitment. Ottawa is really lovely in the right places. Champlain Hill is my sanctuary.
Congrats, many times over.
Mica
p.s. New video on my website.
Of course, this already-censored blog will need to become more censored still…
I think people are legitimately more interested in posts with substantive content on interesting things than one that give an overly comprehensive account of what I am up to personally. Of course, I do include those sometimes – largely as a way of keeping in touch with family and friends.
Maybe B can come.
The two ‘B’ comments above are from wildly different IP addresses, one in Canada and one in the UK. You may be inviting more people than you mean to.
I think the commentariat means that you may no longer be permitted to editorialize in your substantive pieces. Your position does trickle in, and basically you are no longer permitted to have a position (or appear to have a position) in public.
I now have the info on your arrival, etc. Bienvenue.
Ashley and I are also discussing housing issues in the thread below this post on her blog.
that’s fantastic news, milan. i’m very happy and excited for you. (i suppose bureaucracy finds a way of working itself out eventually…right?)
félicitations, et à bientôt à montréal!
Well done. It sounds like the sort of thing you’d both be excellent at, and really enjoy. The best of luck with it.
Some accomodation info I got by email and have permission to post:
“Also, I worked out of Terrasses de la Chaudière (TLC) for over two years. Like I said, I’ve read the MeFi string, and I think there’s a few points about transit missing. The bus system in Ottawa is indeed very good for a town of its size, and it is easy to get just about anywhere in town in a decent amount of time… with one exception: Gatineau. There are only two routes that end up near TLC, one that starts south of town and goes through downtown before heading to Hull, and one that shuttles back and forth across the Chaudière bridge. Alternatively, the Gatineau buses that serve the Hull sector all cross over the Alexandria bridge, spins through the Market, then down Wellington and back across the Portage bridge. There’s about a dozen of these routes that go by TLC, and they’re quick.
What this means is that if you’re coming from the west side of town (Hintonburg, Westboro, etc) you’ve got no option but to spend a good hunk of time every morning waiting at the Lebreton Flats station with 1000 other public servants for one of the buses to ferry you across to the other side. Not a pleasant way to start the day, particularly during the winter. Coming from the east side of town, or from Centretown, allows you to take the Gatineau buses, which makes for a faster and less stressful commute.
Walking/cycling is possible (at least eight months of the year), but the Chaudière bridge is not pedestrian- or bike-friendly at all, so again, if coming from the west side of town you have to factor in the extra time to use the Portage bridge.
There’s a few other potentially misleading posts on the MeFi. Specifically, a number of them discuss crime in Ottawa, which is rather relative. Compared to, say, Vancouver or Toronto, there is effectively no crime in Ottawa. Property crime is very low, auto crime is nearly non-existent. There is a small (albeit growing) drug problem, but its very localized. Violent crime is very rare, and seems to happen mostly in the burbs (i.e. teenage gangs). So, when people tell you to avoid a certain neighbourhood because of the “crime”, don’t put too much weight on that. “
Fantastic news!! I am really pleased for you. I am sure Environment Canada will benefit immensely from your obvious motivation & enthusiasm for the subject, and personally, I feel much reassured to know that talented people such as yourself are willing to work on environmental issues (instead of for some stockbroking firm). I am sure you will make a really good contribution to the work of the agency. That’s marvellous news – well done!
My best wishes, Pippa
Also received by email:
“- LOTS of students live in the Glebe, you mights still find something
affordable
- Dow’s Lake is also close to the Enviroment Canada, you might try there. It
is also really close to the Litte Italy
- Westbourgh is a bit far out but a really cool place, lots of interesting
stores and resturants. However it has become very expensive.”