Our people

As one of the nation's oldest government institutions, the Meteorological Service of Canada has a long and proud history of serving Canadians.

Our passionate employees have been and continue to be the key to our success. Hear from our meteorologists, at different stages of their careers, about their experiences and what they enjoy about working with us.

Isabel Richardson, Developmental Meteorologist

“I’ve turned my curiosity about weather into a career that will fulfil me for years to come.”

Isabel Richardson joined Environment and Climate Change Canada two years ago. In her position as a Developmental Meteorologist with the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), Isabel has had opportunities to collaborate with equally passionate colleagues, and to present her research to others within the department.

In 2021, Isabel was proud to present her work with the National Lab – Central Region on lightning jumps to her fellow interns, Directors General, and the Assistant Deputy Minister (MSC). Isabel cites that being able to showcase the work she accomplished with her mentors was an amazing feeling, and allowed her to get a glimpse into the different research done within ECCC.

Isabel has also spent time learning about MSC’s research and collaborating with colleagues and mentors to analyze atmospheric phenomena. Her colleagues share her passion and curiosity about the weather, which makes for a close-knit team.

“Weather plays an important role in the lives of Canadians and my ultimate goal is to forecast for the public,” Isabel says. “I will always strive to deliver forecasts that citizens can rely on.”

Francis Wu, Senior Program Meteorologist

“As a Meteorologist, I believe the work done by my wonderful colleagues and myself affects positive change within our organization, and possibly around the world.”

Francis Wu has worked with the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) for 13 years. As a Senior Program Meteorologist within the Training and Career Development Division (TCDD), Francis takes pride in seeing the positive impact that his work has within the organization and the wider meteorological community.

Francis’ love for weather started at a young age. Growing up in Hong Kong, he was captivated by severe weather events like typhoons and thunderstorms. Throughout his career with the MSC, Francis has applied this passion to many important projects, such as when he provided tailored forecasts to the aviation industry, and the Navy and Air Force on the West Coast.

Francis is also the Liaison Officer for the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET), a program designed in 1989 to promote a deeper understanding of meteorology and new technology among meteorologists and geophysical scientists. The training that Francis has overseen through COMET is shared with other National Hydrometeorological Services as well as academia, and has shown him how weather prediction is a constantly evolving science.

Automation and technology are playing an increasingly important role across many industries. Francis believes Canada’s Weather Service is no exception to this. He sees the WeatherCAN mobile app as one of the many exciting advancements that promotes public safety by providing accurate and accessible weather information to Canadians in a modern way.

To learn more and to download the new WeatherCAN app, please visit: WeatherCAN.

Dov Bensimon, Operational Meteorologist

“The best part of my job is the feeling of contributing to an important cause and providing real-time information that contributes to the safety of others.”

Meet Dov Bensimon.

Dov joined Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) in 1999. In his position as an Operational Meteorologist, Dov’s greatest motivation is knowing that the work he does helps protect Canadians and guide the decisions they make each day.

Dov has wanted to be a meteorologist ever since he was in elementary school. “Working at ECCC has fulfilled my childhood dream,” he says.

Working with the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC), Dov has witnessed many advancements that have shaped this field over the years. One of the most significant changes Dov has noted is the launch of the most recent generation of geostationary satellites, which have allowed his team to better detect volcanic ash and other weather events. From his experience working at the Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Montreal (VAAC), Dov explains that this has allowed the MSC to detect a larger amount of volcanic ash, and follow it for longer amount of time.

One of Dov’s favourite memories was when he had the opportunity to work as a forecaster for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games. For Dov, his time in British Columbia in preparation for and throughout the games has definitely been a highlight of his career.

Dov currently works at the heart of the Environmental Emergency Response section, as part of a small team of responders providing a 24/7 service. “If a pollutant is found in the air, we run dispersion models to predict its movement,” he explains. “Being able to provide the results of such simulations to environmental emergency responders in real time to help deal with the emergency is extremely motivating.”

To learn more about Dov Bensimon, visit: Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre in Montreal.