Old growth forests provide many values to society including recreation and the enjoyment of knowing these magnificent forests exist for wildlife and future generations. Ancient Forest Alliance has set out to better communicate the diverse values of intact old growth forests, so they are not undervalued and over-logged. To provide data that AFA needs, this […]

Rural communities and regions throughout Canada struggle with economic restructuring. Influences of globalization and technological advancement contribute to the continually shifting economic reality confronting rural communities. This research focuses on understanding the economic implications of changes in federal policies related to cannabis legalization to rural regions, specifically the Kootenay Region of British Columbia. Through discussions […]

Nunavut’s Inuit organizers have identified conservation, including the establishment of parks and protected areas, as an important pillar of culturally appropriate and sustainable economic development in Northern Canada. This project responds to this goals of establishing a ‘conservation economy’ in Nunavut by examining the economic costs and benefits associated with Marine Protected Areas in Nunavut. […]

The proposed research project will develop quantitative gas migration testing techniques and regulatory thresholds that address the complex nature of the multiple interacting variables that can confuse gas migration investigations. The study will focus on the development of in-situ field measurement technologies and instrumentation to characterize the variables that impact soil gas and isotope signatures […]

Despite the importance of diverse voices in community decision-making, we still do not fully understand how to support sound decision making in a way that is equitable and works to advance agendas of historically marginalized groups. We will draw on notions of equitable representation and urban planning to define equitable decision making, identify value elicitation […]

Treatment wetlands have emerged as a potential treatment option for oil sands process-affected waters (OSPW) produced from bitumen extraction by the oil sands industry. Of particular interest is the removal of naphthenic acids (NAs), which are widely acknowledged as the primary constituents of toxicity in OSPW. Studies have demonstrated the capacity for NA removal in […]

The purpose of this research is to use an evidence-based approach to further the Toronto Zoo’s social science and education programs, in order to support in situ conservation and biodiversity in relation to Canadian goals and the Aichi Targets. Using a collaborative approach this research will result in the co-production of knowledge, where the researcher […]

Approximately 2.6 million people in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland depend on the Seymour, Capilano and Coquitlam watersheds for clean, fresh drinking water. A key component of maintaining watershed health and resilience is understanding the relationships between climate, fire and vegetation within the Water Supply Area. As the climate warms these relationships will likely change, […]

Communities throughout Canada’s North are turning to small-scale agriculture in hopes of solving food security issues, fostering economic growth and adapting to climate change. The City of Yellowknife has developed an Agriculture Strategy to build a resilient local food system. Through an emerging partnership between the City of Yellowknife and Wilfrid Laurier University, the Mitacs […]

This research will assist First Nation members to monitor First Nations territories, lands and waterways and document Indigenous knowledge systems (IKS). To document cultural aspects of land use and assess the environment through video, maps and workshop teachings. In the process, Elders and Knowledge keepers will honour their cultural traditions of transferring and sharing knowledge […]

Communities in Canada’s North face a series of complex barriers to food accessibility and sovereignty. The Dene community of Kakisa in the Northwest Territories is partnering with Wilfrid Laurier University to research and implement solutions to food security and sovereignty. Kakisa leadership and residents plan to leverage their community economic development arm – Noda Enterprises […]

This project pilots “Earth Diver” an online digital ‘land-based’ creation, curation, and exhibition site in the virtual world platform Second Life. The project re-imagines the digital gallery space as a virtual expression of Indigenous pedagogies, land relations, and sovereignty. Guided by Ojibwe Anishinaabe philosophies our team of artists, philosophers and environmental scientists work together to […]