Abdoulaye Harou: retired Director of Aviation and Defence Services

Man in suit jacket smiles in front of a painting.
Photo: Abdoulaye Harou

“My work at the Meteorological Service of Canada has contributed to the well-being and safety of Canadians.”

Abdoulaye Harou was born in Chad, in Central Africa, and came to Canada for university in 1976. After completing his studies, he joined Environment Canada’s Meteorological Service of Canada, where he worked for 32 years as an operational meteorologist, advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister and as Director of Aviation and Defence Services. After leaving the Department in 2014, Abdoulaye worked as Chief of the Data Processing and Forecasting Systems Division for the World Meteorological Organization in Geneva. In that role, he worked on a number of international capacity-building projects. Abdoulaye says that his experience working at Environment and Climate Change Canada prepared him well for that position.

Abdoulaye’s motivation during his career at Environment and Climate Change Canada was his desire to do high-quality work and to lead by example, while maintaining the conviction that his work was helping to improve people’s lives, in Canada and around the world. He has had the opportunity to play key roles in multiple projects that bolstered his motivation and helped him make a mark in his field, including the implementation project of the Joint Meteorological Centre in Gagetown, New Brunswick. This project involved consolidating and reinforcing meteorological operations at multiple military bases in Canada.

Abdoulaye made a major contribution to the support the Canadian government and Environment and Climate Change Canada provided to Haiti after the devastating earthquake in 2010. In particular, he acted as the Meteorological Service of Canada’s contact person in the efforts to restore forecasting services in Haiti.

Learn more about Abdoulaye’s work and the support provided to the Meteorological Service of Haiti. 

Here are some fun facts about Abdoulaye:

  • What was your first job? Environment Canada – Meteorological Service of Canada
  • If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I would gladly go to Chad to visit family.
  • Which game or sport do you like to watch and play? Soccer.
  • If you could eat only one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be? Okra sauce with meat and rice.
  • What are your hobbies? Mechanics and home renovation.
  • If you were a superhero, what would your powers be? Making people happy, caring for the sick and eradicating poverty.
  • What mode of transportation do you prefer (airplane, boat, train, bus, car, etc.)? Airplane.
  • What is your favourite animal at the zoo? Lion.
  • If you could share a meal with someone from the past or present, who would you choose? My big sister Haoua, who was a pillar of the family and who made sure to set me on the right path.
  • Where do you see yourself in 10 years? In Chad, spending most of my time sitting in my yard in a comfortable seat under my mango tree sipping an ice-cold Gala (a beer from Chad).

Page details

Date modified: