Urbanization continues to drive the land conversion from natural areas to urban uses dominated by impermeable surfaces. This conversion has direct and indirect impacts on ecosystem services that are critical for a sustainable and resilient ecosystem as well as human wellbeing. Habitat removal and fragmentation accelerate biodiversity loss in urban landscapes. Additionally, climate change exacerbates […]

This research will test the efficacy of sulphate and metals removal from mine-influenced water using passive or semi-passive technologies. Critical to successful application of these technologies is creating conditions that support microorganisms that mediate precipitation of metal sulphide minerals. For this purpose, we propose to develop an effective formula of reactive constituents comprised of 1) […]

The lack of scientific data on the potential effects of instream tidal power is delaying the decision-making process on a technology that shows promise for reducing carbon emissions, and for which Canada could become a global leader in the production of infrastructure. It remains unclear if fishes that occupy Canada’s leading tidal energy test site […]

It remains unclear if fishes that occupy Canada’s leading tidal energy test site in Minas Passage, Bay of Fundy, Nova Scotia, will be negatively affected by turbine installations. The objective of this project is to determine fishes’ interactions with operating turbines. Of approximately 70 species of fishes that interact with Minas Passage only three have […]

The Freshwater Oil Spill Remediation Study (FOReST) project will use small contained oil spills in enclosed environments within a lake to study examine the effectiveness of shoreline cleanup procedures and potential ecological impacts of oil spills. The resilience of freshwater aquatic ecosystems to recover from a spill will also be examined. We will examine the […]

This project will assess the value in measuring sustainability outcomes according to place-specific baselines rather than universal thresholds set by rating systems and frameworks. It seeks a stronger foundation for sustainable design that can acknowledge place-specific factors. Ultimately, this work will lead to the establishment of a decision-making protocol about sustainable design options and outcomes […]

Nitrogen and phosphorus are sources of eutrophication (e.g., “blue-green algae bloom”) in rivers and lakes. The bloom of blue-green algae can significantly affect aquatic lives and human activities because of the toxins that they produce. Therefore, it is crucial to reduce the nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in municipal wastewater discharges. Conventional treatment techniques using activated […]

Petroleum contamination in Canada is a major environmental concern. However, remediating petroleum hydrocarbon-impacted soil environments in cold climates, including northern sites, is very challenging and often prohibitively expensive, mainly due to low temperatures (short summer) and remoteness. Bioremediation is the use of microbial populations for degrading and detoxify contaminants and has been considered a cost-effective […]

Massive drifting icebergs frequently threaten offshore operations on the Grand Banks because of their massive size, and great mechanical strength. These ice hazards move erratically which complicates efforts to modify their trajectory or undertake evasive action. This MITACS project aims to improve security of offshore workers and help protect wildlife and the environment by allowing […]

The rise of local corporate–community conflicts surrounding development projects represents a trend rather than exceptional events, highlighting corporate–community relations as a prominent strategic issue.  Despite the emergence of these issues for businesses, civil society, and governments, we still have a limited understanding of the conditions necessary for building and maintaining good relations over a long […]

This project will support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions resulting from coal-fired power generation. In this case, the greenhouse gas of interest is carbon dioxide which is captured at SaskPower’s Boundary Dam Power Station near Estevan, Saskatchewan. This carbon dioxide is transported to the nearby Aquistore site, where it is injected into porous sandstone […]

Thousands of chemical compounds are released into the environment as a result of human activity. While exposure to manufactured chemicals is concerning, the majority of such contaminants are not monitored by regulatory agencies and their environmental and human health impacts are unknown. The objective of this collaboration is to develop and evaluate state-of-the-art tools to […]