Remote Canadian Research Articles

Potential of a Hybrid Wind-Diesel-Compressed air system for Nordic Remote Canadian Areas

Abstract In Canada, off-grid power production is significant, with more than 200,000 people living in about 300 remote communities scattered across Yukon, the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and other islands. Most of these isolated sites rely on diesel to generate electricity. The operation of these remote isolated grids run on a deficit in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars yearly and must therefore be subsidized by the government. Low and high penetration wind–diesel hybrid systems (WDS) have been experimented to reduce diesel consumption. In a previous article, we explored the re-engineering of current diesel power plants with the introduction of high penetration wind systems using compressed air energy storage (CAES). This is a viable alternative to increase the overall percentage of renewable energy and reduce the cost of electricity, to increase the diesel engine lifetime and efficiency and to decrease their fuel consumption and GHG emissions. In this paper, we present the operative principle of this hybrid system, its economic benefits and advantages. Finally, we apply this concept in the case of a Canadian Nordic village to demonstrate the real energetic, ecological and economic potential of this system.

Multiple zoonotic pathogens identified in canine feces collected from a remote Canadian indigenous community.

Five genera of potentially zoonotic bacteria and parasites were detected in environmentally collected fecal samples from a remote indigenous community in Northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Organisms identified include Toxocara canis, Echniococcus granulosus, Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., and Campylobacter spp. The prevalence and intensity of Giardia spp. and Campylobacter spp. in fecal samples was particularly remarkable. Three-quarters of samples tested contained at least one zoonotic species of Campylobacter, and C. jejuni-containing feces had an average of 2.9 x 10(5) organisms/g. Over one-half of samples tested contained Giardia spp. with an average of 9,266 cysts/g. Zoonotic G. duodenalis Assemblage A was the only Giardia spp. genotype identified. These data suggest that canine feces have the potential to pose a significant health risk to Canadians in rural and remote indigenous communities.

Putting the Pieces Together: How Public Health Nurses in Rural and Remote Canadian Communities Respond to Intimate Partner Violence

Intimate partner violence is a recognized public health problem with direct impacts, including cuts, bruises, and broken bones as well as longer-term effects, including headaches, insomnia, depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and a greater likelihood of developing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) (Dutton, et al., 2006; Loxton, Scholfield, Hussain, & Mishra, 2006; Plichta, 2004; Romito, Molzan Turan, & Muarchi, 2005). As a result, women who experience IPV use a variety of health care services, including emergency departments, primary care physicians, and public health nurses (Campbell, 2002; Plichta, 2004; Van Hook, 2000). Although rates of IPV identification vary by practice setting, the results suggest that utilization of these services by victims of IPV is common. For example, 13 percent of 1,526 women at 31 outpatient clinics were identified as victims of abuse (Wasson et al., 2000), as were 14 per cent of 2,465 women using a variety of obstetrician/gynecologist offices, emergency departments, primary care offices, pediatrics, and addition recovery (McCloskey, et al., 2005), and 44.3 percent of 399 women at one family medicine clinic (Peralta & Fleming, 2003). Given the prevalence of IPV in these settings, health care providers have a central role in dealing with immediate injuries and other health impacts of IPV. However, it is also crucial for these providers to appropriately identify and refer women to much needed community resources which may prevent further injury and support women in working toward reducing and eliminating violence in their lives. For victims of IPV who live in remote and rural communities, support offered by health care providers is more crucial, as there is often few other resources and services.

Design and implementation of a dental caries prevention trial in remote Canadian Aboriginal communities

BackgroundThe goal of this cluster randomized trial is to test the effectiveness of a counseling approach, Motivational Interviewing, to control dental caries in young Aboriginal children. Motivational Interviewing, a client-centred, directive counseling style, has not yet been evaluated as an approach for promotion of behaviour change in indigenous communities in remote settings.Methods/designAboriginal women were hired from the 9 communities to recruit expectant and new mothers to the trial, administer questionnaires and deliver the counseling to mothers in the test communities. The goal is for mothers to receive the intervention during pregnancy and at their child's immunization visits. Data on children's dental health status and family dental health practices will be collected when children are 30-months of age.The communities were randomly allocated to test or control group by a random "draw" over community radio. Sample size and power were determined based on an anticipated 20% reduction in caries prevalence. Randomization checks were conducted between groups.DiscussionIn the 5 test and 4 control communities, 272 of the original target sample size of 309 mothers have been recruited over a two-and-a-half year period. A power calculation using the actual attained sample size showed power to be 79% to detect a treatment effect. If an attrition fraction of 4% per year is maintained, power will remain at 80%. Power will still be > 90% to detect a 25% reduction in caries prevalence. The distribution of most baseline variables was similar for the two randomized groups of mothers. However, despite the random assignment of communities to treatment conditions, group differences exist for stage of pregnancy and prior tooth extractions in the family. Because of the group imbalances on certain variables, control of baseline variables will be done in the analyses of treatment effects.This paper explains the challenges of conducting randomized trials in remote settings, the importance of thorough community collaboration, and also illustrates the likelihood that some baseline variables that may be clinically important will be unevenly split in group-randomized trials when the number of groups is small.Trial registrationThis trial is registered as ISRCTN41467632.

The Effects of Direct-to-Consumer-Advertising on Patients in a Northern Canadian Community: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Background: Previous studies have investigated the effects of direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription medication in the United States and in a large Canadian centre close to the US border. This study examined how DTCA affects patients in a smaller, more remote Canadian community. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of patients ≥18 years was conducted in 8 primary care practices in Prince George, BC. Main outcome measures were past and present requests for advertised and non-advertised prescription medications. Results: Of 435 eligible patients, 217 (49.8%) agreed to be surveyed; 209 questionnaires were included in the final analysis. Patients with high exposure to DTCA were significantly more likely to be under the age of 50 ( p = 0.016). A total of 1.6% of patients with high DTCA exposure versus 0% with low exposure requested advertised medications during the study ( p = 0.26), and 4.8% versus 0%, respectively, had requested advertised medications in the past ( p = 0.052). The percentage of patients requesting any prescription medication, advertised or non-advertised, was 10.2% in the high DTCA exposure group, compared to 4.9% in the low exposure group. (OR = 2.18, 95% CI 0.69-6.93). Discussion: The rate of requests for advertised prescription medications in this northern Canadian community was lower than rates reported from larger, less-remote centres. However, exposure to DTCA remained surprisingly high, especially in younger patients. Results suggest that patients with higher self-reported exposure to DTCA may be more likely to request both advertised and non-advertised prescription medications. Conclusions: All health care professionals with a prescribing role should be aware of the potential impact of DTCA and ensure that patients are receiving objective, evidence-based information that will enable them to make fully informed decisions.

Emergence of Sylvatic Echinococcus granulosus as a Parasitic Zoonosis of Public Health Concern in an Indigenous Community in Canada

Within a remote Canadian Indigenous community, at least 11* of people had antibodies against Echinococcus granulosus and E. granulosus eggs were detected in 6* of environmentally collected canine fecal samples. Dog ownership, hunting, and trapping were not risk factors for seropositivity, suggesting that people are most likely exposed to E. granulosus through indirect contact with dog feces in the environment. In this situation, human exposure could be most effectively curtailed by preventing consumption of cervid viscera by free-roaming dogs.

Managing ethical considerations around dual relationships in small rural and remote Canadian communities

Ethical guidelines for social work generally recommend avoiding dual relationships whenever possible.This study explored perspectives from Canadian social workers in remote communities, where this may not be feasible. Dual relationships in these communities were identified as ubiquitous and inevitable. Formal decision models were often overlooked in favour of an ongoing evaluation of the therapeutic relationship, and self-care related to frequent exposure to dual and multiple relationships was identified as a concern. The role of formal education and training and professional guidelines are discussed.

Sea Ice in Canada’s Arctic: Implications for Cruise Tourism

Although cruise travel to the Canadian Arctic has grown steadily since 1984, some commentators have suggested that growth in this sector of the tourism industry might accelerate, given the warming effects of climate change that are making formerly remote Canadian Arctic communities more accessible to cruise vessels. Using sea-ice charts from the Canadian Ice Service, we argue that Global Climate Model predictions of an ice-free Arctic as early as 2050–70 may lead to a false sense of optimism regarding the potential exploitation of all Canadian Arctic waters for tourism purposes. This is because climate warming is altering the character and distribution of sea ice, increasing the likelihood of hull-penetrating, high-latitude, multi-year ice that could cause major pitfalls for future navigation in some places in Arctic Canada. These changes may have negative implications for cruise tourism in the Canadian Arctic, and, in particular, for tourist transits through the Northwest Passage and High Arctic regions.

“More universal for some than others”: Canada's health care system and the role of adult education

AbstractThe literature and pan‐Canadian consultations involving adults with low literacy skills, immigrants and refugees, adults with HIV/AIDS, and those in remote Canadian communities all point to a health learning gap and a critical role for adult educators—a role that crosses all borders.

Have Communication Technologies Influenced Rural Social Work Practice?

Recent advances in communication technologies have the capacity for addressing many of the challenges identified with rural and remote social work practice, such as scarcity of professional resources, professional isolation and limited access to supervision and professional development. The purpose of this exploratory, qualitative study was to examine how developments in communication technologies have influenced the way social workers practise social work in rural and remote Canadian areas. In-depth interviews were conducted with thirty-seven clinicians. The findings suggested that having access to communication resources, such as the internet, Telehealth and Telepsychiatry, appears to be positively addressing some issues of rural and northern practice. While the role of communication technologies could be further developed as a means of addressing some of the limitations of distance and fewer professional resources in these areas, it simultaneously risks imposing an urban-centric bias upon social work practice in rural and remote communities.

Estimates of Canadian Arctic Archipelago runoff from observed hydrometric data

Summary Small basin studies in the remote Canadian Arctic Archipelago have revealed the general nature of runoff processes and the annual rhythms and magnitude of streamflow in the region, but widespread monitoring of hydrological cycle components is absent. The result is that an understanding of large scale freshwater fluxes from the Arctic Archipelago does not exist. Such understanding is important for sound domestic water management decisions and international obligations to quantify Canada’s freshwater supply to the oceans. The study summarized by this paper, initiated under the auspices of the International Polar Year, extrapolated observed streamflow attributes across the Arctic Archipelago using statistical regionalization tools. The paucity of hydrometric data necessitated the construction of a dataset, which was limited to the period from 1972 to 1994. Reliable estimates of mean May–October freshwater flux were possible from ∼70% of the Archipelago and these total ∼190 km 3 . Maximum daily runoff can be up to 13% of the total annual flux from some catchments. Flows were highest from southern Baffin Island, decreasing westward. The scarcity of data compelled an error analysis that showed average confidence intervals around constructed and regionalized data of ±123% and ±63%, respectively. Dataset construction errors were inversely related to basin area. There was no spatial pattern to the dataset construction errors, but regionalization error tended to be higher in the west. It will be argued that our community has little to no idea of the current freshwater flux from the Arctic Archipelago, or if it is changing. Much work is needed to improve these estimates, including establishing a sustainable, effective and efficient monitoring and research program of high arctic freshwater systems that can build upon the legacy of the International Polar Year.

Stakeholders’ perspectives on barriers to remote wind–diesel power plants in Canada

Canada has been experimenting with wind–diesel hybrid systems for its remote communities for over 25 years with limited success. This paper discusses the results of a year-long survey that was distributed to stakeholders in wind–diesel systems in remote Canadian communities. These stakeholders include utilities, wind energy technology manufacturers, project developers, researchers, and governments. The analysis shows that there is a strong agreement that capital and operating costs are the most significant barriers to the implementation of wind–diesel systems and that direct project financial incentives, notably production and capital cost incentives designed to reduce these costs are perceived as the most effective way to encourage development. There is a notable disagreement between utilities and governments on one hand, who are split as to the current technical viability of wind–diesel systems, and manufacturers, developers, and researchers on the other, who overwhelmingly believe that wind–diesel systems are mature enough for remote applications.

Unfriendly Architecture: Using Observations of Inuit Spatial Behavior to Design Culturally Sustaining Houses in Arctic Canada

In the decades following the Second World War, Inuit of the Canadian Arctic were introduced to Euro-Canadian architecture in communities that were scattered throughout the North. These houses, and the settlements in which they were situated, were spatially designed around Euro-Canadian concepts of family, community, economics and administrative control. Direct observations of space use by Inuit families were carried out in a remote Canadian Arctic community, and interpreted using space syntax analysis and agency theory. The results of this study indicate that the programmatic categories typically used to structure Euro-Canadian houses, such as bedrooms, kitchens, living rooms and porches, are rarely adhered to by Inuit families. While this apparent mismatch between intended versus actual uses of space may appear arbitrary, it is, in fact, systematically matched to the spatial structure of the houses they inhabit. These interpretations have important implications for the development of aboriginal housing policy in northern Canada.

Living with Diabetes on Baffin Island

The prevention and management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a concern in Inuit communities across Canada. Although Inuit living with diabetes in remote Canadian Arctic communities could help guide the development of health services, their voices have not been heard. The experiences and perceptions of Inuit themselves are often overlooked in research. In this study, Inuit living in a small rural Arctic community on Baffin Island were invited to share their experiences of living with diabetes. A qualitative multi-case study approach was taken. In-depth interviews (n=4), field observations, and informal interviews over one month in the community were used to build and contextualize the cases. In-depth interviews were transcribed, and analyzed using holistic thematic analysis and open coding. Accessibility was a concern with respect to foods, health knowledge, language interpretation and health services. In all methods of analysis, the importance of language and effective cross-cultural communication figured prominently. It was also evident that trust and rapport is crucial when discussing diabetes. There was strong interest in promoting diabetes education and prevention within the community. These findings suggest that current health education and services may not be adequate for this setting. The voices of Inuit should be integral in steering the direction of their future diabetes education and health service delivery. Focusing on language barriers may help to improve the accessibility of knowledge about diabetes and nutrition, and enhance relationships between non-Inuit health service providers and Inuit.

Living with diabetes on Baffin Island: Inuit storytellers share their experiences.

The prevention and management of Type 2 diabetes mellitus has become a concern in Inuit communities across Canada. Although Inuit living with diabetes in remote Canadian Arctic communities could help guide the development of health services, their voices have not been heard. The experiences and perceptions of Inuit themselves are often overlooked in research. In this study, Inuit living in a small rural Arctic community on Baffin Island were invited to share their experiences of living with diabetes. A qualitative multi-case study approach was taken. In-depth interviews (n=4), field observations, and informal interviews over one month in the community were used to build and contextualize the cases. In-depth interviews were transcribed, and analyzed using holistic thematic analysis and open coding. Accessibility was a concern with respect to foods, health knowledge, language interpretation and health services. In all methods of analysis, the importance of language and effective cross-cultural communication figured prominently. It was also evident that trust and rapport is crucial when discussing diabetes. There was strong interest in promoting diabetes education and prevention within the community. These findings suggest that current health education and services may not be adequate for this setting. The voices of Inuit should be integral in steering the direction of their future diabetes education and health service delivery. Focusing on language barriers may help to improve the accessibility of knowledge about diabetes and nutrition, and enhance relationships between non-Inuit health service providers and Inuit.

The utility of energy storage to improve the economics of wind–diesel power plants in Canada

Wind energy systems have been considered for Canada's remote communities in order to reduce their costs and dependence on diesel fuel to generate electricity. Given the high capital costs, low-penetration wind–diesel systems have been typically found not to be economic. High-penetration wind–diesel systems have the benefit of increased economies of scale, and displacing significant amounts of diesel fuel, but have the disadvantage of not being able to capture all of the electricity that is generated when the wind turbines operate at rated capacity. Two representative models of typical remote Canadian communities were created using HOMER, an NREL micro-power simulator to model how a generic energy storage system could help improve the economics of a high-penetration wind–diesel system. Key variables that affect the optimum system are average annual wind speed, cost of diesel fuel, installed cost of storage and a storage systems overall efficiency. At an avoided cost of diesel fuel of 0.30 $Cdn/kWh and current installed costs, wind generators are suitable in remote Canadian communities only when an average annual wind speed of at least 6.0 m/s is present. Wind energy storage systems become viable to consider when average annual wind speeds approach 7.0 m/s, if the installed cost of the storage system is less than 1000 $Cdn/kW and it is capable of achieving at least a 75% overall energy conversion efficiency. In such cases, energy storage system can enable an additional 50% of electricity from wind turbines to be delivered.

Historical Perspective of Industrial Lead Emissions to the Atmosphere from a Canadian Smelter

Dated sediment cores from four remote Canadian Shield headwater lakes, where atmospheric deposition has been the only input of anthropogenic Pb, situated along a transect extending 300 km from a nonferrous metal smelter, were analyzed for both lead concentrations and isotopic composition; porewater samples collected at the same sites were analyzed for Pb and other geochemical variables. The depth distributions of stable Pb isotope ratios show the presence of several isotopically distinct Pb types since the preindustrial period. Lead from the smelter emissions had an isotopic signature (e.g., 206Pb/207Pb approximately 0.993) that was clearly distinct from those of Pb in aerosols collected at sites remotefrom point sources in Eastern Canada (e.g., 206Pb/207Pb usually approximately 1.15-1.20) and the United States (e.g., 206Pb/207Pb usually approximately 1.15-1.22), allowing the geographical area impacted by the smelter Pb emissions to be traced. On the basis of the sediment Pb isotopic composition, it is estimated that lead from the smelter accounts for 89%, 88%, and 5-34% of the total inventory of anthropogenic Pb deposited in the sediments of lakes located 10, 25, and 150 km from the smelter, respectively; but lead from this point source was not detected in sediments of a fourth lake that is 300 km from the smelter. We also estimate that the amount of smelter-derived Pb deposited within a distance of 150 km is equivalent to 5-10% of the amount released by leaded gasoline combustion in all of Canada. Sharp decreases in the recent Pb fluxes to lake sediments indicate that the measures taken to mitigate metal emissions from the smelter were effective.

A GIS Approach for Assessing Broadband Wireless Market Potential for Rural and Remote Canadian Communities

A GIS Approach for Assessing Broadband Wireless Market Potential for Rural and Remote Canadian Communities

Spina bifida, folate metabolism, and dietary folate intake in a Northern Canadian aboriginal population

Objectives. Inhabitants of the subarctic region of the Eastern James Bay of Northern Quebec consume a diet low in folate. This is largely secondary to poor access to plant-foods and a preferred diet high in meat, fowl, and fish as in many other northern populations. Furthermore, there is a high frequency of spina bifida in the Cree of the region. It was hypothesized that genetically altered folate metabolism as well as low folate intake contributes to the high frequency of spina bifida. Methods: A casecontrol study evaluating folate metabolism and the common 677C-T polymorphism of the gene for methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) in mothers of children with spina bifida, and controls (n=23) of Cree descent from the Eastern James Bay region. These results were compared to a similar Montreal cohort (n=152) who were not of First Nations descent. Dietary intake of folate of 219 women of the Eastern James Bay region was also determined. Results: No Cree mothers of children with spina bifida were homozygous for the 677C-T polymorphism of MTHFR. Although serum cobalamin was significantly higher in Cree mothers, RBC folate was significantly lower than in the Montreal cohort. In addition, plasma homocysteine was significantly lower in the Cree. Dietary intake of folate of women in the same region was substantially lower (100 µg/day) than widely recommended daily intakes.Conclusions. In this remote Canadian aboriginal community there is no evidence of altered folate metabolism in the mothers of children with spina bifida. Nonetheless, it remains essential that culturally appropriate public health efforts be continued to increase the intake of folic acid in the hope of reducing the high frequency of spina bifida in this population.

Strategic resolution of policy, environmental and socio-economic impacts in Canadian Arctic diamond mining: BHP's NWT diamond project

BHP's Northwest Territories Diamond Project (EKATI™) illustrates how a two-step process consisting of an environmental impact assessment review followed by parallel permitting and negotiated agreements resolved an array of interdependent policy, environmental, social-impact, legal/administrative and economic issues in the remote Canadian Arctic. The process bridged problems of intercultural communications between a multinational corporation, four small Aboriginal groups and officials working in a period of transition within government. The proposal proceeded because of participants' good faith, good science, public consultation, sound process management, mitigable impacts and shrewd ministerial handling.