Like most events with which David Murdoch is associated, the merit award ceremony was slightly out of the ordinary. In the boardroom of the regional weather centre at Toronto International Airport, ADM Jim Bruce presented the Climatological Information and Forensic Meteorology Technician with a cheque for $2 000, an award made under the Departmental Merit Award Program.

The citation praised Mr. Murdoch for his "tireless efforts to promote the services of AES and the high quality of service he has provided to a myriad of clients among the research, legal, insurance, and industrial communities."  To this Mr. Bruce added his personal congratulations and his observations that Dave Murdoch had done more than almost anyone else in Canada to put forensic climatology on the map.

There was a large turnout from the Ontario and Toronto weather office, and Don Smith, Director General Field Services Directorate, was also present. An unusual touch was the attendance at the ceremony of two members of the World Meteorological Organization Bureau delegation - Mr. Zou Zingmeng, Director General of the Chinese State Meteorological Administration and Second Vice-President of the WMO, and special invitee Dr. John William Zillman, director of Meteorology of the Australian weather service and a member of the Executive Council of WMO.

George McPherson, Regional Director Ontario Region, who was unable to attend the ceremony, said that Mr. Murdoch's growing recognition as a forensic climatologist was due to his effective and efficient manner in providing information to the judicial system (Murdoch has handled some 400 court cases to date).

Mr. McPherson added that organizations such as the Metropolitan Toronto Police, Ontario Police College, the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP as well as coroners and pathologists had requested and benefited from Murdoch's seminars on meteorology and climatology. A major milestone in recognizing his expertise came when he was invited in June 1980 to lecture to the Harvard Associates in Police Science.