Wednesday, February 1, 2017
To the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
To the Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
To the Honourable Kristy Duncan
Minister of Science
To the Honourable Jane Philpott
Minister of Health
The members of the Canadian scientific community are deeply concerned about the consequences of the executive order issued by the United States preventing individuals from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S.A. in the next 90 days. Science is a global endeavour that requires free exchange of ideas and this executive order, which effectively bans some of our colleagues from entering the U.S., affects us, our trainees, and our research1. We believe Canada can show leadership in these hard times by issuing visas to those scientists and trainees who are currently misplaced by the US Executive Order. Diversity has always been a source of innovation and strength in Canada, and we now have an opportunity to defend this important value.
This idea, first proposed by the Canadian tech community2 is a way to show support for scientists of all origins, religious belief and race, who work together to advance scientific knowledge, for the benefit of all humanity. Scientific research does not operate within borders. It is a truly international endeavor based on collaboration and free exchange of ideas.
With this temporary measure, we can help scientists and trainees who are displaced by the Executive Order to continue their work or studies until their situation is resolved. The U.S. is our biggest economic partner, and in many cases, U.S.-based scientists are our most important scientific collaborators. With a possibility to stay in Canada, the affected individuals could take advantage of their already existing scientific collaborations, others would have a chance to build new ones.
Canada stands to gain from this initiative. The strengthening and broadening of collaborations will benefit Canadian scientists. This welcoming gesture will also help attract the best international researchers, helping to fuel innovation and discovery in our country.
As our Prime Minister said in a statement on January 29th, “Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear.” We believe welcoming our fellow scientists, banned for no reason other that their origins, is a way to stand for these important values.
Kristin Baetz, President of the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences
Ridha Joober, President of the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Freda Miller, President of the Canadian Association for Neuroscience
Katalin Toth, Chair of the Advocacy Committee, Canadian Association for Neuroscience
Roger Jacobs, President Canadian Council of University of Biology Chairs
Jeremy Kerr, President Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution
Christine Szymanski, President Canadian Society of Microbiologists
Richard MacKenzie, President Canadian Association of Physicists
This open letter was drafted by the Canadian Association for Neuroscience and the Canadian Society for Molecular Bioscience and is supported by the Canadian Society for Microbiology, the Canadian Council of University Biology Chairs and the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
Those individuals wishing to add their names to the list please sign below.
1- Examples include the recently reported cases here:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/30/science/scientists-donald-trump-travel-ban.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/trump-travel-ban-winnipeg-1.3956909
2- http://betakit.com/an-open-letter-from-the-canadian-tech-community-diversity-is-our-strength/
Current Supporters
#: 164
Maurico Terebiznik
University of Toronto at Scarborough
Anthony K C Chan
McMaster University
Mobeen Raja
The Hospital for Sick Children
Mary McQuaid
Centre de Recherche Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont
Lael Barlow
University of Alberta, Dept. Cell Biol.
Jaafar Amro
Université de Montréal
Michael Gold
University of British Columbia
Magda Stroinska
McMaster University
Sherri Christian
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Claire Malo
École de Travail social, Université de Montréal
Douglas Brown
Retired, Bishop’s University
Véronique Hamel
Université Laval
Ute Kothe
University of Lethbridge
Dr. Ivona Kucerova
McMaster University
Elisabet Service
McMaster University
Ana Inés Ansaldo
Centre de recherche de l’institut Universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal- Université de Montréal
Marianne Paul
UQTR
Ree Zheng
University of Toronto
Purnima Kompella
University of Toronto
John MacLeod
Queen’s University
Louise Duchesne
Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
John Connolly
McMaster University
Phaedra Royle, Ph.D.
Université de Montréal
Claire Croteau
Université de Montréal
Douglas Shiller
Université de Montréal
Sameera Abuaish
University of Toronto
Colleen Gillon
University of Toronto
Eric R. Gauthier, Ph.D.
Laurentian University
Gil Privé
University of Toronto
Eric A. Shoubridge
McGill University
Yoanna Skrobik
McGill University
Sarah Robins
McGill University
Denis Arutyunov
University of Alberta
Andrea Globa
University of British Columbia
Trang Pham
University of Ottawa
Sophie St-Cyr
University of Toronto
Rene Harrison
University of Toronto
Shayna Deecker
University of Toronto
Steve Geoffrion
Université de Montréal
Julie Claycomb
University of Toronto
Nafisa M Jadavji
Carleton University
Bob Strome
University of Toronto
Michelle Collins
Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research
Virginia Pimmett
University of Alberta
Shelagh Campbell
University of Alberta
Randal N. Johnston
University of Calgary
Catherine Briand
Université de Montréal
Alan R. Davidson
University of Toronto
Geneviève Parent
Université de Montréal
Annie Devault
Université du Québec en Outaouais
Monica Dixon
University of Toronto
Geneviève Pagé
Département de travail social, Université du Québec en Outaouais
Marc Lavoie
Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal
Stéphane Guay
École de criminologie et Département de psychiatrie, Université de Montréal
Kenneth C. Welch Jr.
University of Toronto Scarborough
Michael Mowat
University of Manitoba
FATEMEH SHAHHOSSEINI
university of calgary
Junior West
University of Toronto
Anatol.G. Feldman
UdeM
Hugh Bennett
cGill University
Herman Yeger
Hospital for Sick Children
George Ronald Williams
Dept of Biochemistry, University of Toronto
Jorge Filmus
Sunnybrook Research Institute
Claudio Slamovits
Dalhousie University
Kathryn Vanya Ewart
Dalhousie University
Michael James
University of Alberta
Paul Melancon
University of Alberta
Vladimir Titorenko
Concordia University, Biology Department, Montreal
Rodrigo Fernandez-Gonzalez
University of Toronto
Andrea Green
Université de Montréal, Dépt de Neurosciences
Christopher Yip
University of Toronto
Alain Vinet
Université de MOntréal
Phil Hieter
University of British Columbia
Kamal Said
Molecular Microbiologist
Debanjan Barua
University of Toronto
Cynthia Solek
Montreal Neurological Institute/McGill University
Wilfred de Vega
University of Toronto
Mathieu Quesnel-Vallières
University of Toronto
Elaine Beaulieu
University of Ottawa
Belinda Chang
University of Toronto
Reza Bayat Mokhtari
Ph.D cancer Biology and Developmental Stem Cell – Hospital for Sick Children/ University of Toronto
Lida Langroudi
Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto
David Sanders
University of Saskatchewan
Madiha Khan
University of Toronto
Professor Paul Hamel
University of Toronto
Jean-Pierre Perreault
Université de Sherbrooke
Kyungsoo Shin
Dalhousie University
Adriana Caragea
University of Toronto
Matteo Da Ros
University of Ottawa
Thomas H. MacRae
Dalhousie University
Ryan MacDonald
University of Toronto
Catherine Mounier
Université du Québec à Montréal
Emil F. Pai
University of Toronto/Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
Sanna Masud
University of Toronto
Leonard Foster
University of British Columbia
Masoud Jelokhani-Niaraki
Wilfrid Laurier University
William Trimble
Hospital for Sick Children
Anne-Marie Dion-Côté
Cornell University
Jean-Francois Couture
University of Ottawa
Vince Tropepe
University of Toronto
Tony Harris
University of Toronto
Stfean Taubert
UBC
Michael P. Walsh
University of Calgary
Gregory Kelly
The University of Western Ontario
Peter Stogios
University of Toronto
Elahe Alizadeh
Department of Medical Imaging, University of Saskatchewan
Imogen R. Coe
Ryerson University
John Bergeron
McGill University
Stephen G Withers
UBC
John Bergeron
McGill University
Dr. Michael Dufresne
University of Windsor (retired)
Cordula Enenkel
University of Toronto
Jacinthe Gagnon
INRS – Institut Armand-Frappier
John Bergeron
McGill University
Jay M Baltz
Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and University of Ottawa
Vincent Archambault
Université de Montréal
Mohammad Sarhan
Associate Professor
Erin Kennedy
University of Ottawa
Larry Fliegel
University of Alberta
Walid Houry
University of Toronto, Department of Biochemistry
Bensun C Fong
University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine
Thien-Fah Mah
University of Ottawa
Brent J. Sinclair
Western University
Shernaz Bamji
Professor, University of British Columbia
Deirdre Laframboise
Canadian Climate Forum
Jeremy Kerr
University of Ottawa
Maria DeRosa
Carleton University
Jim Woodgett
Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
Jaideep Bains
University of Calgary
Lynn A. Raymond
University of British Columbia
Dr. Derek Bowie
McGill University
Glen Pyle
University of Guelph
Peter L. Davies
Queen’s University
Michael Hendricks
McGill University
Martin Paré
Queen’s University
Susan Meakin
Western University
Christopher Yost
University of Regina
Melanie Woodin
University of Toronto
Blake Richards
University of Toronto
Frances Sharom
University of Guelph
Amy Ramsey
University of Toronto
Jason Tanny
McGill university
Jan K. Rainey
Dalhousie University
Doug Munoz
Queen’s University
Stephanie Borgland
University of Calgary
Vincent Poitout
Université de Montréal
Afnan Shahid
University of Toronto
Anastassia Voronova
Hospital for Sick Children
Dr. William Francis Colmers
Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute
Alanna Watt
McGill University
Tara Moriarty
University of Toronto
Tarik Moroy
Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal
Richard Robitaille
Université de Montréal
Michelle Scott
Université de Sherbrooke
Phil Hieter
University of British Columbia
Christian Baron
Université de Montréal
Dr. Bill Stanford
OHRI & University of Ottawa
Roger Thompson
University of Calgary
Charles Bourque
McGill University
Edward Ruthazer
Montreal Neurological Institute
Katalin Toth
Université Laval
Zafrin Islam
McMaster University
Kristin Baetz
University of Ottawa
Justin Nodwell
University of Toronto