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Introduction: Drug checking services for harm reduction and overdose prevention have been implemented in many jurisdictions as a public health intervention in response to the opioid overdose crisis. This study demonstrates the first on-site use of paper spray mass spectrometry for quantitative drug checking to address the limitations of current on-site drug testing technologies., Methods: Paper spray mass spectrometry was used to provide on-site drug checking services at a supervised consumption site in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada during a 2-day pilot test in August 2019. The method included the targeted quantitative measurement of 49 drugs and an untargeted full scan to assist in identifying unknown/unexpected components., Results: During the pilot, 113 samples were submitted for analysis, with 88 (78%) containing the client expected substance. Fentanyl was detected in 45 of 59 expected fentanyl samples, and in 50 (44%) samples overall at a median concentration of 3.6% (w/w%). The synthetic precursor of fentanyl, 4-anilino-N-phenethyl-piperidine (4-ANPP), was found in 74.0% of all fentanyl samples at a median concentration of 2.2%, suggesting widespread poor manufacturing practices. Etizolam was detected in 10 submitted samples anticipated to be fentanyl at a median concentration of 2.5%. No clients submitting these samples expected etizolam or a benzodiazepine in their sample. In three instances, it was co-measured with fentanyl, and in seven cases it was detected alone., Discussion and Conclusions: The quantitative capabilities and low detection limits demonstrated by paper spray mass spectrometry offer distinct benefits over existing on-site drug checking methods and harm reduction services., (© 2021 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.)

Purpose: Due to ongoing inequities in the social determinants of health and systemic barriers, homelessness continues to be a significant concern that disproportionately impacts racialized communities. Despite constituting a small proportion of the population, Black individuals are over-represented among people experiencing homelessness in many Canadian cities. However, although Black homelessness in Canada is a pressing issue, it has received limited attention in the academic literature. The purpose of this paper is to examine the reported prevalence of Black homelessness across Canada. Design/methodology/approach: By consulting enumerations from 61 designated communities that participated in the 2018 Nationally Coordinated Point-in-Time Count and two regional repositories – one for homeless counts supported by the government of British Columbia and another from the Rural Development Network – this paper reports on the scale and scope of Black homelessness across Canada. Findings: Significantly, these reports demonstrate that Black people are over-represented among those experiencing homelessness compared to local and national populations. These enumerations also demonstrate significant gaps in the reporting of Black homelessness and inadequate nuance in data collection methods, which limit the ability of respondents to describe their identity beyond "Black." Originality/value: This research provides an unprecedented examination of Black homelessness across Canada and concludes with recommendations to expand knowledge on this important and under-researched issue, provide suggestions for future iterations of homeless enumerations and facilitate the development of inclusive housing policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

An unprecedented heat wave occurred over the Pacific Northwest and southwest Canada on 25–30 June 2021, resulting in all-time temperature records that greatly exceeded previous record maximum temperatures. The impacts were substantial, including several hundred deaths, thousands of hospitalizations, a major wildfire in Lytton, British Columbia, Canada, and severe damage to regional vegetation. Several factors came together to produce this extreme event: a record-breaking midtropospheric ridge over British Columbia in the optimal location, record-breaking midtropospheric temperatures, strong subsidence in the lower atmosphere, low-level easterly flow that produced downslope warming on regional terrain and the removal of cooler marine air, an approaching low-level trough that enhanced downslope flow, the occurrence at a time of maximum insolation, and drier-than-normal soil moisture. It is shown that all-time-record temperatures have not become more frequent and that annual high temperatures only increased at the rate of baseline global warming. Although anthropogenic warming may have contributed as much as 1°C to the event, there is little evidence of further amplification from increasing greenhouse gases. Weather forecasts were excellent for this event, with highly accurate predictions of the extreme temperatures. Significance Statement: This paper describes the atmospheric evolution that produced an extreme heat wave over the Pacific Northwest during June 2021 and puts this event into historical perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's Trans Mountain Expansion Pipeline project is one of the country's most controversial in recent history. At the heart of the controversy lie questions about how to conduct impact assessments (IAs) of oil spills in marine and coastal ecosystems. This paper offers an analysis of two such IAs: one carried out by Canada through its National Energy Board and the other by Tsleil-Waututh Nation, whose unceded ancestral territory encompasses the last twenty-eight kilometers of the project's terminus in the Burrard Inlet, British Columbia. The comparison is informed by a science and technology studies approach to coproduction, displaying the close relationship between IA law and applied scientific practice on both sides of the dispute. By attending to differing perspectives on concepts central to IA such as significance and mitigation, this case study illustrates how coproduction supports legal pluralism's attention to diverse forms of world making inherent in IA. We close by reflecting on how such attention is relevant to Canada's ongoing commitments, including those under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. [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]

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]

This paper contributes to the growing body of work on precarious labor, immigration, and social gerontology by examining the racialization of precarious employment across the life course. In particular, the authors examine the impact of precarious employment and discrimination among racialized older immigrants in Canada. Racialized older immigrants are more likely to be disadvantaged by the effects of lifelong intersections of economic and social discrimination rooted in racialization, gender, ageism, and socio-economic status. Drawing from a narrative-photovoice project that focused on the life stories of older immigrants living in Quebec and British Columbia, this paper presents the in-depth stories and photographs of four participants to highlight how intersections of race, gender, age, immigration status, and ability shape and structure experiences of aging, labor market participation and caregiving relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How fires burn across British Columbia (BC), Canada is shaped by settler coloniality, timber capitalism, state forestry regimes, criminalization of burning, and Indigenous resistance. Despite the urgency of confronting the fire suppression paradox embedded in settler colonial fire management laws and practices, approaches to studying fire in Canada that foreground Indigenous law and de-center settler colonial governance is scarce. As political ecologists and geographers working and living in the context of unceded and ancestral lək̓ʷəŋən, W̱SÁNEĆ, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, səlilwətaɬ, and syilx territories, we engage with Indigenous feminist scholarship to expose how coloniality and gender intersect in attempts to erase Indigenous sovereignty to structure and naturalize provincial fire policy and its emplaced impacts on Indigenous legal orders. Our analysis contextualizes settler-colonial provincial fire management policy in the purview of Indigenous legal orders to foreground how racial-colonial and gendered politics are obscured when colonial fire and wildfire practices are naturalized. Revisiting key moments in the political development of fire suppression across so-called BC, we contend that the suppression paradox is embedded in and reproduces a colonial logic that widens existing social and economic gaps. These gaps are uniquely gendered, as settler coloniality operates upon patriarchal lines that have actively attempted to erase Indigenous women and Two-Spirit peoples, including the laws and legal authorities that they possess and practice. Considering the 1910 Fulton Commission, we highlight an example of how women and Indigenous people were excluded from the political decision-making structures that shaped colonial fire management practices in BC. These gendered and racialized exclusions bear directly on the exclusion of Indigenous women and gender-diverse folx, and Indigenous legal orders guided by matriarchal lines of fire knowledge. [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]

Longwave radiation (LR) is one of the energy balance components responsible for warming and cooling water during hot summers. Both downward incoming LR, emitted by the atmosphere, and outgoing LR emitted by the land surface are not widely measured. The influence of clouds on the LR heat budget makes it even harder to establish reliable formulations for all-sky conditions. This paper uses air temperature and cloud cover from the ERA5 reanalysis database to compare 20 models for the downward longwave irradiance (DLI) at Earth's surface and compare them with ERA5's DLI product. Our work uses long-time continuous DLI measured data at three stations over Canada, and ERA5 reanalysis, a reliable source for data-scarce regions, such as central British Columbia (Canada). The results show the feasibility of the local calibration of different formulations using ERA5 reanalysis data for all-sky conditions with RMSE metrics ranging from 37.1 to 267.3 W m−2, which is comparable with ERA5 reanalysis data and can easily be applied at broader scales by implementing it into hydrological models. Moreover, it is shown that ERA5 gridded data for DLI shows the best results with RMSE = 31.7 W m−2. This higher performance suggests using ERA5 data directly as input data for hydrological and ecological models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Hydrogeology Journal is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

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]

Food insecurity is widely documented among people living with HIV (PLWH) worldwide, and it presents significant challenges across the spectrum of HIV care and support. In North America, the prevalence of food insecurity among PLWH exceeds 50%. In the province of British Columbia (BC), it exceeds 65%. It comes as no surprise that food has become an essential tool in supporting and engaging with PLWH. Over the past decade, however, a shift has taken place, and food has become an incentive to boost uptake and outcomes of prevention, testing, treatment, and support. To explore this practice, we drew on a qualitative case study of incentives in the care and support of PLWH. This paper presents the findings of a targeted analysis of interviews (N = 25) that discuss food incentives and explores two main themes that shed light on this practice: (1) Using food to engage versus to incentivize and (2) Food is more beneficial and more ethical. Providers perceived food more positively than other incentives, despite the goal remaining somewhat the same. Incentives, such as cash or gift cards, were considered ethically problematic and less helpful (and potentially harmful), whereas food addressed a basic need and felt more ethical. [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]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of childcare to national economies in general and women's economic participation in particular, spurring renewed interest in childcare policy in many countries that have implemented lockdowns. This paper adopts a circle of care framework to analyzes how COVID‐19 has affected paid childcare, unpaid childcare and other paid work, and the relationship between these sectors. Analysis is grounded in the lived experiences of parents and childcare educators, documented through 16 semi‐structured interviews during the initial lockdown (March–June 2020) in British Columbia, Canada. Experiences from educators suggest their safety was not prioritized, and that their contributions were undervalued and went unrecognized. Mothers, who provided the majority of unpaid care, not only lost income due to care demands, but struggled to access necessities, with some reporting increased personal insecurity. Those attempting to work from home also experienced feelings of guilt and distress as they tried to manage the triple burden. Similarities of experiences across the circle of care suggest the COVID‐19 childcare policy response in BC Canada downloaded care responsibilities on to women without corresponding recognition or support, causing women to absorb the costs of care work, with potential long‐term negative effects on women's careers and well‐being, as well as on the resilience of the circle of care. Pandemic recovery and preparedness policies that aim to promote gender equality must consider all sectors of the circle of care and the relationships between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the present Covid – 19 pandemic moves through Indigenous communities in Canada, it has been argued that continued mineral extraction or pipeline construction will potentially exacerbate the virus' spread among Indigenous people residing near work camps or construction areas. Listing these operations as essential puts an onus on local Indigenous people to take part in consultation with extractive industries. British Columbia is one province that listed extractive operations as essential during the pandemic. It also recently enacted consultation protocols meant to guide concerned Indigenous communities and extractive industries on proper consultation procedure to limit Covid - 19's spread while ensuring these projects continue. Nonetheless, the paper argues that British Columbia's consultative guidelines adhere to a necropolitical dynamic through which Indigenous people are required to take part in government policy meant to limit their own independence. The Crown holds license to decide when Indigenous communities are given a reprieve from taking part in consultation and when they are obligated to participate once again. This is done without "consulting" with Indigenous peoples themselves and how they view a process that limits their logistical and regulatory strength. This paper argues that Self Determined independence is being diminished through multilayered repression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In light of North America's persisting drug toxicity crisis, alternative drug policy approaches such as decriminalization, legalization, regulation, and safer supply have increasingly come to the forefront of drug policy discourse. The views of people who use drugs toward drug policy and drug law reform in the Canadian context are essential, yet largely missing from the conversation. The aim of this study was to capture the opinions, ideas, and attitudes of people who use drugs toward Canadian drug laws and potential future alternatives. Methods: This paper was developed as part of the Canadian Drug Laws Project, a cross-jurisdictional qualitative study conducted in British Columbia, Canada between July and September 2020. The qualitative data are from 24 semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of people who use illegal drugs. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed thematically by the research team. Results: Two main themes and corresponding sub-themes are presented: (1) The experience of stigma as a consequence of criminalization; (2) The perceived benefits of drug law reform. Participants spoke in-depth about their experiences living within a criminalized drug policy context and offered suggestions for new pathways forward. Their perspectives illuminate how Canada's drug laws may shape public attitudes toward people who use drugs and the consequent manifestations of structural, social, and self-stigma experienced by people who use drugs. Conclusion: Participants openly and profoundly believed that current drug laws produced and propagated the public attitudes and structural inequities experienced by people who use drugs in Canada. This matters, not only because our findings highlight the fact that people who use drugs experience stigma in tangible and clearly impactful ways, but it also suggests that the criminlilization of drugs shapes the experience of structural, social, and self stigma. Finally, participants believed that efforts to destigmatize people who use drugs would be ineffectual without the enactment of more robust forms of drug law reform such as the decriminalization of illegal drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the preliminary results of a one and a half-year ethnographic study conducted in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The research focused on participants' experiences of their bodies in the context of yoga as a health practice—specifically how they conceptualised their musculoskeletal bodies in this practice through ideas of systems, fragments, and materiality. It argues that participants' larger narratives about health and healthy bodies inform how yoga as a health practice is embedded in discourses of body work where yoga, health, and particular notions of bodily-ness become a project for the transformation of the self into a particular idea of what a body is or should be. [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]

Copyright of Journal of Rural & Community Development is the property of Brandon University, Rural Development Institute 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.)

This article explores how White settler mountain bikers in British Columbia understand their relationship to recreational landscapes on unceded Indigenous territory. Using original qualitative research, the authors detail three rhetorical strategies settler Canadians employ to negotiate their place within geographies of belonging informed by Indigeneity and recreational colonialism: ignorance, ambivalence, and acknowledgement. In Canada's post-Truth and Reconciliation Commission climate, the discourses settlers use to situate themselves vis-à-vis landscapes and Indigenous people contribute to the conditions of possibility for meaningful movement toward a more equitable existence for all. This work points to a growing need to problematize the seemingly apolitical landscapes of recreation as a prerequisite toward meaningful reconciliation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the articulation and mobilization of competing notions of energy (in) justice and energy future visions in the struggle over the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project (TMX) in British Columbia, Canada. The TMX is a controversial fossil fuel project because it leads to the appropriation of First Nations lands, gender violence, and the unequal distribution of the socio-environmental costs of tar sands operations. Despite these impacts, the Canadian state argues that the TMX contributes to economic growth, job creation, and increased tax revenues, thereby legitimizing tar sands expansion on Indigenous lands. Drawing upon literature on Indigenous climate/energy justice, we problematize conventional understandings of energy justice and energy futures by examining multiple, interconnected, and often neglected dimensions of justice in the TMX conflict. Through critical discourse analysis, this paper explores how First Nations opposing this pipeline mobilize different notions of justice to envision alternative energy futures. Our study shows how they challenge Canada's fossil fuel future vision by asserting jurisdiction over the lands crossed by the TMX and demanding the cancellation of this pipeline. Centering counter-hegemonic perspectives in discussions about tar sands development provides a starting point for imagining and building more just energy futures. • Indigenous notions of justice problematize Western hegemonic understandings of energy justice. • Energy justice involves Indigenous self-determination, gender justice, and community-led renewable energy development. • First Nations discourses of justice challenge Canada's fossil fuel future vision. • Indigenous energy futures are based on multiple interconnected dimensions of justice. • Just energy futures involves dismantling the settler colonial logic underpinning the TMX project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

Twenty-six years ago, in response to regionally devastating fisheries collapses in Canada, Hutchings et al. asked "Is scientific inquiry incompatible with government information control?" Now, a quarter-century later, we review how government science advice continues to be influenced by non-science interests, particularly those with a financial stake in the outcome of the advice. We use the example of salmon aquaculture in British Columbia, Canada, to demonstrate how science advice from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) can fail to be impartial, evidence-based, transparent, and independently reviewed—four widely implemented standards of robust science advice. Consequently, DFO's policies are not always supported by the best available science. These observations are particularly important in the context of DFO having struggled to sustainably manage Canada's marine resources, creating socio-economic uncertainty and putting the country's international reputation at risk as it lags behind its peers. We conclude by reiterating Hutchings et al.'s unheeded recommendation for a truly independent fisheries-science advisory body in Canada to be enshrined in the decision-making process. [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]

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: The literature indicates that youth with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD), such as Down syndrome or autism, have poor oral health. A number of factors influence their oral health, including the use of medically required dental treatments. Methods: This paper describes the first use of population-level administrative health data to examine the use of medically required dental services by youth with IDD compared with youth without IDD in Canada. Results: Youth with IDD had 4-9 times the odds of a medically required dental treatment compared with youth without IDD. Odds varied with age and type of IDD. Conclusions: Youth with IDD used medically required dental services to a greater extent than youth without IDD. Use of medically required dental treatments by youth with IDD declined with age; this may indicate greater difficulty accessing services when youth transition from pediatric to adult services. These findings provide baseline information on the use of medically required dental treatments and can contribute to future assessments of dental services for youth with IDD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies have shown reductions in the volume of emergency department visits early in the COVID-19 pandemic, but few have evaluated the pandemic's impact over time or stratified analyses by reason for visits. We aimed to quantify such changes in British Columbia, Canada, cumulatively and during prominent nadirs, and by reason for visit, age and acuity. Methods: We included data from the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System for 30 emergency departments across BC from January 2016 to December 2022. We fitted generalized additive models, accounting for seasonal and annual trends, to the monthly number of visits to estimate changes throughout the pandemic, compared with the expected number of visits in the absence of the pandemic. We determined absolute and relative differences at various times during the study period, and cumulatively since the start of the pandemic until the overall volume of emergency department visits returned to expected levels. Results: Over the first 16 months of the pandemic, the volume of emergency department visits was reduced by about 322 300 visits, or 15% (95% confidence interval 12%–18%), compared with the expected volume. A sharp drop in pediatric visits accounted for nearly one-third of the reduction. The timing of the return to baseline volume of visits differed by subgroup. The largest and most sustained decreases were in respiratory-related emergency department visits, visits among children, visits among oldest adults and non-urgent visits. Later in the pandemic, we observed increased volumes of highest-urgency visits, visits among children and visits related to ear, nose and throat. Interpretation: We have extended evidence that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation strategies on emergency department visits in Canada was substantial. Both our findings and methods are relevant in public health surveillance and capacity planning for emergency departments in pandemic and nonpandemic times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on adult working learners who attend postsecondary institutions in Canada and the United States. We identify how these institutions deliver curriculum and instruction in the form of career‐technical education (CTE) and vocational education offering occupational credentials. In British Columbia and the U.S., most vocational programming culminates in the associate degree whereas the rest of Canada commonly confers diplomas as well as associate degrees. Other postsecondary credentials, including certifications and licensure, are integrated within programs in both countries. This chapter analyzes policies, programs, and practices for adult working learners in the two countries and provides perspectives on how a focus on the capabilities of adult working learners is beneficial to the needs of the individual, communities, and society as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Regional Science Policy & Practice 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.)

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]

Microplastics are a global contaminant of concern, but we have little information on the characteristics and bioavailability of these pollutants in western Canadian lakes. Here, we quantify and characterize microplastics in subsurface water and zooplankton from eight lakes in BC, Canada. By sampling water and zooplankton, we provide insight into the fraction of microplastics entering the food web. We found 0.607 ± 0.153 microplastics per litre in subsurface water, 0.01 ± 0.011 microplastics per copepod, and 0.02 ± 0.014 microplastics per Daphnia. Microplastic pollution was similar in all lakes sampled and showed no relationship with local population density. Fibers were the dominant morphology observed in all lakes, and Raman spectroscopy identified polyester as the dominant polymer found both in lakes and within zooplankton. Zooplankton generally ingested microplastics that were shorter than their body length and that fell on the smaller end of the range of available microplastics. The prominence of polyester fibers and PET films and fragments suggests that the likely sources of microplastics to these lakes are recreational activities and atmospheric deposition. [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]

The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act, a federal law enacted in Canada in 2017, aims to increase bystander response to overdoses by offering legal protection for arrests related to simple possession at the scene of an overdose. As this legislation suggests, a shift has occurred to view overdose events as a medical issue, constituting a shift in the role of police officers. Our study aimed to uncover the role police perceive for themselves at overdose events. Twenty-two qualitative interviews were conducted with police officers across British Columbia (BC). A thematic analysis was completed to identify patterns in the data. Police officers perceived their primary role was to ensure the safety of first responders and bystanders at overdose events. Some officers favored enforcing mandatory treatment and used coercive practices to ensure overdose victims received further medical care. Policies which reframe overdose events in terms of a health rather than criminal response put into question whether police officers have a role at overdose events and, if so, what it is. Education and awareness are needed to reduce stigma towards people who use drugs, misunderstandings around naloxone and harmful practices such as coercion, at overdose events. [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]

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]

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]

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) has infested over 16 million hectares of pine forests in western Canada, killing over 50% of mature lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta, in British Columbia alone. There are few tools available to manage irruptive bark beetle populations and to mitigate tree mortality. Beauveria bassiana is an entomopathogenic fungus that causes mortality to several bark beetle species. However, the potential for B. bassiana as a biocontrol agent against pine beetle populations is unknown. We selected three strains of B. bassiana from several culture collections and evaluated their conidial stability under cold storage, in planta (greenhouse, and pine bolts) and in natura (forest stand, pine bolts, and live pines) conditions. The stability assays showed that all fungal strains maintained a minimum effective conidial yield through the assay durations (3–12 weeks). In addition, we adapted a biphasic liquid–solid fermentation approach for the large-scale production of conidial biomass, yielding up to a 100-fold increase in production. In greenhouse virulence assays, the mean lethal time of MPBs was reduced to 3–4 days upon treatment with B. bassiana, where high B. bassiana-associated mycosis was also observed. Furthermore, the application of B. bassiana formulation substantially affected the gallery network of MPBs in bolts in the field, resulting in shorter larval galleries and significantly reduced offspring production. Indeed, high titer treatments reduced the mean larvae per gallery to virtually zero. Together these results demonstrate that B. bassiana may be a viable biocontrol tool to reduce mountain pine beetle populations in pine forests in western Canada. Key points: • Three B. bassiana strains identified to be stable at various test conditions. • Large-scale conidial biomass production using liquid–solid biphasic fermentation. • Reproductive success of D. ponderosae significantly reduced by B. bassiana formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Team-based care is recognized as a foundational building block of high-performing primary care. The purpose of this study was to identify primary care practice characteristics associated with team functioning and examine whether there is relationship between team composition or size and team functioning. We sought to answer the following research questions: (1) are primary care practice characteristics associated with team functioning; and (2) does team composition or size influence team functioning. This cross-sectional correlational study was conducted in Fraser East, British Columbia, Eastern Ontario Health Unit, Ontario and Central Zone, Nova Scotia in Canada. Data were collected from primary care practices using an organization survey and the Team Climate Inventory (TCI) as a measure team functioning. The independent variables of interest were: physicians' payment model, internal clinic meetings to discuss clinical issues, care coordination through informal and ad hoc exchange, care coordination through electronic medical records and sharing clinic mission, values and objectives among health professionals. Potentially confounding variables were as follows: team size, composition, and practice panel size. A total of 63 practices were included in these analyses. The overall mean score of team climate was 73 (SD: 10.75) out of 100. Regression analyses showed that care coordination through human interaction and sharing the practice's mission, values, and objectives among health professionals were positively associated with higher functioning teams. Care coordination through electronic medical records and larger team size were negatively associated with team climate. This study provides baseline data on what practice characteristics are associated with highly functioning teams in Canada. [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]