Areas Of Ontario Research Articles

Surface deformation observed by InSAR shows connections with water storage change in Southern Ontario

Study regionA 10,000 km2 area of southwestern Ontario within the Lake Erie and Lake Ontario basins of the Laurentian Great Lakes basin, Ontario, Canada, a humid northern hydrogeological setting with abundant precipitation and recharge, and a stable Paleozoic sedimentary bedrock overlain by galacial sediment forming a relatively uncompressible sedimentary succession. Study focusExaming land surface deformation in southern Ontario and its connection with water storage change. New hydrological insightsThe surface deformation, observed from a set of 48 Radarsat-2 InSAR images over five years from Jan. 2013 to Sept. 2017 presents a subsidence trend of 1−10 mm/year and a seasonal variation of up to 20 mm over the region. The InSAR results are confirmed by the GPS measurements at six locations over the region. The surface deformations were compared to the water storage data derived from GRACE satellites, in-situ water levels of the Great Lakes, and precipitation data in the study area. The results indicate that the multi-year trend and seasonal variations in surface deformation are correlated to water storage changes, suggesting that the surface deformation in southern Ontario could be caused by water loading.

Diversity of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae strains from pigs across Ontario, Canada.

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes highly contagious swine enzootic pneumonia worldwide. It has been reported that highly diversified M. hyopneumoniae strains exist in different parts of the world. We found p146 gene sequencing analysis, an affordable and simple-to-perform typing method, to be specific and highly sensitive when applied to the molecular typing of 113 M. hyopneumoniae-positive clinical samples directly without culture. The samples were submitted to the Animal Health Laboratory at the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) during 2009-2017 from 40 different geographic areas in Ontario. Using a previously described criterion of grouping strains with < 4-bp differences into the same molecular type (p146 type), the 113 clinical samples clustered into 19 p146 genotypes. Dominant types were found in 2016 and 2017 only, indicating that highly diversified M. hyopneumoniae strains existed in Ontario. Some strains from the same geographic location but different years had the same sequence types, indicating that the same strain types circulate persistently in the field. Different p146 genotypes were also identified from similar geographic locations, indicating that either M. hyopneumoniae strains are prone to mutation or that multiple strains can infect the same or nearby swine production units.

AAC Big Ben soybean

AAC Big Ben is a high yielding, soybean cyst nematode resistant food-grade soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar with yellow hilum and acceptable processing quality for foreign and domestic tofu, soymilk, and miso markets. AAC Big Ben was developed at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Harrow Research and Development Centre (Harrow-RDC), Harrow, ON. AAC Big Ben is adapted to areas of southwestern Ontario with 3300 or more crop heat units and has a relative maturity group of 2.3 (MG 2.3).

AAC Wigle soybean

AAC Wigle is a high yielding, high-protein, large-seeded, soybean cyst nematode resistant food-grade soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar with yellow hilum and acceptable processing quality for foreign and domestic tofu, soymilk, and miso markets. It was developed at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) Harrow Research and Development Centre (Harrow-RDC), Harrow, ON. AAC Wigle is adapted to areas of southwestern Ontario with 3200 or more crop heat units and has a relative maturity of 2.2 (MG 2.2) and protein content of 45.8%.

CTH144 flue-cured tobacco F1 hybrid

CTH144 is a new flue-cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) hybrid recommended for commercial release in Canada. The cured leaf quality of CTH144 was superior to both check varieties Delgold and CT157. The yield potential of CTH144 was intermediate compared with the checks. As a result, the economic return of CTH144 is superior to both check varieties. CTH144 has resistance to Tobacco Mosaic Virus. CTH144 is adapted to the tobacco-growing areas of southwestern Ontario.

Regional ski tourism risk to climate change: An inter-comparison of Eastern Canada and US Northeast markets

Climate change has become a business planning reality in the ski industry, with differential impacts and adaptive capacity important for intra- and inter-regional market competitiveness. Potential climate change impacts are examined at 171 ski areas in Ontario, Québec and the US Northeast using the SkiSim2 model with regional parameterizations of snowmaking capacity. With advanced snowmaking, mid-century season length losses are limited to 12–13% under a low emission pathway (RCP 4.5), increasing to 15–22% under high emissions (RCP 8.5). By late-century, low and high emission pathways diverge creating very different futures for the ski industry. Season length and skiable terrain losses increase only marginally in the low emission pathway, while transformational impacts occur under a high emission pathway, with only 29 ski areas in Québec and high-elevation areas of the US Northeast able to maintain a 100-day season and open regularly for the economically important Christmas-New Year holiday. A low emission future, where current national pledges to Paris Climate Agreement are achieved, is crucial to preserve the Eastern North America ski tourism marketplace. The results are compared with previous studies that have neglected the adaptive capacity of snowmaking and substantially overestimated the impact of mid-century and lower emission climate change scenarios.

Modelling Lichen Abundance for Woodland Caribou in a Fire-Driven Boreal Landscape

Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) are reliant on Cladonia spp. ground lichens as a major component of their diet and lichen abundance could be an important indicator of habitat quality, particularly in winter. The boreal forest is typified by large, stand-replacing forest fires that consume ground lichens, which take decades to recover. The large spatial extent of caribou ranges and the mosaic of lichen availability created by fires make it challenging to track the abundance of ground lichens. Researchers have developed various techniques to map lichens across northern boreal and tundra landscapes, but it remains unclear which techniques are best suited for use in the continuous boreal forest, where many of the conflicts amongst caribou and human activities are most acute. In this study, we propose a two-stage regression modelling approach to map the abundance (biomass, kg/ha) of Cladonia spp. ground lichens in the boreal forest. Our study was conducted in Woodland Caribou Provincial Park, a wilderness-class protected area in northwestern Ontario, Canada. We used field sampling to characterize lichen abundance in 109 upland forest stands across the local time-since-fire continuum (2–119 years-since-fire). We then used generalized linear models to relate lichen presence and lichen abundance to forest structure, topographic and remote sensing attributes. Model selection indicated ground lichens were best predicted by ecosite, time-since-fire, and canopy closure. Lichen abundance was very low (&lt;1000 kg/ha) across the time-since-fire continuum in upland forest stands with dense tree cover. Conversely, lichen abundance increased steadily across the time-since-fire continuum in upland forest stands with sparse tree cover, exceeding 3000 kg/ha in mature stands. We interpolated the best lichen presence and lichen abundance models to create spatial layers and combined them to generate a map that provides a reasonable estimation of lichen biomass (R2 = 0.39) for our study area. We encourage researchers and managers to use our method as a basic framework to map the abundance of ground lichens across fire-prone, boreal caribou ranges. Mapping lichens will aid in the identification of suitable habitat and can be used in planning to ensure habitat is maintained in adequate supply in areas with multiple land-use objectives. We also encourage the use of lichen abundance maps to investigate questions that improve our understanding of caribou ecology.

Access work: Experiences of parking at school for families living with childhood disability

The proliferation of automobility has undeniably influenced school site designs and school transportation experiences. Using private vehicles, many parents now routinely enter and park on or near school sites to drop-off and pick-up their children. However, ableist designs and practices that discount much of the human condition’s bodily and physiological diversity can produce inequitable, work-intensive school parking experiences for families living with childhood disability. This article presents parking-related findings from an ethnographic study about how families living with childhood disability experience everyday school travel throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area in Ontario, Canada. The findings indicate that the families sometimes encounter technically accessible, but functionally inaccessible school site parking options. Further, the families are frequently required and relied on by schools to perform various types of access work (i.e., physical, temporal, and social) to compensate for school site inaccessibility. To improve school site accessibility, and to make education access more equitable, we suggest deliberate engagement with the families’ unique experiences and viewpoints. We also suggest incorporating a critical ableist studies perspective into school site design processes, as it facilitates explicit recognition of ableist elements and the unsettling of normalized, exclusionary designs and practices.

Observational assessment of food safety behaviours at farmers’ markets in Ontario, Canada: A cross-sectional study

Farmers' markets are increasingly popular food venues in Canada. However, they have unique food safety challenges due to their operational characteristics. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the food safety behaviours of farmers' market vendors in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada, to identify possible food safety risks and areas for future education and training. The food safety behaviours of vendors selling time-temperature control for safety (TCS) foods were observed throughout 2018 at 60 markets. Observations were conducted discretely and recorded on a standardized form via a smartphone. Data were descriptively analysed, and two selected outcomes were evaluated in multivariable logistic regression models. Prepared foods (50%) were the most commonly sold type of TCS food product among all observed vendors (n = 454). While general cleanliness and sanitation was very high, 27% of vendors did not provide cross-contamination protection methods for at least some of their TCS foods. Similarly, 66% and 48% of vendors who sold foods requiring cold and hot holding (n = 410 and 162, respectively) did not provide temperature control for at least some of their foods. Cold-holding temperature control was more commonly observed among vendors selling raw meat, poultry, and fish, and less commonly observed among those selling ready-to-eat meats; fresh-cut leafy green vegetables, tomatoes, and melons; and cheese and dairy products. A mean of 4.55 (SD = 2.62) behaviours requiring handwashing was observed per vendor across 1356 customer transactions, but only 2.9% of vendors attempted handwashing. Most vendors handled food with their bare hands on at least one occasion (79%); this behaviour was more commonly observed at weekend markets and among vendors engaged in multiple roles, and less commonly observed among vendors selling prepared foods. The study results have identified targeted areas for future food safety education and training with farmers’ markets vendors in Ontario.

Technoeconomic Models for the Optimal Inclusion of Hydrogen Trains in Electricity Markets

Hydrogen-based railway (Hydrail) vehicles are rising as a solution that decreases the environmental impact caused by carbon emissions from diesel engines and at the same time avoids the enormous capital costs associated with direct electrification (DE) of rail lines. This article introduces new technoeconomic models for the inclusion of Hydrail in electricity markets. Exploiting the size and flexibility that large Hydrail electricity demand imparts, price-taker and price-maker scenarios are outlined and compared. Furthermore, this article presents a novel optimal scheduling mechanism for the hydrogen electrolysis process chosen for hydrogen production in the models. This mechanism minimizes electricity costs based on a linear programming model which optimizes the energy drawn from the grid for hydrogen generation, incorporating hydrogen reservoir capabilities and hydrogen input and output rates. This article proves the strengths of these new technoeconomic models for the inclusion of Hydrail in electricity markets and the effectiveness of the optimal scheduling mechanism, through a case study for the deployment of a Hydrail system in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario’s electricity market. After comparison to a DE option, this article presents Hydrail as a strong option for the evolution of sustainable, integrated, cost-effective, and low-carbon-emission solution for public transportation.

LiDAR DEM Smoothing and the Preservation of Drainage Features

Fine-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data often exhibit excessive surface roughness that can hinder the characterization of topographic shape and the modeling of near-surface flow processes. Digital elevation model (DEM) smoothing methods, commonly low-pass filters, are sometimes applied to LiDAR data to subdue the roughness. These techniques can negatively impact the representation of topographic features, most notably drainage features, such as headwater streams. This paper presents the feature-preserving DEM smoothing (FPDEMS) method, which modifies surface normals to smooth the topographic surface in a similar manner to approaches that were originally designed for de-noising three-dimensional (3D) meshes. The FPDEMS method has been optimized for application with raster DEM data. The method was compared with several low-pass filters while using a 0.5-m resolution LiDAR DEM of an agricultural area in southwestern Ontario, Canada. The findings demonstrated that the technique was better at removing roughness, when compared with mean, median, and Gaussian filters, while also preserving sharp breaks-in-slope and retaining the topographic complexity at broader scales. Optimal smoothing occurred with kernel sizes of 11–21 grid cells, threshold angles of 10°–20°, and 3–15 elevation-update iterations. These parameter settings allowed for the effective reduction in roughness and DEM noise and the retention of terrace scarps, channel banks, gullies, and headwater streams.

A nursing student’s reflections in the office of the coroner

ABSTRACTThis article is a reflection of a student’s experience in a new and innovative placement in the office of a coroner in rural and remote areas of northwestern Ontario. It is a reflection on the significance of the registered nurse in this role, and how it has evolved to consider the deeply holistic, relational, and moral nature of death investigation practice for nurses. It intertwines narrative and focused literature review to enhance discussion of the significance of the role nurses can play in death investigation specifically to serve communities in Northwestern Ontario.

Geographic accessibility to primary care providers: Comparing rural and urban areas in Southwestern Ontario

This research examines geographical accessibility to primary care providers (PCPs) across urban and rural areas of Southwestern Ontario and examines variations in the distribution of PCPs in relation to the senior population (aged 65 years and older). Information about PCP practices was provided by the HealthForceOntario Marketing and Recruitment Agency. Population data were obtained from the 2016 Census of Canada. To calculate scores for accessibility to PCPs (i.e., PCPs/10,000 population), we applied the enhanced 2‐step floating catchment area method with distance decay effect within a global service catchment of 30‐minute drive time. A geospatial mapping approach revealed disparities in the distribution of PCPs with a pattern of higher spatial accessibility in or around major urban areas in Southwestern Ontario. Comparative analyses were performed in association with the seniors’ population to identify how accessibility scores were mismatched with the population needs. The outcome of this study will assist researchers and health service planners to better understand the distribution of existing PCPs to address inequalities, particularly in rural areas.

Registration of HS-182 and HS-183 food-grade soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] germplasm

HS-182 and HS-183 are food-grade soybean lines [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] with distinct seed protein profiles and food processing quality. HS-182 is a 7S β-conglycinin α’ and 11S glycinin A4 null with a high protein concentration of 45.7% and good processing quality. HS-183 is a 7S β-conglycinin α’ and 11S glycinin null with a protein concentration of 42.7% and poor tofu processing quality. They are adapted to areas of southwestern Ontario with 3100 or more crop heat units and have relative maturity groups of 2.5 and 2.4, respectively.

Expert opinion on the status and stressors of brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis, in Ontario

AbstractOntario supports a vast fisheries resource with an abundance of lakes, rivers and streams. A landscape approach to management informed by a broad‐scale monitoring programme has been initiated to assess the status of fisheries within lakes. However, not all species are assessed by this programme, and there is no provincial monitoring of species inhabiting rivers and streams. As such, changes in the status of a species such as brook trout, Salvelinus fontinalis (Mitchill), could be entirely missed. Brook trout is a highly valued and sought after species by anglers within the province, but there are concerns the species is declining. Given the paucity of broad, empirical data, the status and trends of brook trout across the province have been based on expert opinion at multiple local scales. In 2016, a online questionnaire was sent to brook trout experts to determine status, stressors, management approaches and assess risks (magnitude and probability) to lake and river/stream populations in different geographic areas of Ontario. A Bayesian network was used to analyse responses and develop a risk assessment based on expert opinion for brook trout at multiple scales within the province.

Effects of selenium on benthic macroinvertebrates and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) in a boreal lake ecosystem

Selenium (Se) is a contaminant of concern in many aquatic ecosystems due to its narrow range between essentiality and toxicity in oviparous (yolk-bearing) vertebrates. The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of Se, experimentally added to in situ limnocorrals as selenite, on invertebrate communities and fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) at environmentally realistic Se concentrations. Nine limnocorrals were deployed in a mesotrophic lake at the International Institute for Sustainable Development – Experimental Lakes Area in Ontario, Canada in May 2017. From June 1 to August 17, 2017, selenite was added to six enclosures to attain mean measured aqueous Se concentrations of 1.0 ± 0.10 or 8.9 ± 2.7 μg/L Se (in triplicate) and three limnocorrals were untreated controls (background mean aqueous Se = 0.12 ± 0.03 μg/L). Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected throughout and at the end of the exposure period using artificial substrates to determine density, dry biomass, diversity, and taxa richness at the family level. Reproductively mature female fathead minnows (added on d 33 of the study) were collected throughout and at the end of the exposure period. After 77 d, Chironomidae and Gammaridae densities and biomass were significantly lower in the 8.9 μg/L Se treatment relative to the 1.0 μg/L Se treatment and the control. Invertebrate diversity (measured as Shannon’s and Simpson’s indices) significantly declined in the 1.0 μg/L and 8.9 μg/L Se treatments relative to the control (0.12 μg/L Se group). Fulton’s condition factor for fathead minnow was significantly less in the 8.9 μg/L treatment compared to 0.12 and 1.0 μg/L Se experimental groups. The results of this study indicated that exposure to relatively low aqueous selenite concentrations can negatively affect invertebrate density and biomass, as well as fish condition. More research is necessary to characterize the risk of selenite exposure to aquatic invertebrates under realistic field conditions, and future risk assessments may need to consider reduced food availability as a factor that may impair the health of higher trophic level organisms in areas with elevated selenite.

The Integration of Multi-source Remotely-Sensed Data in Support of the Classification of Wetlands

Wetlands play a key role in regional and global environments, and are critically linked to major issues such as climate change, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, water quality protection, and global carbon and methane cycles. Remotely-sensed imagery provides a means to detect and monitor wetlands on large scales and with regular frequency. In this project, methodologies were developed to classify wetlands (Open Bog, Treed Bog, Open Fen, Treed Fen, and Swamps) from multi-source remotely sensed data using advanced classification algorithms. The data utilized included multispectral optical and thermal data (Landsat-5) and Radar imagery from RADARSAT-2 and Sentinel-1. The goals were to determine the best way to combine the aforementioned imagery to classify wetlands, and determine the most significant image features. Classification algorithms investigated in this study were Naive Bayes, K-Nearest Neighbor (K-NN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest (RF). Based on the test results in the study area in Northern Ontario, Canada (49°31′.34N, 80°43′37.04W), a RF based classification methodology produced the most accurate classification result (87.51%). SVM, in some cases, produced results of comparable or better accuracy than RF. Our work also showed that the use of surface temperature (an untraditional feature choice) could aid in the classification process if the image is from an abnormally warm spring. This study found that wetlands were best classified using the NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetative Index) calculated from optical imagery obtained in the spring months, radar backscatter coefficients, surface temperature, and ancillary data such as surface slope, computed through either an RF or SVM classifier. It was also found that preselection of features using Log-normal or RF variable importance analysis was an effective way of identifying low quality features and to a lesser extent features which were of higher quality.

Population-based prevalence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder in Canada

BackgroundFetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is one of the most disabling potential outcomes of prenatal alcohol exposure. The population-based prevalence of FASD among the general population of Canada was unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the population-based prevalence of FASD among elementary school students, aged 7 to 9 years, in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada.MethodsThis screening study used a cross-sectional, observational design utilizing active case ascertainment, along with retrospective collection of prenatal alcohol exposure information. Data collection involved two phases. Phase I consisted of taking growth measurements, a dysmorphology examination, and obtaining a history of behavioral and/or learning problems. Phase II consisted of a neurodevelopmental assessment, maternal interview, and behavioral observations/ratings by parents/guardians. Final diagnostic screening conclusions were made by consensus by a team of experienced multidisciplinary experts during case conferences, using the 2005 Canadian guidelines for FASD diagnosis. The prevalence of FASD was estimated, taking into consideration the selection rate, which was used to account for students who dropped out or were lost to follow-up during each phase. Monte Carlo simulations were employed to derive the confidence interval (CI) for the point estimates.ResultsA total of 2555 students participated. A total of 21 cases of suspected FASD were identified. The prevalence of FASD was estimated to be 18.1 per 1000, or about 1.8%. Using a less conservative approach (sensitivity analysis), the prevalence of FASD was estimated to be 29.3 per 1000, or about 2.9%. Therefore, the population-based prevalence of FASD is likely to range between 2 and 3% among elementary school students in the GTA in Ontario, Canada.ConclusionsThis study provides the first population-based estimate of the prevalence of FASD in Canada. The estimate is approximately double or possibly even triple previous crude estimates. FASD prevalence exceeds that of other common birth defects such as Down’s syndrome, spina bifida, trisomy 18, as well as autism spectrum disorder in Canada. More effective prevention strategies targeting alcohol use during pregnancy, surveillance of FASD, and timely interventions and support to individuals with FASD and their families are urgently needed.

Application of Ellipsometry to the Identification of Ore Minerals

The preceding article on amethyst (Kile 2019) includes descriptions of ore minerals from the Thunder Bay (Ontario) area. Marcasite from the Blue Points mine has nontypical polarization colors, as o...

Marginal Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Ontario's Electricity System and the Implications of Electric Vehicle Charging.

To estimate greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions of electric vehicles (EVs) deployment, it is important to account for emissions from electricity generation. Since such emissions change according to temporal patterns of electricity generation and EV charging, this study operationalizes the concept of marginal emission factors (MEFs) and uses person-level travel activity data to simulate charging scenarios. Our study is set in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area in Ontario, Canada. After generating hourly MEFs using a multiple linear regression model, we estimated GHG emissions for EV charging at two EV penetration rates, 5% and 30%, and five charging scenarios: home, work and shopping, night, downtown vs suburb, and an optimal low emission charging scenario, matching charging time with the lowest available MEF. We observed that vehicle electrification substantially reduces GHG emissions, even when using MEFs that are up to seven times higher than average electricity emission factors. With Ontario's 2017 electricity generation mix, EVs achieve over 80% lower fuel cycle emissions compared with equivalent sets of gasoline vehicles. At 5% penetration, night charging nearly matches low emission charging, but night charging emissions increase with 30% EV penetration, suggesting a need for policy that can smooth out charging demand after midnight.