Colin and Julie Angus are National Geographic Adventurers of the Year, fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and best-selling authors. They have spent tens of thousands of hours on the open ocean, including being the first to row across the Atlantic Ocean from mainland to mainland. They also have a boat design company creating innovative small seaworthy boats. As parents of two young children, they understand the importance of inspiring the next generation to embrace values of innovation, environmental stewardship and pushing boundaries.
Julie and Colin Angus
Maritime Museum of British Columbia
The Maritime Museum of BC promotes and preserves our maritime experience and heritage and to engage people with this ongoing story. www.mmbc.bc.ca
Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is a valuable historical, cultural and educational institution. It is the largest site in Nova Scotia that collects and interprets various elements of Nova Scotia’s marine history. Visitors are introduced to the age of steamships, local small craft, the Royal Canadian and Merchant Navies, World War II convoys and The Battle of the Atlantic, the Halifax Explosion of 1917, and Nova Scotia’s role in the aftermath of the Titanic disaster. www.maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca
Justin Lemire-Elmore and Ann-Sophie Rodet
Justin Lemire-Elmore, proprieter of Grin Technologies, is a leading expert in the realm of low-powered electronic propulsion technologies. His company produces conversion kits to make any bicycle into an e-bike, and they are also developing electrical-assist devices for skateboards and small boats. Justin isn’t just an engineering electronics wiz; he and his partner, Anne-Sophie Rodet, are also master adventurers. Anne-Sophie is one of the top unicyclists in the world, having completed all sorts of one-wheeled adventures including pedaling 4600 km across Patagonia. Justin has cycled across Canada on an e-assist bicycle, using a total of $10 of electricity travelling from Vancouver to Halifax. Justin is our key advisor, and the brains behind the complex electronics systems in the autonomous boat. For a brainiac adventurer, the prospect of crossing the Atlantic Ocean using a solar- powered robotic boat immediately caught Justin’s attention, and we’re excited to have him and Anne-Sophie as part of the team!
University of Victoria Faculty of Engineering
Engineering students at the University of Victoria are involved in developing the systems for the autonomous boat including navigation, power and communications. This is one of the most crucial areas to the success of the initiative.
Dr. John Fyfe, Environment Canada
John Fyfe is a recipient of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his role as a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and an internationally recognized researcher on climate variability and climate change. He is a Senior Research Scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis of Environment Canada and an adjunct professor at the University of Victoria.
Dr. Eddy Carmack, Institute of Ocean Sciences
Eddy Carmack is a Senior Research Scientist Emeritus at the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, BC. His current research seeks to find relationships between oceanography, climate change and marine ecosystems. He has published over 200 peer-reviewed scientific articles and participated in over 90 field investigations in rivers, lakes and seas spanning from the Antarctic to the Arctic. He holds numerous distinctions, including Fellow of the American Geophysical Union, Massey medallist of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society and Tulley medalist for the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.
Brandon Davis, Turn Point Designs
Brandon Davis is a boat designer and founder of Turn Point Designs, a company that specializes in boat design and composite construction. His projects range from creating molds for Oracle Racing, winner of the 33rd America’s Cup, to developing composite parts for a Google-backed flying car company.