The BC food processing industry needs to do a better job of communicating its value if it is to attract the investment it needs to remain competitive and feed British Columbians. Food processing plays an important role in sustainable food systems, which in turn are a recognized component of sustainable community development. Yet, despite the facts that people need food to live and processing is a necessary undertaking in order to get food on the table, food processing is notably missing from scholarly discussions.

Using oral history interviews, this collaborative project will document and explore the social history of the efforts made by the Kingston arts community to preserve the historic Morton Brewery and Distillery and to create the Tett Centre for Creativity and Learning, a vibrant community arts hub. Supplemented by archival research, I will interview the artists, cultural organizations, and community members to document this community history and privilege the voices of those who worked so hard to create this space.

‘Mapping for Change’ Phase II is a continuation of a case study of best practices in the use of Geoweb as a mechanism for enhancing informational exchange and collaboration between homelessness stakeholders including non-profits/charities serving the homeless. Building upon the web-based mapping application (isearchkelowna) developed/evaluated in Phase I, Phase II will extend the broad-based consultation with relevant homelessness stakeholders in order to refine isearchkelowna to align with the ‘Journey Home’ Strategy.

Curatorial studies is a well-established field of research in the visual arts. However, curating and programming are probably among the most understudied areas in film and media scholarship. While I participate in defining the official selection of Latin American movies for the 2017 edition of the Toronto International Film Festival, I will gather tools to attempt answering the following questions: Which films are prioritized for exhibition and why? How can a film festival contribute to the development of ethnic inclusions?

Many of Canada’s former resource towns are in a period of transition. The most successful often adaptively reuse the resources still available within the community: built resources as well as skills and cultural resources. This project develops a framework and toolkit of the creative processes in social innovation so that communities can reimagine themselves into vibrant relocalised networks that will create a more sustainable, healthy and reconnected world.

The global meat demand is expected to roughly double by 2050. While the livestock sector monopolizes a lot of land, food and water, edible insects constitute as an interesting alternative to lower environmental stress. Even though almost a quarter of the world population regularly eat insects, their widespread adoption is impeded by the disgust factor and high production costs.

The Garry Oak Ecosystems Recovery Team (GOERT) is a non-government organization that endeavours to inform the public of their scientific findings and conservation goals. Social media has been used for conservation outreach, but the role of the public in sharing tweets and posts can have mixed effects. What information are shared by the public can either further share scientific information, maintain false information in the public sphere, or be ignored without any uptake.

‘Mapping for Change’ is a case study of best practices in the use of Geoweb as a mechanism for enhancing informational exchange and collaboration between homelessness stakeholders including non-profits/charities serving the homeless.

How can cities positively make use of their heritage in ways which support future their prosperity and quality of life? This is the question at the heart of a research collaboration between the City-Region Studies Centre (CRSC), at the University of Alberta, and the Edmonton Heritage Council (EHC). Edmonton is experiencing a period of rapid growth and development, transforming the city into a modern metropolitan centre.