2025
Ittaq Heritage and Research Centre
This organization received acclaim for its incredible work in the Arctic, particularly in the vein of land-based programming designed to enrich local communities.
2023
Dr. Jackie Dawson
Recognized for her outstanding contributions to northern research and visionary leadership on Arctic policy: Dr. Jackie Dawson, professor in Human and Policy Dimensions of Climate Change at the University of Ottawa.
2022
Christopher Burn
Dr. Christopher Burn, a professor at Carleton University, received this medal for his leadership in long-term permafrost investigations in the Canadian Arctic, as well as mentorship of young scientists and community partnerships with northern communities and organizations.
2021
Dr. Trevor J. Bell
The founding director of the SmartICE program, which trains Inuit youth in the use of satellite imagery and local knowledge to make maps for safer travel on sea ice, Dr. Trevor Bell is a successful field scientist. He specializes in the geography of the Arctic and Atlantic Canada, working as a professor of geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
2020
Jason Edmunds
Jason Edmunds is known as an expert Arctic guide. As an Inuk from Nunatsiavut, Edmunds was awarded the Bergmann Medal not only for his advocacy of Arctic peoples and environments but also for his leadership and mentorship qualities.
2019
Dr. Wayne Pollard
Dr. Wayne Pollard is an accomplished member of the permafrost research community who describes himself, first and foremost, as a field scientist.
2018
Dr. James Drummond
Dr. James Drummond’s contributions in furthering Arctic research include his establishment of PEARL (Polar Environment Atmospheric Research), the globally-recognized Arctic flagship observatory that has contributed to a significant body of research. He is a highly sought-after and active contributor in the national and international scientific community, including his work on multiple high-level committees.
Dr. Derek Muir
Dr. Derek Muir is a leading Canadian environmental scientist and is considered a world leader in his field. For more than 35 years, Dr. Muir has contributed to the understanding of contaminants in the North and the impacts they have on Arctic ecosystems and people.
2017
Martin Fortier
Martin Fortier is the executive director of the Université Laval’s transdisciplinary research program Sentinel North. As the former executive director of ArcticNet, Fortier demonstrated exceptional leadership and forever changed the way Arctic research is done in Canada.
2016
Warwick Vincent
Warwick Vincent is a professor of biology and Canada Research Chair in biology at the Université Laval, where he studies polar aquatic food webs.
2015
Dr. John Smol
Dr. John Smol is a Professor of Biology and the Canada Research Chair in Environmental Change at Queen’s University.
2014
Dr. Donald Forbes
Dr. Donald Forbes has contributed to the Arctic through dozens of studies and mapping projects, and advanced our knowledge of climate change through his own work and by championing interdisciplinary collaborations.
2013
David Hik
David Hik is a professor of biological sciences at the University of Alberta, and has been instrumental in fostering international collaboration on Arctic issues and the development of extensive research networks.
2012
Martin “Marty” Bergmann
Marty Bergmann was a great Canadian “networker” and the network he built, based on passion for the Arctic, was his greatest career accomplishment. He connected hundreds of people with resources and with each other and in so doing, became a central lynch-pin of Canada’s pursuit of northern goals during two decades.
