The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement today on Dr. Arthur B. McDonald being awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics:

“On behalf of all Canadians, I am delighted to extend my congratulations to Dr. Arthur B. McDonald, Professor Emeritus at Queen's University, for being awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics. Dr. McDonald, who shares this honour with his colleague Takaaki Kajita of Japan, is being recognized for his key contributions to experiments which demonstrated that neutrinos have mass.

“This is a proud moment for Canadian science and for all Canadians.

“The Canadian government values the work of our country’s scientific community – and fully supports it – by encouraging excellence and respecting scientists’ independence. We will ensure that all future decisions on matters that affect Canadians will be informed by scientific evidence.

“Once again, congratulations to Dr. McDonald on this remarkable accomplishment. I am certain it will inspire young Canadians to pursue careers in science and to push the boundaries of human knowledge.”