Innovative Projects Realized

Inner City Community Service Development

PCS is collaborating with The Forks to tackle the challenge of designing an inclusive safety strategy that brings together diverse stakeholder perspectives, fosters community involvement, and broadens the concept of safety to encompass cultural and social aspects. This initiative will directly impact the current security team, reshaping its role and focus to meet evolving community needs.

Adaptive fit of garments

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Development of a Targeted Delivery System for the Reduction of Anti- Drug Antibodies

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Stage chez Ivesco

Le projet vise à améliorer la stratégie marketing d’Ivesco, une entreprise spécialisée dans les additifs pour carburants. En tant que stagiaire, je vais développer et mettre en œuvre des initiatives pour attirer de nouveaux clients, optimiser les processus de vente, et renforcer la communication avec les clients actuels. Grâce à ce projet, Ivesco bénéficiera d’une visibilité accrue sur le marché, d’une meilleure fidélisation des clients, et d’une croissance de ses ventes, ce qui renforcera sa position face à la concurrence.

Projet d’implantation de la norme ISO 9001

Le projet est d’implanter une norme ISO 9001 dans une PME Québecoise, pour cela le stagiaire devra étudier l’ensemble des processus de l’entreprise, effectuer des audits internes, mener des actions correctives, former le personnel aux nouvelles procédures etc… La qualité en entreprise repose sur l’amélioration continue, le projet ne repose pas uniquement sur des audits, le stagiaire devra également identifier des problèmes dans les processus, les analyser, les résoudre et tenir informer le personnel en assurant la communication interne liée à l’ISO.

L’entreprise en tirera de nombreux bénéfices, comme avoir un système de gestion de qualité performant suite à la mise en place de procédures de qualité en fonction de la norme ISO 9001.
La mise en place des indicateurs de performance sera également un avantage, cela permettra à l’entreprise de piloter ces processus en fonction de ces derniers et de cibler des axes d’amélioration.
Cela permettra à l’entreprise d’avoir des normes de qualité élevées afin de répondre aux besoins de ses clients tout en réduisant les coûts liés à la qualité.

L2M – Land to Sea : A Bio alliance for a sea of hope

The expanding economy, coupled with increased human activities and the rising demand for petroleum hydrocarbons, has led to a surge in high-risk pollutants like Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, and Xylene (BTEX). These carcinogenic chemicals are notorious for their potential to escape from storage tanks, pipelines, and oil tankers, infiltrating the ocean’s subsurface. Once in the environment, BTEX can contaminate groundwater, endanger delicate marine ecosystems like coral reefs, and seep into coastal aquifers. This pollution poses a significant threat to public health, particularly for the 9 million Canadians who rely on groundwater for drinking water, most of whom are in Eastern Canada. Despite the concerted efforts of governmental agencies, research institutes, and environmental remediation companies to address BTEX contamination from oil spills along the Canadian East Coast, existing technologies remain ineffective, lacking specificity and often falling short in their impact. As a result, 3 out of 5 remediation and environmental companies in Eastern Canada are leaving conventional approaches for bioremediation technologies. These innovative approaches promise to accelerate BTEX degradation, offer greater contaminant specificity, and keep groundwater free from toxic substances. The widespread adoption of bioremediation could save billions in healthcare costs over the coming decades by preventing the illnesses associated with BTEX-contaminated water.

Exploring ERP capabilities to maximize ROI which focuses on efficient and effective methods

Natik Projects (2007) Inc. is a complete mechanical systems contractor, actively working in Nunavut. Natik not only holds a strong safety, production, and quality culture but is a strong believer in Safe Production. This allows us to stand out as a Mechanical Contractor due to our high standards for being and maintaining efficient and effective construction execution.

Natik is growing exponentially and in order to keep up with the demands, we need to find ways to simplify the business process by eliminating nonvalue-added activities like bottlenecks to save time and maximize productivity. With this challenge, Natik invested in a new ERP, Sage 100, which is specifically focused on construction. To maximize the investment, Natik needs to identify and assess which features the ERP has that can contribute to the company’s efficiency and effectiveness.

The accounting team needs support from an intern, an outsider and unbiased participant, for data gathering, analysis and can recommend solutions that are practical and actionable. This will be an opportunity for the student to test his skill sets learned from school and transferable skills from his past work experiences.

Understanding the changes in functionality and mechanical properties of cold plasma-activated edible coatings and its impact on quality and safety of pears

Edible coatings have emerged as a promising alternative to traditional plastic packaging due to their biodegradability, minimal environmental impact, and ability to incorporate functional ingredients. Despite these advantages, most existing edible coatings suffer from poor mechanical properties and limited surface functionality, which constrain their industrial use and commercialization. Cold plasma (CP) has shown significant interest for its potential to enhance the surface properties of coatings and offer additional phyto-sanitary benefits. Cold plasma is a partially ionized gas that produces reactive species such as electrons, ions, and free radicals. These species interact with polymer materials, leading to changes in morphology, functionality, and surface chemistry. Research has demonstrated that CP treatment can modify biopolymer surfaces through processes like crosslinking, surface etching, and plasma oxidation. Additionally, CP treatment has been shown to enhance the adhesion, wettability, hydrophilicity, and hydrophobicity of biopolymer materials. However, there exist a lack of studies focusing on the effect of CP-activation on surface
functionality, mechanical and barrier properties of edible coatings. As a result, this project aims to investigate the effects of CP-activation on the chemical structure, chemical backbone, as well as the changes in micro/nanostructure of sodium alginate edible coating.

Anion exchange membrane for water electrolysis for hydrogen production

The proposed research project aims to develop next-generation materials for sustainable hydrogen production through water electrolysis. Hydrogen is a key energy carrier in the transition to a clean, carbon-neutral future, and this project focuses on improving the efficiency and durability of anion exchange membranes (AEMs), which are critical components of water electrolyzers. The research will explore the synthesis of hyperbranched polymers with stable cationic groups to enhance ion conductivity and mechanical stability in alkaline environments. Additionally, the project will investigate the incorporation of biopolymers, such as cellulose and chitosan, to reduce the environmental impact of membrane production. This work will contribute to the development of more cost-effective, durable, and environmentally friendly materials for green hydrogen production, supporting global efforts to combat climate change and promote clean energy technologies.

The effect of glacial minerals on skin cells

The overarching goal of this project is to determine whether glacial mineral extract improves the overall health of skin cells. To do this, we will test the extract on human epithelial cells in petri dishes. More specifically, we will test whether the glacial mineral extracts help the cells to grow and study how the cells use energy to survive and thrive.

The BIOmonitoring of the OMega-3 IndeX (BIO-OMIX) Pilot Study

EPA and DHA are two important omega-3 fats that people mostly get from their diet or dietary supplements. The Omega-3 Index (O3I) reflects the amount of EPA and DHA found in red blood cells. A high O3I is linked with good health, while a low O3I is linked with higher risk of heart disease. Importantly, most Canadians have a low O3I. Measuring the O3I requires a blood sample; however, many people are anxious to give blood because of a fear of needles, especially children. We therefore began to explore if small molecules (also called metabolites) in urine could be used to non-invasively assess a person’s omega-3 status. We identified a panel of urine metabolites (also called biomarkers) in men and women that were linked with the O3I. To validate these biomarkers, we conducted a time-response trial in 24 individuals. Matched blood and urine samples were collected from these individuals at numerous time points before and after receiving omega-3s. The specific goal of this project is to measure fatty acids in red blood cells in partnership with Lipid Labs. This will help us achieve our overall goal to determine the accuracy of urinary metabolites as markers of omega-3 status.

Enquête sur la pérennisation de modèles agricoles alternatifs via un projet pilote de ferme soutenue par la communauté

Le système agricole industriel est insoutenable, tant sur le plan social qu’écologique. Pour étudier des modèles
agricoles alternatifs, nous étudierons les apports et les limites de l’agroécologie via le projet pilote de ferme
soutenue par la communauté des Bontés de la Vallée, situé au Québec. Cette ferme innovante est portée par
des producteurs maraîchers engagés à pratiquer une agriculture régénératrice. Dans cette recherche, nous
désirons comprendre comment cette ferme tente de relever les défis de soutenabilité, de démocratie et de
justice sociale via la perspective des communs. L’analyse des apports et limites de cette approche permettra de
formuler des recommandations pour assurer la pérennité de la ferme. Nous contribuerons à la réflexion sur des
modèles d’agriculture plus soutenables, tout en explorant les conditions d’une mise à l’échelle d’un tel projet.