Opinion You cannot rebuild expertise overnight. When we lose it, we lose not just knowledge, but memory, mentorship, and mission. The Canada Flag flies on the Peace Tower of Parliament Hill as pedestrians make their way along Sparks Street Mall in Ottawa on Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press) In labs, field stations, and policy units across the country, federal scientists and researchers are about to be handed pink slips.