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view . spring 2012
honorary doctorates from the University of Waterloo and
Nipissing University, the Camsell Medal from the Royal
Canadian Geographical Society, and the Order of Canada.
Phillips has published several best-selling books, including
The Climates of Canada
,
Blame It On The Weather
, and the
bestseller
The Day Niagara Falls Ran Dry
. He is also the
originator and author of Canada’s most popular calendar,
The
Canadian Weather Trivia Calendar
where you can find such
facts as more people fall off ladders and die in Canada than
die from weather related injuries. He is also a familiar face and
voice on national radio and television.
Forty-three years after embarking on his weather career,
teaching is what Phillips considers the truest essence of
what he does: “I explain the weather to Canadians. I have
33 million students.”
Children are among his most enthusiastic audiences, and
often provide the most memorable moments for Phillips.
During a chat with a Grade 4 class in Nunavut, a
community north of the Arctic Circle, one little girl mentioned
that her family had travelled south where they had never seen
so much rain. “Were you in Orlando, Florida?” Phillips asked
her. “No, Guelph,” she replied.
He tells of a schoolboy in New Brunswick who had
convinced his class that if they wore their pyjamas inside-out
to bed, they would be blessed with snow the following day.
“Out there, it actually seemed to work for them a few times,”
says Phillips, referencing the epic snows that can plague the
eastern coast of Canada.
Weather is a very personal thing for Canadians, says
Phillips. “We have an insatiable interest in it. We spend a lot of
time cursing and blessing it.” As its unpredictability grows, he
suggests adaptation is the best response. “Our inventiveness
has always stood us in good stead. We live in one of the safest
and healthiest climates in the world. We need to deal with the
challenge and change our ways.”
Although he could have long since retired, Phillips
considers his job a labour of love. “I am lucky. I get paid
to talk about weather and, for a Canadian, it’s like asking
us to breathe.”
n
v
Children are always an enthusiastic audience, says Phillips.
odette.uwindsor.ca
You want the very
best for him.
Just like you had.
From one generation to the next, we make business
personal. If your son or daughter is considering a business
education, the Odette School of Business is definitely worth
studying up on. As one of the leading business faculties in
Canada, Odette combines classroom learning and practical
experience like no other school. Generation after generation,
the Odette family of graduates continues to grow and make
its mark on the world of business.
We look forward to helping your kids carry on the tradition.
John Savage , Founding Partner
Cypher Systems Group Inc.
Jonathan Savage, (2
nd
Year B.Comm. Student)
John Savage ‘86
