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The Precipitating Change Project was a 5-year development, implementation, and research study of an innovative 4-week middle school curricular unit in computational weather forecasting that integrates students' learning and use of meteorology and computational thinking (CT) concepts and practices. The project produced a list of CT skills and definitions that students use to predict the weather, CT assessment instruments, and a CT classroom observation protocol. Data was collected from 306 eighth grade (ages 13-14) students in rural indigenous communities in the Arctic and urban and suburban Northeast communities in the USA. The project met its goal of producing an intentional instructional sequence that integrates disciplinary science and CT practices to increase students' science knowledge and their ability to use CT skills and processes. The results indicate that teachers were able to use the curriculum to embed CT practices into the classroom. Students, in turn, had the opportunity to practice using these skills in class discussion as evidenced by the classroom observation data, and students' science knowledge of CT content and practices significantly increased as evidenced by their performance on the weather content and CT skills pre- and post-assessments. While statistically significant gains in science knowledge and CT skills and practices were evident in all settings (urban, suburban, and rural indigenous communities), there were noticeable differences in gains in students' CT skills and practices between the three settings and additional research is needed in a diversity of settings to understand this difference.

Outdoor play with its risks is necessary for optimal child development. Increasing attention is being paid to factors influencing children's opportunities for risky outdoor play, with parent/guardian (hereafter parent) perceptions being an important, under-researched topic. This research explored parents' perceptions of preschoolers' risky outdoor play. Interviews were held with 19 parents of preschoolers in Nova Scotia, Canada. Bronfenbrenner's ecological model was used to consider levels of influence related to parents' perceptions of risky outdoor play. A qualitative descriptive approach identified key themes from interviews. Microsystem-level factors influencing parents' perceptions included children's age, size, ability to self-assess, and comfort with risk. Mesosystem-level factors were children's companions and supervision during play. Exosystem-level factors included neighborhood location, perceived safety, and house type. Macrosystem and chronosystem-level factors included how parents' perceptions of weather and season affected children's play, and the influences of higher societal expectations of injury avoidance on children's play over time. Findings can be used to inform strategies to promote children's quality outdoor play through understanding the factors influencing parents' perceptions of preschoolers' risky outdoor play.

Through a program called "Snowga" (yoga in the snow), students learned about mindfulness and living in the present moment through yoga postures and meditations. Positive changes included growth in wellbeing as the children explored self, community, and the natural world through yoga, mindfulness, personal reflective journals, and artwork. The purpose: to engender awareness of the efficacy of mindfulness and yoga practices in nature and contribute to the growing body of knowledge around wellbeing in education.

The demand for counseling services in Canadian post-secondary settings has grown dramatically over the past decade putting increased demands on limited resources as colleges and universities were never intended to be part of the mental health treatment continuum of care. One response at many institutions has been to introduce walk-in counseling programs to avoid lengthy waiting lists and to deal with issues more readily. However, this too has implications for staffing for there are times when there are not enough staff to handle student needs while at other times counselors spend hours with no client contact. Weather is one factor that many believe impacts clinic attendance and while there is a mixed literature supporting the influence of this variable it pertains nearly exclusively to medical settings. This study, examining walk-in counseling attendance through an entire academic year of one university in southwestern Ontario, found that daylight, precipitation, and temperature were not statistically related to the number of students who sought counseling.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the most suitable health messages and designs to create point-of-choice prompts for promoting active transportation and staircase use that would appeal to undergraduate students. Participants: Undergraduate students (N = 21; 71% women) were recruited during Fall (2016) and Winter (2017) semesters. Methods: Focus groups (50-80 minutes each) were organized to obtain students' feedback on the kind of messages and poster designs they found motivational. Inductive content analysis was performed on verbatim transcripts. Descriptive statistics were calculated to summarize demographic characteristics of participants. Results: The major themes revealed that participants: preferred simple designs with tailored messages; had diverse lifestyle-based values associated with physical activity; and participation in activities were affected by uncontrollable factors (eg, time, built environment, and weather). Conclusions: This study provides insights for designing suitable point-of-choice prompts that are tailored for university students in terms of future interventions that aim to improve their activity levels.

This article examines the role material culture and making items can serve in establishing a sense of place or informing place-based educational practices. It is arranged around six principles that, if used in a learning context, connect material from a place to an enhanced comprehension of a sense of place. A critical component in making the stuff of life includes shaping and making practical items like tools, food, shelter and clothing. Contemporary place-based educational practices frequently emphasize connecting children with their food through gardening activities, but this article emphasizes that making practical items from local material is also a valuable way to begin learning about the place where one lives. The author describes some guiding principles that can be used to enrich the context of place during making experiences focused upon the stuff of life.

Purpose: Parents play an important role in supporting children's physical activity (PA) behavior. Parent PA support is a behavior unto itself that has been examined within the framework of an adapted theory of planned behavior (TPB). The primary purpose of this research was to identify key barriers to parent PA support to understand perceptions of control in relation to parent PA support. The second purpose of this research was to identify potential strategies to enhance parent PA support via enhanced perceived behavioral control. Method: Focus groups were conducted with parents (N = 21) of children aged 5 to 11 years old. A deductive content analysis was employed to analyze the data guided by an adapted TPB. Results: Themes related to barriers included parents' motivation, affective experiences in providing PA support, and control factors (e.g., cost, time, safety concerns, screen). Themes related to potential strategies included opportunities for participation and improved affective experiences for parents, community parenting, and self-regulatory strategies. Conclusion: The identification of specific barriers to parent PA support can guide the development of interventions to facilitate parent PA support. Informational, programming, and self-regulatory training interventions may be useful in enhancing parent support.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to outline a unique six-step process for the inclusion of climate change adaption goals and strategies in a University Climate Change Plan. Design/methodology/approach: A mixed-method approach was used to gather data on campus climate change vulnerabilities and adaption strategies. A literature review highlighted common themes in adaption research. Meetings, surveys, and a specialized workshop with climate scenarios were created to elicit campus and community input. Findings: The majority of the peer-reviewed and grey literature surrounding climate change adaptation planning is aimed at larger levels of organization than a University campus (e.g. nations, populations, regions, and cities). An original planning process was created to identify vulnerabilities, risks and strategies. Key vulnerabilities fell into three main areas of concern: energy, transportation, and built environment. Adaptation goals, objectives and strategies were outlined for the Dalhousie University Climate Change Plan, based on risk levels associated with vulnerabilities. Research limitations/implications: The adaption survey and workshop was created for this research. Small improvements were suggested for future use. The six weather scenarios presented at the workshop emphasized extreme events. Some participants felt that scenarios should be developed that feature smaller climate changes over a longer period of time. The prioritization activity used to establish risk needed to clarify the definition of risk being used. Future scenarios could include more consideration of socio-economic factors. Originality/value: Specific planning frameworks to create campus-level climate adaptation strategies are sparse. A unique planning framework and workshop was developed to identify key climate change adaption strategies for universities. (Contains 3 tables.)

Students from three different British Columbia grade six classes were followed through two weeks of instruction on climate change. Pre, post, and follow-up surveys were used to determine the differences in knowledge gained and retained by students that received direct instruction from their science teacher, and by those who received equivalent content instruction from outside presenters. The teacher participant also completed a survey on her experience with the researcher-designed lesson plans. Students' results on the surveys were compared to results from a control group with no intervention. The teacher-based setting resulted in significantly higher knowledge gain, although no difference was found between the groups' rate of knowledge decline thereafter. Highest gains in knowledge were for the carbon cycle and the human impacts topic, followed by understanding the difference between climate and weather. The students and teacher alike appeared to struggle with the topic of global warming and the greenhouse effect. The research suggests that with the appropriate background information the classroom teacher is likely to be more effective at conveying the science of climate change, particularly when it is taught through an understanding of the carbon cycle and its human impacts. It also suggests that those non-governmental organizations engaged in climate change education might be better served by investing their limited resources in the development of learning materials and subsequent professional development for teachers rather than focusing on in-school presentations. (Contains 2 tables and 4 figures.)

With the likelihood of future changes in climate and climate variability, it is important to understand how human systems may be vulnerable. Rural communities in Saskatchewan having agricultural-based economies are particularly dependent on climate and could be among the most vulnerable human systems in Canada. Future changes in climate are likely to have significant impacts on rural livelihoods, and rural populations will face the challenge of coping with climate change in light of a multitude of other changing socio-economic and environmental conditions. The Rural Municipality of Rudy No. 284 was chosen as a case study due to its access to irrigation, a key tool in climate adaptation for the agricultural system in the area against one of its most notorious climatic features--severe multi-year droughts. Further irrigation development would continue to reduce climate vulnerabilities. Even with irrigation however, the compounding effects of climate and other socio-economic changes will likely require modifications in current practices and policies in order to secure adequate livelihoods. Climate change adaptation in the RM must ensure equitable access to water and potentially irrigation, reduce barriers to collaboration when addressing communal problems, and provide more certainty in government programs. (Contains 9 figures.)

There is paucity of research investigating opinions and attitudes of seniors 55 years of age and older in relation to housing accommodation and services sensitive to the needs of the senior population. We describe the results of a cross-sectional survey soliciting opinions and attitudes of seniors with respect to a variety of housing issues including home ownership and home modifications. The objectives of the survey were to improve our understanding of older adults' views and concerns about housing, and to collect information intended to provide policy makers with recommendations regarding housing services, improved access, and safety for older adults as indicated by the individual residents. Most respondents indicated a strong desire to stay and age in their own homes, and continue owning their homes. There was general agreement among those surveyed that other forms of accommodations such as seniors' housing, congregate homes, small self-contained houses placed on the same lot as the home of a close family member, and residential care facilities were alternative housing options that are less preferred. Winter weather conditions in northern British Columbia were reported to be an important impediment for safety, community participation, and access to facilities and services. Policy implications related to housing tenure and housing conditions as important social determinants of health for seniors are discussed.

This study sought to examine London, Ontario-based childcare providers' perspectives of the barriers and facilitators to physical activity participation among preschoolers (i.e. children aged 2.5-5 years) attending daycare. A heterogeneous sample of childcare providers (n = 54; response rate 47%) working at public daycare facilities in London, Ontario participated. Using a qualitative methodology, eight semi-structured focus groups were conducted between February and March 2009. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Inductive content analysis was used to code and categorize emerging themes. When asked to describe the barriers to engaging preschoolers in physical activity while at daycare, participants discussed inadequate equipment, insufficient space, daycare requirements and safety concerns, and weather. When asked to describe the facilitators, participants cited resources, music and the childcare providers themselves. This study's findings provide contextual and descriptive information with potentially significant implications for childcare directors, parents and researchers to promote and support physical activity participation among preschoolers attending daycare. (Contains 1 table.)

The study used data from Project Ice Storm to determine the extent to which exposure to prenatal maternal stress due to a natural disaster can explain variance in the intellectual and language performance of offspring at age 5 1/2.

The purpose of this article is to investigate wind turbine production, the variability of that production, and the relationship between output and system-wide demand. A review of the literature reveals that a variety of measures (and methods) to explore the variability of wind power production exist. Attention then turns to the province of Ontario (Canada), and the performances of four wind farms are examined for 2006 and 2007. Key conclusions include that the wind farms' capacity factors vary from 27.6% to 35.6%, with higher values in winter as compared to summer; wind power performs better than the seasonal average during peak periods; wind is a better "partner" for the Ontario electricity system in the winter as opposed to the summer; and the increased geographic distribution of wind farms decreases their collective variability. (Contains 8 tables, 14 figures, and 6 notes.)

This study describes the experiences of 10- and 11-year-old students with building science models during a unit on weather. With the teacher, we prepared and gathered materials for the students to use in the building of dynamic physical models demonstrating the key features of the weather concepts they were learning. An important aspect of the approach used in the construction of the models was that students were given a significant amount of time to build and explore their models. Students were interviewed following the completion of the unit and their comments suggest that they began to understand the value of the building activities. The enthusiasm for the activities demonstrated by the students also helped increased the meaning the construction held for them. This enthusiasm combined with an increased confidence helped create an environment where students were excited about science and were better able to display their understanding of concepts.

In the city where the authors live, located on the shore of Lake Ontario, children have ample opportunity to interact with snow. Water vapor rising from the relatively warm lake surface produces tremendous "lake effect" snowfalls when frigid winter winds blow. Snow piles along roadways after each passing storm, creating impressive snow banks. When a tractor-mounted snow blower slices through these snow banks, the succession of snowstorms is revealed as interesting layers of different thicknesses and colors. As science education professors with an interest in geology, the authors could not pass up the opportunity to study sedimentary processes and phase changes with the mounds of snow right in their own front yards. Their colleague--a fourth-grade teacher at a local school with an abundance of snow banks--teamed up with the authors to create a weeklong snow bank investigation.

Climate change may modify species distribution to higher latitudes, resulting in potential changes of parasite diversity and transmission dynamics in areas where animals might not be locally adapted to these new parasite species. In addition, climate change may increase the frequency and severity of infestations of parasites that are already present in a region, by promoting the development and survival of infectious stages. Over the last decades, the number of moose (Alces americanus) infested by winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) has increased in eastern Canada, possibly because milder climatic conditions are increasing winter tick survival. Our main objective was to determine which meteorological variables are more likely to influence winter tick load on moose. We compiled several weather variables that may limit winter tick survival and explored which weather variables, or their interactions, influenced the winter tick load of 4,100 hunted moose from 2013 to 2019 in Québec, Canada along a latitudinal gradient. Winter tick load in fall decreased with the maximum number of consecutive days in spring with average daily temperatures below -15°C and with the number of consecutive days in summer with a relative humidity <80% when snowmelt in spring was earlier. These results suggest that cold temperatures and prolonged periods of low humidity, amplified by early snowmelt, limit the survival of adult female ticks and eggs, thus limiting their subsequent load on moose during the following fall. With climate change, precipitation increases and warm temperatures occur earlier in spring and are more frequent in summer. Our results suggest that climate change may have a positive long-term influence on winter tick abundance in the environment and thereby increase winter tick load on moose, which could lead to a significant decrease in moose body condition and survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic habitat alteration and climate change are two well‐known contributors to biodiversity loss through changes to species distribution and abundance; yet, disentangling the effects of these two factors is often hindered by their inherent confound across both space and time. We leveraged a contrast in habitat alteration associated with the jurisdictional boundary between two Canadian provinces to evaluate the relative effects of spatial variation in habitat alteration and climate on white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) densities. White‐tailed deer are an invading ungulate across much of North America, whose expansion into Canada's boreal forest is implicated in the decline of boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou), a species listed as Threatened in Canada. We estimated white‐tailed deer densities using 300 remote cameras across 12 replicated 50 km2 landscapes over 5 years. White‐tailed deer densities were significantly lower in areas where winter severity was higher. For example, predicted deer densities declined from 1.83 to 0.35 deer/km2 when winter severity increased from the lowest value to the median value. There was a tendency for densities to increase with increasing habitat alteration; however, the magnitude of this effect was approximately half that of climate. Our findings suggest that climate is the primary driver of white‐tailed deer populations; however, understanding the mechanisms underpinning this relationship requires further study of over‐winter survival and fecundity. Long‐term monitoring at the invasion front is needed to evaluate the drivers of abundance over time, particularly given the unpredictability of climate change and increasing prevalence of extreme weather events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides an overview of various extreme weather events that occurred in 2023. It attributes the global heat to El Niño and global warming, resulting in record-breaking temperatures and droughts in some areas. The year began with extreme heat and cold, accompanied by major flooding in Africa, the Philippines, and New Zealand. The article also mentions the "Zombie Cyclone" that caused heavy rain, high winds, and flooding as it traveled from Indonesia to Madagascar and Mozambique. It further discusses Canada's historic wildfire season, extreme summer heat in North America and Asia, and other notable events such as record-breaking temperatures in Algeria, Morocco, and Albania, scorching temperatures in China, historic flooding in the eastern Mediterranean, deadly monsoon flooding in South Asia, Hurricane Otis in Mexico, and storms in Europe causing flooding and power outages. The article concludes by mentioning the forecasted dissipation of El Niño in 2024, which may result in lower global temperatures. [Extracted from the article]

Landslides are common across Canada and they pose hazards to human safety, economic activities, and the environment. Robust risk management strategies are necessary for sustainable development. A slope risk management framework has been adopted by the geotechnical community for approximately four decades allowing a systematic, consistent and transparent framework for managing risks. Implementing this framework is associated with uncertainties embedded in our estimates of risk. This paper presents a brief summary of the sources and categories of uncertainty in geotechnical slope engineering and focuses on two topics: (1) estimates of uncertainty in risk calculations and (2) temporal changes in landslide likelihood as a function of weather and steps towards estimating landslide risk changes with climate change. The paper argues that a quantitative risk assessment should not focus on the final risk calculation, but the overall knowledge gained. This allows comprehensive documentation of sources of uncertainty and how they impact geotechnical and risk assessments. Furthermore, the paper outlines approaches to define quantitative correlations between rock fall occurrences and weather, which can be leveraged to estimate changes in rock fall risk with climate change. The paper corresponds to, and expands on, the 2021 Canadian Geotechnical Colloquium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multi-billion-dollar snowmobile industry is predicated on natural snowfall and cold temperatures, with a near absence of research that examines industry response to climatic variability and change. Using a temporal analogue approach, this study examines 30 years of climate data (1989–2019), along with operational (grooming hours) and performance (permit sales) indicators, to provide insight into the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of the Ontario snowmobile industry in a medium (RCP4.5) and high (RCP8.5) mid-century (2046–2060) emission scenario. The results underscore important temporal and spatial variability across Ontario's 16 snowmobile districts, indicating that snowmobilers are highly resilient to marginal conditions, changing districts and switching from seasonal to daily permits in response to warming temperatures. The findings from this study can inform risk assessments in other major snowmobile markets (e.g., Canada, Europe, USA), with future research needs discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited evidence on the strategies, resources, and tools shown to improve winter mobility and community participation. This paper describes a multifaceted approach taken to develop an mHealth application that provides information, resources, and strategies to facilitate winter mobility for mobility device users, service providers, community organisations, and researchers. The study was conducted in three phases: (1) A scoping review of peer-reviewed and grey literature was completed to identify literature that reported on tools, strategies, resources, and recommendations used to promote winter mobility; (2) Online asynchronous focus groups were conducted to identify the type of content that mobility device users wanted to include in the web-based application; and (3) A prototype mHealth application was developed based on the findings from the previous phases. Using a rapid prototyping process that included stakeholder review through an online survey, four cycles of application design and development were undertaken. The scoping review identified 23 peer-reviewed studies and limited grey literature on winter mobility strategies, resources and recommendations. Twenty-four participants from across Canada engaged in one of five focus groups. Focus group analysis led to the development of the content categories for the mHealth application. The initial prototype application developed was reviewed by; 27 mobility device users, 16 health care providers, and seven consumer organisation representatives identified areas of strength and further refinement in regard to application design. The approach used in this study provided a method to develop an application based on the ideas, needs, and interests of a variety of stakeholders. Once fully developed, the application has the potential to fill the gaps related to the lack of a unified collection of winter mobility strategies and resources, and open the dialogue on methods to improve winter participation among mobility device users. Despite winter conditions being a common challenge among mobility device users, there is an absence of an organised approach towards helping individuals manage their winter mobility needs. As the development and usage of mHealth applications continues to increase, it is valuable to use methods of designing applications based on the ideas, needs, and interests of a variety of stakeholders. Development of a framework for collating information on winter mobility strategies and resources is the first step towards launching an mHealth application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The use of self-efficacy to predict physical activity has a long history. However, this relationship is complex, as self-efficacy is thought to influence and be influenced by physical activity. The directionality of the self-regulatory efficacy (SRE) and physical activity relationship was examined using a cross-lagged design. A secondary purpose was to examine these relationships across differing weather conditions. Methods: Canadian adolescents (N = 337; aged between 13 and 18 years) completed the physical activity and SRE measures 4 times during a school year. Structural equation modeling was used to perform a cross-lag analysis. Results: The relationships between physical activity and SRE appeared to be weather dependent. During a more challenging weather period (eg, cold weather), the relationship between physical activity and SRE was bidirectional. However, no relationship emerged when the 2 constructs were assessed during a more optimal weather period (eg, warm weather). Conclusions: Some support has been provided for the bidirectional nature of the relationship between physical activity and SRE. The relationship appeared to be qualified by climate considerations, suggesting that future research examine how weather may relate not just to physical activity but also to the correlates of physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Examine objectively measured environmental correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in toddlers (12–35 mo). Methods: Participants were recruited at immunization appointments in Edmonton, Canada. Physical activity and sedentary time were objectively measured via accelerometers (n = 149). The parents reported screen time and demographic characteristics via a questionnaire (n = 249). Postal codes were used to link neighborhood data via geographic information systems. Neighborhood data included 4 environmental domains: functional (ie, walkability), safety (ie, crime), esthetic (ie, tree density), and destination (ie, cul-de-sac density, wooded area percentage, green space percentage, recreation density, park density). Weather data (temperature and precipitation) were obtained via historical weather records. Multilevel multiple linear regression models were used to account for clustering of participants within neighborhoods and adjustment of demographic variables. Results: Each additional 10°C of mean temperature was significantly associated with 5.74 (95% confidence interval, 0.96–10.50) minutes per day of higher light-intensity physical activity, though the effect size was small (f2 = 0.08). No other significant associations were observed. Conclusions: The lack of significant findings for neighborhood environment factors suggests proximal factors (eg, features of the home environment) may be more important in predicting toddlers' physical activity and sedentary behavior. More indoor physical activity opportunities may be needed on colder days for toddlers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although potentially useful for financially hedging systemic weather-related risks, weather contracts/derivatives (also referred to as parametric insurance) have not seen wide adoption in agriculture outside of applications in developing countries, frequently supported by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). A significant impediment is the lack of financial firms willing to stand ready to sell weather derivatives to individual agricultural producers in the over-the-counter market who, due to the localized nature of weather, face idiosyncratic weather-related risks. In particular, the administrative and reinsurance costs of supplying relatively small contracts with specific terms to many different producers are often prohibitive. The current study considers the potential use of weather derivatives in hedging the aggregate yield/revenues of viticulture producers represented by an industry association located in the province of Ontario, Canada. We examine the sensitivity of aggregate industry yields to several relevant weather-related risks employing copula function analysis. We then consider the potential of a weather derivative in hedging the financial risk associated with cold winter temperatures, which pose the greatest risk to aggregate vinifera yields. The issue of attributing costs and payouts to individual association members remains unresolved, and several alternatives are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird‐building collisions are a major source of wild bird mortality, with hundreds of millions of fatalities each year in the United States and Canada alone. Here, we use two decades of daily citizen science monitoring to characterize day‐to‐day variation in building collisions and determine the factors that predict the highest risk times in two North American cities. We use these analyses to evaluate three potential causes of increased collision risk: heightened migration traffic during benign weather, increased navigational and flight errors during inclement weather, and increased errors in response to highly directional sunlight that enhances reflected images. The seasonal phenology of collisions was consistent across sites and years, with daily collision rates approximately twofold higher in autumn as compared to spring. During both migration seasons, collision risk was best predicted by the weather conditions at dawn. In spring, peak collision risk occurs on days with warm temperatures, south winds, and a lack of precipitation at dawn. In autumn, peak collision occurs on days with cool temperatures, north winds, high atmospheric pressure, a lack of precipitation, and clear conditions with high visibility. Based on these results, we hypothesize that collisions are influenced by two main weather‐driven mechanisms. First, benign weather at dawn and winds that are favorable for migration cause an increase in migration traffic in both spring and autumn, creating greater opportunity for collisions to occur. Second, for autumnal migrants, cold clear conditions may cause an additional increase in collision risk. We propose that these conditions may be particularly hazardous in autumn because of the high abundance of naïve and diurnal migrants at that time of year. Our analysis also establishes that a relatively small proportion of days (15%) are responsible for 50% of the total collision mortality within a season, highlighting the importance of targeting mitigation strategies to the most hazardous times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly variable and unpredictable precipitation in humid regions makes water management important for consistent potato production. This study assessed the influence of supplemental irrigation (SI) and soil dewatering on potato productivity and profitability in Prince Edward Island, Canada. The average yields of Russet Burbank (RB), Shepody, Kennebec and Goldrush cultivars from 2000 to 2020 (excluding 2018) were conceptualized as the results of an un-replicated experiment with growing season (GS) precipitation representing water supply treatment. GS precipitation varied from 155 to 479 mm, with an average of 338 mm. Yield increased with increasing GS precipitation in the 155–257 mm range (Rainfall Zone 1; 3/20 seasons), became relatively insensitive to GS precipitation in the 258–425 mm range (Rainfall Zone 2; 12/20 seasons), and decreased as GS precipitation increased from 426 to 479 mm (Rainfall Zone 3; 5/20 seasons). Yields responded to GS precipitation following second-order polynomial regressions, with GS precipitation explaining 69%, 65%, 29% and 50% of yield variation for RB, Shepody, Kennebec and Goldrush cultivars, respectively. These yield regression equations predict that SI using a center-pivot system would produce a positive profit in the first half of Rainfall Zone 1 regardless of field size and in the second half of Rainfall Zone 1 in fields over 40 ha. SI would not produce a positive profit in Rainfall Zone 2 regardless of field size because precipitation was high enough that additional water supply would not have resulted in sufficient yield gains to offset the cost of SI. Soil dewatering would be beneficial for optimal production in Rainfall Zone 3 in which precipitation was excessive. The annual variation in precipitation, unpredictability of SI requirements, and unprofitability in most seasons, present a significant financial barrier for the widespread implementation of SI. On the other hand, the gross income gained from increased yields by soil dewatering would fully cover the cost of tile drain installation after only two to three extremely wet seasons, making tile drainage a good investment for consistent production. This study demonstrates that historical rain-fed yield and weather data can be used to assess the economics of potato production with SI and soil dewatering, and provides important insights on potato water management in a humid temperate climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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

Fire activity in 288 areas (2.5° N × 10° E) in the Arctic region (50°–70° N, 0°–360° E) was analyzed using about 4.4 million satellite hotspot (HS) data from 2002 to 2021. A total of 21 high fire density areas from eastern Europe to western Canada were selected, and their fire–weather conditions during each active fire period were analyzed using about 1820 various weather maps at the upper and the lower air level. Analysis results showed that the active fires in the Arctic region occurred under the fire–weather conditions associated with the northward movement of cut-off high (COH) and warm air masses detached from the south caused by large westerly meandering (LWM). LWM is a sign of the beginning of an active fire period. Very active fires on HS peak days occurred several days after the start of the northward movement of COHs and under mainly high-pressure conditions in the upper air and strong wind conditions in the lower air. The time lag of these several days suggests that we may be prepared for very active fires. The fire–weather analysis approach described in this paper has shown that future large-scale fire outbreaks are predictable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Increasing global demands for oils are fueling the production of diluted bitumen (DB) from Canada's oil sands region. More weathered than conventional crude (CC) oils, Alberta bitumen is often diluted with lighter petroleum oils to reduce density and viscosity to meet pipeline specifications for transportation. Being a heavy oil product that is transported in large volumes across Canada and the USA, there has been interest to compare its behavior and toxicity characteristics when spilled to those of CC. To determine the influence of environmental weathering upon DB following a freshwater spill, we conducted separate controlled spills of Cold Lake Blend DB and Mixed Sweet Blend light CC oil in a mesocosm spill-tank system at 24 °C with wave-action for 56 days. DB-contaminated waters remained acutely lethal for a period of 14 days to early life stage fathead minnows (Pimephales promelas) exposed during embryologic development, while CC was lethal for 1 day. However, concentrations of mono- and polycyclic aromatic compounds, often claimed to be principally responsible for the acute and chronic toxicity of crude oils, were consistently higher in CC water compared to DB. Elevated aromatic concentrations in CC water correlated with higher prevalences of developmental malformations, reduced heart and growth rates, and impacts on the aryl hydrocarbon receptor pathway. Organic acids were measured over the course of the studies and O 2 containing naphthenic acids were present at greater relative abundances in DB- compared to CC-contaminated water, with their attenuation correlating with reduced acute and sublethal toxicity. Furthermore, organic acid degradation products accumulated with time and likely contributed to the consistently sublethal toxicity of the weathered oils throughout the experiment. Improved characterization of the fractions including organic acids and those organic compounds found within the unresolved complex mixture of fresh and weathered crude oils is necessary to adequately understand and prepare for the risks that accidental petroleum spills pose to aquatic resources., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

In the last few decades, the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events have increased in many parts of the world, including Canada, as a result of global warming. Climate warming in Canada is about double the magnitude of global warming; therefore, the effects of weather catastrophes are expected to be higher in Canada compared to other economies. This study explores the impact of weather catastrophes on the Canadian stock market over the period 1988–2016. A mix of accounting ratios and statistical tests is used to estimate the effects of the extreme weather events on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) composite and its subsector indices. A significant negative effect of the weather catastrophes on stock market returns and volatility is noticed a day after the extreme weather events. This effect is widespread in all sub-sectors of the market; IT and financial services sectors are the most impacted, while the consumer staples sector is the least. It is concluded that the impact of climate warming in Canada is higher and more widespread compared to other economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The proposed framework characterizes the successive wet-dry and dry-wet extremes across climate zones using streamflow data. • We investigate the teleconnections of ENSO and NAO with successive events based on Bayesian quantile regression. • Coastal regions in lower latitudes of Canada show a higher frequency of successive dry-wet and wet-dry extremes. • At higher quantiles, successive events show stronger relationships with low-frequency variability modes. • Results show relatively strong associations between ENSO and NAO with the successive events in Western Canada. Successive hydro-hazards, particularly dry and wet weather whiplash, can severely impact societies and infrastructure undermining the resilience measures developed based on the traditional univariate approaches. Understanding the spatial and temporal characteristics of such lagged compound events is important to improve the efficacy of disaster risk measures (DRMs). This study analyzes the successive dry-wet and wet-dry (SDW/SWD) spells based on the run theory across Canada and proposes a compound magnitude index to identify the corresponding hotspots across 268 watersheds for the historical period of 1963–2012. The frequency, transition time, and magnitude of SDW/SWD events are assessed considering the variable monthly 20th percentile (dry spell) and a fixed 90th percentile (wet spell) of natural streamflow values as thresholds. The potential influence of low-frequency variability modes such as Multivariate El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) index (MEI) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index on the regional hydro-hazards, with a transition time of less than a month, is assessed based on the Bayesian quantile regression approach. Results indicate that the coastal areas, including the west and east coast and the Great Lakes region, are the hotspots for such abrupt transitions. Furthermore, the spatial and temporal characteristics of SDW/SWD events are largely variable and different from those of individual events. The magnitude of these events is influenced by low frequency variability modes particularly at higher quantiles, suggesting that strong phases of MEI and NAO can potentially lead to SDW and SWD events. The findings of this study support the future development of robust DRMs and effective water resource management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Unintentional falls are a leading cause of injury-related hospital visits among Canadians, especially seniors. While certain meteorological conditions are suspected risk factors for fall-related injuries, few studies have quantified these associations across a wider range of age groups and with population-based datasets. Methods: We applied a time-stratified case-crossover study design to characterize associations of highly-spatially-resolved meteorological factors and emergency department (ED) visits for falls, in Ontario, among those aged 5 years and older during the winter months (November to March) between 2011 and 2015. Conditional logistic models were used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for these visits in relation to daily snowfall accumulation, including single-day lags of up to one week before the visit, and daily mean temperature on the day of the visit. Analyses were stratified by age and sex. Results: We identified 761 853 fall-related ED visits. The odds for these visits was increased for most days up to a week after a snowfall of 0.2 cm or greater (OR = 1.05-1.08) compared to days with no snowfall. This association was strongest among adults aged 30 to 64 years (OR = 1.16-1.19). The OR for fall-related ED visits on cold days (less than -9.4 °C) was reduced by 0.05 relative to days with an average daily temperature of 3.0 °C or higher (OR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.94, 0.96), and this pattern was evident across all ages. There were no substantive differences in the strength of this association by sex. Conclusion: Snowfall and warmer winter temperatures were associated with an increased risk of fall-related ED visits during Ontario winters. These findings are relevant for developing falls prevention strategies and ensuring timely treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under cool and wet conditions, high levels of botrytis grey mould (BGM) can occur on lentil in western Canada. Identification of local Botrytis isolates from lentil based on conidial morphology (N = 74) and sequence analysis (N = 5) indicated that B. cinerea was the predominant cause of BGM in this region. Eight field experiments at two sites (Saskatoon, SK and Outlook, SK) over two seasons were conducted to evaluate the optimal timing of the fungicide boscalid for the control of BGM in the lentil cultivar 'CDC Grandora'. Weather conditions limited disease development in one year, but moderate levels were observed in four experiments in the other year. In all experiments, a single application at mid-flower in early-seeded experiments and at early flower in late-seeded experiments was as efficacious as a double or triple application of boscalid. There were no differences among double application treatments, and at Outlook they were all as efficacious in lowering BGM as the triple application. Despite some differences in BGM severity among fungicide applications, none of the treatments had an effect on yield or seed infection, and there was no correlation between petal colonization by B. cinerea and BGM disease severity under the study conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leukemia is the most common cancer in children. Its incidence has been increasing worldwide since 1910th, suggesting the presence of common sources of the disease, most likely related to people's lifestyle and environment. Understanding the relationship between childhood leukemia and environmental conditions is critical to preventing the disease. This discussion article examines established potentially-carcinogenic environmental factors, such as vehicle emissions and fires, alongside space weather-related parameters like cosmic rays and the geomagnetic field. To discern the primary contributor, we analyze trends and annual variations in leukemia incidence among 0-14-year-olds in the United States, Canada, Australia, and Russia from 1990 to 2018. Comparisons are drawn with the number of vehicles (representing gasoline emissions) and fire-affected land areas (indicative of fire-related pollutants), with novel data for Russia introduced for the first time. While childhood leukemia incidence is rising in all countries under study, the rate of increase in Russia is twice that of other nations, possibly due to a delayed surge in the country's vehicle fleet compared to others. This trend in Russia may offer insights into past leukemia levels in the USA, Canada, and Australia. Our findings highlight vehicular emissions as the most substantial environmental hazard for children among the factors examined. We also advocate for the consideration of potential modulation of carcinogenic effects arising from variations in cosmic ray intensity, as well as the protective role of the geomagnetic field. To support the idea, we provide examples of potential space weather effects at both local and global scales. The additional analysis includes statistical data from 49 countries and underscores the significance of the magnetic field dip in the South Atlantic Anomaly in contributing to a peak in childhood leukemia incidence in Peru, Ecuador and Chile. We emphasize the importance of collectively assessing all potentially carcinogenic factors for the successful future predictions of childhood leukemia risk in each country., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Khabarova, Pinaev, Chakov, Chizhov and Pinaeva.)

Objectives: This study investigated associations between weather conditions, physical activity, and sedentary time in primary school-aged children in Australia and Canada. Methods: Cross-sectional data on 9-11-year-old children from the Australian (n = 491 ) and Canadian (n = 524) sites of the International Study of Childhood Obesity, Lifestyle and the Environment were used. Minutes of daily moderate-to-vigorous-physical-activity (MVPA) and sedentary time were determined from 7-day, 24-h accelerometry (Actigraph GT3X+ triaxial accelerometer). Day-matched weather data (temperature, rainfall, snowfall, relative humidity, wind speed) were obtained from the closest weather station to participants' schools. Covariates included parental highest education level, day type, sex, and BMI z-scores. Generalized mixed model analyses allowing for clustering of participants within schools were completed. Scatterplots with Loess curves were created for maximum temperature, MVPA, and sedentary time. Results: Daily maximum temperature was significantly associated with MVPA and sedentary time in Australia (MVPA p = .05, sedentary p = .01) and Canada (p < .001, p = .001). Rainfall was negatively associated with MVPA in Australia (p < .001) and positively associated with sedentary time in Canada (p = .02). Conclusions: MVPA and sedentary time appear to be optimal when the maximum temperature ranges between 20°C and 25°C in both countries. The findings have implications for study design and interpretation for surveillance and intervention studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a compact road weather sensor node to predict the road surface temperature. This node is based on the model of the environment and temperature of roads (METRo) developed by the Government of Canada. The model requires an atmospheric forecast, the station configuration, and observation information as inputs. Observation data have commonly been produced by a road weather information system (RWIS), but this system is larger than necessary, and it has been difficult to maintain the surface sensors embedded on roads. We experimentally determined that the air and surface temperatures are key parameters for the model to predict the surface temperature. The proposed node was designed to be compact with an integrated environmental sensor for measuring atmospheric parameters and an infrared (IR) non-contact thermometer to obtain the surface temperature. In field tests with the prototype, we verified the good observation performance of the IR remote sensor by using a standard instrument for measuring the surface temperature. The results of the model based on data obtained by the prototype also showed excellent predictive performance during nighttime. This weather sensor node uses long range (LoRa) technology, which makes it suitable for long-range, low-power, and low-data-rate performance, suggesting the possibility of its commercialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor learning offers clear physical, cognitive, social-emotional and academic benefits for children and yet, it is considered a grassroots approach to teaching and learning in elementary schools. We examined teachers' perspectives on barriers and supports for outdoor learning in public elementary schools. Thirty-six teachers in (urban and rural) British Columbia, Alberta, and Ontario (all female; Mean age = 43.84, SD = 10) participated in one of five virtually administered, semi-structured focus groups. Questions/prompts facilitated a discussion on teachers' experiences with barriers and supports for outdoor learning. Thematic analysis was used to identify main themes. Four interrelated themes and further sub-themes were found: 1) Teacher characteristics: interest/motivation to teach outdoors, preparedness, confidence in handling risks; 2) Systemic factors: principal support, school/district policies, funding/resources, curriculum, school schedule; 3) Culture: school culture, societal beliefs about education, family backgrounds; 4) Environmental factors: weather, built/natural environment, hazards. Systemic support is needed to integrate outdoor learning in schools. The findings in this study are relevant to health education specialists particularly focused on elementary school education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collisions between road vehicles and trains at level (grade) crossings can be devastating. Injury and economic considerations make prevention efforts of significant interest to society at all levels, and raise important safety concerns. Improving our understanding of the nature and pattern of crashes at level crossings can help inform a variety of types of safety mitigation strategies, including public education, crossing equipment and vehicle design efforts. To this end, a database search of Canadian level crossing crashes for the 11-year period between 2007 and 2017 was conducted to confirm a previously identified seasonal variation in the frequency of level crossing crashes. To determine whether the observed winter increase in crashes was due primarily to winter reductions in light levels/day length or to other seasonal weather factors, a subsequent comparison of Canadian data to American Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) crash data was carried out. A separate inferential log-linear model analysis, using season, time of day and crossing protection type, was also used to explore the increase. As expected, the average rate of crossing collisions in Canada increased during winter months compared to non-winter months. While the seasonal pattern was evident in those U.S. states that experience significant changes in weather patterns (i.e., northern states), it was almost completely absent in those states that do not (i.e., southern states). The log-linear model analysis confirmed these findings. The seasonal variation in North American level crossing crash rate is a result of winter weather conditions, rather than differences in light levels. Future research is planned that will elucidate the specific environmental and human factors contributing to the increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children who engage in active school transportation (AST) have higher levels of physical activity (PA). Climate and weather were shown to influence adults' daily travel behaviours, but their influence on children's AST and PA has been less examined. This study examined the influence of weather conditions on children's AST and overall PA. Children in grades 4 to 6 (N = 1699; age, 10.2 ± 1.0 years) were recruited in schools located in urban, suburban and rural areas, stratified by area-level socioeconomic status, in 3 different regions of Canada (Trois-Rivières, Québec; Ottawa, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia). Mode of school travel was self-reported and physical activity was measured using a pedometer. We used publicly available data on total precipitation and early morning temperature. AST increased with temperature only among girls. Daily precipitation was negatively associated with boys' and girls' PA while warmer temperature was associated with increased PA on weekend days. We also observed that season and region moderated the relationship between weather conditions and children's physical activity behaviours. Our results suggest that daily weather variations influence children's AST and PA to a greater extent than seasonal variations. Interventions designed to help children and families adapt to weather-related barriers to AST and PA are needed. Novelty: In Canada, weather conditions may influence children's active behaviours daily. Associations between weather conditions, choice of travel mode and physical activity vary by sex, season, and region. Weather affects children's PA differently during the week than on weekends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Warm and dry summer days can lead to low streamflow due to a lack of rainfall and increased evaporation. In glacierized catchments, however, such periods can lead to a very different hydrological response as glaciers can supply an increased amount of meltwater, thereby compensating for the rainfall deficits. Here, we analyzed glacier-fed streamflow responses to warm and dry (WD) periods in long-term streamflow observations (>50 years). WD events during summer (June–September) were analyzed for catchments with varying glacier cover in western Canada, southwestern Norway, and the European Alps. WD events were defined by days with temperatures above a daily varying threshold, based on the 80th percentile of the respective long-term temperature data for that day in the year, and daily precipitation sums below a fixed threshold (<2 mm d -1) for a minimum duration of 7 d. Streamflow responses to these WD events were expressed as level of compensation (C) and were calculated as the event streamflow relative to the long-term streamflow regime. C≥100 % indicates that increased melt and other catchment storages could compensate, or even overcompensate, the rainfall deficit and increased evaporation. Results showed a wide range of compensation levels, both between catchments and between different WD events in a particular catchment. C was, in general, higher than 100 % for catchments with a relative glacier cover higher than 5 %–15 %, depending on region and month. June was the month with highest compensation levels, but this was likely more influenced by snowmelt than by glacier melt. For WD events in September, C was still higher than 100 % in many catchments, which likely indicates the importance of glacier melt as a streamflow contributor in late summer. There was a considerable range in C of different WD events for groups of catchments with similar glacier cover. This could be partly explained by antecedent conditions, such as the amount of snow fallen in the previous winter and the streamflow conditions 30 d before the WD event. Some decreasing trends in C were evident, especially for catchments in western Canada and the European Alps. Overall, our results suggest that glaciers do not compensate straightforwardly, and the range in compensation levels is large. The different streamflow components – glacier, snow and rain – and their variations are important for the buffering capacity and the compensating effect of glaciers in these high mountain water systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine how the effect of adverse weather on participation in leisure-time physical activities (LTPA) varies with income.Design: Cross-sectional study.Subjects: 14,394 individuals from 56 Canadian cities, surveyed in 1992, 1998, and 2005.Measures: The adverseness level of daily weather is measured by the number of hours with precipitation or strong winds (wind speeds in excess of 38 km/hour) between 6 am and 11 pm.Analysis: Probit and multinomial logit models are used to examine the variation in weather-LTPA correlations across income levels.Results: At the mean income level, when the weather quality deteriorated from all-day nice weather to all-day adverse weather, the probability of participating in LTPA decreased by 24.54% (from 0.2424 to 0.1829, P < 0.01). As income increased by $10,000, the same deterioration in weather quality led to a 17.06% decrease in LTPA (from 0.2508 to 0.2080, P < 0.01). The smaller decrease is mainly because the $10,000 increase in income is associated with a 14.49% increase in indoor LTPA, which partly offsets the decrease in outdoor LTPA.Conclusion: Interventions and policies that increase indoor physical activity options, such as providing easier access to indoor facilities and offering subsidies for purchasing or renting home exercise equipment, are promising for effectively promoting LTPA, especially for individuals in lower-income groups or from regions that frequently experience adverse weather. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]