General information for the 2007 International Ethological Conference
15 - 23 August 2007
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
 
JULY email #2:

Dear delegates,

A few more pieces of information:

BULLETIN BOARD

Please note that we have an electronic bulletin board set-up to facilitate the organization of ad hoc, extempore meeting (we have rooms booked for impromptu workshops, roundtables and other meetings), find people (sorry, we do not give emails of delegates), inquire about an impromptu “coop daycare” or crèche, or any other matters, please go to:
http://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/IEC%20official%20bulletin%20board.html


A NOTE TO DELEGATES STAYING IN THE HOWE HALL RESIDENCE ON CAMPUS

1) Check in is ANYTIME after 3PM on the date of arrival and check out is 10AM on the date of departure.
2) The last night of accommodations at Dalhousie University, Howe Hall residence is August 22, 2007.
3) Please refer to individual confirmation emails regarding residence location and other important policies and procedures.


WHALE WATCHING TOUR

If you would like to add the whale watching tour to your Day-Off Itinerary, please email Garry at Registration Solutions:  registration@ns.aliantzinc.ca


Regards,

S. Gadbois
L. Phillmore
R. Brown



JULY email #1:

Dear delegates,

Less than a month until the International Ethological Conference!

This email is to update you on new information relevant to your visit. When clicking on the links below, please make sure that your email program did not truncate the web address. If it did, you will have to copy-paste it in your browser.


INFORMATION ON SCHEDULING AND FORMAT OF PRESENTATIONS:

1. For updated information on talk and poster formats: http://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Information%20on%20talk%20and%20poster%20formats.html
2. For updated schedules for talks, symposia, posters and poster talks: http://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Schedules.html


INFORMATION UPON ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT:

Note that if you arrive on August 15, it is the "Fête des acadiens et acadiennes" (The official day of Acadians) and you will see French (France) flags with a yellow star in the upper left corner of the flag (just in case you would be wondering what this is about). Also, the Busker festival runs August 10-18 with many outdoor performance stages downtown.

We should have someone at the airport to greet people on 15 August (Heather Schellinck). When you leave the airport, you have a few choices to get to Halifax (http://www.hiaa.ca/default.asp?mn=70.1.9.28&id=190&pagesize=1&sfield=MenuId&search=28).

Scheduled departure times for the airport shuttle bus can be found at www.airporter.biz, (phone 902-873-2091). The cost is $18.00 one way and it takes about 45 minutes to get to the Lord Nelson Hotel. The airport shuttle bus goes to the Holiday Inn and Lord Nelson and other hotels.

Taxis and limos: the cost for a cab is approximately $53.00 and for a Limo $55.00 to the Lord Nelson.
Airline Taxi and Limousine Service (902-456-1265) has a slightly lower rate ($51.00 and $53.00 respectively). Thus with 4 people it is cheaper to take a taxi or limousine door to door.
We suggest Downeast Limousine service and you can book a car at 902-830-0256.

All services are available outside the revolving door in the main arrivals area.

MONEY EXCHANGE:

You can exchange money at the airport or in most Banks in town (CIBC, RBC or Royal Bank of Canada, etc.). American dollars can be used in Canada, but other currencies are not, so Euros, Pounds etc., need to be changed to Canadian dollars.

INFORMATION UPON ARRIVAL ON DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY (STUDLEY) CAMPUS:

When you show-up on campus on the 15th: Remember that Halifax is home to at least four Universities. Always specify Dalhousie University (Studley Campus) when coming to the conference by cab.

1. Registration starts at noon at the McCain Arts and Social Sciences building. A banner of the IEC will be present on the facade of the building. Volunteers and organizers will have blue t-shirts with the logo of the conference with the text "volunteer" or "organizer" on the shirts. By the way, a limited number of t-shirts will be on sale at the conference.

2. There will be a meet and greet space with coffee, drinks, and snacks available up the stairs from the registration desk in the McCain Building during registration...

3.  Related to the Opening Ceremony:
From 5-7 pm the Dalhousie University Art gallery in the Art Centre will be open for delegates.
From 6-7 pm there will be a cash bar open in the Arts Centre. From 7-9 pm we will have the grand opening of the conference, public lecture on whales by Hal Whitehead and a reception following from 9-11 pm.
All of this will occur in the Dalhousie Arts Centre, in the building across Seymour Street from the McCain Building.

EMAIL ACCESS:

All delegates will receive in their package a username and password for email access. A room with computers will be set-up for your email communications.

DAY-OFF TOURS:

There are still spaces available on the whale-watching tour that runs 1600-1900 ($60): http://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Day-off%20tours.html
Additional spaces for the Day-long trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lunenburg ($120) may be available if a minimum of 12 additional people sign up for this tour.  See the sign-up sheet at the registration desk if you are interested.
Additional spaces for the Half-Day trip to Fisherman’s Cove ($60) may be available if a minimum of 12 additional people sign up for this tour.  See the sign-up sheet at the registration desk if you are interested.
Double-Decker Bus Tours of Halifax run by Ambassatours are available for $44 and go from the Westin Hotel (at the end of South Street) or the Holiday Inn select and may be booked by calling (902) 425-9999 or 1-800-565-7173.

EVENING RECEPTIONS:

Some TICKETS ARE STILL AVAILABLE for all four evening receptions at a cost of $30.  Each reception will have a cash bar, and cost includes transport in a double decker bus between the McCain Building and the venue, admission, and hors d’oeuvres.

Thursday, August 16th  The Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History
A natural choice for ethologists!  See everything from a pilot whale skeleton to fossils from North America’s oldest dinosaurs, plus live animal displays. Current exhibits include “Wings over the Atlantic” and live butterflies in “The Butterfly House”.

Friday August 17th  The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
Located in Downtown Halifax, The AGNS houses permanent collections including pieces from Nova Scotia artist Maud Lewis, Alex Coleville and Group of Seven member A.Y. Jackson. Current traveling exhibits include “Treasures of Ancient Egypt”, “Mary Lee Bendolph – Gee’s Bend Quilts and Beyond” and “Painters in Paradise: the Bermuda Masterworks Collection”.

Monday August 20th  Halifax Citadel – NEW DETAILS!!
Come see the inside of the British-built Citadel on the site that has housed a fortress 1749, and is now restored to the mid-Victorian period. We will gather in the casements for refreshments and will then be escorted on a Ghost Tour around the Citadel!

Tuesday August 21st  Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
See the collection of artifacts, images, charts and plans relating to the maritime history of Nova Scotia. Permanent exhibits include those on Halifax’s role in the Titanic disaster and the Halifax Explosion, and this summer’s exhibit is “Pirates! Myth and Reality”. We will also be treated to a performance by a highland dancer and a bagpiper.

We are all looking forward to meeting you or seeing you again in August!

Travel safe and see you soon,

Regards,

Richard Brown
Simon Gadbois
Leslie Phillmore

and the other members of the local organizing committee.


JUNE email:

Only two months left before we welcome you to Halifax and the XXX th International Ethological Conference, August 15th-22nd. The organizing committee has some information for you to keep you updated on progress with scheduling and conference information, as well as travelling tips for Halifax in August.

1.  The schedule for Oral and Symposium Presentations is now posted at iec2007.psychology.dal.ca.  These run in sets of 4 simultaneous sessions, one set from 1330-1530 and another from 1600-1800.   The schedule for poster presentations will follow shortly.  Please check the schedule for errors.

2. If you have not done so, book your hotel/residence accommodations NOW as Halifax fills up in the summer and there are times when ALL hotel rooms in the city are full. Our recommended hotels may be found on the IEC home website:  http://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Accomodations.html.

3. Book your rental car now as there are times when ALL rental cars in the city are booked!

4. We have carefully designed Full-day and Half day tours around Nova Scotia to give you a good idea of what this province has to offer!  Please look at these at the conference website iec2007.psychology.dal.ca.  If you wish to sign up for Day-Off tours on August 19th, please email Garry at registration@ns.aliantzinc.ca so these may be billed to you in advance. There will be tickets available on site, but in limited numbers. If you are at all considering a tour, please sign up ahead, as this will give us a better idea of numbers and minimize cancellations due to lack of interest.

5. We have organized 4 exciting evening receptions at different locations in Halifax - the Natural History Museum, The Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, The maritime Museum of the Atlantic and the Halifax Citadel.  If you wish to attend, please sign up by email at registration@ns.aliantzinc.ca so we can ensure we will accommodate everyone who wishes to attend.  A very limited number of tickets for each will be available on site.

6.  Weather in Nova Scotia may be a bit unpredictable and sometimes rainy, and August evenings are often cooler that what you may expect due to ocean breezes!  Remember to bring clothes to suit the weather.  Information may be found at http://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CANS0057.


An update email will follow in the next few weeks to inform you about what to expect when you arrive in Halifax.

Looking forward to seeing you in Halifax!


Leslie Phillmore
Simon Gadbois
Richard Brown

and the rest of the Local Organizing Committee

iec2007.psychology.dal.ca
http://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/IEC%20official%20bulletin%20board.htmlmailto:registration@ns.aliantzinc.cahttp://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Information%20on%20talk%20and%20poster%20formats.htmlhttp://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Schedules.htmlhttp://www.hiaa.ca/default.asp?mn=70.1.9.28&id=190&pagesize=1&sfield=MenuId&search=28http://www.airporter.bizhttp://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Day-off%20tours.htmlSchedules.htmlhttp://iec2007.psychology.dal.ca/iec2007/Accomodations.htmlmailto:registration@ns.aliantzinc.camailto:registration@ns.aliantzinc.cahttp://www.theweathernetwork.com/weather/CANS0057shapeimage_2_link_0shapeimage_2_link_1shapeimage_2_link_2shapeimage_2_link_3shapeimage_2_link_4shapeimage_2_link_5shapeimage_2_link_6shapeimage_2_link_7shapeimage_2_link_8shapeimage_2_link_9shapeimage_2_link_10shapeimage_2_link_11
IMPORTANT:
Please note that American participants may need a passport in order to get back into the USA after the conference. Please check with the US authorities as changes were announced recently.
Please note that many servers and applications with junk mail filters are flagging IEC emails as “Junk”. We suggest you check your junk mail folder at the application (program) level and server level. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON POSTERS AND TALKS (FORMAT)