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Plastic contamination is commonly reported in urban and rural soils, as well as in fresh and ocean waters. Canada's government has attempted to limit the contamination of single-use plastic by banning the manufacturing and selling of specific types of plastic. In British Columbia, current regulations governing commercial composting state that when compost has less than 1% of its dry weight representing foreign materials (including plastic), it can be sold and used in soils. However, due to the low density of plastic and its potential to break down into microparticles, this amount may be enough to become toxic when used in agricultural soils. This paper studies contamination of plastic in garden soils and summarizes how this can affect the environment with a preliminary examination of a garden soil sample. The examination showed that the garden soil sample contained mainly low-density polyethylene, polyethylene and polypropylene plastics (identified through ATR-FTIR) in oxidized and unoxidized forms that can come from commercial composting and hypothesizes that this plastic could break down into microplastic particles. In order to limit the amount of plastic contamination in agricultural soils, it is necessary to modify current compost regulations in order to treat plastic differently than other foreign materials (glass, metal, wood). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper qualitatively examines "privation of inclusion" at work in the lived experiences of racialized participants hired in publicly funded places of employment. Taking the position that the dualistic inclusion-exclusion paradigm fails to capture their lived realities with inclusive exclusions and exclusive inclusions, it presents privative inclusion as a third space, between inclusion and exclusion, for a more robust framework in understanding how racialized bodies were marked and targeted for differential treatment. The paper then outlines and discusses findings as key indicators of privative mechanisms that had undermined life chances by limiting career mobility of racialized participants of this study. It concludes by emphasizing the need for additional research in this area given the salience of racism at work as well as the demographic changes that Canada is currently experiencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modular construction has become exceedingly relevant against the current scenario of increasing housing demand and can respond to this need in Canada due to its advantages of rapid construction. However, a holistic environmental sustainability framework for this construction method is still lacking. This paper proposes a hierarchical-based framework to benchmark the environmental performance of modular buildings versus conventional buildings. The framework identifies criteria and indicators affecting environmental sustainability, makes composite indicators, and establishes performance benchmarks. Based on expert survey, six criteria (construction waste management, energy performance and efficiency strategies, site disruption and appropriate strategies, renewable and environmentally preferable products, regional materials, and renewable energy use) are first identified. The related indicators and sub-indicators are combined to develop indices using Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution. Robust benchmark scales were established through application of Monte Carlo analysis on data collected through experts. Finally, the developed indices were compared against the benchmark scales at different assessment levels. The proposed framework was examined for two single-family modular buildings in British Columbia, Canada. The overall environmental performance benchmarking informs the policy makers on the usefulness of modular buildings, while the criteria-level indices direct the construction industry practitioners to improve the low performing indicators. The proposed framework will enhance the sustainability of modular and offsite construction in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Rural Surgical Obstetrical Networks (RSON) project was developed in response to the persistent attrition of rural maternity services across Canada over the past two decades. While other research has demonstrated the adverse health and psychosocial consequences of losing local maternity services, this paper explores the impact of a program designed to increase the sustainability of rural services themselves, through the funding of four "pillars": increased scope and volume, clinical coaching, continuous quality improvement (CQI) and remote presence technology. Methods: We conducted in-depth, qualitative research interviews with rural health care providers and administrators in eight rural communities across British Columbia to understand the impact of the RSON program on maternity services. Researchers used thematic analysis to generate common themes across the dataset and interpret findings. Findings: Participants articulated six themes regarding the sustainability of maternity care as actualized through the RSON project: safety and quality through quality improvement opportunities, improved access to care through increased surgical volume and OR backup, optimized team function through innovative models of care, improved infrastructure, local innovation surrounding workforce shortages, and locally tailored funding models. Conclusion: Rural maternity sites benefited from the funding offered through the RSON pillars, as demonstrated by larger volumes of local deliveries, nearly unanimous positive accounts of the interventions by health care providers, and evidence of staffing stability during the study time frame. As such, the interventions provided through the Rural Surgical Obstetrical Networks project as well as study findings on the common themes of sustainable maternity care should be considered when planning core rural health services funding schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defining the spatial distribution of geological structures and rock properties is important for understanding how fluid flow is controlled in a geothermal reservoir. Here, we present a procedure to examine the potential fluid pathways. By combining 3‐D resistivity models derived from audio‐magnetotelluric (AMT) data with available rock properties (porosity and permeability) and fluid sample data (fluid resistivity, salinity, and temperature), we investigated the relationship between electrical resistivity and fluid flow in an active volcanic system. Different petrophysical models and empirical relations are evaluated to determine the relationship between the fluid flow system at Mount Meager, British Columbia, and the resistivity model. In addition, we utilized porosity and permeability measured in the laboratory to define the porosity‐permeability relationship. The porosity of the volcanic core samples showed a range of 2.6%–23.2% and the permeability was in a range of 0.001–5,186.57 mD. The results showed the potential of 3‐D inversion of AMT data to map the fluid pathways at Mount Meager. These pathways are correlated with loss circulation zones in boreholes and can account for porosity up to 8.5%, which using the porosity‐permeability relationship translates to permeability of the order 0.249 mD. Not only are the fault and fracture zones important for reservoir exploitation, but they also provide permeability for the circulation of meteoric water. Our studies suggest that a set of fractures with 0.1 m spacing and 20 mm aperture can keep 40% fluid in pores and transmit fluid with possible permeability of 666 mD. Plain Language Summary: Geothermal is the natural heat within the Earth. Heat passes to the near‐surface by the magma intrusion into the crust and circulation of groundwater through fluid flow pathways. This paper evaluates the fluid flow pathways, structure, and physical properties beneath the Mount Meager Volcanic Complex (MMVC; Canada). The audio‐magnetotelluric (AMT) method (natural‐source electromagnetic geophysical technique) was used to produce the 3‐D resistivity model. Moreover, utilizing laboratory experiments, we modified rock‐physical and fluid chemistry relationships to focus on the MMVC rather than using relations adapted to other volcanic settings. The AMT model shows correlations between the locations of conductors and faults and suggests that faults act as flow pathways. A porosity of up to 8.5% is expected in the potential reservoir zone. By combining the resistivity model with rock and fluid properties, we mapped potential flow pathways and rock properties. Results showed that in rocks with low porosity and permeability, fractures provide the primary way of flow with porosity and permeability up to 40% and 666 mD, respectively. This project contributes to the development of conceptual models of the hydrothermal flow, which could be used to reduce the risk of future exploitation of geothermal resources. Key Points: Audio‐magnetotelluric data have been used to model the conductivity distribution beneath an active volcanic system in southwestern CanadaUtilizing 3‐D Inversion, we provide details on the structure, physical properties, and flow pathways of a volcano‐hosted geothermal systemPermeability can increase up to five orders of magnitude in fractured rocks beneath Mount Meager [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little research has been carried out on young people transitioning out of care in Canada. The objective of this paper was to describe and comment on the services provided to youth leaving care systems in Canada, with a focus on the four provinces with the largest populations (Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta). The Quebec government offers only one limited-access transition program, which has just been extended to age 25. Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta offer several transition programs, which include financial, education, and life skills components. In British Columbia, these offer support up to age 29. The 6 remaining provinces and the 3 territories offer support to a maximum age that ranges from 21 to 26. Most offer a general financial allowance, and some offer additional supports that can include a housing allowance, tuition waivers, and job training. British Columbia and Ontario offer the most supports, including medical assistance, tuition waivers, and mental health supports. Research is needed to find out which supports are most beneficial, and under which circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper responds to the call to explore pedagogical relations and dialogues in considering how to create climate pedagogies that are responsive, dynamic, and transformative in thinking about human and nonhuman relations. Using the lens of entanglement, the paper attempts to bring into dialogue children's rights and more-than-human ways of thinking to understand what, if any, commonalities lie in these two projects and whether and how a rights-respecting approach can be productively reconfigured in envisaging a dynamic climate pedagogy. It considers several tensions that arise from this entangled dialogue to probe both the overlaps and points of incommensurability in the two approaches. This includes viewing asymmetrical power and logics of coloniality that assert themselves through rights discourses and rights-based techniques based in an Anglo-Eurocentric worldview that narrowly defines who is included in the "human" of human rights. To illustrate these entanglements, the paper draws on a child/youth-led and child/youth-driven participatory model called Shaking the Movers (STM) created in 2007 by the Landon Pearson Centre and used with youth as well as with children in early childhood and other settings across Canada each year. The model aims to enable children's civil and political rights. Shaking the Movers was used as the framework for a workshop held in Williams Lake, British Columbia in 2017. The workshop serves as a case study in this paper to illustrate some of the entanglements that arise in practice when considering rights-respecting and more-than-human approaches. The analysis draws on scholarship from several disciplinary locations, including Stuart Aitken's critical childhood concept of the post-child, Veronica Pacini-Ketchabaw and Affrica Taylors notion of agency as not exclusively human and conceived as collective rather than an outcome of individual intent, and Shenila Khoja-Mooljis analysis of an ethic of interdependency and alliance when understanding human rights in context. Each of these perspectives informs a contemplation of how to reconfigure the Shaking the Movers model amplify its strengths. The paper concludes with thoughts on the ways entanglements create a productive space both for bringing together a more-than-human and rights-respecting approach to attend to actions emanating from the margins and for invigorating and understanding how to meaningfully engage children located in interconnected and interdependent worlds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the energy performance of existing residential buildings (ERB) has been identified as key to improving building energy efficiency and reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. However, identifying optimal retrofit packages requires a significant amount of knowledge of building energy modelling, and it is a time-consuming and laborious process. This paper proposed a data-driven framework that combines machine learning, multi-objective optimization, and multi-criteria decision-making techniques to evaluate the energy performance of ERB and thereby formulate optimal retrofit plans. First, an artificial neural network (ANN) was developed to predict the energy performance of a wide range of retrofit packages. A genetic algorithm was employed to determine the best structure and hyperparameters of the ANN model. Then, the energy consumption results were integrated with environmental and economic impact data to evaluate the environmental and economic performance of retrofit packages and thereby identify Pareto optimal solutions. Finally, a multi-criteria decision-making method was used to select the best retrofit packages among the optimal solutions. The proposed framework was validated using data on a typical residential building in British Columbia, Canada. The results indicated that this framework could effectively predict building energy performance and help decision-makers to make an optimal decision when choosing retrofit packages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on research findings from a cross-sectional survey with 143 primarily Mexican migrant agricultural worker respondents in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Participants reported high rates of experiences of threats and violence by employers, limited faith in the follow-through of both Canadian and country-of-origin authorities when reporting concerns, and a unanimous lack of knowledge in how to file a claim of a legal matter (e.g., housing, human rights violation). Most participants also reported that they believed they would receive poorer health care in relation to their Canadian counterparts and that their privacy would not be protected. While certain indicators, such as knowledge of resources for transportation, translation, and legal advocacy were higher than previous research would suggest, most participants did not feel confident that more serious issues would be addressed if they sought help. Our results suggest migrant workers in BC report similar, or even higher, rates of experiences and expectations of poor social support, legal protection, and health care in comparison to prior research in this region and elsewhere. While further research would be required to confirm this hypothesis, the impact of COVID-19 on this population is undeniable. Our findings highlight the need for greater regional and provincial commitments to fund targeted services for migrant agricultural workers that address the unique barriers they face. Additionally, greater attention and funding must be dedicated to supporting this population to navigate and access services that already exist. Together, dedicated initiatives could make a major difference for this workforce. Federal investments in support services of this nature would ensure the sustainability of such efforts. In addition, reforms to temporary migrant agricultural programs, such as open work permits and immediate access to permanent residence, would better afford workers opportunities to access the rights and protections that are currently out of reach for many. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Advance care planning (ACP) is a process which enables patients to communicate wishes, values, fears, and preferences for future medical care. Despite patient interest in ACP, the frequency of discussions remains low. Barriers to ACP may be mitigated by involving non-physician clinic staff, preparing patients ahead of visits, and using tools to structure visits. An ACP care pathway incorporating these principles was implemented in longitudinal generalist outpatient care, including primary care/family medicine and general internal medicine, in two Canadian provinces. This study aims to understand clinician experiences implementing the pathway. Methods: The pathway was implemented in one family practice in Alberta, two family practices in British Columbia (BC), and one BC internal medicine outpatient clinic. Physicians and allied health professionals delivered structured pathway visits based on the Serious Illness Conversation Guide. Twelve physicians and one social worker participated in interviews or focus groups at the end of the study period. Qualitative data were coded inductively using an iterative approach, with regular meetings between coders. Results: Clinicians described experiences with the ACP care pathway, impact at the clinician level, and impact at the patient level. Within each domain, clinicians described barriers and facilitators experienced during implementation. Clinicians also reflected candidly about potential for future implementation and the sustainability of the pathway. Conclusions: While the pathway was implemented slightly differently between provinces, core experiences were that implementation of the pathway, and integration with current practice, were feasible. Across settings, similar themes recurred regarding usefulness of the pathway structure and its tools, impact on clinician confidence and interactions with patients, teamwork and task delegation, compatibility with existing workflow, and patient preparation and readiness. Clinicians were supportive of ACP and of the pathway. Trial registration: The study was prospectively registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03508557). Registered April 25, 2018. https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03508557. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food systems are complex and multifaceted, comprising a diverse range of actors, processes, and interactions. Participatory system mapping can be employed to help understand this complexity and support the development of sustainable and resilient food systems. This article shares a participatory mapping approach that has been developed as part of the Climate–Biodiversity–Health (CBH) Nexus project in the Comox Valley, British Columbia, Canada. This research pursues two main aims: (1) to ground truth in the CBH system map of food systems, developed with the participation of stakeholders; and (2) to explain how participatory system mapping can be employed to clarify the complexity of food systems in a clear and concise manner for all stakeholders. This research contributes to the literature on participatory system mapping, including critiques of its practical utility, by employing participatory approaches to visualize multi-dimensional and multi-level system maps with an emphasis on verifying that they are clear, understandable/useful, and reliable for diverse stakeholder audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate gastrointestinal (GI)‐related physician visits and drug dispensations in the 5 years preceding a first recorded demyelinating event or multiple sclerosis (MS) onset. Methods: Using linked administrative and clinical data from British Columbia (1996–2013), Canada, we identified an administrative cohort via a validated algorithm (n = 6863), a clinical cohort diagnosed at a MS clinic (n = 966), and matched controls (administrative cohort: n = 31,865; clinical cohort: n = 4534). In each cohort, the 5 years before a first demyelinating event or MS symptom onset (i.e., index date) were examined. We compared rates of GI‐related physician visits and risk of ≥1 GI‐related dispensation between MS cases and controls using negative binomial and robust Poisson models. Sex differences were tested using interaction terms. Results: The administrative cohort MS cases had higher rates of physician visits related to gastritis and duodenitis (adjusted rate/risk ratio (aRR):1.42, 95% CI: 1.10–1.83) and diseases of the esophagus (aRR: 1.46, 95% CI: 1.06–2.02) prior to the index date. MS cases also had greater risk of at least one dispensation for several drug classes, including constipation‐related (aRR: 1.82, 95% CI: 1.50–2.22), antiemetics/antinauseants (aRR: 1.64, 95% CI: 1.43–1.89), and propulsives (promotility drugs; aRR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.47–1.79). Men had a disproportionally higher relative risk for propulsives than women (aRR: men = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.79–3.00; women = 1.54, 95% CI: 1.36–1.72). Several findings were similar in the smaller clinical cohort though none reached statistical significance. Interpretation: GI‐related physician visits and drug dispensations were more common in the 5 years before the first demyelinating event versus matched controls. GI symptoms are a measurable feature of the prodromal or early phase of MS, with a sex difference evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Accurate estimation of mineral composition is essential for refined reservoir characterization, thermal conductivity and mechanical determinations of sedimentary rocks, but is extremely challenging in shale units due to the mineralogical complexity, low porosity and ultra‐low permeability. Direct mineral measurements derived from laboratory X‐ray diffraction (XRD) analysis on core samples and borehole geochemical logging tool (GLT), and conventional geophysical logs from vertical wells penetrating sediments are widely available in some basins, which enables detailed mineralogical characterization of a well. A hybrid machine learning (ML) architecture that improves model training and validation by combining convolutional neural network (CNN) with XGBoost allows accurate description of the mineralogical compositions across a basin. We applied this ML approach to predict the mineral compositions using conventional well logs from the Horn River Basin, northeast British Columbia, Canada, where extensive drilling for shale‐gas and conventional hydrocarbon resources, complemented by high temperature geothermal energy potential is ideal for case testing. The predicted mineral compositions from the ML approach are consistent with the mineralogical readings from the GLT and are confirmed by the XRD mineral measurements. This allows basin‐wide mineral compositions mapping that reveals spatial trends of major mineral compositions and their relationship with the previously recognized geomechanical and geological features, which have important implications for thermal conductivity modeling, reservoir evaluation and extensive geological studies. Key Points: A hybrid machine learning approach is applied to develop log‐mineral models for mineralogy characterization using geophysical well logsThe model‐predicted major mineral compositions are consistent with the mineral data from geochemical logging tool and XRD analysisThe Horn River Group shale is dominated by quartz, clay, and carbonate and shows great variability among the three formations in the basin [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storm surges and waves are key climate-driven parameters affecting the design and operation of ports and other infrastructure on the coast. Reliable predictions of future storm surges and waves are not yet available for the west coast of Canada, and this data gap hinders effective climate risk assessment, planning and adaptation. This paper presents numerical simulations of storm surges and waves in British Columbia coastal waters under a future climate (Representative Concentration Pathway) scenario (RCP8.5). The numerical models were first forced by wind and surface pressure fields from the ERA-5 global reanalysis, and calibrated and validated using historical wave and water level records. The models were then driven by atmospheric data from four regional climate models (RCMs) to investigate potential changes in the frequency and magnitude of storm surges and extreme waves over the 21st century. The model outputs were analyzed to determine the potential impacts of climate change on storm surges and wave effects at key ports and transportation assets in western Canada. The study is the first of its kind to utilize unstructured, computational models to simulate storm surges and waves for the entire western Canada coastal region, while maintaining the high spatial resolution in coastal sub-basins needed to capture local dynamic responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLWH) and/or who inject drugs may experience lower vaccine effectiveness (VE) against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection. Methods: A validated algorithm was applied to population‐based, linked administrative datasets in the British Columbia COVID‐19 Cohort (BCC19C) to ascertain HIV status and create a population of PLWH and matched HIV‐negative individuals. The study population was limited to individuals who received an RT‐PCR laboratory test for SARS‐CoV‐2 between 15 December 2020 and 21 November 2021 in BC, Canada. Any history of injection drug use (IDU) was ascertained using a validated administrative algorithm. We used a test‐negative study design (modified case−control analysis) and multivariable logistic regression to estimate adjusted VE by HIV status and history of IDU. Results: Our analysis included 2700 PLWH and a matched population of 375,043 HIV‐negative individuals, among whom there were 351 and 103,049 SARS‐CoV‐2 cases, respectively. The proportion of people with IDU history was much higher among PLWH compared to HIV‐negative individuals (40.7% vs. 4.3%). Overall VE during the first 6 months after second dose was lower among PLWH with IDU history (65.8%, 95% CI = 43.5–79.3) than PLWH with no IDU history (80.3%, 95% CI = 62.7–89.6), and VE was particularly low at 4–6 months (42.4%, 95% CI = −17.8 to 71.8 with IDU history vs. 64.0%; 95% CI = 15.7–84.7 without), although confidence intervals were wide. In contrast, overall VE was 88.6% (95% CI = 88.2–89.0) in the matched HIV‐negative population with no history of IDU and remained relatively high at 4–6 months after second dose (84.6%, 95% CI = 83.8–85.4). Despite different patterns of vaccine protection by HIV status and IDU history, peak estimates were similar (≥88%) across all populations. Conclusions: PLWH with a history of IDU may experience lower VE against COVID‐19 infection, although findings were limited by a small sample size. The lower VE at 4–6 months may have implications for booster dose prioritization for PLWH and people who inject drugs. The immunocompromising effect of HIV, substance use and/or co‐occurring comorbidities may partly explain these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately impacted long-term care and assisted living (LTC/AL) facilities in Canada, where infection prevention and control (IPAC) programs had been suboptimal. We aimed to identify barriers affecting healthcare workers' (HCW) adherence to IPAC practices during the pandemic in British Columbia in LTC/AL compared to acute care settings. Methods: We conducted a web-based survey of direct care providers and IPAC professionals across BC from August to September 2021, focused on knowledge and attitudes toward IPAC within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and barriers that affected respondents' abilities to follow IPAC practices throughout the pandemic. Results: The final analysis included 896 acute care respondents and 441 from LTC/AL. More LTC/AL respondents reported experiencing the following barriers: following IPAC guidance was of lower priority compared to other tasks (29.1% vs. 14.7%, FDR = 0.001) and not their responsibility (28.0% vs. 11.2%, FDR = 0.001); limited supplies for personal protective equipment (PPE) (49.0% vs. 33.6%, FDR = 0.001), hand hygiene products (42.2% vs. 28.8%, FDR = 0.001), and cleaning/disinfection products (44.1% vs. 30.3%, FDR = 0.001); deficits in IPAC leadership support (46.2% vs. 38.9%, FDR = 0.012), IPAC education and training (46.9% vs. 32.0%, FDR = 0.001), and patient care knowledge for managing COVID-19 infections (46.6% vs. 36.0%, FDR = 0.001). Conclusions: This survey found that barriers to HCWs' adherence to IPAC practices during the COVID-19 pandemic were different in LTC/AL settings compared to acute care. Improvement efforts should focus on strengthening IPAC programs in LTC/AL, particularly enhanced IPAC staffing/leadership, increased training and education, and improving access to PPE, hand hygiene, and cleaning products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sustainability in agriculture is a key component of discussions to address the current climate crisis; unfortunately, many people (including researchers) presume that only certain types of agriculture (e.g., organic, local) are environmentally sustainable. Non-farmers also fail to acknowledge that many farm practices, including grazing animals, mitigate climate change. Farmers' perceptions about environmental sustainability are important because their livelihoods, and those of future generations, depend on their commitment to sustainable environmental practices. The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand Canadian farmers' perceptions of environmental sustainability, how they are implementing strategies that contribute to sustainable food production, and the challenges they face. Fifty-two farmers, representing 48 farms and over 1000 years of farming experience, participated in comprehensive in-depth interviews. Four farms were in British Columbia; 13 in the Prairies; 26 in Central Canada; and five in Eastern Canada. A wide variety of farm types (e.g., fruit/vegetables, livestock, grains) and sizes (2 to 6500 acres) were included in the study. Farmers' perceptions of environmental sustainability coalesced into four main themes: (1) definitions of sustainability and environmental sustainability, (2) current practices, (3) farming as an identity, and (4) challenges. Many participants explained that they already use sustainable practices and technology, contrary to prevailing opinion that entire food systems need to be transformed to be sustainable. As new agricultural policies and educational curricula are developed, information provided to students, policy makers, and the public must be accurate, balanced, evidence-based, and respectfully consider all perspectives, especially those of farmers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite studies associating Fusarium spp. with grapevine decline since late 1970s, no consensus has been reached regarding the roles these fungi play in grapevine health. Recent studies in British Columbia, Canada, assessed prevalence of grapevine trunk diseases (GTDs) in young and mature vineyards, and the presence of GTD fungi in ready-to-plant nursery material sold in Canada. This study characterized the Fusarium spp. isolated from grapevines in BC by sequencing part of the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (TEF1) gene, and carried out pathogenicity studies to determine whether Fusarium plays a role in grapevine decline. Fusarium spp. were isolated from 9.8% of samples collected from young vines (≤ 8-year-old), and 7.3% from mature vines (> 8-year-old), showing decline symptoms in commercial vineyards. Fusarium was also isolated from 43.9% of ready-to-plant dormant grapevines analyzed from four nurseries. Fusarium incidence varied between plants within the same nursery and between plants from the different nurseries. DNA sequences of TEF1 allowed identification of Fusarium oxysporum, F. proliferatum, F. ramigenum, and a Fusarium sp. Pathogenicity studies were conducted in 1-year-old dormant rooted ‘Chardonnay’ plants grafted onto ‘3309C’ rootstock, and treatments included: i) whole plant, ii) trimming of roots, iii) cut at rootstock basal ends, and iv) trimming of roots plus cut at rootstock basal ends. Plants were inoculated using standardized methods, and were then planted in a greenhouse. Fusarium was compared with Dactylonectria macrodidyma, D. pauciseptata and Ilyonectria liriodendri used as positive controls. The Fusarium spp. caused necroses in rootstock roots and basal ends that were similar to those caused by blackfoot fungi. Fusarium spp. and black-foot fungi reduced root and shoot dry weights when compared with non-inoculated controls, but no statistically significant differences were recorded for most treatments. This study is the first in Canada to identify Fusarium spp. from grapevines. Though Fusarium was common in these grapevines, pathogenicity tests suggest that the identified Fusarium spp. were weakly pathogenic to ‘3309C’ rootstock grapevines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental impact assessments (EIAs) include economic benefit predictions that influence whether project proposals proceed to the construction and operational phases of development. Decision-makers often reason these benefits outweigh the potential adverse effects to environmental and social valued components, e.g. endangered species. But rarely are the economic impacts monitored and audited. This paper evaluates predicted and actual economic benefits through a predictive audit of three coal mines in the critical habitat of endangered caribou in British Columbia, Canada. Based on data collected from publicly available documents, including financial reporting, we compare the predicted employment and corporate tax revenue against the projects' actual performance for these two indicators. Economic impacts were significantly overestimated for both indicators: only 59% of forecasted employment and 34% of forecasted tax revenue materialized. The results challenge the credibility of trade-off analyses that underpin rationales for these project approvals and more broadly raise questions about the confidence and uncertainty of economic predictions in other EIAs and decision rationales. The study echoes existing calls for rigorous economic follow-up and demonstrates the critical role of predictive audits in that undertaking. • We undertake a predictive audit of three coal mines in BC, Canada. • We audit two direct economic benefit indicators: employment and corporate tax revenue. • Both indicators were significantly overstated in the mines' EIAs. • The mines' regulatory approval rested on inaccurately predicted trade-offs. • Predictive audits are crucial to assess the credibility of trade-off analyses in EIAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This community-based research examines the impact of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on service provision to people experiencing homelessness and concurrent disorders (PEHCD) in British Columbia, Canada. Using mixed methods, 119 service providers from across BC participated in a survey, and of those, 25 participated in semi-structured interviews. Several gaps emerged in service delivery to PEHCD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite these challenges, service providers adapted to support their clients' needs, which included supporting new and expanding service groups: (a) people who were experiencing homelessness for the first time due to pandemicrelated job loss, (b) people who receive low incomes and are experiencing food insecurity, (c) more complex mental health needs, (d) seniors, (e) youth/students, and (f) family members fleeing violence in the home (e.g., intimate partner violence and child abuse). In the absence of Point-in-Time Counts in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic as per physical distancing protocols, this data on new and expanding service groups highlights the critical need to embed considerations for social vulnerabilities and secondary impacts into pandemic planning and response efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Appropriate health services and health promotion strategies for young people with mental health and substance use (MHSU) concerns are critical for recovery. Foundry, an integrated youth services (IYS) initiative for young people ages 12-24 in British Columbia (BC), Canada, has recently added leisure and recreational activities (referred to as the Wellness Program) into its services. The objectives of this study were to: (1) describe how the Wellness Program was implemented over a two-year period into IYS (2) provide an overview of what the Wellness Program is, who accessed the program since inception and initial evaluation results. Methods: This study was part of the developmental evaluation of Foundry. A phased approach was used to implement the program at nine centres. Data was accessed from Foundry's centralized platform 'Toolbox' and included activity type, number of unique youth and visits, additional services sought, information about how youth found out about the centre, and demographics. Qualitative data was also accessed from focus groups (n=2) conducted with young people (n=9). Results: Over the two-year period, 355 unique youth accessed the Wellness Program, with 1319 unique visits. Almost half (40%) of youth identified the Wellness Program as the first point of access to Foundry. A total of 384 different programs were offered targeting five wellness domains (physical, mental/emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive/intellectual). The majority of youth identified as young girls/women (58.2%), 22.6% as gender diverse, and 19.2% as young men/boys. The mean age was 19 years, and most participants were between the ages of 19-24 years (43.6%). From the thematic analysis of focus groups, we found young people enjoyed the social aspect of the program with peers and facilitators, and identified program improvements that are being considered as the program grows. Conclusions: This study provides insight into the development and implementation of leisure-based activities (known as the Wellness Program) into IYS and can be used as a guide by international IYS initiatives. The initial reach of programs over two years is promising, and these programs are acting as a potential gateway for young people to access other health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromazolam is a designer benzodiazepine that was first detected in British Columbia in January 2021. Postmortem cases were analyzed using a comprehensive blood drug screening procedure by liquid chromatography–high-resolution mass spectrometry before being retrospectively analyzed using an in-house novel psychoactive substances data processing method. Bromazolam was detected in 41 postmortem cases in 2021 and quantitatively confirmed by standard addition, using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. The mean bromazolam concentration observed was 11.4 ± 53.7 ng/mL (median concentration: 1.6 ng/mL), with a range from 0.5 to 319.3 ng/mL and the majority of cases co-occurring with fentanyl. These low concentrations may be indicative of a presumed enhancement of opioid effects, rather than being used as a stand-alone drug. Bromazolam was always detected with opioids (fentanyl and carfentanil), stimulants (methamphetamine) and/or other benzodiazepines (etizolam and flualprazolam). To our knowledge, this is the first report to provide concentrations of bromazolam in postmortem blood samples in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Holocene Wolfenden tufa deposit in south‐eastern British Columbia, western Canada, preserves a unique record of the earliest stages of calcium carbonate deposition resulting from microbial extracellular polymeric substances‐mediated precipitation of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) with partial transformation to monohydrocalcite (MHC) and subsequently to nanocrystalline calcite. This is the first documentation of tufa mineralogy involving ACC transformation to MHC. Progressive dehydration triggered ACC–MHC–nanocrystalline calcite transformations on bryophytes, algae and cyanobacteria sheaths. The adsorption of extracellular polymeric substances matrix molecules into the ACC and ACC–MHC structures preserved polymorph mineralogy of incomplete transformation. Unusual concentrations of biofilm extracellular polymeric substances filaments provided nucleation sites for the ACC precipitation. The ACC nucleation calcified extracellular polymeric substances filaments and resulted in partially coalesced arrays of nanoscale ACC spheroids. Mesocrystalline structures of MHC reconfigured the concentric growth layers of ACC precipitate with bulbous ACC–MHC protuberances. Nanocrystalline rhombic faces of calcite developed within and on the surfaces of the ACC–MHC protuberances. Dehydration of these concentric growth layers of ACC–MHC resulted in the transformation into nanocrystalline calcite with substrates coalesced into micrite fabrics. Recrystallisation obliterated evidence of the calcified extracellular polymeric substances filaments and resulted in microcrystalline calcite spar domains as the widespread encrustation fabric. Localised magnesium adsorption during nucleation of the ACC within the biofilms resulted in needle calcite crystals without the precursor ACC–MHC transformation process. Microbial extracellular polymeric substances‐mediated precipitation of ACC as a necessarily critical step in the earliest phase of the tufa deposition process, leading to the nucleation of calcite has been underappreciated and generally not considered. These earliest stages of calcium carbonate precipitation are proposed as a possible template for other tufa deposits, where the evidence of microbial extracellular polymeric substances‐mediated precipitation of ACC with transformation to MHC and subsequently to nanocrystalline calcite has been obscured by recrystallisation into micrite and spar fabrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigated agriculture in semi-arid regions is expected to increase in the future, which puts greater demands on scarce water resources. Sustainable irrigation strategies in semi-arid regions will support agricultural resilience to climatic change. The response of "Sweetheart"/Mazzard sweet cherry trees (Prunus avium L.) to postharvest deficit irrigation (PDI), as a water conservation method, was studied over three seasons (2019–2022) in the semi-arid Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, at five commercial orchards. The following irrigation treatments were applied; (i) a control of full irrigation, irrigated according to conventional growers' practice at each orchard, (ii) PDI-30: 27%–33% reduction in irrigation volume, after harvest (67%–73% of control), and (iii) PDI-50: 47%–52% reduction in irrigation volume, after harvest (48–53% of control). Spring phenology (the timing of flower bud development, from side green to full bloom), flower bud moisture content and cold hardiness, and fruit yield and quality (before and after cold storage and shelf-life conditions) were assessed to determine if PDI altered fruit development over the subsequent growing season. Neither PDI-30 nor PDI-50 caused changes in the timing of flower bud phenology, cold hardiness or moisture content relative to the control. PDI treatments also had no effect on fruit yield or fruit quality at harvest or after storage and shelf-life conditions. These results suggest PDI could be used to reduce irrigation water use in semi-arid regions, like the Okanagan Valley, without affecting sweet cherry production or fruit quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unusually intense atmospheric river affected the southern coastal region of British Columbia in mid-November 2021. Flooding and several ground failures such as landslides and riverbank erosion caused significant damage and interrupted the main transportation corridors, including major highways and railroads, severing land connectivity between Metro Vancouver and the rest of Canada. In this short note, we summarize and describe slope and riverbank ground failures in the Lower Mainland and connecting corridors to the interior such as the Fraser Canyon and the Coquihalla Valley, with focus on those that produced damage on highways. Field observations are discussed in the context of potential future similar disasters in the region due to more frequent extreme climatic events associated with climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article reports on the findings of a larger study that explored urban Indigenous providers' experiences with contracting in mental health and addictions care. The study was undertaken with seven Indigenous and one non-Indigenous non-profit organizations based in diverse large and mid-size cities (off reserve) in British Columbia, Canada. Indigenous and critical theoretical perspectives provided the lens for this ethnographic inquiry. In-depth interviews were the primary data source. Participants' narratives provide an account of the ideological embeddedness of contracting and how a New Public Management operates to perpetuate colonial power imbalances and structural barriers to culturally safe and equity-oriented care within urban Indigenous communities. Policy and practice implications for government funders are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Geographer is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Research has shown that refugees in a foreign country often experience physical and mental health challenges upon resettlement (Ahmad et al., 2021; Salam et al., 2022). In Canada, refugee women experience a range of physical and mental barriers, including poor access to interpreter services and transportation, and a lack of accessible childcare, all of which can negatively affect their successful integration (Stirling Cameron et al., 2022). Social factors that support Syrian refugees to settle successfully in Canada have been unexplored systematically. This study examines these factors from the perspectives of Syrian refugee mothers living in the province of British Columbia (BC). Framed by principles of intersectionality and community-based participatory action research (PAR), the study draws on Syrian mothers' perspectives of social support in early, middle, and later phases of resettlement. A qualitative longitudinal design consisting of a sociodemographic survey, personal diaries, and in-depth interviews was used to gather information. Descriptive data were coded, and theme categories were assigned. Six themes emerged from data analysis: (1) Steps in the Migration Journey; (2) Pathways to Integrated Care; (3) Social Determinants of Refugee Health; (4) COVID-19 Pandemic Impacts and Ongoing Resettlement; (5) Strength-Based Capabilities of Syrian mothers; (6) Peer Research Assistant's Research (PRAs) Experience. Results from themes 5 and 6 are published separately. Data obtained in this study contribute to the development of support services that are culturally appropriate and accessible to refugee women living in BC. Our objectives are to promote the mental health and improve the quality of life of this female population, and to enable it to access healthcare services and resources in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A growing body of research has focused on contextual factors that shape health and well-being of people who use drugs (PWUD). However, most of this research focuses on large cities and less is known about the effects of social and structural contexts on drug use and associated risks in rural Canadian settings. Therefore, we undertook this study to examine rural-specific contextual factors that affect the day-to-day experiences of PWUD. Methods: Twenty-seven qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with PWUD in a rural and coastal setting in British Columbia, Canada. Participants had to be ≥ 19 years old, used illegal opioids and/or stimulants regularly, and lived in the qathet region. Interview transcripts were coded based on themes identified by the research team. Results: Participants described progressive shifts in politics and culture in the qathet region while also identifying resource scarcity, homelessness, and changes in the drug supply, where illicit drug contents have become highly toxic and unpredictable. Participants discussed the qualities of a small community where everyone knows each other and there is a lack of privacy and confidentiality around drug use, which resulted in experiences of stigma, discrimination, and surveillance. Participants also reported rural-specific policing issues and experiences of surveillance on ferries when traveling to larger cities to purchase drugs. This led to significantly higher drug prices for PWUD due to the time dedication and criminalized risks associated with drug possession and trafficking. Conclusions: Our findings illustrate the unique experiences faced by PWUD in a rural and coastal setting. The "goldfish bowl" effect in this rural community created heightened social and structural surveillance of PWUD, which led to a variety of negative consequences. There is a clear need for interventions to address the larger contextual drivers affecting people who use drugs in rural settings, including decriminalization and peer-led anti-stigma strategies, in order to improve the lives of PWUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study is to address the health beliefs and health behavior of Chinese immigrants residing in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia (BC) Province in Canada. This article discussed Chinese immigrants' traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use, health beliefs, and health behaviors. Methods: Information used in this study is based on data collected in the Chinese-speaking community in the Greater Vancouver area of BC in 2020–2022. Quantitative and qualitative methods were applied to this study. The first stage recruited 314 participants for the quantitative study to cross-validate an instrument tool, followed by the 2nd stage of 20 stratified random sampling out of the 314 participants for TCM-related in-depth qualitative interviews. This study focuses on the second stage of TCM qualitative interviews. Results: Results indicated that TCM health beliefs have cultural and spiritual meanings tied to the Chinese-speaking participants. There are barriers for the Chinese-speaking population to access the existing healthcare services due to their TCM health beliefs and other health needs, for example, family doctors, integrated medicine for better health outcomes, and mental health services especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Conclusion: Integrating TCM health beliefs and behaviors of Chinese-speaking immigrants into existing Canadian mainstream health services are strongly recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persons with disability (PWD) experience disproportionately high poverty rates in Canada. This trend is apparent especially among youth compared to those who develop disabilities later in life. PWD in poverty have additional needs that increase barriers to full participation in society and translate to higher basic costs for daily living. Despite the existence of income assistance programs in Canada to mitigate income inequalities faced by PWDs, access to these programs can be limited. Objective: To describe use of income assistance for young adults with disability in British Columbia for the development of potential approaches to improve realized access to these programs. Methods: We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using British Columbia linked administrative data. We described differences in income assistance use among PWD by the level of special education funding received during primary school education (from most to least; Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, Unfunded, and no special education) and family composition. We also provided longitudinal patterns of income assistance use. Results: Of 218,324 young adults, 88% received no special education, 0.1% used Level One, 1.6% used Level Two, 2.9% used Level Three, and 7.1% used Unfunded special education coding. Young adults with Level One special education funding had the highest rates of hospitalizations and continuing care, with no hospitalization due to homelessness. Those with Level Three special education coding had higher rates of hospitalization and hospitalization due to homelessness than Level Two young adults. When transitioning to adulthood initially, Level One and Two funded individuals used relatively more disability income assistance than individuals from the other funding levels. Nearly all BCEA users with higher funded special education codes used this disability-specific program, while lesser funded special education codes used the Temporary Assistance more frequently, for a longer duration and were more likely to be persistent Temporary Assistance users. Conclusions: Sustainable and reliable access to income assistance programs remains an issue across the heterogeneity of needs faced by young adults with disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of overdose deaths in British Columbia (BC) occur among people using illicit substances alone in private residences. Some supportive housing in BC includes on-site access to a variety of health and substance use-related services. More recently, a number of supportive housing locations have started offering prescribed safer supply medications to people at high overdose risk, though these remain limited and under-evaluated. In this study, we describe the drug use practices - including access to and use of on-site supervised consumption, OAT, and prescribed safer supply medications - of study participants living in permanent supportive housing with integrated primary care, substance use treatment services, and supervised consumption spaces. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 30 residents of a permanent supportive housing site in Vancouver, Canada. Data were analyzed using a sequential process to identify both a priori (e.g., low-barrier substance use treatment, pandemic effects on service access) and emerging themes (e.g., using alone). Most (N = 27) study participants reported using alone in their rooms, despite having access to an on-site supervised consumption area. Reasons for using alone include the following: preference for being alone, discretion/stigma, and restrictive housing policies. Less than half (N = 12) of the study participants accessed on-site prescribed safer supply medications. Participants receiving on-site prescribed safer supply described positive benefits including reduced use of illicit opioids, and less reliance on illicit income generation activities. On-site prescribed safer supply programs within supportive housing environments are an important tool in addressing overdose risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We, the Haíłzaqv, Kitasoo Xai'xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv First Nations, are the traditional stewards of our territories in the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Our traditional laws obligate us to manage and protect our territories for current and future generations. Spatial management is inherent to our cultures through the Hereditary Chief governance system, in which specific people within a lineage inherit the rights and responsibilities for stewarding specific areas.Since the 19th century, we have been experiencing cultural disruptions caused by settler colonialism, which are now worsened by the declines of marine species vital to our cultures. These declines reflect fishery impacts exacerbated by climate change.Western fisheries management focuses on maximum sustained yields (MSY), ignoring body size declines that disrupt food webs and diminish population productivity for vertebrate and invertebrate taxa, thereby eroding resilience to climate change. The worldview encompassed by the MSY framework—take the most that you can without compromising future exploitation while assuming no environmental change—is the antithesis of ours—take only what you need and leave lots for the ecosystem. Furthermore, standard stock assessments do not account for uncertainties inherent to climate change effects on distributions and productivity, and many by‐catch species are unassessed.Consistent with our traditional knowledge, scientific evidence indicates that marine protected areas (MPAs), coupled with other measures to reduce fishing mortality, can restore exploited species, safeguard biodiversity and contribute to fisheries sustainability.In the 2000s, we paired Indigenous knowledge and Western science to develop marine spatial plans. These plans are foundational in our contribution to the ongoing development of the Marine Protected Area Network for Canada's Northern Shelf Bioregion (MPAN‐NSB), for which we are co‐governance partners with 14 other First Nations and the governments of Canada and British Columbia.Our proposed spatial protections for the MPAN‐NSB encompass areas important to many exploited taxa and to corals, sponges, eelgrass beds and other carbon stores. Their implementation would fill conservation gaps which have persisted under current fishery management.Given our history of spatial management through the Hereditary Chief governance system, the MPAN‐NSB is a culturally appropriate way forward for marine conservation in our territories. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I modify a cournot oligopoly model to examine the effect of pipeline capacity constraints on regional wholesale gasoline prices. The model includes a discontinuous supply function for a common input (transportation) with a constrained low-cost mode (pipelines) and an unconstrained higher cost mode (rail, truck or barge). The equilibrium outcome demonstrates a piecewise linear relationship between the low-cost capacity constraint and the equilibrium price. The shape of the transportation supply curve is also shown to affect the relationship between firm average marginal costs and the equilibrium price. I also present a test of the model's implications, demonstrating that it is able to explain a recent pronounced increase in wholesale gasoline prices for cities in British Columbia Canada. While the exercise is motivated by a specific market, the model and its implications apply to a broad set of discussions on inter-regional arbitrage in the context of imperfect competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Improving health services integration through primary health care (PHC) teams for patients with chronic conditions is essential to address their complex health needs and facilitate better health outcomes. The objective of this study was to explore if and how patients, family members, and caregivers were engaged or wanted to be engaged in developing, implementing and evaluating health policies related to PHC teams. This patient‐oriented research was carried out in three provinces across Canada: British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario. Methods: A total of 29 semi‐structured interviews with patients were conducted across the three provinces and data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Three key themes were identified: motivation for policy engagement, experiences with policy engagement and barriers to engagement in policy. The majority of participants in the study wanted to be engaged in policy processes and advocate for integrated care through PHC teams. Barriers to patient engagement in policy, such as lack of opportunities for engagement, power imbalances, tokenism, lack of accessibility of engagement opportunities and experiences of racism and discrimination were also identified. Conclusion: This study increases the understanding of patient, family member, and caregiver engagement in policy related to PHC team integration and the barriers that currently exist in this engagement process. This information can be used to guide decision‐makers on how to improve the delivery of integrated health services through PHC teams and enhance patient, family member, and caregiver engagement in PHC policy. Patient or Public Contribution: We would like to acknowledge the contributions of our patient partners, Brenda Jagroop and Judy Birdsell, who assisted with developing and pilot testing the interview guide. Judy Birdsell also assisted with the preparation of this manuscript. This study also engaged patients, family members, and caregivers to share their experiences with engagement in PHC policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Early detection of adventive and potentially invasive insects that may threaten the health of forests is essential for their successful management in Canada and the world at large. To that end, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducts annual surveys at sites with high risk of adventive species introductions (e.g., ports, industrial zones, disposal sites for solid wood packaging material) using semiochemical-baited traps and also by rearing insects from trunk sections collected from stressed trees. We report 31 new Canadian provincial records of beetle species detected in surveys conducted from 2011 to 2021, including 13 new records for Canada and 9 species adventive to North America. Nine of the new Canadian records were native North American species previously detected only south of the border. All but three species belong to the Curculionidae family ("snout beetles") and most of these were in the subfamily Scolytinae (bark and ambrosia beetles). Rearing of insects from trunk sections of stressed trees accounted for two new species records whereas trapping accounted for the remainder. These surveys not only assist our efforts to manage forest insects by documenting new species introductions and apparent range expansions but also increase our knowledge of biodiversity. The arrival and establishment of adventive, invasive forest insects are a threat to the health, diversity, and productivity of forests in Canada and the world at large, and their early detection is essential for successful eradication and management. For that reason, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducts annual surveys at high risk sites such as international ports and freight terminals, industrial zones, and disposal sites for solid wood packaging material using two methods: (1) semiochemical-baited traps deployed in a total of about 63–80 sites per year in British Columbia (BC), Ontario (ON), Quebec (QC), New Brunswick (NB), Nova Scotia (NS), and Newfoundland and Labrador (NL); and (2) rearing of insects from bolts collected from stressed trees and incubated in modified shipping containers in four cities (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, and Halifax). We report 31 new Canadian provincial records of Coleoptera from surveys conducted in 2011–2021, including 13 new records for Canada and 9 species adventive to North America (indicated by †). Nine of the new Canadian records were native North American species previously detected only south of the border. All but three species belong to the Curculionidae family and most of these were in the subfamily Scolytinae. The records include: Xenomelanophila miranda (LeConte) (Canada, BC) (Buprestidae: Buprestinae); Neoclytus mucronatus mucronatus (Fabricius) (BC) (Cerambycidae: Cerambycinae); Amphicerus cornutus (Pallas) (Canada, BC) (Bostrichidae: Bostrichinae); Mecinus janthinus (Germar)† (ON) (Curculionidae: Curculioninae); Aulacobaris lepidii (Germar)† (Canada, ON); Buchananius striatus (LeConte) (ON) (Curculionidae: Baridinae); Cylindrocopturus binotatus LeConte (Canada, ON) (Curculionidae: Conoderinae); Himatium errans LeConte (ON); Phloeophagus canadensis Van Dyke (ON); Rhyncolus spretus Casey (Canada, BC); Stenomimus pallidus (Boheman) (Canada, ON); Tomolips quercicola (Boheman) (Canada, ON) (Curculionidae: Cossoninae); Strophosoma melanogrammum (Forster)† (NB) (Curculionidae: Entiminae); Conotrachelus aratus (Germar) (ON) (Curculionidae: Molytinae); Anisandrus maiche Stark† (Canada, ON, QC); Cnesinus strigicollis LeConte (Canada, ON); Cyclorhipidion pelliculosum (Eichhoff)† (Canada, ON, QC); Hylesinus fasciatus LeConte (QC); Hylesinus pruinosus Eichhoff (QC); Hypothenemus interstitialis (Hopkins) (Canada, ON); Lymantor alaskanus Wood (BC); Pityogenes bidentatus (Herbst)† (Canada, ON); Scolytus mali (Bechstein)† (BC); Scolytus schevyrewi Semenov† (QC); Trypodendron scabricollis (LeConte) (Canada, ON); Trypophloeus populi Hopkins (QC); Xylechinus americanus Blackman (NFLB); and Xylosandrus crassiusculus (Motschulsky)† (BC, QC) (Curculionidae: Scolytinae). We also provide additional data confirming the presence of the adventive Hylastes opacus Erichson† in NS. Rearing of insects from bolts accounted for two new records (H. pruinosus, R. spretus) and trapping accounted for the remainder. These surveys not only assist our efforts to manage forest insects by documenting new species introductions and apparent range expansions but also increase our knowledge of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Police in Canada have become main responders to behavioural health concerns in the community—a role that disproportionately harms people who use drugs (PWUD). Recent calls to defund the police emphasize the need to shift responsibility for non-criminal health issues from police to health and social services. This study explores the role of police interactions in responding to PWUD within the broader institutional and structural contexts in which they operate. Methods: We conducted a qualitative thematic analysis of interviews with sixteen police officers across nine jurisdictions in British Columbia, Canada. We examined police officers' everyday policing experiences interacting with PWUD, enforcing drug laws, and working alongside other service sectors. Results: Officers explained that the criminal justice system is one component of a wider network of systems that collectively fail to meet the needs of PWUD. They recognized that PWUD who interact with police often experienced intersecting structural vulnerabilities such as poverty, homelessness, and intergenerational trauma. Harmful drug laws in conjunction with inadequate treatment and housing resources contributed to a funnelling of PWUD into interactions with police. They provided several recommendations for reform including specialized health and justice roles, formalized intersectoral collaboration, and poverty reduction. Conclusions: Overall, this study provides unique insights into the positioning and role of police officers within a "total systems failure" that negatively impact PWUD. Police have become responders-by-default for issues that are fundamentally related to people's health conditions and socioeconomic circumstances. Addressing failures across the health, social, and justice systems to meet the needs of PWUD will require an examination of the shortcomings across these systems, as well as substantial funding and system reforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Interior Wetbelt (IWB) of British Columbia includes the globally rare Inland Temperate Rainforest (ITR) that if managed for its substantial carbon (C) stocks can contribute to Canada's Nationally Determined Commitment under the Paris Climate Agreement. We provide spatially explicit estimates of above‐ and belowground live and dead biomass and soil C stocks derived from three sources: (1) government online Vegetation Resources Inventory (VRI); (2) the GlobBiomass spatial dataset; and (3) field plots (n = 27) within old‐growth forests of the ITR. For live aboveground C, we summarize C stocks by elevation classes and decadal forest age. The upper bound on total C densities (above‐ and belowground live and dead biomass and soil C) based on VRI was a maximum of 806 megagrams (Mg) C ha−1. The mean total biomass C density measured in field plots was 583 Mg C ha−1 with a maximum of 1275 Mg C ha−1, which is on par with some of the world's most C‐dense temperate forests. About half the C is in live biomass pools with the rest in dead biomass and soil organic C pools. The mean C density from the VRI over all elevations was 182 Mg C ha−1, with soil organic C ~40% and live tree stems ~27%. Vegetation Resources Inventory estimates were 75% lower than field‐based measurements with the greatest mismatch in areas with the highest C density. Approximately 22% of the IWB has been logged, the majority since 1970s, resulting in live above ground C declining by at least 18%, although this is likely an underestimate. Logging was heavily concentrated in low (<1000 m; 28.3% of elevation zone) to mid‐elevations (1000–2000 m; 20.9%) compared with upper elevations (>2000 m; 1.2%). The region contains underappreciated C stocks that can help Canada meet its climate and conservation targets, but only if there are major forestry reforms that protect C‐dense old‐growth forests, allow degraded forests time to recover the logging‐related C debt, and improve monitoring of C stocks and stock changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Area burned, number of fires, seasonal fire severity, and fire season length are all expected to increase in Canada, with largely unquantified ecosystem feedbacks. However, there are few observational studies measuring ecosystem-scale biogeochemical (e.g., carbon dioxide exchanges) and biophysical (e.g., energy partitioning) properties during smoke episodes and hence assessing responses of gross primary production (GPP) to changes in incoming diffuse photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). In this study, we leveraged two long-term eddy covariance measurement sites in forest and wetland ecosystems to study four smoke episodes, which happened at different times and differed in length, over 4 different years (2015, 2017, 2018, and 2020). We found that the highest decrease in shortwave irradiance due to smoke was about 50 % in July and August but increased to about 90 % when the smoke arrived in September. When the smoke arrived in the later stage of summer, impacts on sensible and latent heat fluxes were very different than the earlier ones. Smoke generally increased the diffuse fraction (DF) from ∼ 0.30 to ∼ 0.50 and turned both sites into stronger carbon dioxide (CO2) sinks with increased GPP up to ∼ 18 % and ∼ 7 % at the forest and wetland site, respectively. However, when DF exceeded 0.80 as a result of dense smoke, both ecosystems became net CO2 sources as total PAR dropped to low values. The results suggest that this kind of natural experiment is important for validating future predictions of smoke–productivity feedbacks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, extreme weather has frequently occurred worldwide and caused significant disasters, including large-scale forest fires, rare heat waves, heavy rains, floods, and tornadoes. Those have caused unprecedented losses of human lives and property in some countries, affecting the livelihoods of many people. Climate change and natural disasters are the two hotspots of scientific research today, and there is a certain degree of correlation between the two. Although countries worldwide have long known about climate change and its threats to human existence and have been discussing countermeasures, they have still not been able to carry out concerted and practical actions. The study takes Canada as an example, and selects six representative provinces to evaluate the temporal change characteristics of extreme temperature at different sites. We use MATLAB software to perform multiple linear regression, linear fitting methods, and Pearson correlation analysis to analyze spatial changes and time-space trends. The method studies the relationship between the emergence of extreme weather and climate change and uses the evolutionary game theory to explore whether there is any contradiction between global warming and extreme local cold. The study found: (i) The maximum temperature of most provinces in Canada will be constantly higher, and the minimum temperature will be lower. Generally speaking, the average temperature of each year is slowly decreasing. (ii) The average temperature data of British Columbia (Eastern Pacific) and Quebec (West Atlantic) show that ocean temperature has a specific effect on land temperature in surrounding areas. (iii) Pearson correlation analysis shows that the emergence of extreme weather is closely related to climate change. (iv) The evolution path of the two-party game shows that global warming and the occurrence of extreme local cold are not contradictory. Under the conditions, there is a certain degree of synchronization between the two, interacting and influencing each other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antimicrobials are among the most prescribed medications in Canada, with over 90% of antibiotics prescribed in outpatient settings. Seniors prescribed antimicrobials are particularly vulnerable to adverse drug events and antimicrobial resistance. The extent of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in outpatient Canadian medical practice, and the potential long-term trends in this practice, are unknown. This study is the first in Canada to examine prescribing quality across two large-scale provincial healthcare systems to compare both quantity and quality of outpatient antibiotic use in seniors. Population-based analyses using administrative health databases were conducted in British Columbia (BC) and Ontario (ON), and all outpatient, oral antimicrobials dispensed to seniors (≥65 years) from 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2018 were identified. Antimicrobials were linked to an indication using a 3-tiered hierarchy. Tier 1 indications, which always require antibiotics, were given priority, followed by Tier 2 indications that sometimes require antibiotics, then Tier 3, which never require antibiotics. Prescription rates were calculated per 1000 population, and trends were examined overall, by drug class, and by patient demographics. Prescribing remained steady in both provinces, with 11,166,401 prescriptions dispensed overall in BC, and 27,656,014 overall in ON. BC prescribed at slightly elevated rates (range: 790 to 930 per 1000 residents), in comparison to ON (range: 745 to 785 per 1000 residents), throughout the study period. For both provinces, a Tier 3 diagnosis was the most common reason for antibiotic use, accounting for 50% of all indication-associated antibiotic prescribing. Although Tier 3 indications remained the most prescribed-for diagnoses throughout the study period, a declining trend over time is encouraging, with much room for improvement remaining. Elevated prescribing to seniors continues across Canadian outpatient settings, and prescribing quality is of high concern, with 50% of all antimicrobials prescribed inappropriately for common infections that do not require antimicrobials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]