Northern Communities Research Articles

Where Did They Go? Regional Patterns in Early Transfer in Ontario Post-Secondary Education

Research on transfer student flows has focused almost exclusively on transitions occurring between colleges and universities. Few have sought to systematically examine the regional dimensions of these student flows, and how they may map on to prevailing migration patterns that drive individuals out of remote geographical regions. Through this study, we perform the first comprehensiveanalysis of regional dynamics in early transfer student flows within Ontario post-secondary education (PSE), drawing on novel administrative linkages within Statistics Canada’s Education and Labour Market Linkage Platform (ELMLP). Our empirical analyses (i) map the magnitude of transfer student flows across the province, and (ii) statistically model the predictors of within- and cross-region forms of student transfer. Our findings demonstrate that PSE students commencing their studies in the provincial north are more likely to transfer out of their region, and that correcting these imbalances could serve as a useful strategy to retain and inject further human capital into northern communities. We explore the implications of these findings for both provincial policy makers and researchers interested in how geography shapes student trajectories.

A One Health Approach Addressing Dog Overpopulation in Northern Canadian Communities

Dog overpopulation in northern Canadian communities is a major health concern affecting humans, non-human animals, and the environment. Issues include aggression between dogs, contamination of soil and water systems, and a heightened risk of injury or zoonotic disease spread (Boissonneault & Epp, 2018; Brook et al., 2010). These One Health concerns are worsened by barriers in northern Canadian communities including isolation from veterinary or medical services, high cost, and potential judgement over the treatment of companion animals (CBC News, 2018). Several grassroots organizations across Canada have developed initiatives to address aspects of the dog overpopulation problem. Despite these efforts, there are very few sustainable, long-term interventions targeting isolated northern Canadian communities such as Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The proposed initiative therefore aims to fill this gap, reducing the dog overpopulation problem over time by partnering with organizations to provide free-roaming or stray dogs with a chemical contraceptive. It also aims to raise awareness across Canada and draw in donations to fund these procedures using the “Sponsor-A-Dog” approach. This may reduce the effects of dog overpopulation on humans, non-human animals, and the environment, with potential for expansion to other northern communities or canine-related health concerns.

Food programs in Indigenous communities within northern Canada: A scoping review

AbstractRecognizing that limited literature exists regarding food programs in northern Indigenous communities within Canada, this study draws on a range of sources to map and characterize existing food programs in these contexts. A secondary aim assessed the extent to which traditional food was offered through the identified programs, which has implications for cultural appropriateness and, in turn, food sovereignty. Peer‐reviewed articles and grey literature published between 2000 and 2022 were examined. Frameworks to guide methodologies include PRISMA‐ScR, Arksey and O'Malley, Levac et al., and Godin et al.'s grey literature search strategy. Inclusion criteria were food programs located north of the Northern Boundary Line, programs providing food access, and programs serving Indigenous communities. Data were synthesized based on program type, target population, and whether the program offered or incorporated traditional food. The review yielded 30 records wherein 46 unique food programs were identified and characterized into eight distinct program types. Program success of the identified programs depended on funding availability and continuity, staff/volunteer availability and retention (including program champions), and types of policies that impact traditional food provision. Findings are valuable to organizations and communities interested in using food programs to support Indigenous food security and sovereignty efforts.

Correction to: Barriers to Safety Planning for Female Victims of Domestic Violence in Canadian Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities

Correction to: Barriers to Safety Planning for Female Victims of Domestic Violence in Canadian Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities

Community Empowerment Assessment and Community Nursing Diagnosis for Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in the Northern Region of the Portuguese Atlantic Coast: A Mixed-Methods Study Using MAIEC Framework.

The Community Intervention and Empowerment Assessment Model (MAIEC) offers a framework for community empowerment in several fields such as Climate Change (CC), the largest health emergency crisis globally, through diagnosis and interventions in Community Health Nursing. This study aims to assess the level of community empowerment in climate change mitigation and adaptation, and to identify nursing diagnosis through the MAIEC clinical decision matrix, within a local intermunicipal association in the northern region of the Portuguese Atlantic Coast. A convergent mixed-methods design was used, applying a focus group technique to a purposive sampling of ten key stakeholders of this community. A Portuguese version of the Empowerment Assessment Rating Scale and a questionnaire were both applied to the same participants, and qualitative and quantitative data generated were analysed using a content analysis technique and an Excel database sheet created using Microsoft Office 365. The analysis of the Portuguese northern community exposed: a low level of community empowerment for mitigation and adaptation to climate change; a nursing diagnosis of community management impairments in several dimensions, such as community process, community participation and community leadership. However, the study confirmed that MAIEC contributed to future community-based solutions, responding to the challenges of climate change, and enabling the planning of interventions to address MAIEC diagnoses in the form of CC-specific training and recommendations for new cooperation approaches from all stakeholders. This study was not registered.

“Moving from understanding to action on food security in Inuit Nunangat”:

This Commentary details key challenges and opportunities relating to the promotion of food security in Inuit Nunangat, discussed as part of the event “Moving from understanding to action on food security in Inuit Nunangat”, convened at the ArcticNet Annual Scientific Meeting on 5th December 2022 in Toronto. The purpose of the event was to explore opportunities for action on food security in northern communities, and to mobilize knowledge on current and future food security programming. A range of stakeholders from across Inuit Nunangat and Canada were involved, including representatives from Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami and Nutrition North Canada, territorial, regional, and community food security co-ordinators and government delegates, academics, and community members. Points of discussion across the day included the integration of culturally appropriate country foods into food programming; the importance of human and financial resources to program success; interactions between COVID-19, climate change, and food security; challenges relating to the classification of “households” in food security surveys; and the crucial importance of school food programs for reducing food and income stress on families.

The influence of postfire recovery and environmental conditions on boreal vegetation

AbstractClimate change is increasing the frequency and extent of fires in the boreal biome of North America. These changes can alter the recovery of both canopy and understory vegetation. There is uncertainty about plant and lichen recovery patterns following fire, and how they are mediated by environmental conditions. Here, we aim to address these knowledge gaps by studying patterns of postfire vegetation recovery at the community and individual species level over the first 100+ years following fire. Data from vegetation surveys collected from 581 plots in the Northwest Territories, Canada, ranging from 1 to 275 years postfire, were used to assess the influence of time after fire and local environmental conditions on plant community composition and to model trends in the relative abundance of several common plant and lichen species. Time after fire significantly influenced vegetation community composition and interacted with local environmental conditions, particularly soil moisture. Soil moisture individually (in the absence of interactions) was the most commonly significant variable in plant and lichen recovery models. Patterns of postfire recovery varied greatly among species. Our results provide novel information on plant community recovery after fire and highlight the importance of soil moisture to local vegetation patterns. They will aid northern communities and land managers to anticipate the impacts of increased fire activity on both local vegetation and the wildlife that relies on it.

Snow Losses for Photovoltaic Systems: Validating the Marion and Townsend Models

For northern communities relying on solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to offset the cost of imported diesel fuel, there is an acute need to forecast energy losses due to snow. Two leading snow loss models, developed by Marion et al. and Townsend and Powers, are used widely in the PV industry. In order to test these models, this study compares modeled monthly and annual losses to a best-estimate reference based on PV power output and camera images from an array operating in Quebec, Canada. This study addresses two key areas: the development of an image-analysis algorithm to detect snow on a PV array and the validation of models estimating energy loss. For the PV array in this work, Townsend and Powers is a closer approximation of real annual energy losses than the Marion et al. model. However, to provide communities and PV system developers with accurate snow loss predictions, more work needs to be done to improve these models using arrays at different latitudes. The image analysis algorithm used in this work is 90% accurate in identifying snow. This leads to a difference of about 0.2% points in annual snow loss estimates when using the image analysis algorithm instead of visually inspected photos.

Landscape changes in the Tombstone Territorial Park region (central Yukon, Canada) from multilevel remote sensing analysis

Northern ecosystems are vulnerable to surface disturbances caused by warming climate and human activities. The Ogilvie Mountains in central Yukon are an important region that should be monitored, as it is a major transportation corridor connecting northern communities. This study aims to characterize 35 years of landscape changes in the Tombstone Territorial Park and the surrounding region of the Ogilvie Mountains by detecting and interpreting landscape changes using a Landsat-derived trend analysis and multilevel image interpretation. Statistically significant spectral changes occurred in 24% of the study area between 1986 and 2021, and most of these changes are gradual and associated with vegetation succession and hydrological processes (i.e., erosion and deposition). Other landscape changes included wildfires, slumps, changes to riverbanks and lake shores, earlier melting of icings in the summer, degradation on the peripheries of some ice-wedge polygonal terrain, and potential insect damage to forests. Our investigation reveals that the extent and magnitude of landscape changes in the study area are influenced by climate, geomorphic setting, ecological succession, and glacial history of the region. Given a varied combination of ecotypes, spatial and temporal variations are to be expected in terms of the response of the landscape to climate and anthropogenic disturbances.

(049) Why isn’t Women’s Sexual Health Part of the Conversation? The Case of Vulvodynia

Abstract Introduction Vulvodynia is a complex pelvic pain condition that affects up to one in four women at some time in their lives. Patients report that primary care providers lack knowledge essential to diagnosis and management of this condition. Objectives The aim of this three-phase study was to identify ways of addressing the barriers to diagnosis and management of vulvodynia for women living in rural, northern and remote communities in XX. This paper reports on the second phase and asked: 1) How do family physicians and nurse practitioners describe their awareness and experience with diagnosing and managing vulvodynia? and 2) How would they like to receive information that addresses this knowledge gap? Methods Phase two of this qualitative case study collected data using an intake survey and individual and group interviews with a purposive sample of family physicians and nurse practitioners practicing in Newfoundland and Labrador. Surveys were completed prior to interviews and gathered data about demographics and vulvodynia awareness. Interviews were conducted in person or via teleconference between October 2018 and April 2019 and using standardized open-ended prompts. Audio-taped interviews were transcribed, de-identified and coded thematically. Two researchers independently analyzed all data. Results Two major themes emerged: a) lack of awareness about the condition and b) four barriers to having a sexual health conversation (the dynamics of discomfort, making the time, generational differences between patient and provider, and the gendering of practitioner responsibilities). Primary care providers also identified their preferred methods for addressing gaps in their knowledge. Conclusions Diagnosis and management of vulvodynia requires skilled communication and specific knowledge of this pelvic pain condition. Providing primary care providers with a simple toolkit has the potential to address reported lack of awareness about vulvodynia and the identified barriers to initiating a sexual health conversation. Disclosure No.

Barriers to Safety Planning for Female Victims of Domestic Violence in Canadian Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities

Barriers to Safety Planning for Female Victims of Domestic Violence in Canadian Rural, Remote, and Northern Communities

Effect of cooking temperature on metal concentrations and speciation in fish muscle and seal liver

Fish and marine mammals constitute a significant part of the country food diet of many Indigenous communities in Canada. These animals sometimes accumulate essential elements as well as elevated levels of toxic metals. We experimentally assessed how changes in cooking temperature (23–99 °C by boiling) modified elemental concentrations in whitefish muscle and grey seal liver (two organs commonly consumed in some northern communities). Wet and dry elemental concentrations changed linearly as a function of temperature, and two patterns were observed: methylmercury, selenium, and rare earth elements tended to remain associated with the food during cooking, whereas alkali, alkaline-earth metals, and arsenic were significantly transferred to cooking juices. Mass balances indicated that speciation of mercury was stable during cooking. Because elements generally behaved similarly as those of their periodic table group or their ecotoxicological classes (A, B, intermediate), we propose that elemental behavior during cooking is partly a function of chemical affinity, and this relationship can be used to predict the behavior of data-poor elements of emerging concern, such as technology-critical elements. Furthermore, the marked increases and decreases in elemental concentrations during cooking (e.g., −14% As and +39% Se in whitefish; −22% Cd and +55% Hg in seal liver, on a wet weight basis) should be considered when assessing risk because current exposure models usually only consider elemental concentrations in raw food.

The Usage of Indigenous Languages as a Tool for Meaningful Engagement With Northern Indigenous Governments and Communities

The Usage of Indigenous Languages as a Tool for Meaningful Engagement With Northern Indigenous Governments and Communities

Operation Remote Immunity: exploring the impact of a service-learning elective in remote Indigenous communities

BackgroundThe novel coronavirus, COVID-19, emerged in December 2019. Shortly after, vaccines against the virus were distributed in Canada for public use, but the remoteness of many northern Indigenous communities in Ontario posed a challenge for vaccine distribution and dissemination. The Ministry of Health partnered with the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University (NOSMU) and the air ambulance service, Ornge, to assist in delivering the vaccination doses to 31 fly-in communities in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Moosonee, all within Ontario. These deployments were considered “service-learning electives” for Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical learners from NOSMU who joined the operation in two-week deployments. NOSMU is renowned for its social accountability mandate and gives its medical learners opportunities to participate in service-learning to enhance their medical skills and cultural sensitivity. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between social accountability and medical learners’ experiences during a service-learning elective in northern Indigenous communities in Ontario during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsData were collected through a planned post-placement activity completed by eighteen Undergraduate and Postgraduate medical learners, who participated in the vaccine deployment. The activity consisted of a 500-word reflective response passage. Thematic analysis was used to identify, analyze, and report the themes within the collected data.ResultsTwo themes were identified by the authors, which formed a concise overview of the collected data: (1) confronting the realities of working in Indigenous communities; and (2) service-learning as a path to social accountability.ConclusionsThese vaccine deployments were an opportunity for medical learners to engage in service-learning and engage with Indigenous communities in Northern Ontario. Service-learning is an exceptional method which provides an opportunity to expand knowledge on the social determinants of health, social justice, and social accountability. The medical learners in this study reiterated the idea that learning medicine through a service-learning model leads to a greater depth of knowledge on Indigenous health and culture, and enhances medical knowledge compared to classroom learning.

Mapping snow depth on Canadian sub-arctic lakes using ground-penetrating radar

Abstract. Ice thickness across lake ice is mainly influenced by the presence of snow and its distribution, which affects the rate of lake ice growth. The distribution of snow depth over lake ice varies due to wind redistribution and snowpack metamorphism, affecting the variability of lake ice thickness. Accurate and consistent snow depth data on lake ice are sparse and challenging to obtain. However, high spatial resolution lake snow depth observations are necessary for the next generation of thermodynamic lake ice models to improve the understanding of how the varying distribution of snow depth influences lake ice formation and growth. This study was conducted using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) acquisitions with ∼9 cm sampling resolution along transects totalling ∼44 km to map snow depth over four Canadian sub-arctic freshwater lakes. The lake snow depth derived from GPR two-way travel time (TWT) resulted in an average relative error of under 10 % when compared to 2430 in situ snow depth observations for the early and late winter season. The snow depth derived from GPR TWTs for the early winter season was estimated with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 1.6 cm and a mean bias error of 0.01 cm, while the accuracy for the late winter season on a deeper snowpack was estimated with a RMSE of 2.9 cm and a mean bias error of 0.4 cm. The GPR-derived snow depths were interpolated to create 1 m spatial resolution snow depth maps. The findings showed improved lake snow depth retrieval accuracy and introduced a fast and efficient method to obtain high spatial resolution snow depth information. The results suggest that GPR acquisitions can be used to derive lake snow depth, providing a viable alternative to manual snow depth monitoring methods. The findings can lead to an improved understanding of snow and lake ice interactions, which is essential for northern communities' safety and wellbeing and the scientific modelling community.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on inequalities in lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing of elementary school children in northern Canada

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected children's lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing, and concerns have been raised that COVID-19 has also increased health inequalities. No study to date has quantified the impact of COVID-19 on health inequalities among children. We compared pre-pandemic vs. post-lockdown inequalities in lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing among children living in rural and remote northern communities. MethodsWe surveyed 473 grade 4–6 students (9–12 years of age) from 11 schools in rural and remote communities in northern Canada in 2018 (pre-pandemic), and 443 grade 4–6 students from the same schools in 2020 (post-lockdown). The surveys included questions on sedentary behaviours, physical activity, dietary intake, and mental health and wellbeing. We measured inequality in these behaviors using the Gini coefficient, a unitless measure ranging from 0 to 1 with a higher value indicating greater inequality. We used temporal changes (2020 vs. 2018) in Gini coefficients to assess the impact of COVID-19 on inequalities in lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing separately among girls and boys. ResultsInequalities in all examined lifestyle behaviours increased between 2018 and 2020. Inequalities in watching TV, playing video games, and using a cell phone increased among girls, while inequalities in playing video games, using computers and tablets, and consumption of sugar, salt, saturated fat and total fat increased among boys. Changes in inequalities in mental health and wellbeing were small and not statistically significant. ConclusionThe findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities in lifestyle behaviours among children living in rural and remote northern communities. If not addressed, these differences may translate into exacerbated inequalities in future health. The findings further suggest that school health programs can help mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on lifestyle behaviours and mental health and wellbeing.

“We Thought It Would Last Forever”

Although mine closures are an inherent feature of extractive industry, they tend to receive less attention in the literature on deindustrialization than the closures of manufacturing and other heavy industries. Until recently, the settler-colonial context of hinterland mineral development and its impact on northern Indigenous lands and communities in Canada have also remained largely unexplored within this literature. Mineral development is historically associated with the introduction of a colonial-capitalist industrial modernity across Canada’s northern regions. Yet the boom-and-bust nature and ultimate ephemerality of mineral development has meant that resource-extractive regions have also been subject to intensive “cyclonic” periods of closure and deindustrialization. This article examines the experience of deindustrialization on the part of the Inuit community of Arctic Bay, who were largely “left behind” by the closure of Nanisivik, Canada’s first High Arctic mine. Through documentary sources and oral history interviews we illustrate how, for Arctic Bay Inuit who were engaged in the cyclonic economies of Nanisivik’s development and closure, there were myriad dimensions of social loss, displacement, and resentment associated with the failure of this industrial enterprise to deliver promised benefits to Inuit, beyond more commonly understood socioeconomic impacts such as job loss.

Trends in Long-Term Ventilation Care in U.K. Children and Young People-Further Consideration Required for Pediatric Critical Care Services.

The objective was to compare specific data from the 2020 National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death (NCEPOD) report "Balancing the Pressures" with two previous U.K. studies and to examine changes in the pediatric population requiring long-term ventilation (LTV) as well as the types delivered. We believe that the new data presented will facilitate future service planning. A subset of confidential enquiry data derived from a study by a nationally funded quality improvement organization (NCEPOD: www.ncepod.org.uk ) was compared with two previous U.K. datasets. Healthcare providers across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland-inpatient and community settings. Children and young people (CAYP) 0-16 years old receiving LTV between April 1, 2016, and March 31, 2018. None. When comparing the NCEPOD data with that last published in the United Kingdom, the number of CAYP requiring LTV more than doubled between 2008 and 2018 (933-2,093). There has also been a particular increase in the proportion of children that were under two when they were commenced on LTV (26-39.2%). Children are now more likely than previously to be receiving LTV to manage upper airway obstruction and CNS conditions. There has also been an approximate doubling of those receiving LTV over the whole 24-hour period (9.4-18.4%). The increased numbers and changing characteristics of babies and children requiring LTV over the last 3 decades in the United Kingdom have implications for all healthcare sectors but particularly for providers of critical care services.

Remembering Ruth Milligan Ballweg, MPA, PA-C Emeritus.

Remembering Ruth Milligan Ballweg, MPA, PA-C Emeritus.

Managing the Conflict of Human–Wildlife Coexistence: A Community-Based Approach

One of the most recent and pressing issues for policymakers to address is the presence of wild boars in urban and rural areas. Their aggressive spread and invasion of human-populated areas have created an alarming problem as the coexistence of wild boars and people poses serious threats to human life and property. Human-caused factors, such as residential zone expansion and land use change, have exacerbated this problem. Furthermore, natural factors, such as predator reduction and climate change effects, create favorable conditions for population growth. This study sought to gain insights into citizens’ perspectives on a current issue, specifically wild boar colonization and coexistence in urban and rural settings. Between September 2021 and November 2022, a survey was conducted in two communities of northern and central Greece, addressing 800 citizens in total. Obtained through hierarchical log-linear analysis, factor analysis and two-step cluster analysis, the findings indicate that rural citizens appear to be more concerned about agricultural production losses and the high risk of road accidents, while the invasion-level perception was high in both areas. Intensive hunting has gained widespread acceptance as a management tool for wild boar populations in both urban and rural areas, while anthropocentric (EGO) and ecocentric (ECO) social groups have emerged.