• Changing Climate.  This project involved telephone, mail and web surveys of Canadian meteorological practitioners, in natural resources, transportation and related areas, and other data analysis, to examine issues in professional development and labour supply for the sector, and to assess how these impact the quality of weather services, risks attendant to forecasts, especially for catastrophic weather events, climate change, etc. Issues examined included the demand for foreign workers and the role of universities in the training of meteorologists (for EcoCanada and the Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society, 2004-2005);
  
  
• Environment Canada Client Segmentation Study.  This study required the design and implementation of a web survey of Environment Canada (EC) staff in the areas of science and service, in order to provide a picture of the major clients for Environment Canada services and their characteristics and expectations for service.  A literature and document review, in-depth telephone interviews and collection of client profiles from senior staff of EC branches/units were also conducted as part of the research (for Environment Canada, 2004);
  
  
• Review of Environment Canada Grants and Contributions Programs.  This review, relying mainly on telephone and personal interview surveys, examined several of Environment Canada's funding programs for the Ontario Region:  EcoAction; the Great Lakes Sustainability Fund (GLSF); the Habitat Stewardship Program (HSP); and the Community Animation Program (CAP).  These programs have a total transfer value of almost $9.5 million per annum.  The Review involved a document review, interviews with program staff and interviews with selected grants recipients (for Environment Canada, 2002);
  
  
• Survey on the Canadian Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse.  With a focus on a survey of 1,000 businesses, this project examined this Internet-based information clearinghouse from the point of view of its process, client satisfaction and results. Issues examined included market reach, user satisfaction with access to the web-site, satisfaction with content, technical issues in navigating the web-site, retrieving information, and results in terms of pollution abatement (for Environment Canada, 1999-2000);
  
  
• Canada Quality of Life Survey.  This survey of over 1,000 Canadians examined a wide range of attitudes towards factors in the national quality of life, including general environmental concerns and assessment of government performance regarding waste reduction, climate, water quality, and government response to catastrophic climatic events, etc. (1997);
  
  
• Survey of Canadian Medical Waste Firms.  This project examined the role of medical waste firms in the acquisition and distribution of human reproductive tissues in Canada as part of a larger tissues tracking study.  The research examined issues in safety, and international movements of tissue waste (for The Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies, 1993-94);
  
  
• Great Lakes Basin Environmental Health Study (Anglers Survey).  This study involved a mail and telephone survey of 4,000 Ontario households in the Cornwall Area and Peel Region to examine the consumption of sports-caught fish in contaminated and uncontaminated watersheds and its health risk factors, particularly in relation to reproductive health.  The study was part of a larger study under the International Joint Commission (for Health and Welfare Canada, 1991-92);
  
  
• Surveys and Statistical Studies of Algae Conditions for Ontario Lakes.  This study, part of Ontario's research program on acid rain, included telephone and mail surveys of 5,000 residents on 200 Ontario lakes.  Multi-variate analyses were used to predict the presence of algae and validation by observation was undertaken for a sample of 100 lakes.  Results demonstrated that predictions were highly accurate.  Final projections using geophysical data were projected to 5,000 Ontario lakes (for the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, 1986-90); and
  
  
• Strategy for a Survey of the Energy Conservation Potential of Canada's Housing.  This study involved a survey of existing data banks on energy and housing, as held by provincial and federal agencies, municipalities, hydro companies, and others.  The final report outlined a research strategy for estimating the energy conservation potential of Canada's housing (for Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, 1982-1983).

SPR is able to draw on a highly-skilled team of environmental specialists experienced in policy, environmental programs and the environment, including:  Mr. Chris Hilkene (Consultant to SPR on Environmental Issues and the Environment Sector); and Dr. Brent Rutherford (Consultant to SPR on Climate and Methodology, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University).  Both have conducted numerous environmental studies for various Canadian and international agencies.