Addressing Energy Poverty in British Columbia’s Rural and Indigenous Communities

Rural and indigenous communities in Canada experience energy poverty due to poor quality housing, lower incomes, high fuel costs, limited access to natural gas, and in some cases no access to grid electricity. Ecotrust Canada’s Community Energy Initiative seeks to address Energy Poverty by improving access to affordable heat in rural and indigenous communities across […]

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Creative Housing Options for Adults with Developmental Disabilities and High Complex Needs

A crisis is looming for many Ontario citizens with developmental disability and other challenges that make their support needs especially complex. In recent decades a process of deinstitutionalization moved the Province away from a morally problematic “warehousing” model towards one where people had an opportunity at meaningful lives in their communities. However, many are living […]

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Radio-frequency Thermal Plasma Assisted Solid Waste Conversion to Energy using Thermochemical Process Technology

The field of plastic waste management is essential for sustainable society that utilizes plastic waste for energy production. Land filing and incineration of plastic waste has large environmental impacts due to GHG emissions. Thus, pyrolysis is considered a low environmental impact process with high value end products. RF thermal plasma technology will help reduce operating […]

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Cannabis used for medical purposes by children in Canada

Cannabis products are being used for a variety of conditions. In Canada, there are no cannabis products approved for use in children. Without evidence from clinical trials doctors are hesitant to recommend cannabis products for children. In order for doctors to feel confident in advising parents on medical cannabis they need better information on if […]

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Agrégation et enlèvement des nano-microplastiques par l’entremise de sels métalliques préhydrolysés et de polymères organiques : impact d’une préoxydation par l’ozone et d’une préexposition aux rayons UV sur l’efficacité d’agrégation

La production mondiale annuelle de plastiques est estimée à plus de 335 millions de tonnes et risque de doubler d’ici 20 ans. De cette production, moins de 26 % est actuellement recyclé; plus de 74 % de ces plastiques sont donc redirigés à l’enfouissement ou relargués dans l’environnement. Il est clair que l’accumulation des plastiques […]

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The Art of Small City Transformation: exploring a role for socially engaged public art institutes as leaders with municipal cultural sustainability agendas

This project investigates the role small city public art galleries play, and might play, in catalyzing community transformation on the municipal level. In looks, in particular, at the work being accomplished by socially-engaged small city galleries across Canada, and at the ways in which this work can inform and mobilize municipal agendas rooted in cultural […]

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Developing surfactant–nanoparticle systems for enhanced oil recovery

There has been a growing interest in the application of nanotechnology for enhanced oil recovery (EOR). Nanoparticles possess unique physical and chemical properties due to their small size. In addition, their surface coating can be easily tailored for a particular EOR application. The proposed research will develop surfactant-coated nanoparticles as an additive. These nanoparticles will […]

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Study the bond strength of adhered manufactured stone/thin brick veneer units and setting bed mortar at different temperatures and different cycles of freeze-thaw (Part 2)

The bond between adhered manufactured stone masonry veneer units and the setting bed mortar will be studied. It will involve testing shear, and tensile bond on small samples. Samples will consist of 2 types of adhered manufactured stones; two types of setting bed mortar (Type S, and modified dry-set cement mortar); and two types of […]

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Improving hygrothermal modeling as design tools using field measurements to achieve durable and energy efficient wood structures

Computer-based simulation software, called hygrothermal modeling has become increasingly popular and useful to predict and evaluate heat, air, vapour, and water-related performance of buildings. This research project aims to improve such modelling for wood construction through validation using specifically measured property data and field/lab performance data. The goal is to make modelling a more reliable […]

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