Last Day of Arctic Change 2014

Reflection by Alexandra Sawatzky As today was the final day of the Arctic Change conference, it was especially difficult to choose which sessions to attend. I ended up deciding to attend a series of talks entitled “Why the Health Care System Needs to Be Closer to Inuit Perspectives”.  A broad theme that emerged from each of the four speakers was the essential role of listening in order to communicate in meaningful, culturally sensitive ways.

First, Dr. Johanne Morel, a paediatrician who has worked with Inuit communities in Northern Quebec for around 33 years, spoke about how cultural and language barriers often hinder quality of care. She emphasized the importance of recognizing cultural gaps in healthcare practice, as well as looking at access to healthcare from a wider perspective, towards trans-cultural and psychological access to care.

Following Dr. Morel, Minnie Grey, executive director of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, gave her insight on cultural sensitization aimed to non-Inuit workers in the medical sector. She demonstrated how Inuit today are effectively challenging the ideas of “outsiders” in order to implement services and programs that are aligned with their needs and values.

Next, Michèle Therrien talked about her role as a professor of language and Inuit culture, focusing on how words are an integral part of our wellbeing. She began her session by using the term “apurniq” – something coming up against something else – to describe the situation of non-Inuit researchers and healthcare providers who work choose to work in Inuit communities. Essentially, her main message was that different languages represent different systems of knowledge, and that the way we communicate can heal both the body and mind.

Jennifer Watkins, also of the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services, concluded the session by discussing the sharing of Inuit values. From her perspective, it’s possible to solve conflicts in harmonious ways despite coming from different worlds – to bridge cultural gaps, we need to start by listening, empathizing, and reflecting on how we communicate.

Overall, although it’s difficult to sum up my entire experience at Arctic Change, I can honestly say that I’m leaving feeling both humbled and inspired. I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to attend this conference, and I’m looking forward to continue working and collaborating with such a talented team!

Broadening Horizons: Arctic Change 2014

Reflection by Carlee Wright The Arctic Change conference has been an eye-opening experience over the past four days here in Ottawa. I have already had the opportunity to attend many sessions on various topics, and have learned so much about the amazing research that is being done all over the Arctic. This is the first Arctic conference I have attended, and I’ve really enjoyed being able to meet new people and talk about our different projects. I was both nervous and excited to present a poster and co-present an oral session for the first time as a Masters student. I’m extremely thankful for the support of my lab group and co-presenter Inez Shiwak, who played a vital role in making this first presentation a success.

From infrastructure challenges to changes in sea ice, health, and biodiversity, it is clear that Northern regions around the globe are all united by a common issue: climate change. It has been so inspiring to hear stories of the people who are dedicated to understanding climate change, in order to minimize impacts on people and the environment. The awards ceremony and banquet on Thursday night showcased just a few of these influential community members and researchers, and how important the contributions of each person are. To be part of a research group that is working towards some of the same goals is truly incredible; this conference has made me even more excited for the years to come, and all of the possibilities that lie ahead.

Arctic Change 2014: Day 2

Reflection by Kate Bishop-Williams Wednesday was the first official day of the Arctic Change Conference, and it was my first time at an Arctic specific conference. We heard a variety of interesting opening plenary talks, in particular, a great introduction by the President of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, Mr. Duane Smith. There were exciting topical sessions on health in the North throughout the day.  Chris Furgal and Eric Loring chaired these sessions. It was great to see a series of presentations related to various health topics in the Arctic. Inez Shiwak and I co-presented a talk in the afternoon, entitled “Seasonal Changes in Prevalence of Acute Gastrointestinal Illness in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut, Canada.” We were happy with our presentation, and I was excited to have had the opportunity to co-present for the first time!

In the evening, an excellent second poster session offered an opportunity to discuss the same project with individuals from the earlier session and others who were not able to join us previously. It was great to be busy with questions for the entire two hours, and the Infographic we had designed was well received!

In the evening, Mr. Peter Mansbridge of CBC's The National hosted the Arctic Inspiration Prize ceremony. The ceremony included incredible talents of artists. I was thrilled to see esteemed throat singer, and Polaris Prize winner, Tanya Tagaq! Congratulations to FOXY for their incredible win of the Arctic Inspiration Prize! It was a wonderful day and I am excited for the days to come!

Arctic Change Conference 2014: Ottawa ON, Day 2

Reflection Written by Manpreet Saini The second day of the conference has been an incredibly busy and interesting day. Today’s Student Day program consisted of three student day workshops in which various topics were discussed.

The first session I got to attend was titled “Navigating Northern Research: Inuit Research Advisor’s Guide to Research in Canadian North”. In this half hour talk, a panel of Inuit Research Advisors described appropriate approaches to take when doing research within the North, in particular they advocated the use of Inuit Research Advisors who serve as liaisons between the Inuit community and the researchers who wish to work with the community.

The next session that I attended was the “Community Cooperative Research Roundtable”. This hour long discussion focused on a panel of researchers who worked with Inuit communities and the importance of involving communities in the research. The session allowed for the audience to ask questions and share their experiences working with communities as well. Many Inuit were there as well and their comments provided great insight into the thoughts and perspectives of these communities and how best to approach them.

The last session that I attended was the “Communicating Science” workshop. Margret Brady, a freelance writer, and Grant Gilchrist, a professor at Carleton University, presented appropriate ways of communicating the science that we discover as researchers to the general public or the communities in which we do the work. They emphasized key strategies such as keeping the language simple and using a story-telling technique to be effective communicators.

We finished off the day with the poster session in which Carlee, Kate and Lindsay were all presenting. Their posters were very informative and appealing! There were also booths set up by various organizations and companies where we got a lot of information about research, products and services that were being offered in the Arctic. The booths and posters allowed me to interact with many interesting individuals, as well as get a lot of booklets and information packages to read! It was an incredible day and I am super excited for what the rest of this conference will bring!

Arctic Change Conference 2014- Ottawa ON

Reflection written by Manpreet Saini The Harper lab arrived in Ottawa late Monday afternoon. We drove from Guelph and it was a great team-building experience! The Arctic Change Conference was off to a great start as we attended the second Student Day plenary session on “ADAPT as a model of project-level collaboration”. It was incredibly exciting to be here with a great group of individuals, researchers and specialists. We are looking forward to the upcoming days that are jam-packed with great talks, poster sessions and presentations.

Science Cafés - Science in Canada's North: How Will Climate Affect Health?

Last week I had the pleasure of participating as a panelist in Science North's Science Cafe Series.  Together with co-panelists Helle Møller and Bill Keller, and moderators Dana Murchison and Natalie Crinklaw, we spoke about how climate change might impact health in Northern Canada.  We had interesting discussions with the general public in Sudbury and Thunder Bay.  I was overwhelmed by the kindness and hospitality in both cities. Excerpt from Science North about the Science Cafe:

Our changing climate affects us all, and Canada’s North will feel its impacts first and most robustly. We often think about climate’s effects on our environments, but it is already having effects on another area: human health. How will climate change affect access to healthcare, to physical fitness opportunities, and to affordable, healthy food? Will changes in weather, water, and migration patterns make communities more susceptible to disease? What is being done to address these impacts, and what more can we do to ensure ourhealth in a changing climate?

This event is part of the Science in Canada's North Program Series. Science North gratefully acknowledges the support of the W. Garfield Weston Foundation and the Canadian Association of Science Centres for their support of this event.

Supported by CASC and the W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

Photos by Josh Dandurand

Science in Canada's North: How Will Climate Affect Health?

NOVEMBER 25, 2014 – Science in Canada's North: How Will Climate Affect Health?

Our changing climate affects us all, and Canada’s North will feel its impacts first and most robustly. We often think about climate’s effects on our environments, but it is already having effects on another area: human health. How will climate change affect access to healthcare, to physical fitness opportunities, and to affordable, healthy food? Will changes in weather, water, and migration patterns make communities more susceptible to disease? What is being done to address these impacts, and what more can we do to ensure ourhealth in a changing climate?

Panelists:

Sherilee Harper, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph

Bill Keller, Ph.D. Director, Climate Change and Multiple Stressor Aquatic Research, Living With Lakes Centre, Laurentian University

Helle Møller, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University

Moderator: Dana Murchison Staff Scientist, Science North

This event is part of the Science in Canada's North Program Series. Science North gratefully acknowledges the support of the W. Garfield Weston Foundation and the Canadian Association of Science Centres for their support of this event.

Supported by CASC and the W. Garfield Weston Foundation.

Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2014 7:30 p.m.

Location: The Laughing Buddha Café 194 Elgin St., Sudbury

Free admission and snacks.

Stephanie Masina presents at the Latornell Conservation Symposium

Congrats to Stephanie for her poster presentation on chronic and acute gastrointestinal illness at the Latornell Conservation Symposium! Reflections from Steph:

On Wednesday, November 19^th I had the opportunity to attend the 21^st Latornell Conservation Symposium in Alliston, Ontario. For the first conference I’ve attended, it was a great experience! Some of the sessions that were particularly interesting for me included topics on water and community outreach. The first presentation discussed the importance of headwater streams and how hydrology is changing due to increasing urban development in Ontario. The second included the engagement of new audiences through storytelling, which was fascinating because it emphasized the use of storytelling as a way to build meaningful connections with communities about science.

I was also chosen to participate in my first student poster presentation with 18 other undergraduate and graduate students from universities in Ontario. I presented a poster describing my research project from this semester, titled Environmental Health Risks in the Canadian North: Acute and Chronic Gastrointestinal Illness in Rigolet, Nunatsiavut. Students and professionals in the environmental field found my project interesting and important in the context of climate change, and asked many insightful questions!

Overall, my poster presentation went well and I really enjoyed discussing my work. I’d like to thank Sheri and Kate for helping me prepare for this amazing experience!

Kate Bishop-Williams Presents at OVC Graduate Student Research Symposium in Guelph

Kate Bishop-Williams presented her first IHACC research project at the Ontario Veterinary College Graduate Student Research Symposium in Guelph on November 12^th. Kate spoke to over 40 people in the 2 hour poster session! More information about the symposium can be seen here.

Kate also designed her first infographic and shared it at the conference, which was very well received by the audience!

Kate’s next presentation of this material will be at Arctic Change in December!

Sierra Clark presents at McGill's Global Health Poster Fair

Congratulations Sierra! For more details:

http://www.mcgill.ca/globalhealth/students/global-health-poster-fair

Kate's Visit to Saskatoon for the 7th International Symposium on Safety and Health of Agricultural and Rural Populations

Written by: Kate Bishop-Williams I have had the great pleasure of attending the Safety and Health of Rural and Agricultural Populations (SHARP) Conference this year in Saskatoon. It was a great experience, and one of the best conferences I have attended yet! Day 1 was spent at an interesting and informative ONE HEALTH: Team Science Training workshop with a great group of students and faculty researchers from across Canada and abroad. The most interesting part of the session for me, was to hear about a series of exciting initiatives that U Sask is working on in One Health and transdisciplinarity. One such initiative is CREATE, a collaboration between U Sask, Berlin and a medical school in India. The program involves a one semester online course in group science, a one semester online seminar course, an intensive field school (where all international candidates come together) and a 2-4 month externship with partners like PHAC. We also heard about the School of Environment and Sustainability at U Sask and PHARE a Public Health, Agriculture and Rural Health and Environmental Health consortium.

The conference is being held in the Delta Bessborough, and it is absolutely gorgeous! The conference rooms where I and others have presented are quite spectacular.

The morning session was of particular interest to me today, as I was pleased to hear reference, more than once, to the impact of climate change on the health of rural and Indigenous populations. Moreover, both heat stress and water issues were mentioned, and the impact these had on workers and those living in these communities.

I had the opportunity to present in the William Pascoe building, a room for almost 100 audience members. I gave a talk on the 3rd project of my MSc thesis, likely for the last time. This project is particularly important to me, as it is a research question that I developed independently, including suggesting the methods used. I personally contacted the 50 hospitals in rural Southern Ontario and secured a great response rate of 48%. I am incredibly proud of this work, as working with institutions such as hospitals can be challenging for reasons such as ethics and access to information. I presented at 11:15 AM, and was thrilled to have good attendance in the room, a full 15 minute slot to present, and a great discussion period to follow the presentation. I distributed my remaining infographics of the poster which was designed for this project (EcoHealth 2014, Montreal), and this again generated great conversation.

The highlight session for me today, was a presentation by Dr. Susanna von Essen from the University of Nebraska. Dr. von Essen presented on the impacts of One Health in the successes of controlling a number of zoonotic pathogens.

I spent the afternoon in a series of presentations related to Indigenous Health in Canada and the links to New Canadian health problems. One such topic which was quite interesting in this session, was the topic of barriers to health care for Indigenous populations, both in remote regions and also in urban areas.

The SHARP meeting also coincided with the Built Environment and First Nations Health: Addressing and Redressing the Issues meeting. This meeting shifted the focus of SHARP from primarily workplace and rural health based to Indigenous Health. The keynote speaker this morning was the highly acclaimed academic, Dr. Malcolm King. Dr. King presented on the changes in CIHR’s strategic plan and addressed a number of issues with regards to applying for Tri-Council funding through the Institutes for Aboriginal Health. While I have pages of notes related to Dr. King’s engaging and fascinating 60-minute talk, I will only share a few highlights. Dr. King pointed out that successful grants are now showing ways in which they will address research questions by integrating the use of both Indigenous and Western knowledge. Dr. King shared a series of National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) Determinants of Health. Predominantly in Public Health we study the PHAC Social Determinants of Health, however, of interest in the NAHO series, was the highlighting of climate change, environmental condition and food security issues, missing from the PHAC social determinants of health. Dr. King suggested that the solutions are to lead with Aboriginal People’s focused interventions, which are both population specific and culturally relevant.

Dr. King’s talk was an excellent way to set the tone for the day, and I was thrilled to be able to introduce myself to him later in the day. As a long-standing chair of CIHR and the Institutes for Aboriginal Health, Dr. King was quite familiar with the IHACC project, and we chatted for a few minutes about possible directions for my research.

I was able to attend the Built Environment and First Nations Health: Addressing and Redressing the Issues meeting and network with researchers working in Saskatchewan on issues facing many other Indigenous communities in Canada. This session included both a morning and an afternoon session, and was exceptionally well organized. The sessions were organized where presenters were asked to move between tables to present their research conversationally in groups of approximately 10 people. By doing this, conversations with regards to the research, questions and comments were rich and important. The researchers would introduce themselves at each table, provide a 5-10 minute overview of their work and a 2-sided handout summarizing key points and results, and the rest of the time was spent discussing with the group. This allowed rich and deep themes to emerge. The overarching theme for the day was respiratory illness as it related to housing issues, yet we spent much time discussing policy and integration of Indigenous ways of knowing, obesity/ diabetes, residential schools and multi-generational traumas, over crowding and climate issues. Again, I have pages and pages of notes that I wont get into the details of, but the experience of a conference this way was not only refreshing, but also incredibly rewarding. I learned so much more in this informal and comfortable setting than I could have by hearing presentations all day, and I am more equipped to apply what I learned to my own research work.

The last day of SHARP coincided with the first day of the 7^th International Summit on Dementia. The summit coincided nicely with issues of rural health and we began the day with an excellent talk on dementia treatment in rural areas in the UK. While not directly related to my research, Dr. Anthea Innes did share some great and useful insights!

It was interesting to see the similarities and differences in challenges that the rural populations of England and Scotland face in comparison to the rural and remote populations of Canada. Dr. Innes shared some great programs, and very creative intervention ideas for working with patients who have dementia, remote populations and an intersection of the 2 populations.

My final session of the week was spent in a chronic illness in rural communities workshop. This was particularly relevant Steph Masina and I tease apart chronic and acute illnesses in the North. One researcher in this session gave an interesting perspective on how we account for Socioeconomic Status in epidemiological modelling. Dr. Bonnie Jenzen is a researcher working at U. Sask, and showed the lack of correlations between a number of SES predictors. Rather than accounting for only education, only income or only skill level, Dr. Jenzen recommended the use of a combined measure or multiple variables. Moreover, a number known as the income adequacy value was described, which accounts for income as it is divided out by the number of people in the home. This changes the outputs substantially!

So, it was a busy, long and crazy week in Saskatoon, but I loved being there! Thanks, SHARP, for an awesome and rewarding conference experience, and moreover, for an excellent opportunity to network!

Rebecca's Fieldwork in Peru

Written by Rebecca Wolff In September, I returned from a great 2 weeks conducting my 4^th year research project on water security in Shawi communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Specifically, my research focuses on learning about Shawi cosmology and beliefs related to water, as well as understanding what community members perceive to be the causes of diarrhea, a common symptom of waterborne illness. I visited the incredibly beautiful IHACC communities of the Puerto Porvenir and Nuevo Progresso, where I spent my free time enjoying the incredible views and searching for papayas and coconuts.

With help from my Shawi to Spanish translator Guillermo, we conducted interviews in the Shawi language with community key informants (traditional healers and health post technicians), as well as parents with children under the age of 10. As most community members drink Masato (a beverage made of fermented cassava) instead of water, part of the interview focused on understanding what water is used for and if it is consumed directly.

The interviews went really well! Community members were open and receptive to sharing their cultures and beliefs. Several community members also provided insightful feedback on how to disseminate future results. To thank the community for their participation, we prepared a communal breakfast and it was a great opportunity to spend time with community members outside of the interviews.

After meetings with the IHACC Peru team, I plan to use my results to assist the IHACC Peru team in designing interventions related to water security. As well, my qualitative research will be incorporated with future quantitative data investigating water quality in both Shawi communities.

A big thank you to the full IHACC team, in both Canada and Peru, for supporting my dream to do research in the Amazon. A special thank you to Alejandra Bussalleu, who helped in designing this project and providing preliminary data, and to Nancy Sullcapuma for accompanying me to the field!

Photos by Rebecca Wolff (with permission from community members to use the photos)

Emerging Commonalities: Laying Foundations for Future Work

Thursday, September 25, 2014 at 6:30pm MacNaughton Room 113, U of Guelph This participatory event is the third in a series related to convergence of Indigenous and scientific knowledge systems, and will explore further how we can develop comprehensive options to serve people and Earth, in fundamentally challenging times.

Dialogue guided by:

• Diane Hill (Katsitsawaks), Mohawk Nation, Bear clan, Six Nations of the  Grand River Territory
• Sherilee Harper, Assistant Professor, Population Medicine
• Mackenzie Lespérance, Masters student, Plant Agriculture

Cost $5 at the door with proceeds to Ka’nikonhriyohtshera

More information at www.gryphlife.ca

SUMMARY OF THE ECOHEALTH 2014 CONFERENCE IN MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA

Written by Ellen McDonald At the 5^th Biennial Conference of the International Association for Ecology & Health (EcoHealth) 2014 I was met by an enormous wealth of knowledge through wonderful oral presentations, posters, and especially discussion with peers, mentors, and well, frankly academic celebrities. I presented a poster describing my research to date on The burden of acute gastrointestinal illness for Inuit in Iqaluit, Nunavut in an incredibly active poster session with much interest and many questions! From presentations on Lung function decline in rural women using fuel for wood cooking in Mexico to Health risk assessment of water sold in plastic bags in the city of Abidjan in Cote D’Ivoire- I was incredibly impressed with the breadth of EcoHealth applications in research. There were two sessions throughout the fantastic conference that stood above the rest. The first was a Plenary Panel with Emerging scholars and practitioners particularly Melanie Lemire from the University of Laval and her vision for the future in the north. A piece of her discussion highlighted the need to look critically at research in communities in the north - what do our role(s) as researchers become in those communities with enough research to create change in policy etc.? The second session that stood out was a poster-driven session including Exploring the health and wellbeing experiences in accessing nature within an urban healthcare setting by Rona Weerasuriya of Australia. I was reminded of a project that I once dreamed of creating in a rural community when I was around 15 years old, a project that would encourage community members to seek regular primary care by creating an environment that people would come to whether they were healthy or sick – such as a garden, or a café open to both the public and the patients as a waiting room. The project that Weerasuriya was assessing is a fantastic example of how this sort of thing could work – it was profoundly moving to see applications of EcoHealth in an unexpected way – simply looking at the bigger picture, and creating unity between and beyond disciplines really can be applied in a phenomenal array of situations. I left the conference thinking and dreaming – and I think that is the best kind of learning, the kind that expands your worldview.

Poster Reference: McDonald, M.E., Harper, S.L., Edge, V.L., Ford, J., Thomas, M.K., IHACC Research Team, & Papadopoulos, A. (2014, August). The burden of acute gastrointestinal illness for Inuit in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada. Poster session presented at the 5^th Biennial Conference of the International Association for Ecology & Health (EcoHealth 2014) at the Université du Québec à Montréal Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Stories from the International EcoHealth Conference, 2014 in Montreal, Canada

Written by Kate Bishop-Williams, Research Assistant, IHACC at University of Guelph Recently I had the great pleasure to reconnect with colleagues, peers and a few “academic celebrities” from around the world at EcoHealth 2014.

I was fortunate enough to arrive in Montreal early enough to participate in an incredible pre-conference workshop. Facilitated by a number of fabulous CoPEH Canada members, we did a water-walk through Montreal’s downtown core to experience both the Green Alleyways and the Old Port first person. We looked at the impact of both of these locations and investments the city has made on human, animal and environmental health, mental health and well-being and societal impacts. The conversations throughout the day were rich and enlightening!

Throughout the conference I attended plenary panels, poster presentations and discussions, oral presentations and key note speeches. Each of these were important and interesting, and impactful in their own ways.

The EcoHealth 2014 conference was my first opportunity to attend poster-driven sessions. In this design researchers presented the high-level results of their projects in only 3-4 minutes. Once the 3 presenters in a room had an opportunity to present, the session became highly engaging and interactive as a chance for discussion and a way to draw connections between the presented topics. Although new to me, this style of presenting quickly became my new favourite session to attend.

On Thursday August 14^th, I was able to present my own work from my MSc degree. This project looked at the impact of heat stress resulting from heat waves on human health in rural communities in Southern Ontario. In particular, I looked at the ways which heat waves impact the rate of admissions to rural hospital emergency rooms in Southern Ontario, as a follow up project to looking at the impacts of heat stress on dairy cow on-farm mortalities. While presenting my poster I handed out small infographic cards to interested visitors. These 4”x6” cards showed the highlights of the research in a clear and easy to ready format which allowed me to make connections with individuals who will be good contacts for my PhD work with IHACC.

Although I accomplished quite a bit while in Montreal, it was not all work and no play! Montreal was a great chance to reconnect with friends from IHACC who live all over Canada, and a chance to visit with colleagues from the 2014 CoPEH Canada Field Course in June.

Here’s to looking forward to EcoHealth 2016 in Melbourne, Australia on December 5-7!

Information Brochure Distributed after Survey

Carlee Wright (MSc candidate) and Jen Truong (summer student) have been busy preparing information brochures.  This summer the Rigolet Inuit Community Government partnered with UofG researchers to survey the quality of water stored in jugs, containers, and pitchers.  Following the survey, Carlee prepared a short information brochure with advice and tips on how residents can clean containers that they store water in.  The brochure will be distributed to every household in Rigolet.  In addition, there is a "scratch-to-win research project prizes" portion in the brochure to make the brochures a little more interesting!

Congratulations to Ashlee and Nunatsiavut Communities!

 Congratulations to Dr. Cunsolo Willox and Inez Shiwak! You can "Like" her Documentary on FaceBook.

Her team's documentary trailer is now available on YouTube:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQy2vOcuTk&w=560&h=315]

Carlee’s First Trip to Rigolet, Nunatsiavut

DSC_0117

Reflection written by Carlee WrightThis summer I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to Rigolet for the first time with Dr. Harper. Having this experience before beginning my Masters was very valuable, as it allowed me to introduce myself to the community and get to know the customs and way of living of the people with whom I will work closely with in the future.

DSC_0315

During this trip, I worked alongside members of the Nunatsiavut government to collect preliminary data on secondary water contamination. The results of the surveys and water samples will provide a basis for my upcoming research, and having this hands-on experience has really helped me to understand the reasons behind the research and the issues faced around water in the North.

Aside from research, I had a few opportunities to explore and eat local foods. These were some of the highlights of my trip, as I love to experience new things. Trout, partridge, goose and fresh eggs were among some of the foods prepared for us, and I was excited to try each of them! Food sharing is an important part of Inuit culture, and I felt very fortunate to be offered so many kinds of country food on my first visit.

Throughout my time in Rigolet, the genuine kindness and hospitality of the residents never failed to amaze me. I was not expecting to be so warmly welcomed into people’s homes, and this contributed to a very enjoyable first experience. I can’t wait to visit again to further familiarize myself with the community and experience more of the unique and wonderful culture in this remote settlement.

YYZ → YOW → YFB: Jen's Adventures in Iqaluit

Reflections from Jenifer Truong, June 2014

Just last week I was sitting in the office, typing away, when Sheri came in to ask if I’d be interested in going to the IHACC results sharing meeting with her…in Iqaluit. Three days later, I packed my bags and headed onto my flight to Iqaluit!

I wasn’t sure what to expect on this trip, but what I’ve learned and experienced have been unlike anything I’ve ever done before! We arrived on Sunday afternoon to the bustling Iqaluit Airport. Although we were still in Canada, there were some very subtle differences that I noticed. For example, it was so cool to see signs at the airport in English but still mostly Inuktitut! Also, it turns out that the taxi’s in Iqaluit all had a flat rate of $6/person, no matter your destination. Pretty cool concept if you ask me!

I got settled into the student housing along with Anna, who had been here for the past couple of weeks doing research for her Masters. She became my personal tour guide (I know, I got pretty lucky!) and brought me to the Visitors Centre to see some amazing artifacts. We met up with Sheri and James that evening for dinner. We ended up at the Navigator Restaurant. It was a perplexing menu of Chinese food, country food, and Canadian classics! We parted ways and I was ready for bed in preparation for tomorrow’s meeting.

Anna and I both got up early to head off to the NRI to prepare for the IHACC Results Sharing meeting. There were about 20-24 people that came by for this meeting throughout the day. Listening to everyone speak out the research that is being done in Iqaluit and up North was incredible – from food security, to climate change adaption, gender, and AGI research, I was thoroughly impressed!

One of my favourite moments was meeting a surveyor named Tommy – he was always making jokes! From talks about ‘dumpcano’ to warning me about polar bear sightings, needless to say, it was always entertaining to talk to him!

After the meeting, Anna, Knut and I went to the museum to see a Norwegian exhibit on the Northern Lights. The photos were absolutely stunning – I can only imagine how beautiful the view must be in Iqaluit when those lights are visible in the night sky. I also bought my first souvenir there: a classic Inukshuk. We ended up going to the Gallery at the Frobisher hotel and the food was spectacular! Something that was extremely fascinating was seeing people come into the restaurants to sell carvings, jewelry or art work. It was such a relaxing and welcoming environment that I couldn’t imagine seeing elsewhere!

On the last day in Iqaluit, Anna and I got to witness Sheri make her first purchase of a souvenir here! And she chose a good one! We took a taxi up to Apex afterwards and although it was a nauseous and bumpy ride to get there, the view was magnificent. The peace and serenity at Apex was unparalleled.

Before I knew it, it was almost time to go back home! I will always remember how beautiful a place Iqaluit is, how friendly the people are, and how peaceful it was. I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel up to Iqaluit and experience everything that I did! Special thanks to Sheri, James, and Anna for making this trip so memorable. Next time, if anyone ever pops into the office asking if I’d like to leave in three days and get to travel for work – I will undoubtedly say, “YES! Of course!”

Check it out: Upcoming CWN workshop!

http://www.cwn-rce.ca/young-professionals/workshops/upcoming/north-bay-indigenous-knowledge-workshop/