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Pulp and paper mill biomass boilers generate large quantities of ash in Canada with British Columbia (BC) being the highest ash generating province followed closely by Quebec. Generally, the generated ash is landfilled, particularly in BC, with only a small amount being used beneficially. It is anticipated that the difficulty associated with the management of ash will worsen over time as the industry increases its reliance on green fuel. Thus, there is a strong need to identify beneficial uses of pulp and paper boiler ash for the sake of environmental and economic sustainability. The purpose of this report is to provide the first step in this direction, a review of proposed or implemented uses for coal and hog (or wood) ash around the world. Considering both the properties of the ash and local opportunities, this could be the first step toward screening the applications that may apply to individual mills. Several large-scale practices use ash, such as land application (as a nutrient source or as a liming agent), use in the construction industry (as a replacement for cement or as a fill material), and reclamation of mine sites and stabilization of unpaved forest roads. In some cases, relatively small-scale applications have been used which included uses such as a compost component, agent for pH adjustment of liquid streams and slurries, blasting abrasive, and source of quartz for glass manufacturing to name a few. It is important to note that the chemical nature of both fly and bottom ashes can be quite variable due to the type of wood residues combusted as well as combustion equipment used and must be considered in identifying beneficial applications. • General ash characterization is not enough to find useful applications of ash. • Ash use in the liming agent requires different properties than ash use in concrete. • Ash must be characterized according to its application requirements. • PPM ash can mainly be used for concrete, ag lands, liming agent, and forest roads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the use of ink attachment force to paper in paper recycling operations by researchers from Vancouver, British Columbia. Introduction of a range of ink and paper combinations into the feed furnish of a newspaper deinking plant; Problems encountered in attaining pulp quality targets during changes in furnish composition; Measurement of the ink removal as a function of applied force for various ink-paper combination found in a typical old newspaper feed furnish.

Abstract: We examined the effects of competition from red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) on the growth of western redcedar (Thuja plicata Donn), western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla Sarg.), and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii Franco) at a site near Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada. At this site, the three coniferous species and two broadleaf species had been planted in 1999 as part of a long-term experiment examining effects of broadleaf density on conifer growth. Red alder and paper birch were planted alone and as a 50:50 mixture at four densities (0, 277, 556, and 1150stemsha−1). Red alder density was positively correlated with total available nitrogen in soil measured using ion-exchange membranes whereas density of paper birch was not. For Douglas-fir only, foliar N concentration was positively related to red alder density. Relationships between stem volume increment and competition indices varied between the three conifer species: (1) For Douglas-fir the highest correlations were obtained using a distance-independent competition index based on broadleaf crown surface area and diffuse transmittance (DIFN) measured using LAI-2000 plant canopy analyzers had the lowest R 2 of the competition measures tested; (2) for western redcedar the highest correlations were with DIFN and the second best competition measures were distance-dependent indices; (3) for western hemlock broadleaf competition did not have significant effects on growth. Height of each species at the time of measurement and crown surface area appear to be more important than shade tolerance in affecting conifer growth. At this site, significant reductions in stem volume (30%) of Douglas-fir and western redcedar occurred when red alder density exceeded 500stemsha−1 while paper birch was not detrimental to western redcedar growth until densities exceeded 1000stemsha−1 and birch density did not significantly affect Douglas-fir. The influence of red alder on soil N and foliar N of Douglas-fir may be leading to a weaker relationship between growth and DIFN for Douglas-fir compared to that for western redcedar. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Reports on the determination of structure, height and diameter growth, above-and below-ground biomass and nutrient distribution of a paper birch and subalpine fir mixed species stand in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone of British Columbia. Findings that suggest normal distribution of height and diameter in paper birch; Distribution pattern of subalpine fir; Total biomass of both plants.

Growth and survival responses of 8 year-old interior spruce to reductions in paper birch density from 2500 to 1000, 50 and 0 overtopping stems ha[sup -1] were examined after five years on a single site in the Interior Cedar Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone of southern British Columbia. Stem diameter increased and height: diameter ratio decreased when birch density was reduced from 2500 to 50 stems ha[sup -1], but there were no further benefits to spruce growth when the entire birch overstory was removed. Spruce growth did not improve where birch was thinned to 1000 stems ha[sup -1], but its potential for release may have been confounded by the higher density of taller conifers in that treatment. Interspecific competition between spruce and paper birch appeared to be primarily for light because spruce responded to dramatic reductions in overstory density but not to reductions in understory sprout density. Spruce survival was unaffected by thinning treatments, indicating that birch density of 2500 stems ha[sup -1] was too low to induce mortality. Armillaria root disease was the main cause of mortality, and spruce leader weevil and Cooley's spruce gall adelgid were important damaging agents, but the behaviour of these organisms was unaffected by treatment. Stand structure was dramatically changed from a mixed coniferous-deciduous to a predominantly coniferous overstory when birch was thinned to 50 or 0 stems ha[sup -1], which may have negative implications for wildlife. If balancing maximum spruce growth with biodiversity is the primary objective, then between 50 and 1000 stems ha[sup -1] birch should be retained on sites similar to the one used in our experiment. This will require modification of the current legislation governing reforestation in British Columbia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the contradictory nature and sometimes unintended consequences of workers' efforts to defend particular communities against the ravages of capital restructuring. In the past decade, pattern collective bargaining in the highly unionized British Columbia pulp and paper industry has faced enormous strains due to intense industry restructuring. Our analysis focuses on the repercussions of actions taken by union locals in two British Columbia towns-Port Alice and Port Alberni-to try to secure the survival of their pulp and paper mills and, even in the case of Port Alice, the continued existence of the community. Our analysis resonates with recent debates surrounding worker agency as well as writing in the 1980s which addressed the often contradictory and problematic nature of workers' struggles to 'defend place'; writing largely neglected in more recent work in labour geography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the impact of performing in `Marks on Paper' on 22 learner/actors from British Columbia, Canada between 1989-1992. Effect of the play on student's literacy; Background on the play; Literacy in British Columbia and Canada; Strategies for addressing illiteracy; Implications of the play on literacy.

Announces the Global Forest and Paper Summit 2005 of the International Council of Forest and Paper Products Associations in Vancouver, British Columbia. Duration of the summit; Contact information.

The article offers information on the Best Paper Award at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Multimedia Conference which was held in Vancouver, British Columbia. It relates that the program committee members are the one who choose the best paper candidates who represent their specialized fields of the multimedia community. It mentions that the nominated papers were selected for their completeness, scientific value, and for their relevance for multimedia research.

Reports that Fletcher Challenge Canada has received eco-certification for its Elk Falls paper mill on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, making it the first major mill in Canada capable of producing environmentally sound paper.

Copyright of Journal of Planning Education & Research is the property of Sage Publications Inc. 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.)

Conservation strategies for populations of woodland caribou Rangifer tarandus caribou frequently emphasize the importance of predator–prey relationships and the availability of lichen-rich late seral forests, yet the importance of summer diet and forage availability to woodland caribou survival is poorly understood. In a recent article, Wittmer et al. ( Can J Zool 83:407–418, ) concluded that woodland caribou in British Columbia were declining as a consequence of increased predation that was facilitated by habitat alteration. Their conclusion is consistent with the findings of other authors who have suggested that predation is the most important proximal factor limiting woodland caribou populations (Bergerud and Elliot in Can J Zool 64:1515–1529, ; Edmonds in Can J Zool 66:817–826, ; Rettie and Messier in Can J Zool 76:251–259, ; Hayes et al. in Wildl Monogr 152:1–35, ). Wittmer et al. ( Can J Zool 83:407–418, ) presented three alternative, contrasting hypotheses for caribou decline that differed in terms of predicted differences in instantaneous rates of increase, pregnancy rates, causes of mortality, and seasonal vulnerability to mortality (Table 1, p 258). These authors rejected the hypotheses that food or an interaction between food and predation was responsible for observed declines in caribou populations; however, the use of pregnancy rate, mortality season and cause of mortality to contrast the alternative hypotheses is problematic. We argue here that the data employed in their study were insufficient to properly evaluate a predation-sensitive foraging hypothesis for caribou decline. Empirical data on seasonal forage availability and quality and plane of nutrition of caribou would be required to test the competing hypotheses. We suggest that methodological limitations in studies of woodland caribou population dynamics prohibit proper evaluation of the mechanism of caribou population declines and fail to elucidate potential interactions between top-down and bottom-up effects on populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few historical studies of government’s interest in student achievement exist and, of those that do, most concern themselves with relatively short periods of time, a decade or two in general. This discussion takes a longer view of measurement practices in one jurisdiction, British Columbia. Based on archival records, it examines testing and assessment developments in Canada’s westernmost province from the establishment of public education in 1872, to 1999, when narrow test‐based approaches to measuring achievement gave way to broader assessment practices based on formative, anecdotal, and portfolio reporting strategies. The study illustrates that government’s interest in measuring student achievement – and thereby demonstrating public accountability for educational expenditures – is anything but new and may be traced in an unbroken line of concern that stretches back to the Victorian Era and to the earliest days of public schooling in the province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The federal Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) program, a requirement of the Fisheries Act Pulp and Paper Effluent Regulations, requires sensory evaluation at Canadian pulp and paper mills where there have been historical complaints of fish tainting or reduced fishing efforts and there have been historical complaints of fish tainting or reduced fishing efforts and there is no potential health hazard. Sensory evaluation tests were conducted at three mills in British Columbia. Each test component yielded considerable variability. Nevertheless, there were similarities in the results as defined by difference test methods, while the results of preference and acceptance test were less clear. Tainting, or taste impairment, occurred at one of three mills. Significant tainting of two fish species occurred within three hours and at exposure concentrations less than 0.08% (v/v) unbleached kraft effluent. Adult and juvenile fish appear to be attracted to and reside in effluent plumes immediately downstream of the outfall at some mills. Sensory evaluation may be the most sensitive monitoring tool available to assess and integrate effluent exposure with the usability of valuable sports, recreation, commercial and native fisheries resources. A proposal to focus EEM cycle 2 programs to evaluate the use of these fisheries resources is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) is an ecologically valuable and suitable new reforestation species in British Columbia (BC). An understanding of birch's genecology is important to deploy it successfully. Eighteen paper birch populations (49–55°N) were collected from five distinct geographic regions in BC to determine whether observed variability in spring bud phenology was due to genetics, the growing environment or their interaction. Seedlings were grown at three common gardens in Prince George (53°45′N), Salmon Arm (50°47′N) and Victoria (48°29′N) to observe the bud break. Further a controlled photoperiod, a root zone temperature and a translocation experiment from the northern to central garden were conducted to investigate the effect of photoperiod and root temperature on birch bud break. Results revealed that timing of spring bud phenology in paper birch is under genetic and environmental control, following climatic clines based on latitude from south to north. Bud flush at the southern common garden was on an average 25 days earlier and required 177 more growing degree day than the northern common garden. Conversely, our controlled experiments and seed source translocation experiment showed that the signal for the onset of spring bud flush is controlled by air temperature, soil temperature, and photoperiod. These results allow us to characterize spring budburst phenology of paper birch and begin to consider seed zones and seed zone transfer guidelines for BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between forest stand composition in southern interior British Columbia and fluorescent pseudomonad bacteria populations was investigated using seedling bioassays. The objectives of this study were to (i) compare the relative population sizes of fluorescent pseudomonads baited from soils in pure paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), pure Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), and mixed stands of the two species and (ii) determine if fluorescent pseudomonads from these soils have inhibitory effects against the root pathogen Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink in vitro. Soil from birch stands supported four times more pseudomonads on seedling baits than soil from Douglas-fir stands, with the mixed stands intermediate. Soil from young stands yielded twice as many rhizosphere pseudomonads as soil from mature stands. Pseudomonad population size was positively correlated with percent cover and density of birch, and negatively correlated with basal area of Douglas-fir, percent cover of Douglas-fir, and carbon/nitrogen ratio of the soil. Greater than 50% of the fluorescent isolates reduced radial growth of A. ostoyae by more than 20% and greater than 90% reduced biomass of the fungus in dual culture tests. Cell-free bacterial culture filtrates added to the growth medium also reduced growth of A. ostoyae. This study provides evidence that paper birch provides a more favorable environment for fluorescent pseudomonads than Douglas-fir and suggests a mechanism by which paper birch can positively influence the susceptibility of managed forest stands to Armillaria root disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents the guidelines for writing papers in Vancouver, British Columbia. Instructions to authors; Importance of checklists to statisticians; Suitability of the paper for publication.

The article offers information on the National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) 2012 Alicia Cascallar Award for an Outstanding Paper by an Early Career Scholar. It states that an early scholar with an outstanding paper presented at the NCME Annual Meeting will receive the award. It says that the award will be given at the NCME Annual Meeting to be held in Vancouver, British Columbia in 2012.

In an era of escalating and intersectional crises, the toxic drug poisoning crisis stands out as a devastating and persistent phenomenon. Where we write from in British Columbia (BC), Canada, over 13,000 deaths have occurred in the eight years since the toxic drug poisoning crisis was declared a provincial health emergency. While many of these deaths have occurred in large urban centres, smaller rural communities in British Columbia are also grappling with the profound impacts of the toxic drug poisoning crisis and are struggling to provide adequate support for their vulnerable populations. In response to these challenges, the Walk With Me research project has emerged in the Comox Valley of Vancouver Island, BC, employing community-engaged methodologies grounded in pluralist knowledge production. Walk With Me seeks to understand the unique manifestations of the toxic drug poisoning crisis in small communities, identifying local harm reduction interventions that can foster community resilience, and aiming to catalyze sustainable change by amplifying the voices of those directly affected by the crisis to advocate for policy changes. This paper outlines the conceptual and methodological underpinnings of the Walk With Me project as a harm reduction initiative, which holds community partnerships and diverse ways of knowing at its heart. It presents the community-engaged research framework used by the project to address overlapping health and social crises, offering practical examples of its application in various research projects across sites and organizations. The paper concludes with a reflection on the impacts of Walk With Me to date, highlighting the lessons learned, challenges encountered, and opportunities for future research and action. Overall, this article captures the urgent need for community-engaged approaches to address the toxic drug poisoning crisis and other multidimensional crises facing society, particularly in smaller and rural communities, underscoring the potential for meaningful change through collaborative, grassroots efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Population physical activity promotion (PPAP) is one of the most effective noncommunicable disease prevention strategies, yet coordination is lacking around the world. Whole-of-system approaches and complex systems methods are called for to advance PPAP. This paper reports on a project which (1) used an Attributes Framework with system mapping (group model building and causal loop diagramming of feedback loops) and (2) identified potential leverage points to address the challenge of effective coordination of multisectoral PPAP in British Columbia. Methods: Key findings from stakeholder interviews and workshops described the current system for PPAP in terms of attributes and dimensions in the framework. These were translated into variables and used in group model building. Participants prioritized the importance of variables to address the coordination challenge and then created causal loop diagrams in 3 small groups. One collective causal loop diagram was created, and top priority variables and associated feedback loops were highlighted to explore potential leverage points. Results: Leverage points included the relationships and feedback loops among priority variables: political leadership, visible policy support and governance, connectivity for knowledge translation, collaborative multisector grants, multisector collaboration, and integrating co-benefits. Leveraging and altering "vicious" cyclical patterns to increase coordinated multisector PPAP are key. Conclusions: The Attributes Framework, group model building and causal loop diagrams, and emergent feedback loops were useful to explore potential leverage points to address the challenge of multisectoral coordination of PPAP. Future research could apply the same methods in other jurisdictions and compare and contrast resultant frameworks, variables, feedback loops, and leverage points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the influence of broadleaf trees principally paper birch on soil properties under mixedwoods with lodgepole pine in the Sub-Boreal Spruce zone of central British Columbia, Canada. Accumulation of forest floor mass of mature forests in the zone on initially denuded surface; Relationship between the degree of broadleaf occupancy and total forest floor accumulation.

The hypothesis that employers insure their workers against unfavourable states is tested against the alternative hypothesis that efficient but non-insuring contracts occur. Data on the British Columbian pulp and paper industry (January 1977 to April 1985) are used. The comparative statics predictions of the implicit contract model are also derived and tested against the data. When man-hours is used to represent employment, the hypothesis of insurance cannot be rejected, and the data generally support the predictions of the implicit contract model. When number of men is used to represent employment, the data are not as supportive of the model, and the hypothesis that labour is insured against movements in consumer prices can be rejected at high significance levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the association between the evolution of environmental protection in British Columbia and the economic relations of the state and examines the implications for regulatory efforts. It states that Canada is one of the largest pulp and paper producers in the world. The development of pulp pollution regulation is discussed. Criticisms on the development of the state's regulatory powers and the regulatory process are also offered.

Many species of fishes around the world are soniferous. The types of sounds fishes produce vary among species and regions but consist typically of low-frequency (< 1.5 kHz) pulses and grunts. These sounds can potentially be used to monitor fishes non-intrusively and could complement traditional monitoring techniques. However, the significant time required for human analysts to manually label fish sounds in acoustic recordings does not yet allow passive acoustics to be used as a viable tool for monitoring fishes. In this paper, we compare two different approaches to automatically detect fish sounds. One is a more traditional machine learning technique based on the detection of acoustic transients in the spectrogram and the classification using Random Forest (RF). The other is using a deep learning approach and is based on the classification of overlapping segments (0.2 s) of spectrogram using a ResNet18 Convolutional Neural Network (CNN). Both algorithms were trained using 21,950 manually annotated fish and non-fish sounds collected from 2014 to 2019 at five different locations in the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. The performance of the detectors was tested on part of the data from the Strait of Georgia that was withheld from the training phase, data from Barkley Sound, British Columbia, and data collected in the Port of Miami, Florida, United States. The CNN performed up to 1.9 times better than the RF (F1 score: 0.82 vs. 0.43). In some cases, the CNN was able to find more faint fish sounds than the analyst and performed well in environments different from the one it was trained in (Miami F1 score: 0.88). Noise analysis in the 20--1,000 Hz frequency band shows that the CNN is still reliable in noise levels greater than 130 dB re 1 μPa in the Port of Miami but becomes less reliable in Barkley Sound past 100 dB re 1 μPa due to mooring noise. The proposed approach can efficiently monitor (unidentified) fish sounds in a variety of environments and can also facilitate the development of species-specific detectors. We provide the software FishSound Finder, an easy-to-use open-source implementation of the CNN detector with detailed documentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports that food supply and contaminants were investigated as possible causes of low bald eagle productivity near a bleached kraft pulp and paper mill at Crofton on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Details of the study which was conducted over a seven year period, which found the average productivity of five eagle territories situated south of the pulp mill at Crofton was significantly lower than six territories north of the mill.

In 1953, Bellingham's KVOS-TV aired its first broadcast--Queen Elizabeth II's coronation--to audiences in northwest Washington State and southwest British Columbia. KVOS was the second television station in Washington and the first in British Columbia. As the station--and the popularity of television--grew, KVOS turned a persistent focus to attracting television audiences in the Vancouver metropolitan region and Vancouver Island. The station established a subsidiary in Vancouver in 1960 to produce commercials for local Canadian advertisers. This subsidiary grew into a full-fledged film production studio, Canawest Film Productions, which produced commercials, industrial films and animation for clients on both sides of the border. For a brief period, KVOS and Canawest fostered a unique relationship among an American broadcaster, Canadian and American advertisers, and cross-border audiences. Canawest was shuttered in 1977 after the Canadian legislature passed Bill C-58, ending tax deductions for Canadian companies advertising on American TV stations. This paper gives insight into the cross-border design of KVOS as well as Canawest's role in producing audiovisual material in the 1960s and 1970s. In doing so, this paper reflects on the tensions between culture and economics in the face of financial incentive and policy intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the improved version of the marine ecosystem model of the University of Victoria Earth system climate model. It states that code and equations regarding zooplankton grazing and phytoplankton light limitation undergo changes. It mentions that effect of seasonal changes in the ecosystem and better simulation of the said changes were some of the reasons for the improvement.

Reforming environmentally harmful subsidies is an international priority under the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. Research that links industrial subsidies to negative ecological impacts, however, is limited. This paper contributes to the emerging agenda of global "subsidy accountability" research by linking oil and gas subsidies to the decline of endangered caribou herds in British Columbia, Canada. While existing research concretely attributes the decline of caribou herds to industrial activity, including oil and gas development, we suggest there is a need to identify the political‐economic structures which drive ongoing industrial development in caribou habitat, including public subsidies. We use government data to map oil and gas wells in critical caribou habitat and determine how many are run by operators receiving provincial fossil fuel "royalty credits". Ultimately, we find that 1678, or 54%, of oil and gas wells located within critical caribou habitat are run by companies that have received benefits from one or both of BC's largest royalty credit programs. This paper points to the need for further analysis of subsidies as indirect drivers of biodiversity loss on a global scale, as well as increased emphasis on political‐economic drivers in conservation research. It also highlights the obstacles to implementing appropriate conservation solutions in political‐economic contexts dominated by resource extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canadian Cordillera in the province of British Columbia witnesses numerous rock falls every year. Studies on the recorded rock fall data in this area show that rock fall hazard follows weather conditions, especially precipitation and freeze-thaw cycles. This relationship indicates that a weather-based approach can be implemented to estimate possible changes in the rock fall hazard due to climate change. In this paper, we used a statistical approach to quantify the relationship between monthly weather averages and rock fall frequencies for a section of a transportation corridor along the Fraser River in British Columbia, Canada. In this regard, von Mises distributions are used to find the best-fitted models to the monthly precipitation and freeze-thaw cycles, and proper relative weights are applied to the models in order to calibrate them to the rock fall monthly frequency. The calibrated model is used with input data from climatic predictions for 2041–2070 and 2071–2100 to see how rock fall distribution will be affected due to climate change in the future decades. Results show that between 9 and 19%, more rock fall is anticipated in future winters. Rock falls are expected to decrease in other months, especially in October, November, March, and April. This paper presents a method to predict changes in rock fall hazard seasonality due to climate change and illustrates the method with a case study along a section of the Canadian Cordillera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Floodplain wetland ecosystems experience significant seasonal water fluctuation over the year, resulting in a dynamic hydroperiod, with a range of vegetation community responses. This paper assesses trends and changes in land cover and hydroclimatological variables, including air temperature, river discharge, and water level in the Upper Columbia River Wetlands (UCRW), British Columbia, Canada. A land cover classification time series from 1984 to 2022 was generated from the Landsat image archive using a random forest algorithm. Peak river flow timing, duration, and anomalies were examined to evaluate temporal coincidence with observed land cover trends. The land cover classifier used to segment changes in wetland area and open water performed well (kappa of 0.82). Over the last 4 decades, observed river discharge and air temperature have increased, precipitation has decreased, the timing of peak flow is earlier, and the flow duration has been reduced. The frequency of both high-discharge events and dry years have increased, indicating a shift towards more extreme floodplain flow behavior. These hydrometeorological changes are associated with a shift in the timing of snowmelt, from April to mid-May, and with seasonal changes in the vegetative communities over the 39-year period. Thus, woody shrubs (+ 6 % to + 12 %) have expanded as they gradually replaced marsh and wet-meadow land covers with a reduction in open-water area. This suggests that increasing temperatures have already impacted the regional hydrology, wetland hydroperiod, and floodplain land cover in the Upper Columbia River valley. Overall, there is substantial variation in seasonal and annual land cover, reflecting the dynamic nature of floodplain wetlands, but the results show that the wetlands are drying out with increasing areas of woody/shrub habitat and loss of aquatic habitat. The results suggest that floodplain wetlands, particularly marsh and open-water habitats, are vulnerable to climatic and hydrological changes that could further reduce their areal extent in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In British Columbia (BC), there are challenges accessing specialized spinal cord injury care and resources. This paper evaluated the impact of spinal cord injury health educational workshops delivered in regional communities that were informed by persons with lived experience. A community survey was conducted with 44 persons with lived experience in a BC region to identify priority SCI health-related topics. Twenty-five topics were ranked from 1–14, with bowel and bladder management ranked 1 and 4, sexual health ranked 5, and pressure injuries ranked 7. Clinical perspectives on the priorities were collected from 102 clinicians in the BC region, who independently ranked 14 of these SCI topics and considered the former 4 topics to be lower clinical priority (ranked 11–14). These priorities informed a series of SCI clinical education workshops held at healthcare facilities in three regional cities. The goals were to improve clinicians' knowledge and confidence levels when managing spinal cord injury health and to facilitate person-centred care. Positive feedback demonstrated that educational workshops supported by lived experience perspectives effectively enhanced the clinicians' understanding of spinal cord injury and their priorities. Future plans include engaging more administrators as part of this initiative and conducting workshops in other regions of BC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Season of seeding and soil amendment with manure mix, wood shavings and erosion control blankets were evaluated over two growing seasons to determine their effect on soil properties and native grass establishment at a Canadian limestone quarry and lime processing plant. Season (fall, spring) of soil amending and seeding did not significantly affect revegetation or soil properties. Site characteristics such as slope, aspect, initial soil nutrients and surrounding plant communities influenced early plant community development and overall effects of soil treatments. Erosion control blankets resulted in the highest seeded plant cover and the lowest non seeded plant cover despite not significantly changing soil chemical properties. Total nitrogen and carbon significantly increased establishment of seeded grasses and non seeded species. Increased nitrogen and carbon in the constructed soils were best achieved through addition of manure. Wood shavings did not favour establishment of vegetation and resulted in similar, and in some cases less, vegetation than controls. Assisted revegetation increased plant cover from <6 to 50% and reduced cover of non seeded species. Amendments that modified both chemical and physical soil conditions were best to increase vegetation establishment in the harsh conditions of the quarry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collecting and disseminating theses and dissertations electronically is not a new concept. Tools and platforms have emerged to handle various components of the submission and distribution process. However, there is not a tool that handles the entirety of the process from the moment the student begins work on their thesis to the dissemination of the final thesis. The authors have created such a tool which they have called Jarrow. After reviewing available open-source software for theses submission and open-source institutional repository software this paper discusses why and how Jarrow was created and how it works. Jarrow can be downloaded and the project followed at http://code.library.unbc.ca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Forestry Chronicle is the property of Canadian Institute of Forestry 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.)

Reports on the measured rates of decomposition at three sites representing the major mixedwood forest types of British Columbia: (i) boreal forests of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), (ii) coastal forests of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), and (iii) a wet interior forest of Douglas-fir, paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), and lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Doug. ex Loud.). Mass loss of litter of each species (both pure and in combination with the other species) that was measured in forests of each species to determine (i) if broadleaf litter decomposed faster than needle litter, (ii) if litter decomposed faster in broadleaf or mixedwood forests than in coniferous forests, and (iii) if mixing with broadleaf hastened decomposition of needle litter; Broadleaf litters that decomposed faster than needles during the first year but, thereafter, decomposed more slowly; Litter that tended to decompose faster in the broadleaf forests than in the coniferous forests; No evidence to indicate that the addition of broadleaf litter hastened decomposition of needle litter; Results that indicate that the mixing of needle litter with broadleaf litter is unlikely to hasten decomposition in mixedwood forests of British Columbia.

Crises of seniors' care in countries like the UK and Canada, further highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, have been connected to processes of privatization and financialization. In this paper I argue that rent theory is important for disaggregating mechanisms, including of accumulation by dispossession, the devaluation of labour, and assetization, that underpin the process of financialization in the sector. Work on rents often divides between critical approaches, especially to land rent, and mainstream institutionalist and public choice approaches to rent-seeking. Critical rent theory is evolving beyond this divide to understand a broader range of types of rent. Yet, despite attention to the increasing importance of economic rents and forms of rentierism, labour and social reproduction are often excluded from the analysis of how rent relations arise. This paper demonstrates the problems with these exclusions. The argument is illustrated through an analysis of the restructuring of eldercare in British Columbia, Canada, in the last two decades, and employs a feminist political economy approach to examine the social production of rent relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogenous mineralogy of ultramafic deposits hosting mining operations makes it challenging to accurately determine the waste rock's mineral carbonation potential (MCP). Additionally, the significantly higher carbonation capabilities of olivine than serpentine add to the difficulty. To address this issue, in this work, a new and unique tool called the MCP calculator was developed as a Microsoft ExcelTM spreadsheet to accurately determine the amount of anthropogenic CO2 that a given rock mass can sequester through mineral carbonation. The program estimates the modal mineral abundance of ultramafic rocks to aid in MCP estimation. This tool is designed to be cost-effective and tailored for use by the mining industry, utilising abundant lithogeochemical data to evaluate their deposit as a potential substrate for industrial mineral carbonation operations. The paper introduces the MCP calculator, outlines a framework for developing the MCP parameter, and presents an example of its application. The calculator is specific to the mineral assemblage investigated at the Turnagain ultramafic complex in northern British Columbia but can be adjusted to study comparable deposits. The paper acknowledges that using waste rock in a mineral carbonation operation requires economic and practical decisions beyond the scope of the research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to address the issue of how evidence obtained in violation of a Charter-protected right is to be dealt with in civil forfeiture proceedings. In arriving at the answer, the governing jurisprudence in this area of the law will be canvased to provide a contextual background that informs the parameters of this discussion. However, it will ultimately become clear by the end of this paper that evidence obtained in violation of a Charter-protected right should be dealt with by way of section 24(2) of the Constitution Act, 1982, and the use of a modified Grant test. Civil forfeiture is the process by which the state commences legal action to obtain property that was seized as an instrument or proceed of unlawful activity. Although property can be forfeited through a number of different mechanisms, the scope of this paper is limited to forfeiture proceedings commenced by way of civil action under provincial legislation with a focus on British Columbia. The case law presented in this paper will focus primarily on appellate court decisions from across the country due to the scarce attention this area of the law has received. These cases will highlight the endeavours of litigants who sought to undermine civil forfeiture proceedings through the use of common law principles and the Charter. Finally, commentary will be provided on the direction future research in this area of the law should take. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

A sediment core was retrieved from an area adjacent to a Pulp and Paper Mill in Howe Sound, British Columbia, in order to examine the accumulation dioxins (PCDDs) and furans (PCDFs). Downcore distribution of TOC in the bulk samples is relatively uniform (0.5–1.7 wt. %). Bulk PCDD/F concentration shows selective enrichment and depletion at specific sediment horizons, and a low to moderate correlation with surface area (r2 = 0.23–0.54). TOC in size fractionated sediments ranges from 0.3–11 wt. % and shows a moderate correlation with surface area (r2 = 0.51). The relationship between PCDD/Fs and surface area is congener specific, ranging from no significant correlation (TCDD; r2 = 0.05), to a good correlation (i.e., OCDF; r2 = 0.74). Results indicate that both dioxin and furan concentrations are related to organic matter concentration, molecular chlorination and sediment surface area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the policy paper "Looking Beyond the Numbers: Planning British Columbia's Physician's Workforce," released by the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA). It emphasizes the need for better coordination in physician workforce planning. It cites the stakeholders influencing physician resource planning, including the provincial government, health authorities and universities. The recommendations given by the paper include the establishment of a provincial committee.

Standard occupational coding systems in Canada and elsewhere do not adequately describe the pulp and paper industry for the purpose of assigning the worker's chemical exposures. Accordingly, a coded list ofstandard job titles in the pulp and paper industry was developed from two sources: industry-related job titles in pre-existing Canadian occupational coding systems, and mill-specific job titles listed on historical job descriptions from 14 mills in the province of British Columbia, Canada. The mill-specific titles were reviewed in the contextof the existing process technology, engineering controls, and mill- specific work practices. Each job code was considered unique in termsof its chemical exposure potential. The newly formed classification system was applied to job titles listed on the employment records of a sample of workers employed at the mills between 1950 and 1992. Standardizing and coding the job titles within each mill streamlined the subsequent exposure assessment and data analysis. Issues of homogeneous exposures, misclassification, and multilevel analysis are addressed. This exposure-based coding system developed for the pulp and paperindustry is an improvement over census-based codes as a resource forretrospective exposure assessment. Although not exhaustive, it includes workers in the kraft, sulfite, and mechanical pulping processes, as well as in paper making. The format is designed to maximize exposure differences between the fewest possible job codes, and can readilybe extended to incorporate other pulping processes or converting operations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balanced budgets for dissolved inorganic N (DIN) and particulate N (PN) were constructed for the Strait of Georgia (SoG), a semi-enclosed coastal sea off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. The dominant control on the N budget is the advection of DIN into and out of the SoG via Haro Strait. The annual influx of DIN by advection from the Pacific Ocean is 29 990 (±19 500) Mmolyr-1. The DIN flux advected out of the SoG is 24 300 (±15 500) Mmolyr-1. Most of the DIN that enters the SoG (~23 400 Mmolyr-1) is converted to particulate N (PN) in situ by primary production. However, most of the PN produced by primary production is remineralized (~22 000 Mmolyr-1) back into DIN within the top 50 m. The PN budget for the SoG was further constrained by nitrogen isotope composition (δ15N) that indicated regional differences in the source of PN. The southern Strait receives a much higher proportion of terrigenous PN, relative to marine PN, than does the northern Strait. The difference is due to the influence of the Fraser River, which discharges 1950 Mmolyr-1 of PN and 1660 Mmolyr-1of DIN into the southern Strait. The overall anthropogenic contribution of PN and DIN to the SoG is minimal relative to natural sources (> 30000 Mmolyr-1). It is unlikely that the Strait will be affected by eutrophication in the near future, although anthropogenic N sources, such as wastewater outfalls, may have significant local effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article deals with the policy paper submitted by the British Columbia Medical Association (BCMA) to the government which includes recommendations for addressing the challenges facing the British Columbia health care system.

The effects of organic and inorganic nitrogen fertilizer on the morphology and anatomy of Cannabis sativa “Fédrina” (industrial fibre hemp) was investigated in both a greenhouse and field setting in Northern British Columbia. Plots (90 stems/m2) treated with 0, 75, 150 or 300 kg N/ha of inorganic nitrogen, or fish meal, blood meal or sea star organic fertilizers were also replicated with 90 kg inorganic P2O5/ha application. The application of 150 and/or 300 kg N/ha of any nitrogen fertilizer type benefited field-grown plant morphology, secondary phloem fibre and xylem development, while greenhouse-grown plant morpology, secondary phloem fibre and xylem were positively influenced by 90 kg P2O5/ha. Primary phloem fibre characteristics of both greenhouse and field-grown plants were benefited by the absence of either nitrogen or phosphorus fertilizer. This study determined that the response of C. sativa “Fédrina” fibre production to organic nitrogen application was comparable to that of inorganic nitrogen application. doi:10.1300/J237v11n02_02 [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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

This paper situates Indigenous social reproduction as a duality; as both a site of primitive accumulation and as a critical, resurgent, land-based practice. Drawing on three distinct cases from British Columbia, Canada, Aotearoa New Zealand and Bua, Fiji, we illustrate how accounting techniques can be a key mechanism with which Indigenous modes of life are brought to the market and are often foundational to the establishment of markets. We argue that accounting practices operate at the vanguard of primitive accumulation by extracting once invaluable outsides (e.g. Indigenous land and bodies) and rendering these either valuable or valueless for the social reproduction of settler society. The commodification of Indigenous social reproduction sustains the conditions that enable capitalism to flourish through primitive accumulation. However, we privilege Indigenous agency, resistance and resurgence in our analysis to illustrate that these techniques of commodification through accounting are not inevitable. They are resisted or wielded towards Indigenous alternatives at every point. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) of British Columbia suggested that a paradigm shift from weight to well-being could address the unintended consequences of focusing on obesity and improve the outcomes of efforts to address the challenges facing both individuals and our healthcare system. In this paper, we jointly used artificial intelligence (AI) and participatory modeling to examine the possible consequences of this paradigm shift. Specifically, we created a conceptual map with 19 experts to understand how obesity and physical and mental well-being connect to each other and other factors. Three analyses were performed. First, we analyzed the factors that directly connect to obesity and well-being, both in terms of causes and consequences. Second, we created a reduced version of the map and examined the connections between categories of factors (e.g., food production, and physiology). Third, we explored the themes in the interviews when discussing either well-being or obesity. Our results show that obesity was viewed from a medical perspective as a problem, whereas well-being led to broad and diverse solution-oriented themes. In particular, we found that taking a well-being perspective can be more comprehensive without losing the relevance of the physiological aspects that an obesity-centric perspective focuses on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]