Northeast Ontario Research Articles

“It’s not the beds, it’s the people”: Building capacity to better host First Nation evacuations in northeast Ontario, Canada

This study explores preventive evacuation experiences hosting First Nation evacuees, focusing on the case study Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Using qualitative semi-structured interviews with staff responsible for delivering municipal hosting operations and business, municipal, and regional partners, this study examines how and why this small city hosted evacuees, how the city and partners were impacted by hosting, and challenges faced while hosting evacuees. The impacts on hosting partners’ operations varied between each evacuation and depended on the needs of evacuees. Study participants highlighted challenges related to preparing for back-to-back evacuations, a lack of familiarity with evacuating First Nations communities and partners, inadequate substance use and crisis supports, absence of community leadership from an evacuated community, increased needs for child and family services, limited provincial hosting capacity, pressures on regional services, and problems with cost recovery. The study offers recommendations for host communities, as well as areas for further research.

A Comparison Between the Rates of Radiation Oncologist and Urologist Consultations in Men Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer in Northern Ontario, Canada

PurposeRecommendations from Cancer Care Ontario stress the importance of multidisciplinary care from radiologists and urologists for prostate cancer treatment. The present study sought to examine what percentage of patients had a consultation with a radiation oncologist before undergoing a radical prostatectomy in Ontario, Canada, between 2010 and 2019. Methods and MaterialsAdministrative health care databases were used to analyze the number of consultations billed to the Ontario Health Insurance Plan from radiologists and urologists who treated men with a first prostate cancer diagnosis (n = 22,169). ResultsIn Ontario, 94.70% of Ontario Health Insurance Plan billings for patients with prostate cancer who had a prostatectomy within 1 year of a prostate cancer diagnosis were from urology, and 37.66% and 1.77% of billings were received from radiation oncology and medical oncology specialties, respectively. When sociodemographic variables were examined, having a lower neighborhood income (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.69; confidence interval [CI], 0.62-0.76) and a rural residence (aOR, 0.72; CI, 0.65-0.79) were associated with lower odds of receiving a consultation from a radiation oncologist. When billings for consultations were examined geographically by region, Northeast Ontario (Local Health Integrated Network 13) had the lowest odds of receiving a radiation consultation compared with the rest of Ontario (aOR, 0.50; CI, 0.42-0.59). ConclusionsThe results of this study show that differences in equitable access to multidisciplinary health care exist for men with a first prostate cancer diagnosis who reside in more northern and rural regions within Ontario, relative to the rest of the province. The reasons for these findings are likely multifactorial and may include factors such as patient treatment preference and distance/travel to receive treatment. However, as diagnosis year increased, so did the chances of receiving a radiation oncologist consultation, and this upward trend may reflect the implementation of Cancer Care Ontario guidelines.

Weeneebayko Area Health Authority-ICES-Laurentian University Collaboration: Working together to support communities with Indigenous Health Research in the James and Hudson Bay Region, in Northeast Ontario, Canada.

ObjectiveThe James and Hudson Bay Region, consisting of six remote Indigenous communities, have experienced barriers accessing regional health data. To inform local health planning, the Minomathasowin Healthy Living department in the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA), ICES and Laurentian University developed a Collaboration, to co-create enhanced Indigenous data stewardship.
 ApproachThe Collaboration combines expertise in Indigenous knowledge with quantitative and qualitative analyses to develop relevant data intended for public dissemination. Through a community-driven and strength-based approach, local knowledge guides the direction of the research. Indigenous data governance principles are applied, supporting local data ownership, and supplementing local knowledge on population health issues. This ensures the development of research projects that have meaningful impacts. The Collaboration is part of a larger partnership and is continually engaging local Indigenous stakeholders. Protocols ensure research is done in a manner that respects and reflects community well-being and is undertaken in a good way.
 ResultsThe Collaboration is an ongoing, living initiative and has enabled WAHA to become a local hub for Indigenous stakeholders to obtain health data for their respective communities. It adheres to the importance of following protocols within Indigenous communities, acknowledging qualitative research activities can be undertaken at the community-level. Projects from this Collaboration identify and prioritize the most pressing health issues impacting the Region including mental health and addictions, COVID-19 surveillance, hospitalization trends, and the prevalence of lupus. The success of the Collaboration is demonstrated through increased requests from the Region to WAHA for support on health planning and decision-making. Data access barriers in the Region are being addressed through the combined expertise of the Collaboration and local knowledge. This approach is enhancing Indigenous data stewardship.
 ConclusionsThe Collaboration advocates for Indigenous-led and -driven research that recognizes the value of combining local knowledge with quantitative and qualitative data analyses to put communities first. The Collaboration supports equitable data access and the development of relevant research projects. This is leading to sustainable, impactful health planning for the Region.

Climate driven declines in terrestrial input over the middle and late Holocene of perched boreal lakes in northeast Ontario (Canada) and teleconnections to the North Atlantic

The landscape of northeast Ontario, Canada, is dominated by glacial and postglacial landforms including numerous boreal lakes that formed following the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS) and Glacial Lake Ojibway. This study uses micro-X-Ray Fluorescence elemental analysis to examine changes in sediment cores from two boreal lakes from northeast Ontario with the goal of inferring changes in terrestrial inputs and redox status of these lakes over the middle to late Holocene. These headwater lakes were selected as they have small watersheds that minimizes the complexity of hydrological responses, and as they are relatively proximal (∼130 km distance between lakes) to allow the detection of regional signals related to changes in climate over the Holocene. Strong correlations between Si, K, Ca, and Ti in Hogback Lake and Green Lake cores suggest that these elements represent proxies of terrestrial input. Standardized composite trends of these elements were very similar between the two lakes and were combined to represent a regional signal, with the highest terrestrial inputs between ∼6000 and ∼4000 cal yr BP, that subsequently declined through the Holocene. These results suggest that regional patterns in terrestrial input are linked to changes in hydroclimate and likely increased terrestrial stability over the middle to late Holocene. These composite trends are compared to similar geochemical composite trends from Iceland suggesting climate teleconnections between northeast North America and the North Atlantic. Cool conditions in the North Atlantic result in increased soil erosion in Iceland and correspond to cool and dry conditions in boreal northeast Ontario with corresponding low inputs of terrestrial material, and vice versa, over multidecadal time scales over the middle to late Holocene.

Basin-specific records of lake oligotrophication during the middle-to-late Holocene in boreal northeast Ontario, Canada

Descriptions of regional climate expression require data from multiple lakes, yet little is known of how variation in records within morphometrically complex lakes may affect interpretations. In northeast Ontario (Canada), this issue was addressed using records of pollen, pigments, and diatoms in three sediment cores from two small boreal lakes spanning the last ~6000 years. Pollen analysis suggested warm conditions between ~6000 and ~4000 cal yr BP, coherent with previous assessments from boreal eastern Ontario and western Quebec. Analysis of phototrophic communities from fossil pigments and diatom valves suggested relatively eutrophic conditions with lower lake-levels during this interval. Generalized additive model trends identified significant regional changes in pollen assemblages and declines in pigment concentrations after ~4000 cal yr BP consistent with cooler and wetter climate conditions that resulted in regional lake oligotrophication and increased lake levels during the late-Holocene. Despite contemporaneous changes in pollen and pigment biomarkers across lakes, cores collected from adjacent basins of the same lake (Green Lake) did not show similar trends in fossil pigments likely reflecting preferential deposition of clay-rich allochthonous material in the deeper central basin and suggesting that regional signals in climate may be complicated by lake- or basin-specific catchment processes.

Diatom assemblages are controlled by light attenuation in oligotrophic and mesotrophic lakes in northern Ontario (Canada)

Diatom communities are composed of three distinct water-depth-associated assemblages: a nearshore benthic assemblage, a deep-water benthic assemblage, and a primarily planktonic assemblage. Light attenuation with depth has been hypothesized to be the factor that controls benthic-to-planktonic (B:P) assemblage transitions. Previous studies, however, could not distinguish between the individual effects of light and temperature on diatom assemblage transition because the depth of the B:P transition occurred at or near the depth of the thermocline. This has caused confusion regarding which factor is the more influential variable on benthic-planktonic diatom assemblage transition in surface sediments along water-depth transects in lakes. Two boreal lakes in northeast Ontario were selected to examine this problem. The study lakes are sufficiently deep and clear (Secchi disk depths ~ 9–10 m; dissolved organic carbon ~ 3 mg/L), making it possible to distinguish between the depth of 1% light penetration and the depth of the thermocline. Surface sediment samples were collected along water-depth transects from these lakes to examine intra-lake diatom assemblage structure. In both lakes, the water depth of the diatom assemblage B:P transition was closely associated with the depth of the ~ 1% photosynthetically active radiation value, and was well below the depth of the thermocline, suggesting that light penetration has more influence on this transition than does the thermocline. Because temporal fluxes in nutrients and DOC concentrations can attenuate light, understanding how the light regime influences benthic diatoms in lakes can help inform interpretations of diatom assemblage changes in paleolimnological studies.

A Multi-Proxy Reconstruction of Environmental Change in the Vicinity of the North Bay Outlet of Pro-Glacial Lake Algonquin

We present a multi-proxy study of environmental conditions during and after the recessional phases of pro-glacial Lake Algonquin in the vicinity of the North Bay outlet, Great Lakes Basin. Data presented comes from a new sedimentary profile obtained from the Balsam Creek kettle lake c. 34 km north-east of the city of North Bay. This site lies close to the north-east margin of the maximum extent of the post-Algonquin lake sequence, which drained through the Ottawa-Mattawa valley system. Our data are presented against a Bayesian age-depth model, supporting and extending regional understanding of vegetation succession in this part of north-east Ontario. The core profile provides a minimum age for the formation of the glacial outwash delta in which the kettle is set, as well as tentative timing for the Payette (post-Algonquin) lake phase. We highlight two discrete intervals during the Early Holocene, with modelled mean ages of: 8475–8040 cal. BP (332–316 cm) and 7645 cal. BP (286 cm), when climatic aridity affected the growth of vegetation within the kettle vicinity. Association with volcanic activity is posited. Cryptotephra dating to 7660–7430 cal. BP (mean age: 7580 cal. BP) is chronologically and geochemically assigned to the Mazama climactic eruption, while an earlier ash accumulation 8710–7865 cal. BP is tentatively sourced to an unknown eruption also in the Cascades region of Oregon. Outside of these periods, the Balsam Creek sequence shows considerable habitat stability and a character akin to that seen at more southerly latitudes. On this evidence we propose that access to reliable resources within kettle features could have aided the initial colonisation of northern Ontario’s environmentally dynamic early post-glacial landscape.

Neuropsychological profiles of breast cancer and brain tumor cohorts in Northeast Ontario, Canada.

As developments in cancer treatment have improved outcomes, research has increasingly focused on the role of cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) in quality of life for cancer survivors. Impairment profiles have been heterogeneous across studies, necessitating the study of these effects across different cohorts. The purpose of this preliminary study is to compare the memory profiles of Northeast Ontario breast and CNS cancer patients, as there is no literature which exists for profiling CRCI within this largely rural region. Sixty-three outpatients with breast cancer (n = 32) or CNS tumors (n = 30) at the Northeast Cancer Centre in Sudbury, Canada, were administered a neuropsychological test battery as part of their clinical examination. Domains measured within this study included attention and concentration, processing speed, motor function, language skills, verbal and visual memory, and executive functioning. Participants with brain tumors scored poorer on most neuropsychological measures than participants with breast cancer. Initial verbal memory for individuals with breast cancer was lower than delayed recall and recognition trials. Trial 1 performance for this group was also negatively correlated with self-reported anxiety scores. Consistent with the literature, participants with breast cancer obtained higher scores on most test measures than participants with CNC tumors. Breast cancer participants had lower verbal memory scores on initial trials compared to delayed recall, potentially due to relationships with anxiety and attention. Further research into this cohort will strive to gain greater understanding of the patterns of deficits experienced and how these may inform individuals with cancer in other regions.

Housing Experiences of Recent Immigrants to Canada’s Small Cities: the Case of North Bay, Ontario

Adequate, suitable and affordable housing is one of the basic needs that must be successfully attained in the process of immigrant integration into a community. This case study consisting of semi-structured interviews and focus groups with new immigrants and landlords centres particularly on the housing experiences of immigrants in North Bay, a small city in Northeast Ontario. North Bay, like many small urban centres in Canada, has undertaken an immigration strategy in order to counter demographic challenges and boost economic development. The housing experiences were examined in terms of suitability given household size and composition, affordability relative to the immigrants’ financial resources as well as ownership and dwelling type. The connection between the immigrant’s housing experiences, their interactions with neighbours and landlords and their perceptions of the city as a welcoming community were also explored. Generally, the immigrants who participated in the study were satisfied with their current housing situation. Several participants were surprised to find a limited and older housing stock in North Bay and rental prices that were not significantly different from the larger cities they had left. Their housing experiences tended to either have a positive impact on their perceptions of the city or not at all. Policy implications and recommendations are also discussed.

Simulating carbon exchange of Canadian boreal forests: II. Comparing the carbon budgets of a boreal mixedwood stand to a black spruce forest stand

The boreal forest, earth's second largest terrestrial biome, is currently thought to be an important net carbon sink for the atmosphere. In this study, a newly developed carbon exchange model of TRIPLEX-Flux (with half-hourly time step) is used to simulate the ecosystem carbon exchange of a 75-year-old boreal mixedwood forest stand in northeast Ontario and a 110-year-old pure black spruce stand in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. Results of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) simulated by TRIPLEX-Flux for 2004 are compared with those measured by eddy-flux towers and suggest overall agreement between model simulation and observations. The mean coefficient of determination ( R 2) is approximately 0.77 for boreal mixedwood and 0.62 for old black spruce. Differences between model simulation and observation may be attributed to uncertainties not only in model input parameters and calibration, but also in eddy-flux measurements caused by systematic and random errors. The model is able to capture the diurnal variations of NEE for the growing season (from May to August) of 2004 for both sites. Both boreal mixedwood and old black spruce were acting as carbon sinks for the atmosphere during the growing season of 2004. However, the boreal mixedwood stand shows higher ecosystem productivity, carbon sequestration, and carbon use efficiency than the old black spruce stand.

Natural dynamics-based silviculture for maintaining plant biodiversity in Populus tremuloides-dominated boreal forests of eastern CanadaThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Issue on Poplar Research in Canada.

Southern boreal forests dominated by trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) are notable for the biological richness of their plant communities. We used 12 plant community and plant functional group indicators to test the hypothesis that natural dynamics-based silvicultural systems better maintain biodiversity in aspen plant communities than conventional clear-cutting. Using CA ordination, box-and-whisker diagrams, and ANOVA, we compared the range of variability of our 12 bioindicators among five experimental stand types of the sylviculture et aménagement forestier écosystémiques (SAFE) project: mature (78 years) uncut; mature 1/3 partial-cut; mature 2/3 partial-cut; young (3 years) unburned clear-cut; young burned clear-cut; and three closely matched aspen stand types of northwest Quebec and northeast Ontario: old (105 years) uncut; young unburned clear-cut; young wildfire. Burned clearcuts partially emulated wildfires by reducing tall shrub abundance and regenerating post-fire specialists, but snags were lacking. The dual disturbance also retarded aspen regrowth and caused a 7-fold increase in non-native plants. Partial-cuts retained most attributes of mature uncut stands, but after 3 years showed little evidence of accelerating development of old stand characteristics. We concluded that SAFE natural dynamics-based silviculture better recreated the range of variability of naturally disturbed aspen plant communities than conventional clear-cutting. Improvements, including alternative burn prescriptions and snag or green tree retention in clearcuts, are nontheless warranted.

Detecting scales of pattern in boreal forest landscapes

A hierarchy of processes operating at different spatial and temporal scales form landscape pattern, and changes to the patterns can have impacts on habitats and forest dwelling species. Managing landscapes under the auspices of sustainable forest ecosystems and emulation of natural disturbance requires knowledge of the scale at which landscapes are patterned. To better understand the role of natural disturbance in two distinct ecoregions of the Ontario boreal forest, we used thematic landcover maps derived from satellite imagery to evaluate differences in the relevant scales and nested hierarchies of forest pattern between two regions: northwest Ontario (relatively undisturbed forest and little fire suppression) and northeast Ontario (long history of forest harvest and fire suppression). We define a relevant scale as the spatial level where non-random patterning of landscape structure occurs. Similar nested hierarchies occurred in forest and wildfire disturbance classes in northwest Ontario. In contrast, the relevant scales detected in the northeast occurred at fewer levels and in the disturbance class, which was the result of forest harvest, at only one level. The differences detected between the two regions indicate that current forest harvest practices that focus on landscape alteration at a single scale are creating new landscapes that are different from the natural landscape.

Carbon Dynamics in a Forested Peatland in North-Eastern Ontario, Canada

The long-term carbon accumulation rate in a forested peatland in north-east Ontario was examined in relation to gas production and factors which control carbon transport. Plots of cumulative total mass and cumulative carbon mass against calibrated radiocarbon age estimates when applied to an existing model of peat accumulation, suggest that only very slow decay is occurring within the catotelm. Gas samples collected from depth show that both carbon dioxide and methane are present. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon analysis yields age estimates of both gases which are between 500 and 2000 years younger than conventional age estimates on adjacent peat (...)

Palaeogene komatiites from Gorgona Island

UNMETAMORPHOSED mafic and ultramafic rocks overlain by Neogene oceanic sediments are exposed on Gorgona Island which is a remnant of the Coastal Cordillera along the Pacific margin of Colombia1. Gorgona is one of the rare places in the world where young pyroxenitic komatiites exhibiting typical quenched spinifex textures (Fig. 1) occur. The spinifex rocks form lenticular bodies (? lava flows) within cumulate ultramafics and troctolitic gabbros and are closely associated with diabases and tholeiitic pillow basalts1. We show here that in textures, rock and mineral chemistry, the Gorgona spinifex rocks are almost identical with the Archean peridotitic to pyroxenitic komatiites from Munro Township (North-east Ontario)2. For this reason the term komatiites is used for the Palaeogene rocks, although one could call them high Mg-tholeiites.

Mineralogy and petrology of Quaternary lavas from the Snake River Plain, Idaho: Discussion

ARNDT, N . T., and BROOKS, C. 1978. Iron-rich basaltic komatiites in the early Precambrian Vermilion District: Discussion. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 15, pp. 856-857. ARNDT, N. T., NALDRETT, A. J., and PYKE, D. R. 1977. Komatiitic and iron-rich tholeiitic lavas of Munro Township, northeast Ontario. Journal of Petrology, 18, pp. 319-369. BROOKS, C., and HART, S.1972. An extrusive basaltic komatiite from a Canadian Archean metavolcanic belt. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 9, pp. 1250-1253. CHAYES, F. 1966. Alkaline and subalkaline basalts. American Journal of Science, 264, pp. 128-145. GREEN, J . C., and SCHULZ, K. J . 1977. Iron-rich basaltic komatiites in the early Precambrian Vermilion District, Minnesota. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 14, pp. 2181-2192. GUST, D. A,, SCWARZER, R. R., and SCHULZ, K. J . 1977. An objective classification scheme for komatiites (abstract). Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs, 9, p. 1001. NALDRETT, A. J., and ARNDT, N. T. 1975. Volcanogenic nickel deposits with some guides for exploration. American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers Transactions, 260, pp. 13-15. VILJOEN, M. J., and VILJOEN, R. D. 1969. The geology and geochemistry of the Lower Ultramafic Unit of the Onverwacht Group and a proposed new class of igneous rock. Geological Society of South Africa, Special Publication 2, pp. 55-85.

A correction procedure for metasomatism in an Archean greenstone belt

A graphical procedure is described by which analytical data for a suite of metavolcanic rocks may be tested to detect, and correct for, later metasomatic modification of individual sample compositions. The method involves plotting the analytical data in terms of oxide molecular proportion ratios in the form log XZ vs. log YZ, where X, Y, and Z are the oxide molecular proportions (e.g. SiO2, Al2O3…) calculated from the whole-rock weight per cent analyses. For metasomatism involving several components, a single X, Y, Z diagram does not provide a unique solution for possible changes in X, Y, and Z, but for a suite of metasomatised samples, a unique solution can be tested for by using a set of such diagrams. Two initial assumptions are required: firstly, that the altered rocks initially had compositions which, when plotted on the diagrams used, would conform with the well-defined trends shown to be present in relatively unaltered post-Mesozoic suites; secondly, that Al2O3 remained immobile during alteration. For the method to be applied to any particular set of analytical data a second relatively immobile component must also be identified, using the first assumption above. The method has been applied to major-element analyses of approximately 250 samples of mafic to felsic volcanic rocks from the Archean greenstone belt at Timagami, northeast Ontario. It has shown that alkalies, lime, magnesia, and iron have moved appreciably and differently in different parts of the belt. We therefore suggest caution in the characterization of Archean volcanics as low-K tholeiites, calc-alkaline, and so on, by simple comparison of their compositions with those of young volcanics.

Komatiitic and Iron-rich Tholeiitic Lavas of Munro Township, Northeast Ontario

Munro Township, in the Archean Abitibi greenstone belt of northeast Ontario, contains volcanic and hypabyssal rocks of two magma series: (1) an Fe-rich tholeiitic series of basaltic to dacitic lava flows (3–10 m thick), layered peridotite-pyroxenite-gabbro flows (120 m thick), and layered sills (700 m thick); (2) an ultramafic-mafic komatiitic series, comprising discrete lava flows of peridotitic to andesitic composition (1–17 m thick), layered peridotite-gabbro flows (120 m thick), and layered sills (500 m thick). The komatiitie lavas form a succession about 1000 m thick that is both underlain and overlain by thicker successions of tholeiitic volcanic rocks. Three types of komatiite are recognized: peridotitic, pyroxenitic, and basaltic komatiites. The most ultramafic are peridotitic cumulates rich in forsteritic olivine (Fo89–94), at the bases of flows and sills. Many less mafic peridotitic komatiites (MgO: 20–30 per cent), which typically form the upper parts of flows and the marginal parts of small intrusions, exhibit spinifex textures indicative of their formation from ultrabasic liquids. Pyroxenitic komatiites (MgO: 12–20 per cent) also may contain olivine, but are dominated by clinopyroxene, usually in spinifex textures. Basaltic komatiites (MgO <12 per cent) are composed mainly of clino-pyroxene and plagioclase or devitrified glass, rarely in spinifex texture and more commonly in equigranular textures. Peridotitic komatiite with roughly 30 per cent MgO appears to represent a parental liquid from which the more ultramafic komatiites formed by accumulation of olivine, and the less mafic types were derived by fractionation of olivine, joined and finally succeeded in later stages by clinopyroxene and plagioclase. Komatiites of Munro Township share many of the characteristics of the komatiites from the Barberton Mountain Land, South Africa (Voljoen & Viljoen, 1969a and b), but lack the high CaO/Al2O3 ratios that distinguish the Barberton rocks. The Munro komatiites are identical in this respect to ultramafic volcanic rocks in Australia, Canada, Rhodesia, and India. It is proposed that the definition of the term komatiite be broadened so that it includes all members of this ultramafic-mafic rock series, not only those from Barberton Mountain Land. The proposed criteria are: (1) highly ultramafic compositions in noncumulate lavas; (2) unusual volcanic structures such as spinifex texture and polyhedral jointing; (3) low Fe/Mg ratios at given Al2O3 values or high CaO/Al2O3 ratios; low TiO2 at given SiO2; and high MgO, NiO, and Cr2O3.

A statistical study of ore occurrences in the greenstone belts of the Canadian Shield

Areal and value distributions and their correlation, potential number and value of ore deposits, northwest Quebec, northeast Ontario