Search

For most of Canada’s approximately 40-year debate on medically assisted death, euthanasia and assisted suicide were considered distinct issues. Yet in 2016 their ethical, psychological, and practical differences were effectively disregarded when the two acts were grouped together in the legislation under the umbrella term “Medical Assistance in Dying” (MAiD). The lack of distinction under the law of the two terms ignores important ethical considerations from the MAiD practitioners’ perspective. Although the principle of respect for autonomy must remain central to the assessments of MAiD eligibility, it cannot be the only consideration. This paper examines the ethical considerations and principles that underlie decisions to provide MAiD through an analysis of the progress, and results, of the 40-year debate on assisted suicide and euthanasia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Indigenous populations in Canada and the United States (US) have maintained reciprocal relationships with nature, grounded in respect for and stewardship of the environment; however, disconnection from traditional food systems has generated a plethora of physical and mental health challenges for communities. Indigenous food sovereignty including control of lands were found to be factors contributing to these concerns. Therefore, our aim was to conduct a scoping review of the peer-reviewed literature to describe Indigenous disconnection from Indigenous food systems (IFS) in Canada and the US. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-SR) and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines, we searched MEDLINE, SCOPUS, International Bibliography of the Social Sciences, Sociological Abstracts, and Bibliography of Native North Americans. Data was extracted from 41 studies and a narrative review completed based on study themes. Results: The overarching theme identified in the included studies was the impact of colonization on IFS. Four sub-themes emerged as causes for Indigenous disconnection from traditional food systems, including: climate change; capitalism; legal change; and socio-cultural change. These sub-themes highlight the multiple ways in which colonization has impacted Indigenous food systems in Canada and the US and important areas for transformation. Conclusions: Efforts to reconnect Indigenous knowledge and values systems with future food systems are essential for planetary health and sustainable development. Traditional knowledge sharing must foreground authentic Indigenous inclusion within policymaking. Highlights: • The main theme identified amongst the SR literature was the lasting impacts of colonization on Indigenous food systems in Canada and the US, which is described through four key areas: climate change; capitalism; legal changes; and socio-cultural changes. • Less than 20% of included papers report author positionality, with only 7% of included papers reporting Indigenous authorship, emphasizing an opportunity for more reporting and Indigenous engagement in the future. • Loss of cultural knowledge and practices was highlighted by many articles reviewed. • Revitalisation of IFS must include authentic Indigenous engagement, support Indigenous knowledge frameworks, community sharing networks, education programs and co-management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Canada legalized medical assistance in dying (MAID) in 2016, it has become one of the most permissive regimes in the world for euthanasia and assisted suicide. The number of deaths has risen rapidly and the categories of eligibility continue to expand. The country is poised, as of March 2024, to allow MAID for those whose sole underlying condition is mental illness, generating considerable debate. Advocates of MAID for mental illness often frame it as a question of equal access, but this extension involves considerable complexities not present in other cases. This paper examines psychiatric MAID in the Canadian context, engaging directly with the most pertinent arguments of the practice􀂶s advocates. The paper argues that independent of any prior commitments vis-à-vis the permissibility of MAID per se, there is a clear ethical and legal necessity to oppose extending MAID on the grounds of mental illness if we follow the parameters set up within the Canadian regime. The paper advances three arguments: first, that mental illnesses cannot be deemed irremediable, as required by the Canadian law; second, that we cannot establish with adequate certainty that a mentally ill patient has the decision-making capacity to choose MAID; and third, that allowing psychiatric MAID will have a devastating impact on care and support of the mentally ill. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since its original formulation, various extensions of the Kuznets hypothesis have been proposed. In this paper, we make use of a unique panel dataset of Canadian regions to test whether inter‐personal income inequality increases once the initial inverted‐U pattern is completed. Our results support the notion of a sideways S‐shaped curve describing a wavelike decrease to increase shift, with a turning point in the late‐1990s/early‐2000s where inter‐personal inequality across regions "bottoms out" before alternating to an upward‐sloping trajectory. While there are many factors associated with this reversal of trends, we find evidence that a region's size plays a role in explaining the more recent rise in inequality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Improving equity and early access to palliative care for underserved populations in Canada is a priority. Little is known regarding access to palliative and end-of-life care in the Black population. Methods: We undertook a scoping review using the framework by Arksey and O'Malley to identify knowledge, access gaps, and experiences of palliative and end-of-life care among Blacks living with life-limiting illnesses in Canada. Primary studies, discussion papers, books, and reports were considered eligible. We followed a comprehensive search strategy developed by an information scientist. Searches were performed in the following bibliographic databases: Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO via OVID, CINAHL via EBSCOhost, Scopus and Cochrane Library via Wiley. The search strategy was derived from three main concepts: (1) Black people; (2) Canada and Canadian provinces; (3) Palliative, hospice, or end-of-life care. No publication date or language limits were applied. Titles and abstracts were screened for eligibility by one reviewer and full text by two independent reviewers. Results: The search yielded 233 articles. Nineteen articles were selected for full-text review, and 7 articles met the inclusion criteria. These studies were published between 2010 and 2021, and conducted in the provinces of Ontario and Nova Scotia only. Studies used both quantitative and qualitative methods and included cancer decedents, next of kin, family caregivers and religious leaders. Sample sizes in various studies ranged from 6 − 2,606 participants. Included studies reported a general lack of understanding about palliative and end-of-life care, positive and negative experiences, and limited access to palliative and end-of-life care for Blacks, across all care settings. Conclusion: Findings suggest limited knowledge of palliative care and inequities in access to palliative and end-of-life care for Blacks living with life-limiting illnesses in 2 Canadian provinces. There is an urgent need for research to inform tailored and culturally acceptable strategies to improve understanding and access to palliative care and end-of-life care among Blacks in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal energy exploration, development, and research have been ongoing in Canada for several decades. The country's cold climate and the push to develop renewable energy sources have driven interest in geothermal energy. Despite this drive, regulatory complexities and competition with other relatively inexpensive energy sources with existing infrastructure have hindered development. As such, interest has grown and waned with changes in the energy economy over several decades, leaving many projects at a standstill. As of January 2023, there are currently no operational geothermal power projects in Canada. Many hot spring pool and spa complexes remain active, and Canada is a leading country in the installation of ground source heat pumps (GSHPs; also called geo-exchange systems). However, in the last decade, the interest in deep geothermal systems has renewed, with many new projects starting up across several provinces and territories. Moreover, projects that had shown limited progress for many years—such as Mount Meager in British Columbia—have begun to renew their development efforts. Research is also expanding within prominent research groups and universities. The areas of focus include both building upon previous studies (such as thermal gradients and the heat flow in sedimentary basins) and researching new methods and resources (such as GSHPs, closed-loop systems, integrated geothermal operations, and hybrid systems, including heat storage). The development is supported by federal, provincial, and territorial governments through grants and the development of regulatory frameworks. Although challenges still remain for Canada to develop its geothermal energy resources, several power, thermal, and co-production projects, ongoing research, funding, and regulatory acts are all moving forward to support geothermal development. This paper aims to study Canada's geothermal energy update in 2023 regarding the aspects mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 1980s, there has been no explicit regional policy in Canada. Indirectly, though, equalization payments, industrial policies, as well as regional agencies encouraging the adoption of federal industrial and innovation policies, impact regional economies. In 2017, the federal government appeared to alter its approach: the Supercluster initiative was announced, drawing upon the idea that localized networks of interrelated firms can generate innovation and local development. In this paper, we discuss the mechanisms through which spatially focused industrial innovation policy can lead to regional development. We then focus on Canada's Ocean Supercluster initiative. The question we address is as follows: to what extent can this initiative (and, more widely, Canada's Supercluster policy) be understood as a regional development strategy driven by a coherent rationale for regional intervention? Apart from the fact that each Supercluster focuses on a pre‐existing core of firms located within a region, there is little evidence that the Supercluster initiative has regional development objectives or impacts. Key messages: In 2018, Canada's federal government implemented the Supercluster policy. Five regionally focussed clusters were selected for support for business‐led innovation initiatives.Superclusters were presented as a means both to develop regional economies and to enhance Canada's global innovation impact, in a manner similar to Europe's smart specialization.Despite the initial regional dimension, Superclusters are geared towards national, not regional, objectives and do not focus upon regional development processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic led to major service disruptions in the healthcare sector, especially regarding sexual and reproductive health services. However, the impact of the pandemic on Canadian adolescents is relatively unknown. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures on the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents in Alberta, Canada. Methods: A qualitative study using an interpretive description (ID) approach and community-based participatory research principles was conducted to capture the subjective experience and perceptions of adolescents and service providers. With the collaboration of the Adolescent Advisory Group and community partners, 18 adolescents and 15 service providers were recruited for the study through purposive sampling. Findings from the qualitative interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Three major themes emerged from the analysis: (1) COVID-19 SRH experience, (2) barriers to SRH, and (3) adolescent SRH strategies. Our findings highlight numerous barriers and challenges that prevented adolescents from accessing SRH education, products, and services. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the SRH and the well-being of adolescents. Our study reflects the need for diverse SRH strategies to maintain continued access to SRH resources during disruptive events, such as the pandemic. Plain language summary: Access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services is a basic human right. All individuals require access to appropriate SRH services to maintain their optimal sexual and reproductive health. Adolescents require special guidance, support, and youth-friendly services in matters of SRH as they enter puberty and explore their sexual identity. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many health and SRH services were suspended. Access to SRH products and services became difficult due to public health restrictions, which has possible negative consequences for adolescents' SRH. The experiences of adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding their SRH are not reported in Alberta, Canada. Therefore, we explored the impacts of these public health restrictions on adolescents' SRH. We performed qualitative interviews with adolescents and SRH service providers to know their perspectives on how the pandemic influenced the SRH of adolescents. This paper provides insights into the barriers faced by adolescents while accessing SRH services during the pandemic, as well as their perceptions of digital strategies, such as mobile applications, and other recommendations for supporting SRH education and services. Based on the study findings, an adolescent-friendly mobile application will be developed to provide a virtual platform connecting adolescents to SRH educational resources, services, and support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the resilience of Canadian cities to the 2020 economic crisis that followed the 2019 coronavirus pandemic. It specifically investigates the resistance and recoverability (i.e., very short‐term recovery) dimensions of resilience. It reveals that Canadian cities exhibited heterogeneous resiliency to the crisis, resulting in economic restructuring. Further, the paper decomposed resilience into an industrial mix effect and local‐specific effect using a shift‐share analysis, to move away from the industrial‐structure dominated focus in the resilience literature by examining the influence of local‐specific effects. The analysis found that local‐specific effects played a dominant role in determining the resiliency of cities, while their industrial mix had a marginal influence. Moreover, the determinants of resilience are complex having different effects and functions depending on the dimension of resilience under examination. Also, the determinants of resilience may change depending on the type of shock cities experience. A key policy implication is that localities' capabilities largely determine their resilience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The migration literature focusing on understanding interactions between immigrants' integration and transnationalism is replete with mixed findings. However, contemporary consensus among migration scholars suggests that immigrants' integration and transnational connections can occur simultaneously. Focusing on transnational dating—which is understudied—this exploratory study draws on an online qualitative survey with five Ghanaian male immigrants in southwestern Ontario, Canada, to explore how immigrants' attachment to the host society, homeland, and "elsewhere" shape transnational dating behaviour. Transnational dating is conceptualized in this paper as dating partners that live part or most of their life or time detached from each other, yet hold together and create a sense of shared welfare and harmony, namely "datehood" that surpasses national borders. Using the integration‐transnationalism matrix as the theoretical framework, this paper demonstrates that the roles of integration and transnationalism should not be seen as separate influences on participants' transnational dating behaviour given participants' strong attachment to the host society, sending country, and "elsewhere." Importantly, our finding indicates that the motivation for transnational dating is related to transnational connections rather than not feeling integrated into Canadian society. Overall, the finding contributes to discourses on dating, transnational dating, transnationalism, and the conceptual framework of the integration‐transnationalism matrix. Key Messages: The migration literature focusing on understanding interactions between immigrants' integration and transnationalism is replete with mixed findings.This exploratory study has taken a critical step in stimulating a research agenda on transnational dating within the integration‐transnationalism matrix.Our finding indicates that the motivation for transnational dating is related to transnational connections rather than not feeling integrated into Canadian society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, municipalities are involved in an increasing number of policy areas, but they remain largely absent from the nation's system of intergovernmental relations. Municipal representatives do not attend First Ministers' meetings that gather the Prime Minister and heads of each province and territory. They are also largely excluded from intergovernmental councils or committees focused on specific policy areas. Nor do they participate in the negotiation of most intergovernmental agreements. This paper explores how Canada's intergovernmental infrastructure could be reformed to include municipalities. It does so through an analysis of how other countries have made space for municipalities in their intergovernmental processes. After drawing five lessons from international experience, the paper concludes with four approaches to reforming intergovernmental relations in Canada: (1) ensure municipalities have the capacity, voice and structures to participate effectively in intergovernmental relations; (2) increase municipal involvement in provincial policy-making, including potentially through co-governed intergovernmental councils; (3) as far as possible, eliminate unfunded mandates (ie responsibilities devolved without adequate funding to discharge them) through, for example, provincial legislation or provincial-municipal intergovernmental agreements that require consultation on the fiscal impacts of draft legislation or regulation on municipalities; (4) strengthen trilateral (national/provincial/municipal) relations, including through location-specific or policy-specific agreements, and trilateral intergovernmental councils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of climate change and development present significant challenges and complexities that require new solutions, wise choices, and multi-disciplinary integration. In this context, emotional intelligence (EI) plays a crucial role. However, traditional engineering education and practice overlook the importance of understanding and managing emotions. This research aims to determine the impact of EI as a tool to enhance proactive decision-making and implement sustainable measures within the engineering profession.The study makes three main research contributions. First, it confirms a positive relationship between EI and proactive sustainable decision-making among engineers. This means that engineers with high EI are more likely to consider the impacts of their decisions on various stakeholders and dimensions of sustainability. Second, it suggests that EI can enhance creativity and innovative thinking in engineering, helping engineers to develop effective solutions for challenges related to climate change. Third, the study advocates for incorporating EI training and assessment into engineering curriculums to foster a sustainable and ethical engineering culture. By improving EI, engineers can enhance their interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and emotional management, which in turn can significantly improve teamwork in addressing challenges related to climate change. • Innovative Approach: The paper introduces emotional intelligence (EI) as a novel factor in engineering decision-making for climate change adaptation, which provides a fresh perspective within the realm of sustainable practices. • Relevance to Sustainability: It emphasizes the role of EI in fostering proactive and strategic decision-making, which is crucial for mitigating and adapting to a changing climate, aligning with the journal's focus on sustainable solutions1. • Multidisciplinary Integration: The study bridges engineering, psychology, and environmental science, reflecting the journal's interdisciplinary approach to addressing sustainability challenges. • Practical Implications: By exploring the attitudes of engineers and their decision-making tendencies in relation to EI, the paper offers insights that can lead to targeted interventions, contributing to the journal's aim of promoting sustainable practices. • This paper does not constitute a bibliometric study; rather, it provides empirical research on the impact of EI on sustainable decision-making among engineers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's national narratives gesture to cosmopolitan ideals by celebrating the country as open and inclusive through the working of its immigration policy. Indeed, it has been suggested that Canada may be oriented toward a form of 'rooted cosmopolitanism'. This vision stands at odds with the experiences of skilled migrants who often encounter hurdles in the labour market. In this paper, we probe the 'cosmopolitan paradox' and its implications. Through a qualitative case study of 36 skilled newcomers, we document their experiences as they attempt to enter the labour market encountering barriers that reassert national frames and 'Canadian standards'. We argue that if Canada is to live up to the promise of a cosmopolitan ideal, the stratifications and exclusions that mark the lives of newcomers need to be addressed. It is not enough to attract increasing numbers of immigrants if they cannot become full members of the Canadian national community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When brought together, Indigenous and Western sciences offer holism that can strengthen research and monitoring, yet the practices and processes of bridging these sciences are not well understood. We sought to elucidate bridging through a systematic realist review of coastal and marine research and monitoring studies that use methods for gathering Indigenous scientific knowledges and methods for collecting natural sciences data from across Inuit Nunangat (Inuit homelands in Canada; n = 25 case studies). We identified three decision points that shape projects co‐developed by researchers and Inuit communities: research objectives, method bundles (the totality of methods used in a case study), and method sequencing (the order of application of methods in a case study). Example case studies from the review are included to highlight some of the diversity of research pathways available. We discuss areas for further reflection, including method bundle composition, imbalances in method sequences, path dependency and research fatigue, research context, and most importantly, bridging as a relational rather than technical endeavour. We suggest that bridging sciences can, but need not be, a complex undertaking. This paper provides practical details to facilitate cross‐cultural research partnerships at a time of immense environmental and social change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: ADHD is recognized as one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders. The worldwide prevalence of ADHD is estimated at 5.3%; however, estimates vary as a function of a number of factors, including diagnostic methods, age, sex and geographical location. A review of studies is needed to clarify the epidemiology of ADHD in Canada. (2) Methods: A search strategy was created in PubMed and adapted for MEDLINE and PsycINFO. Papers were included if they examined diagnosed ADHD prevalence and/or incidence rates in any region of Canada, age group and gender. A snowball technique was used to identify additional papers from reference lists, and experts in the field were consulted. (3) Results: Ten papers included in this review reported on prevalence, and one reported on incidence. One study provided an overall prevalence estimate across provinces for adults of 2.9%, and one study provided an overall estimate across five provinces for children and youth of 8.6%. Across age groups (1 to 24 years), incidence estimates ranged from 0.4% to 1.2%, depending on province. Estimates varied by age, gender, province, region and time. (4) Conclusions: The overall Canadian ADHD prevalence estimate is similar to worldwide estimates for adults. Most studies reported on prevalence rather than incidence. Differences in estimates across provinces may reflect the varying number of practitioners available to diagnose and prescribe medication for ADHD across provinces. To achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of ADHD in Canada, a study is needed that includes all provinces and territories, and that considers estimates in relation to age, gender, ethnicity, geographical region, socioeconomic status and access to mental healthcare coverage. Incidence rates need further examination to be determined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explored the publication pattern of Canadian computer scientists and compared the impact of conference papers and journal articles published by these researchers. It was found that conference proceedings are the preferred venue for scholarly communication, but the impact of conference papers is not comparable to that of journal articles. The potential reasons for the lower impact of conference papers are discussed, and possible approaches to improve the current scholarly communication system in computer science are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Canada, public insurance for physician and hospital services, without cost-sharing, is provided to all residents. Outpatient prescription drug coverage, however, is provided through a patchwork system of public and private plans, often with substantial cost-sharing, which leaves many underinsured or uninsured. We conducted a systematic review to examine the association of drug insurance and cost-sharing with drug use, health services use, and health in Canada. We searched 4 electronic databases, 2 grey literature databases, 5 specialty journals, and 2 working paper repositories. At least 2 reviewers independently screened articles for inclusion, extracted characteristics, and assessed risk of bias. The expansion of drug insurance was associated with increases in drug use, individuals who reported drug insurance generally reported higher drug use, and increases in and higher levels of drug cost-sharing were associated with lower drug use. Although a number of studies found statistically significant associations between drug insurance or cost-sharing and health services use, the magnitudes of these associations were generally fairly small. Among 5 studies that examined the association of drug insurance and cost-sharing with health outcomes, 1 found a statistically significant and clinically meaningful association. We did not find that socioeconomic status or sex were effect modifiers; there was some evidence that health modified the association between drug insurance and cost-sharing and drug use. Increased cost-sharing is likely to reduce drug use. Universal pharmacare without cost-sharing may reduce inequities because it would likely increase drug use among lower-income populations relative to higher-income populations. • There is a gap in the literature pertaining to the effects of drug insurance and cost-sharing in a Canadian context. • We conducted a systematic review of Canadian studies and found that there was consistent evidence that the expansion of drug insurance was associated with meaningful increases in drug use, that individuals who reported drug insurance coverage generally reported higher drug use relative to those who reported no coverage, and that increases in and higher levels of drug cost-sharing were associated with lower use. • Universal pharmacare without cost-sharing may reduce inequities in access to essential drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sex and gender impacts health outcomes and disease risk throughout life. The health of women and members of the Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning (2S/LGBTQ +) community is often compromised as they experience delays in diagnosis. Distinct knowledge gaps in the health of these populations have prompted funding agencies to mandate incorporation of sex and gender into research. Sex- and gender-informed research perspectives and methodology increases rigor, promotes discovery, and expands the relevance of health research. Thus, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) implemented a sex and gender-based analysis (SGBA) framework recommending the inclusion of SGBA in project proposals in 2010 and then mandating the incorporation of SGBA into grant proposals in 2019. To examine whether this mandate resulted in increased mention of sex or gender in funded research abstracts, we searched the publicly available database of grant abstracts funded by CIHR to analyze the percentage of abstracts that mentioned sex or gender of the population to be studied in the funded research. To better understand broader health equity issues we also examined whether the funded grant abstracts mentioned either female-specific health research or research within the 2S/LGBTQ + community. Results: We categorized a total of 8,964 Project and Operating grant abstracts awarded from 2009 to 2020 based on their study of female-specific or a 2S/LGBTQ + populations or their mention of sex or gender. Overall, under 3% of grant abstracts funded by CIHR explicitly mentioned sex and/or gender, as 1.94% of grant abstracts mentioned sex, and 0.66% mentioned gender. As one of the goals of SGBA is to inform on health equity and understudied populations with respect to SGBA, we also found that 5.92% of grant abstracts mentioned female-specific outcomes, and 0.35% of grant abstracts focused on the 2S/LGBTQ + community. Conclusions: Although there was an increased number of funded grants with abstracts that mentioned sex and 2S/LGBTQ + health across time, these increases were less than 2% between 2009 and 2020. The percentage of funded grants with abstracts mentioning female-specific health or gender differences did not change significantly over time. The percentage of funding dollars allocated to grants in which the abstracts mentioned sex or gender also did not change substantially from 2009 to 2020, with grant abstracts mentioning sex or female-specific research increasing by 1.26% and 3.47%, respectively, funding allocated to research mentioning gender decreasing by 0.49% and no change for 2S/LGBTQ +-specific health. Our findings suggest more work needs to be done to ensure the public can evaluate what populations will be examined with the funded research with respect to sex and gender to advance awareness and health equity in research. Highlights: The percentage of funded grants in which the abstracts mentioned sex or gender in health research remained largely unchanged from 2009 to 2020 with the largest increase of 1.57% for those mentioning sex. Total funding amounts for grants that mentioned sex or gender in the abstract stagnated or declined from 2009 to 2020. The percentage of funded grants in which the abstracts focusing on female-specific health did not change across 2009–2020, but the percentage of funding dollars increased by 3.47%. The percentage of grants in which the abstracts mentioned 2S/LGBTQ +-specific health more than tripled across 2009–2020 but remained less than 1% of all funded grants. Plain language summary: This paper examined the publicly available database of grant abstracts funded by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) from 2009 to 2020 to determine the percentage of abstracts that mentioned sex or gender of the population to be studied. To better understand broader health equity issues we also examined whether the funded grant abstracts mentioned either female-specific health research or research within the 2S/LGBTQ + community. Although there was an increased number of funded grants with abstracts that mentioned sex and 2S/LGBTQ + health across time, these increases were less than 2% between 2009 and 2020. The percentage of funded grants with abstracts mentioning female-specific health or gender differences did not change significantly over time. The percentage of CIHR funding dollars allocated to grants in which the abstracts mentioned sex or female-specific research increased by 1.26% and 3.47%, respectively. However, funding allocated to research mentioning gender decreased by 0.49% and there was no significant change in funding amounts for 2S/LGBTQ +-specific health across time. We outline several recommendations for funding agencies to improve access to information especially on sex, gender and broader health equity populations to ensure the public can evaluate what populations will be examined within the funded research. Our findings suggest that to advance greater health equity in research, different strategies need to be employed to improve researcher utilization of sex and gender-based analysis as well as to advance health equity with respect to 2S/LGBTQ and women's health questions in research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new generation of greenways has emerged in recent years, the most ambitious of which are nationwide, interconnected networks of multi‐use, multi‐purpose greenways and trails, clustered under a single national vision. However, because these initiatives have been the focus of so few research studies, opportunities to glean lessons from their planning and implementation have been limited. This paper contributes to addressing this knowledge gap by presenting a comparative account of two networks, the Trans Canada Trail in Canada and Sendero de Chile in Chile. Using document analysis and interviews with officials closely involved in their development, the evolution of both networks is documented over time, emphasizing similarities and differences related to their planning and implementation. Both initiatives have faced significant challenges in reaching their connection goals and have availed themselves of a diverse range of opportunities and strategies to advance their agendas. A simple model of a virtuous cycle is proposed to highlight the positive feedback—between political and public support, sustained funding, partnership development, accessibility for urban residents, and connectivity of the network—generated by sustained network expansion over time. It is hoped that the insights offered from this analysis may offer guidance to inform the development of similar scale projects elsewhere. Key Messages: The scale and ambition of nationwide interconnected greenways and trails merits their recognition as a distinctive stage of third generation (G3) greenways, referred to here as G3+.Lessons learned from the experience of developing nationwide greenways, such as the Trans Canada Trail and the Sendero de Chile, have received limited scholarly attention to date.A model of a virtuous cycle brings attention to the reliance of large‐scale greenways development on the positive feedback between political and public support for the network connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to contribute to a pragmatic understanding of critical information literacy (CIL) by positioning it as a context-specific interpersonal practice. Using phenomenography to explore how information work is experienced by social workers in social and health care settings, this paper provides an example of critical information practice that can be used to operationalise and activate CIL as a theory and inform approaches to critical pedagogy. CIL as a concept is generally theorised, practiced, and taught in academic contexts, and relatively few examples of how theory can be defined and put into practice outside a classroom setting are available. This study builds on our understanding of CIL by exploring professional information practice and suggests a model for teaching to engage learners in connecting information to action in social systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increased scrutiny on public health brought upon by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic provides a strong impetus for a renewal of public health systems. This paper seeks to understand priorities of public health decision-makers for reforms to public health financing, organization, interventions, and workforce. Methods: We used an online 3-round real-time Delphi method of reaching consensus on priorities for public health systems reform. Participants were recruited among individuals holding senior roles in Canadian public health institutions, ministries of health and regional health authorities. In Round 1, participants were asked to rate 9 propositions related to public health financing, organization, workforce, and interventions. Participants were also asked to contribute up to three further ideas in relation to these topics in open-ended format. In Rounds 2 and 3, participants re-appraised their ratings in the view of the group's ratings in the previous round. Results: Eighty-six public health senior decision-makers from various public health organizations across Canada were invited to participate. Of these, 25/86 completed Round 1 (29% response rate), 19/25 completed Round 2 (76% retention rate) and 18/19 completed Round 3 (95% retention rate). Consensus (defined as more than 70% of importance rating) was achieved for 6 out of 9 propositions at the end of the third round. In only one case, the consensus was that the proposition was not important. Proposition rated consensually important relate to targeted public health budget, time frame for spending this budget, and the specialization of public health structures. Both interventions related and not related to the COVID-19 pandemic were judged important. Open-ended comments further highlighted priorities for renewal in public health governance and public health information management systems. Conclusion: Consensus emerged rapidly among Canadian public health decision-makers on prioritizing public health budget and time frame for spending. Ensuring that public health services beyond COVID-19 and communicable disease are maintained and enhanced is also of central importance. Future research shall explore potential trade-offs between these priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reconstructs the story of a so far unknown manuscript, a handwritten, personal account detailing a 1927 journey to the United States and Canada with the primary purpose of selling Hungarian wine as part of a more extensive international venture. The article introduces the research that led to the identification of the writer of the manuscript - written on sheets of paper from a Canadian hotel - and outlines the background of a fascinating business project, thereby positioning the text not only as a unique example to be studied with the tools of microhistory but also placing it in the broader, transatlantic historical and political environment of the time. The text is also studied and presented as a piece of travel writing that provides unique insights into Hungarian perceptions of North America in the 1920s and the Hungarian images of Canada and the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For two decades, open access (OA) has gained momentum worldwide. However, adoption of OA in Canada is lagging compared with other countries. Using data from Dimensions and Érudit, this paper provides an overview of OA dissemination in Canada, focusing on the effect of institutions, language, and funding. Papers in French, and from Quebec universities, are more likely to be OA, while papers from engineering-oriented institutions are less likely to be OA. Regarding funders, those in health sciences have higher OA compliance. The paper concludes discussing disciplinary differences in OA dissemination, low compliance to OA mandates in Canada, and the role of Érudit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given that our urban centres have been dominated by the private car for a hundred years, this paper asks what is next for Canadian cities. Previous research on the future of urban mobility, and specifically city planning and autonomous vehicles, has been from an American or Australian context. Working from a uniquely Canadian perspective, this paper fills a gap in the research by analyzing data from twenty-six semi-structured interviews with Canadian planning professionals from Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg and Toronto. The interviews discuss how Canadian planners are preparing for new technologies, including autonomous vehicles, and increased privatization. We recommend that large cities move forward with autonomous vehicle research with a goal of improving mobility for all, while ensuring a strong agreement framework with all for-profit mobility providers is in place that requires robust data sharing agreements and appropriate consultation with municipalities before, during, and after launching. Further, planners should further embrace the political realities of their positions and advocate for equitable mobility for all residents both in their day-to-day work and in public engagement settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a large amount of drilling core data in the Mackay River oil sands block in Canada, and the accurate identification of facies from the cores is important and necessary for the understanding of the subsurface reservoir. The traditional recognition method of facies from cores is by human work and is very time consuming. Furthermore, the results are different according to different geologists because of the subjective judgment criterion. An efficient and objective method is important to solve the above problem. In this paper, the deep learning image-recognition algorithm is used to automatically and intelligently recognize the facies type from the core image. Through a series of high-reliability preprocessing operations, such as cropping, segmentation, rotation transformation, and noise removal of the original core image, that have been manually identified, the key feature information in the images is extracted based on the ResNet50 convolutional neural network. On the dataset of about 200 core images from 13 facies, an intelligent identification system of facies from core images is constructed, which realizes automatic facies identification from core images. Comparing this method with traditional convolutional neural networks and support vector machines (SVM), the results show that the recognition accuracy of this model is as high as 91.12%, which is higher than the other two models. It is also shown that for a relatively special dataset, such as core images, it is necessary to rely on their global features in order to classify them, and, with a large similarity between some of the categories, it is extremely difficult to classify them. The selection of a suitable neural network model can have a great impact on the accuracy of recognition results. Then, the recognized facies are input as hard data to construct the three-dimensional facies model, which reveals the complex heterogeneity and distribution of the subsurface reservoir for further exploration and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most immigrants to Canada who are not refugees contribute to decisions about where they settle; resettled refugees do not. This paper illustrates how one's designated category of resettlement decisively shapes the place one begins life in Canada, and how each has a specific geographical trajectory—or geo‐script. The geo‐scripts are distinct for each category of resettlement: privately‐sponsored refugees live in the same community as the volunteers who finance and support them; government‐assisted refugees are "destined" to one of more than two dozen cities with federally‐funded refugee‐specific services; and blended visa office‐referred refugees are supported through a shared funding model between government and sponsors near whom they co‐locate. Geo‐scripts are derived from refugee categories that effectively govern the spatial settlement patterns of refugees and, in turn, shape the opportunities and outcomes of the resettlement process. Government data show that 70% of resettled refugees do not move after they arrive in Canada. The geo‐scripts of resettlement thus shape people's lives and livelihoods in Canada in fundamental ways. Drawing on interviews conducted between 2017 and 2021 with formerly resettled refugees living in four provinces who have lived in Canada for more than 20 years, locational decisions to stay or leave one's initial destination are elaborated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thunderstorm winds are the costliest wind hazard in Canada, but they have not been well studied. This paper investigates atmospheric conditions prone to downbursts in Canada using a combination of reported downbursts from damage survey reports, ERA5 reanalysis data, lightning flash observations, radar imagery, and upper air measurements for the period of 2019–2023. We propose a novel Downburst Precursor Parameter (DPP) by integrating two low-correlated thermodynamic and kinematic parameters. DPP outperforms other existing instability indices in downburst diagnosis in Canada. Our spatial analysis reveals the absence of damaging downbursts west of the Rockies, while approximately half of all recorded damaging downbursts occurred in southeastern Canada. Squall lines and supercells are the most common types of downburst-generating storms in Canada. Furthermore, nearly two-thirds of storms are squall lines when a downburst is accompanied by lightning flashes, which occurred in ∼71% of all cases. The remaining ∼29% of downbursts without lightning are mostly dry downbursts, typically displaying a disorganized pattern of convective storms on a radar screen. The equivalent potential temperature difference between the surface and mid-level in the troposphere (∆ θ e) exceeds 13 K prior to 61% of damaging downbursts. This result indicates that ∆ θ e might be a useful downburst indicator in Canada despite lower values compared to many regions in the United States. [Display omitted] • Convective parameters for diagnosing downburst-prone environments were investigated. • Novel Downburst Precursor Parameter (DPP) enhances downburst diagnosis accuracy. • DPP > 0.7 signals highest risk for downburst development. • Squall lines and supercells are the dominant storm types with a ratio of 2:1. • Surface-to-midlevel equivalent potential temperature difference is a useful downburst index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a theoretical and empirical intervention into housing research by applying the geospatial lens of the rural-urban space (RUS) to the social problem of homelessness, a conceptual linkage absent in the Canadian context. Drawing on original data from 80 surveys, four focus groups, and a community feedback session, we identify and interrogate key local impacts of systemic shifts in the housing market and associated policy responses in Dufferin County, Ontario, a RUS community located 80km northwest of Toronto. We find that for people experiencing homelessness within RUS communities, the intersecting consequences of multiple forms of structural marginalization, such as low wages and social assistance rates and discrimination, can quickly destabilize housing. We emphasize the importance of attending to housing in RUS communities and developing housing policy strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the manners in which Indigenous and allied non-Indigenous researchers, medical directors, and knowledge-keepers (among others) extend the ethical precepts and social justice commitments that are inherent in community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches to genomics. By means of a genealogical analysis of bioethical discourses, I examine the problem in which genomic science claims to offer potentially beneficial genetic screening tools to Indigenous and racialized peoples who have and continue to struggle with historical health inequity, exploitation, and exclusion by the very biomedical institutions which would be charged with the task of ethically introducing these biomedical tools. This investigation focuses on Indigenous data sovereignty (IDS) as an approach established by Indigenous communities and scientists to gain access to the benefits of genomic health which, if the field's promises are true, aims to counter the historical neglect or exploitation by biomedical researchers and institutions. I chart the role of CBPR principals as it pertains to collective efforts by both Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous allies to create the social, biomedical, and institutional conditions to improve Indigenous health equity in the context of genomic science in two specific studies: the Silent Genome initiative (British Columbia) and the Aotearoa Variome (Aotearoa/New Zealand). This investigation contributes insights to social science literatures in health equity for racialized communities, biomedical ethics, Indigenous Science and Technology Studies, and decolonial biomedical and technoscience histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to (1) explore evidence provided by Canadian health and social care (HASC) academic programs in meeting their profession-specific interprofessional education (IPE)-relevant accreditation standards; (2) share successes, exemplars, and challenges experienced by HASC academic programs in meeting their IPE-relevant accreditation standards; and (3) articulate the impacts of IPE-relevant accreditation standards on enabling interprofessional learning to the global HASC academic community. Methods: Profession-specific (bilingual, if requested) surveys were developed and emailed to the Deans/Academic Program Directors of eligible academic programs with a request to forward to the individual who oversees IPE accreditation. Responses were collated collectively and by profession. Open-ended responses associated with our first objective were deductively categorized to align with the five Accreditation of Interprofessional Health Education (AIPHE) standards domains. Responses to our additional questions associated with our second and third objectives were inductively categorized into themes. Results/discussion: Of the 270 HASC academic programs surveyed, 30% (n = 24) partially or completely responded to our questions. Of the 106 IPE-relevant standards where evidence was provided, 62% (n = 66) focused on the Educational Program, 88% of which (n = 58) were either met or partially met, and 47% (n = 31) of which focused on practice-based IPE. Respondents cited various exemplars and challenges in meeting IPE-relevant standards. Conclusions: The overall sentiment was that IPE accreditation was a significant driver of the IPE curriculum and its continuous improvement. The array of exemplars described in this paper may be of relevance in advancing IPE implementation and accreditation across Canada and perhaps, more importantly, in countries where these processes are yet emerging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a part of the proceedings of the 2022 LACUNY Institute. In a panel presentation, the authors discuss personal instances and feelings of the imposter phenomenon (also known as imposter syndrome) as it relates to their Indigenous identities. Additionally, they describe how imposter syndrome may affect their ability to be successful in their careers, and the internal pressure they feel to present a more Indigenous identity (whatever that may entail) in their scholarship and their professional positions. The authors also share their experiences with external pressures to exhibit a more "stereotypical Indigenous" appearance for the sake of their role as Indigenous library staff members, peers, and appliers for academic opportunities and how these pressures relate in their interactions with other Indigenous people through their work. They address recent developments in academia regarding the hiring of Indigenous peoples and avoiding "pretendians" (people who falsely claim to have Indigenous ancestry). The goal of the authors is to encourage discourse in the vein of Truth and Reconciliation and to spread awareness about imposter syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper makes a case for post‐graduate international students as an increasingly important category of immigrant entrepreneur in Canada. We draw our findings from an analysis of new provincial immigrant entrepreneur programs and interviews with international student entrepreneurs in a mid‐sized city in Atlantic Canada. We argue that three forces have become increasingly relevant in shaping immigrant entrepreneurs' opportunity structures: (1) the internationalization of higher education institutions (HEIs), (2) the corporatization of HEIs, and (3) the regionalization of immigration. We show how public policy shifts in immigration and education have expanded the opportunity structure for international student start‐ups. These entrepreneurs are navigating multiple dimensions of risk that stem from being both temporary migrants and business owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to, using several cycles of the Canadian General Social Survey (GSS) covering 2010–2015, examine the patterns of work-life balance (WLB) satisfaction and work-life segmentation by sexual orientation. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, multivariate regression analysis is used. Findings: The analysis shows that men living with a male partner are more satisfied with their WLB than their heterosexual counterparts. No statistically significant difference is found between women who live with a female partner and their heterosexual counterparts, in WLB satisfaction. Work-life segmentation is operationalized by the odds of being at the top levels of the life satisfaction scale without being satisfied with the circumstances of one's job. Controlling for a wide range of characteristics, working Canadians living with a same-sex partner, regardless of their genders, are found more likely to have segmented their work and life domains than their heterosexual counterparts. Originality/value: The paper, for the first time, investigates how sexual orientation relates to WLB satisfaction and work-life segmentation. This study exploits a unique opportunity offered by the Canadian GSSs in which WLB satisfaction is directly surveyed, all the while partnered sexual minorities are identifiable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1988, Canada's federal Parliament faced the challenge of addressing the legal status of abortion after the Supreme Court of Canada, in R. v. Morgentaler, struck down existing restrictions. In the resulting legal void, the Progressive Conservative (PC) federal government found itself under pressure to act. Examining parliamentary debates and recently released cabinet documents from the period of January 1988 to May 1990, this paper asks how the federal government managed the abortion issue following R. v. Morgentaler, including creating and defending legislation as a policy solution. This paper identifies politicising and depoliticising procedures (i.e., legislation and motions) that framed the issue in a way that that allowed the government to take action on the abortion issue while maintaining distance as it crafted and defended legislation. This paper reconstructs the frames that presented government legislation (Bill C-43) as "balanced" and uses the theoretical concepts of politicisation and depoliticisation to show how the frames alternately pushed and pulled the government towards and away from the abortion issue. These frames worked by deferring responsibility to other levels of government and the private sphere, as well as by invoking fatalism by highlighting the intransigency of abortion, the constraints that limit government action, and the necessity of pursuing only the government's proposed solution. Although the frames serve to justify the frame of a "balanced" solution, their inherent contradictions and tensions point to fractures within the narrative of Bill C-43 as a "balanced" solution and may help explain the legislation's failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the recent shift in focus to addressing HIV risk within relationships and couple-based interventions to prevent HIV transmission, successful recruitment of individuals involved in HIV-serodiscordant relationships is crucial. This paper evaluates methods used by the Positive Plus One (PP1) study to recruit and collect data on a diverse national sample of dyads and individuals involved in current or past HIV-serodiscordant relationships, discusses the strengths and limitations of the recruitment approach, and makes recommendations to inform the interpretation of study results and the design of future studies.Methods: PP1 used a multi-pronged approach to recruit adults involved in a current or past HIV-serodiscordant relationship in Canada from 2016 to 2018 to complete a survey and an interview. Upon survey completion, index (first recruited) partners were invited to recruit their primary current HIV-serodiscordant partner. We investigated participant enrollment by recruitment source, participant-, relationship-, and dyad-level sociodemographic characteristics, missing data, and correlates of participation for individuals recruited by their partners.Results: We recruited 613 participants (355 HIV-positive; 258 HIV-negative) across 10 Canadian provinces, including 153 complete dyads and 307 individuals who participated alone, and representing 460 HIV-serodiscordant relationships. Among those in current relationships, HIV-positive participants were more likely than HIV-negative participants to learn of the study through an ASO staff member (36% v. 20%, p < 0.001), ASO listserv/newsletter (12% v. 5%, p = 0.007), or physician/staff at a clinic (20% v. 11%, p = 0.006). HIV-negative participants involved in current relationships were more likely than HIV-positive participants to learn of the study through their partner (46% v. 8%, p < 0.001). Seventy-eight percent of index participants invited their primary HIV-serodiscordant partner to participate, and 40% were successful. Successful recruitment of primary partners was associated with longer relationship duration, higher relationship satisfaction, and a virally suppressed HIV-positive partner.Conclusions: Our findings provide important new information on and support the use of a multi-pronged approach to recruit HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals involved in HIV-serodiscordant relationships in Canada. More creative strategies are needed to help index partners recruit their partner in relationships with lower satisfaction and shorter duration and further minimize the risk of "happy couple" bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Homelessness is becoming an international public health issue in most developed countries, including Canada. Homelessness is regarded as both political and socioeconomic problems warranting broad and consistent result-oriented approaches.Methods: This paper represents the qualitative findings of a project that explored risk factors associated with family homelessness and strategies that could mitigate and prevent homelessness among families using a focused ethnographic study guided by the principles of participatory action research (PAR). The sample includes 36 family members residing at a family shelter who participated in focus groups over two years (between April 2016 and December 2017). Most of the participants were single-parent women.Results: The analysis yielded five major themes including, life challenges, lack of understanding of the system, existing power differentials, escaping from hardship, and a theme of proposed solutions for reducing family homelessness in the community.Conclusion: The findings illustrated the complex nature of family homelessness in Ontario; that the interaction of multiple systems can put families at risk of homelessness. Findings from this study underscore the need for urgent housing protocols aimed at educating homeless families on how to navigate and understand the system, enhance their conflict resolution skills, and develop strategies beyond relocation to help them to cope with difficulties with housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial variability of population aging in rural areas of Canada, and the demographic processes that underlie these areal patterns, are reasonably well understood. Research to date emphasizes processes of population redistribution (e.g., net out‐migration), regional economic change (e.g., resource‐based economic restructuring), and chronologically‐centred models of bodily decline as the major features of population aging in rural contexts. This literature has informed a wide range of gerontological research and policy, but there is much more to be said about becoming older in rural Canada. In this paper, we present the outline of a post‐representational approach to rural aging. We consider the influence of relational and non‐representational forces acting on the experience of aging in rural Canada. We then draw on reflections of earlier work in a particular geographic setting as a means to tease out "more‐than‐representational" considerations for discussion. We also echo recent calls to address a "blind spot" in geographic scholarship that overlooks the considerable extent to which older persons re‐shape their community environments. We conclude with an invitation for a greater engagement with older person/place transformations, including closer attention to the processes and performances of "aging‐through‐place" in other Canadian settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In 2014, in response to evidence that Canada's tobacco use would lead, inexorably, to substantial morbidity and mortality for the foreseeable future, a group of experts convened to consider the development of a "Tobacco Endgame" for Canada. The "Tobacco Endgame" defines a time frame in which to eliminate structural, political, and social dynamics that sustain tobacco use, leading to improved population health. Strategies: A series of Background Papers describing possible measures that could contribute to the creation of a comprehensive endgame strategy for Canada was prepared in advance of the National Tobacco Endgame Summit hosted at Queen's University in 2016. At the summit, agreement was reached to work together to achieve <5% tobacco use by 2035 (<5 by '35). A report of the proceedings was shared widely. Achievements: Progress since 2016 has been mixed. The Summit report was followed by a national forum convened by Health Canada in March 2017, and in 2018, the Canadian Government adopted "<5 × '35" tobacco use target in a renewed Canadian tobacco reduction strategy. Tobacco use has declined in the last 5 years, but at a rate slower than that which will be needed to achieve the <5 by '35 goal. There remain > 5 million smokers in Canada, signaling that smoking-related diseases will continue to be an enormous health burden. Furthermore, the landscape of new products (e-cigarettes and cannabis) has created additional risks and opportunities. Future directions: A bold, reinvigorated tobacco control strategy is needed that significantly advances ongoing policy developments, including full implementation of the key demand-reduction policies of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. Formidable, new disruptive policies and regulations will be needed to achieve Canada's Endgame goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The lack of attention to transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people in undergraduate medical education (UME) is a point of concern, particularly among medical students. A project was undertaken to develop a UME curriculum framework for teaching the healthcare needs of TGD people. Methods: Using a modified Delphi methodology, four rounds of surveys were presented to an expert stakeholder group that included content experts, generalist physicians, UME teaching faculty, and medical students. Questions covered what content should be taught, who should teach the content, and how much time should be dedicated for this teaching. Once the Delphi process was complete, feedback on the provisional framework was sought from members of the TGD community to ensure it represented their needs and perspectives. Results: 71 panel members and 56 community members participated in the study. Core values included the scope of the framework, and topics such as inclusivity, and safety in practice and in teaching. The framework included terminology, epidemiology, medical and surgical treatment, mental health, sexual and reproductive health, and routine primary care. There was also guidance on who should teach, time to be allocated, and the learning environment. Discussion: There is a clear need to train tomorrow's doctors to provide competent and respectful healthcare services to and for TGD patients. Although local factors will likely shape the way in which this framework will be implemented in different contexts, this paper outlines a core UME-level curriculum framework for Canada and, potentially, for use in other parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the taxonomic description of the lower Carboniferous (uppermost Tournaisian to middle Viséan) solitary rugose corals from bedded limestone and shale units in the Flett Formation in the Jackfish Gap (eastern Liard Range), northwestern Canada. The corals described herein include 12 species representing the genera Ankhelasma Sando, 1961, Bradyphyllum Grabau, 1928, Caninophyllum Lewis, 1929, Cyathaxonia Michelin, 1847, Ekvasophyllum Parks, 1951, Enniskillenia Kabakovich in Soshkina et al., 1962, Vesiculophyllum Easton, 1944 and Zaphrentites Hudson, 1941. Two of these species are new (Ankhelasma canadense sp. nov. and Ekvasophyllum variabilis sp. nov.) and 6 taxa are described in open nomenclature. The distribution and relative abundance of solitary Rugosa in Europe and the Liard Basin confirm the geographical proximity of those areas and the open marine communication between them during the early Carboniferous. It therefore represents an important contribution to the determination of the time of isolation of the western Laurussia shelf fauna from that of southeastern Laurussia, as well as the time of the possible emergence of species from southeastern Laurussia into the western Laurussia seas. Of particular importance here are cosmopolitan taxa and the timing of their disappearance from the fossil record. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the role of forests in national climate policies of two countries very rich in woods: Russia and Canada. Canada has made efforts to reduce direct CO2 emissions in the national economy, intensify forestry, and increase greenhouse gas sequestration by forests. Russia focuses on the verification and recalculation of the carbon sequestration capacity of its forests. Analysis of the Russian and Canadian stationary models used to assess the carbon sequestration capacity of forests (ROBUL and CBM-CFS, respectively) shows that both the Canadian model and the Russian one derived from it reflect the stationary dynamics of forest stands, which inevitably results in a downward CO2 absorption trend. Even if the forest inventory is updated on a regular basis, the predictive components of such models are unable to take into account the variability of forest ecosystems and their adaptation to climate change. Models that describe global carbon fluxes (e.g., ones using FLUXNET and remote sensing data) provide significantly higher net carbon sequestration values and indicate a nondecreasing net carbon accumulation trend in forests. It is concluded that stationary and remote sensing models should be used together to assess net carbon sequestration and formulate key principles of national climate policies in countries rich in forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current political climate is characterized by an alarming pattern of global democratic regression driven by authoritarian populist leaders who deploy vast misinformation campaigns. These offensives are successful when the majority of the population lack skills that would allow them to think critically about information in the political sphere, to identify misinformation, and therefore to fully exercise democratic citizenship. Political science has theorized the link between information and power and information professionals understand the cognitive decision-making process involved in processing information, but these two literatures rarely intersect. This paper interrogates the links between information literacy (IL) and the rise of authoritarian populism in order to advance the development of a new transtheoretical model that links political science (which studies power), information science, and critical pedagogy to suggest new paths for teaching and research. We call for a collaborative research and teaching agenda, grounded in a holistic understanding of information as power, that will contribute to achieving a more informed citizenship and promoting a more inclusive democracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural communities are often portrayed in the research literature and popular media as being disadvantaged and 'vulnerable'. This paper examines the extent to which rural health regions in Canada are more vulnerable than other health regions in terms of contracting COVID-19 and developing serious illness from this virus that leads to death. Data include published numbers of cases of and deaths from COVID-19 in each health region across Canada. Other data from Statistics Canada's Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) documents the higher rates of 'vulnerability' in rural health regions, according to (a) their socio-demographic conditions (income, education, age), and (b) the rates of 'underlying health conditions' which would make individuals more susceptible to serious illness from COVID-19. Despite these vulnerabilities, which are consistent with other research on rural areas in Canada, COVID-19 rates are found to be higher in metropolitan areas--although there is some variation in this pattern by province. In no provinces is the rate of death per case of COVID-19 highest in rural areas. Overall, in Canada, deaths per case from COVID-19 are higher in metropolitan than in rural health regions, challenging the notion of rural areas being only and always disadvantaged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethical research practice within community-based research involves many dimensions, including a commitment to return results to participants in a timely and accessible fashion. Often, current Indigenous community-based research is driven by a partnership model; however, dissemination of findings may not always follow this approach. As a result, products may not be as useful to participants who were motivated to be involved in the research process. We conducted a seven-week workshop on three occasions with different First Nations and Metis women and girls (age 8-12) in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The workshop explored participants' perspectives around health, safety, and family wellbeing using a strength-based, participatory approach. Participants noted that a key challenge they face when interacting with researchers, policy makers, and program staff is the lack of tailored dissemination materials. Returning results in a format that meets the expressed desire of participants is an ethical necessity to ensure that research is not perpetuating past colonial practices. Doing so quickly and with meaningful content requires careful execution and consideration, especially when working within intergenerational contexts. We describe in this paper how results were returned to families in an accessible way outlining the role that integrated knowledge exchange can play in the process of healing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To identify trends in female authorship in the Canadian Association of Radiologists Journal (CARJ) from 2010 to 2019. Methods: We retrieved papers published in the CARJ over a 10-year period, and retrospectively reviewed 602 articles. All articles except editorials and advertisements were included. We categorized the names of the first and last position authors as female or male and excluded articles that had at least one author of which gender was not known. We compared the trends in the first and last position authors of the articles from 2010 to 2019. For statistical analysis, logistic regression was performed with reported odds ratios (ORs), and a P value of <.05 was defined as statistically significant. Results: Five hundred thirteen articles met inclusion criteria. Among them, 23 articles with a single author were classified as having only a first author. 39.8% (204/513) of first authors were female and 26.9% (132/490) of last authors were female. There has been an overall temporal increase in the odds of both the first and last author being female in CARJ publications (OR: 1.11, P =.034). Similarly, the odds a CARJ publication's first author being female increased over time (OR: 1.07, P =.033). Female last author did not predict female first author (OR: 1.48, P =.056). There was no association identified between female last author and year of publication (OR: 1.04, P =.225). Conclusion: There has been an overall increase in engagement of female authorship in CARJ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study focuses on an analysis of the King-Byng affair, Canadian constitutional crisis of 1926. During the government crisis in Canada, the British Governor-General Lord Byng of Vimy denied the request of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King to dissolve parliament and declare new elections. Lord Byng chose a different procedure instead, as a result of which he interfered significantly in internal Canadian politics. This incident contributed to a precise definition of the new office of Governor-General in dominions during the Imperial Conference in London in 1926. The Governor- General lost his office as representative of the British government and he became only the representative of the British monarch. The aim of this paper is to focus on what role the King-Byng affair plays in this transformation of the conception of Governor-General and in the process of establishment of the independence of Canada from its mother country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working without fixity, while historically prevalent, has been on the rise in Canada and throughout the world due to processes associated with advanced capitalism. Moreover, it implies mobility to, from, and within work, which in a time of COVID-19, is problematic for workers and communities alike. In this paper, we argue that our pre-COVID statistical knowledge of workers without a fixed place of work in Canada is inadequate. Using the best source of available data--the 2016 Census--we provide a thorough account of these workers as compared to those with a set place of work. We find that most individuals without a fixed workplace are male, have low income, are likely to be self-employed, have a higher proportion of employment insurance (EI) and self-employment income, and have college or on-the-job training skill levels. They are also likely to live in rural areas, and work in the construction or transportation industry. We argue that documenting which workers are most likely to be working without fixity is necessary to understand how a COVID-19 world will play out for these workers and their communities as the pandemic continues and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique challenges of the correctional healthcare environment are well-documented. Access to community-equivalent care, voluntary informed consent of offenders with mental disorder, violence risk, suicide risk, medication misuse, and clinical seclusion, confinement and segregation are just a few of the challenges faced by correctional psychiatric services. This paper shares experiences for dealing with the ongoing challenges for psychiatrists working in the field. It provides an overview of the current state of mental healthcare in the federal correctional system in Canada, the legislative framework and initiatives aimed at addressing the healthcare needs of federal inmates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Graphic Health Warnings (GHWs) on cigarette packages were first introduced in Canada in 2001 and will become mandatory in the US as of January 2022. While previous studies have evaluated the impacts of GHWs, the data used in these studies have several shortcomings. The objective of this paper was to investigate the likely impact of such warnings in the US based upon the experience of Canada using hitherto unexplored monthly cigarette sales data, and to explore if alternative approaches involving risk-reduced products might be more successful in reducing smoking. Methods: We used quasi-experimental segmented regression and difference-in-differences analyses. Data on monthly sales (i.e., shipments) of cigarettes from Canadian manufacturers to Canadian retailers during 1995–2005 were obtained from Statistics Canada. Results: We found that GHWs did not have a significant impact on the sales of cigarettes in Canada. We propose an alternative type of graphical health messaging that actively combines information on how to quit with the legally required messaging. The novelty of the proposal is that it is incentive compatible for the supply side of the market and if adopted in several states, the measure could be tested by using a suitable treatment–control design. Conclusions: Our findings imply that we should not expect any notable decline in sales or consumption as a result of implementation of GHWs in the US. The main impact of GHWs will be to add to the anti-smoking culture that has grown steadily over several decades, and this may impact smoking in the longer term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]