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Semi-automated landform mapping in the Coast Mountains, British Columbia: A machine-learning workflow using LiDAR-derived digital elevation models
No full textAutomated landform mapping offers a promising avenue for supporting geomorphic hazard assessment and land-use planning in mountainous regions. This study develops and evaluates a semi-automated workflow for classifying landforms from high-resolution LiDAR-derived digital elevation models (DEMs) in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia (BC). An object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach was implemented in ArcGIS Pro, combining geomorphometric variables into composite rasters, segmenting terrain with the Segment Mean Shift algorithm, and classifying objects using supervised machine-learning algorithms (Random Trees and Support Vector Machines). Reference landform polygons delineated through specialist interpretation provided training data and a basis for accuracy assessment across two major catchments.
Results indicate that the object-based machine-learning approach can reliably distinguish key landform classes—such as water bodies, valley bottoms, fans, steep bedrock slopes, and snow- or ice-covered terrain—with moderate to high accuracy. Ensemble classification further improved performance, yielding the highest overall accuracy and reducing class-specific misclassifications. These outcomes highlight the importance of segmentation fidelity, thoughtful schema design, and robust training samples in representing complex geomorphic environments.
The study contributes a replicable, ArcGIS-native framework for DEM-only landform classification that balances methodological rigor with practical applicability. The workflow establishes a basis for generating relatively rapid, preliminary landform inventories with direct value for watershed assessment, hazard and risk management, and integration of geomorphic information into forest planning. With province-wide LiDAR coverage in BC anticipated by 2029, the reference datasets and transferable methods developed here present opportunities for refinement and application at broader scales
Adolescent leadership: preparing opportunities for Montessori high school students
No full textIn the fields of leadership, pedagogy, and adolescence, there is a significant lack of literature on how the three areas connect purposely in a high school classroom setting. Consequently, there is a deficiency of resources for teachers wanting to implement a leadership program in high school classrooms. The literature review underpinning this project-based thesis describes the results of research conducted on the topic of adolescent leadership in high school with focus on the intersection between existing leadership theories, the current science of adolescent development, and Dr. Maria Montessori’s observations of the adolescent phase of development. Findings were applied to high school classroom environments from both a Montessori and non-Montessori perspective. The resulting project is an adolescent leadership curriculum resource package to establish leadership opportunities and curriculum in Montessori high school environments, but also applicable to non-Montessori settings. This resource package supports a teacher’s internal preparation for leadership from a Montessori perspective where a leader “is not somebody with a sense of great authority, but somebody with a sense of great responsibility” (Montessori, 1949, p. 197)
An asset analysis of the Yukon Territory for sustainable tourism development
No full textPurpose: This research represents the first comprehensive post-pandemic analysis of tourism assets across Yukon Territory, undertaken in partnership with the Tourism Industry Association of the Yukon (TIAY) to address critical knowledge gaps regarding the current state, availability, and diversity of tourism-related infrastructure. These gaps include: (1) the actual number and distribution of tourism businesses across communities, (2) the operational status and recovery patterns of businesses post-pandemic, (3) the degree of tourism service diversification in rural communities, and (4) the systemic barriers preventing tourism development despite natural and cultural assets. These knowledge gaps are critical because they impact evidence-based policy development, efficient resource allocation, and strategic investment decisions in a territory where tourism represents a primary economic driver. The study also examines how northern destinations like Yukon can develop sustainable tourism systems while preserving their unique cultural and ecological integrity, responding to the intersection of environmental vulnerability, infrastructure limitations, and pandemic-related disruptions that have created challenges for territorial tourism development. Methodology: The research employed a mixed-methods approach using the asset database, quantitative survey analysis, and qualitative interviews of tourism business owners/managers. The asset inventory identified 590 tourism businesses across 21 communities and 11 sectors—significantly exceeding the 400 businesses previously estimated for planning purposes. Data collection included an online survey distributed to all identified businesses (90 completed responses), semi-structured phone interviews with tourism operators, and field observations conducted during a familiarization tour. Analysis was conducted using SPSS, Microsoft Excel, and NVivo to integrate quantitative patterns with qualitative insights from industry stakeholders. Results: Key findings address critical knowledge gaps: (1) Tourism asset distribution follows extreme concentration patterns, with 51.9% of businesses in Whitehorse and 81.4% along highway corridors, revealing that infrastructure determines rather than supports tourism development; (2) Two communities (Whitehorse and Dawson City) achieved complete tourism service diversification (3) Seasonal operations create a 59% average staffing reduction, representing not just demand variation but systemic operational discontinuity that existing tourism theory does not address; (4) Housing emerged as a cascade constraint, simultaneously limiting workforce availability, business expansion capacity, and visitor accommodation; (5) Post-pandemic assessment shows 62% of businesses pursuing growth strategies despite these constraints, suggesting resilience mechanisms not predicted by conventional crisis recovery models. These findings reveal that the critical knowledge gaps were not simply about counting businesses, but understanding how infrastructure dependencies create tourism development paradigms
Inspiration for Healing and Reclaiming Cultural Wellness and the Spirit of Indigeneity in a Colonial “Canadian” Context
No full text2025Colonization has profoundly disrupted Indigenous people; it affects a person’s wellness, culture, traditions, governance, families, health, lands, and all one’s relations. While there is a plethora of research focused on decolonization, limited research features personal decolonization in contemporary life to achieve wellness and Indigeneity.Through Indigenous research methodology, exploratory narrative methods, and thematic analysis, the narratives from seven wellness experts and seven wellness role models uncovered four themes of the process of colonial trauma healing; 1) the Spirit of Indigeneity call to healing, 2) purging colonial poison, 3) reclaiming cultural wellness and the Spirit of Indigeneity, and 4) living cultural wellness guided by the Spirit of Indigeneity. The colonial context creates an inescapable environment that causes colonial trauma, which requires historical and ongoing healing; however, that does not mean Indigenous people cannot thrive or be well in the contemporary colonial world. They certainly can, and this research provides inspirational examples of how that is possible. This study illustrates the resilience of fourteen Indigenous individuals, and documents the reclamation and revitalization of their lives in a contemporary colonial context. In spite of the colonial context and ongoing colonization, Indigenous healing is possible and so is Indigenous thriving
ÍY SĆȺ (Good Work): A Study of Introspective Leadership Emerging From W̱SÁNEĆ
No full text2025This thesis explores the concept of introspective leadership through a deeply personal, firstpersonaction research project. Drawing on 16 years of political experience as an elected official within British Columbia’s Crown governance systems, and a subsequent role in W̱ JOȽEȽP village administration, this inquiry investigated how personal, cultural, and political experiences have shaped the author’s evolving self-reflective leadership practice. Grounded in a W̱ SÁNEĆ worldview and interweaving Indigenous and Western epistemologies, this research utilized reflective journalling, thematic analysis of legislative transcripts, and community engagement. Five themes emerged: the rhythms of W̱ SÁNEĆ, the orator-observer leadership duality, the emotional toll of leadership, the disruption of colonial governance structures, and selfdetermination through structural transformation. This work calls for a reconfiguration of Crown–Indigenous relationships toward Indigenous-led self-determination and positions first-person introspective leadership as a powerful method for decolonizing leadership scholarship and practice
Computational and design of experiment strategies to improve differentiation and quantitation of trace-level cannabinoids by copper cationization paper spray mass spectrometry
No full textThis article was originally published as: Sboto, J.N.S. & Gill, C.G. (2025). Computational and design of experiment strategies to improve differentiation and quantitation of trace-level cannabinoids by copper cationization paper spray mass spectrometry. Analyst. https:doi.org/10.1039/D5AN01073JThe medicinal and recreational use of cannabis products is quickly rising from increased worldwide legalization and decriminalization. Despite this, current analytical methods have compromises when analyzing common isobaric cannabinoids, such as cannabidiol (CBD) or (−)-trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). We report on the use of computational chemistry, combined with design of experiment (DoE), to optimize and develop a paper spray mass spectrometry (PS-MS) method with on-paper cationization to simplify workflow for trace level differentiation and quantitation of THC and CBD. Computational methods allowed for pre-screening of candidate metal ions prior to experimental measurements, with promising candidates then being evaluated by electrospray ionization high resolution mass spectrometry (ESI-HRMS). A direct mass spectrometry method using copper cationization with PS-MS was then developed and optimized using DoE. Copper cationization with both ESI and PS-MS tandem mass spectrometry demonstrated the best CBD/THC selectivity and sensitivity, with 1% interference between CBD and THC copper adduct product ions with ESI. DoE results increased the analytical performance of the PS-MS method for quantifying cannabinoids in methanol, acetonitrile/water, and saliva matrices. Methanolic detection limits were 10 ng mL−1 for CBD and 20 ng mL−1 for THC by PS-MS allowing rapid (one-minute measurement), direct mass spectrometry differentiation, whereas detection limits in both saliva and acetonitrile/water matrices were <2 ng mL−1 for THC and CBD. This work illustrates the advantages of using DoE and computational chemistry to develop PS-MS and ESI methods for the rapid differentiation and quantitation of isobaric cannabinoids.This research was funded by a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Discovery Grant (RGPIN-2021-02981) and infrastructure provided by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation: John R. Evans Leaders Fund & British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund (CFI 40274). J. N. S. Sboto was supported in part by the NSERC USRA program, a British Columbia Graduate Scholarship, and the Armin Saatchi Chemistry Award
Effectiveness of Waste Segregation in Enhancing Sustainable Management in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria
No full text2025This study examines the influence of source waste segregation on the sustainable management of waste in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. The study aimed to assess existing waste segregation practices, identify the socio-economic and demographic factors influencing these practices, and propose strategies to improve household-level waste segregation. A 400-person questionnaire survey was administered to residents in Akure metropolis with different socio-economic and demographic groups, and the responses obtained were coded and analysed. Analysis revealed that 58% of the respondents do not practice waste segregation, while only 19.3% actively practice segregation. Regression analysis indicated that education and awareness were the sole predictors of any household waste segregation. The solution to sustainable results consequently needs to be a three-fold approach: increasing the strength of environmental education and awareness, providing the availability of enabling infrastructure for dependable collection, increasing the capacity of municipal relations by incorporating informal waste pickers, and enhancing community advocacy. These measures collectively address behavioral and systemic obstacles to sustainable waste management in Akure.
A life disrupted: Perspectives on Track 2 MAID from persons living with chronic illness
No full textThis article was originally published as: Pesut, B., Thorne, S., Variath, C., Hall, M., Schiller, C., Sharp, H., Wiebe, G., Robertson, W.D., McKenzie, M., & Plewes, L. (2025). A life disrupted: Perspectives on Track 2 MAID from persons living with chronic illness, Canadian Journal of Bioethics, 8(4), 5-15. https://doi.org/10.7202/1121330arIn 2021, Canada extended Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) to persons whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable, referred to as Track 2 MAID. The purpose of this study was to develop a better understanding of best practices for Track 2 MAID from the perspectives of those living with an illness, disease, or disability that could potentially make them eligible for MAID
Igniting your strengths: Resilience education for paid on-call firefighters
No full textResearch poster presented at the 2025 Canadian Institute for Public Safety Research and Treatment conference, May 7-8, 2025 in Regina, Saskatchewan.The main purpose of the research was to design, develop, and test a health promoting resilience education programme for volunteer/POC firefighters.Research supported by WorkSafeBC through the Innovation at Work program, & Vancouver Island University Centre for Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity through the Explore grant
Ideological Violence and Social Change in Canada and the United States from the 19th Century to Present Day
No full text2025In recent years, Canada and the United States have revised national security and public safety priorities to address the domestic threat of extreme social violence that emerges from social, political, and religious views and beliefs that challenge the social order. An imminent threat, extreme ideological views, and movements can inspire like-minded individuals by promoting an idealized social order through enduring stereotypes that elevate their status, sometimes through violence. Developed using a pragmatic approach, this study addresses these views and movements when they devolve into violent acts. A socio-historical exploration, this study explores social change and Canadian and American historical elements from the 19th century to the present day, linking them with ideological and ideologically themed violence. In order to address the research question, does social change influence rates of ideological violence?, Norbert Elias’s civilizing theory and Cas Wouters’s seven social balances (Wouters, 2014) are employed to illustrate the social change of the time period. Further, it introduces the analytical concept of ideological themes, where causality cannot be immediately confirmed, to resolve recently formed definitions, such as mixed and composite ideologies. Laying the groundwork for future study areas, the findings propose an applied approach to developing social policies that foster social change that may curtail the destructive aspects of individual and group ideologies