A wealth of pre-Confederation weather and climate observations were
recorded in Canada by individuals and institutions during both the
French and British empires. This scientific heritage came about for a
number of reasons. For instance, the Hudson’s Bay Company wanted
to reduce operating costs by having their posts in Canada’s north-west
become self-sufficient in agriculture. Others wished to save lives from
cholera or shipwrecks, or to satisfy curiosity about the ever-present
debate concerning anthropogenic climate change. Today, historical climate
observations can be found in many diverse locations. Despite our
rich scientific heritage, turning archival paper and ink observations into
scientific data remains an enormous technical challenge. This challenge
falls to our generation, both to use this heritage to investigate the historical
context of current climate change and variability, and to use the digital
resources in development today to safeguard our scientific heritage
for future generations
