The demand for critical metals to support modern society and the transition to more sustainable future development is expanding, and thus, both sector growth and responsible exploration is imperative. Mineral exploration in Canada presents a vast opportunity to continue contributing towards the development of a substantiable future society, both domestically and internationally, as well as providing substantial economic benefits to Canada.

The proposed research will identify the dominant drivers of rising chloride concentrations in streams within the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) jurisdiction. The TRCA monitors stream water quality at 47 stations and data suggest that chloride concentrations are increasing. Previous research has identified urban growth and the subsequent application of road salt in wintertime as a dominant driver of these trends.

The goal for this project is to support the research of three master’s students whose work would help advance the methods for estimating – using energy-economy-emissions models – the likely emissions, economic and equity impacts of GHG-reducing policies by governments at three levels in Canada: federal, provincial-territorial, municipal. The modelling innovations and applications from these three interns will improve Canada’s ability to achieve its GHG commitments, notably its net-zero by 2050 target.

The approach to assessing Atlantic salmon in Newfoundland is based on patterns of salmon production and habitat that were established for populations in rivers much further south. The physical and biological characteristics of watersheds and rivers in Newfoundland are different from the southern rivers and the bases for conservation decisions are likely inappropriate. Establishing relationships between stream physical and biological characteristics that are unique to Newfoundland is prudent for better management of Newfoundland salmon populations.

When Indigenous rights and leadership are prioritized, Natural Climate Solutions (NCS) like forest carbon management present an opportunity to advance reconciliation while combatting climate change and biodiversity loss. Wahkohtowin Development GP Inc. is taking steps to drive NCS in the Missinaibi Forest toward Indigenous-led climate action and social-ecological benefits for its owner First Nations (the Chapleau Cree FN, Missinabie Cree FN and Brunswick House FN).

A major impact of climate change will include an addition of water (precipitation) into the water cycle, thus, determining the possible impacts and risks of climate change are relevant to municipal planning. The intern will model the water cycle in the Deer Lake area based on present day data; the future with climate change projections; and the future with climate change management to reduce risk (climate change adaption). Climate change adaption will be dependent on risk identification in the climate change projection model, and strategic planning by the intern.

The overall objective for this project is to support the research of one master’s student who would help advance the methods for modelling energy-climate policies, a field in which EMRG in the School of Resource and Environmental Management at SFU is one of the leading research units in the country and in which Navius Research Incorporated is the leading Canadian consulting firm, providing support to governments and other stakeholders in the development and assessment of energy and climate policy.

To address local food system issues like loss of farmland, people without enough food, or climate change impacts, it is important to see such issues as all related. This project will assess Durham Region food system resources, like local research and policy documents, to find strengths, areas to be addressed, and areas to be studied more. It will develop a more comprehensive picture of the local food system.

Climate change will cause increasing temperature fluctuations and longer heat waves. This will make home cooling essential, but adding and using cooling can be too expensive for low-income homeowners, including seniors. Incentive programs exist to help people make energy-efficient retrofits to their homes, but they can increase housing costs. This does not work for many low or fixed-income and senior households. The Affordable home energy retrofit toolkit demonstration will explore making energy-efficient retrofits affordable for more households.

Extreme temperatures, which cause heat stress, lead to increased use of the health care system and kill more people in Ontario than other weather-related causes, including flood, wildfire, or wind-storm events. The proposed research expands on and bridges two existing research efforts. The first advances a methodological approach that uses statistical simulation to understand the impact of heat mitigation strategies on morbidity and mortality. The second incorporates morbidity and mortality data into an economic valuation framework to quantify the benefits of reduced exposure to high heat.