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First Nations Place Names from Cadboro Bay to Millstream
No full text2025This thesis built a database of 100 First Nations place names from Cadboro Bay to Millstream to answer: What are the First Nations place names for Victoria, British Columbia? Maps are essential tools in the on-going colonization of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada. Today, many First Nations prioritize restoring place names and using them on maps as an act of sovereignty. Conversely, multiple levels of settler government incorporate Indigenous place name restoration into their obligations to fulfill UNDRIP and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. Collaborations between First Nations and settler organizations have built many public online maps with Indigenous place names for both sets of goals. No such map exists for the research area despite the First Nations-built monuments to Lək̓ʷəŋən and SENĆOŦEN place names. By developing an experimental design grown from the essential Indigenous academic principles of respect, relationality, and reciprocity, the settler researcher gathered public First Nations place name information into a simple spreadsheet. The database visualized as a map represented the breadth of publicly available information on First Nations place names. This research took place from and within the traditional territories of the Lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples which includes the Songhees and Xʷsépsəm (Esquimalt) First Nations, and WSÁNEĆ Peoples encompassing the W̱SÍ,ḴEM, W̱JOȽEȽP, SȾÁUTW̱, and BOḰEĆEN First Nations
Gaza and the CBC: The public broadcaster betrays its mandate
No full textThis article was originally published as: MacKay, R. (2025, August 28). Gaza and the CBC: The public broadcaster betrays its mandate. CounterPunch. https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/08/28/gaza-and-the-cbc-the-public-broadcaster-betrays-its-mandate/By refusing to deliver accurate, comprehensive, and contextually rich reporting on Israel’s assault, Canada’s public broadcaster, the CBC, has denied Canadians the information they need to act on conscience and to pressure their government to help end the savagery
Lifting up Strengths: A Wellness Approach to Preventing Child Sexual Trauma
No full text2026Blending local indigenous knowledge and Eurocentric theoretical frameworks, this qualitative study explores what approaches are being practiced in home, school, and community settings to prevent child sexual trauma. Through interviews and focus group discussions, participants’ perspectives on safety and well-being and a wellness approach to child sexual trauma facilitate a deeper and broader understanding of what motivates and informs caregivers’ approach, and the strengths, challenges, and opportunities within current prevention strategies. A wellness approach to safety and well-being addresses the physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and sexual/relational domains, supported by a variety of strengths-based practices grounded in relationship, intentionality, and balance. Challenges were organized into a socioecological framework with multi-level recommendations, including empowering preadolescents within the context of their families and community with education that is adequately resourced, collaborative, keeps the child and family at the center, and recognizes the generational and caregiver roles in preadolescent and adolescent development as it relates to the prevention of sexual trauma. Implications for this research include providing baseline data needed to develop caregiver-targeted, wellness-oriented child sexual trauma prevention programming that is strength-based and culturally relevant
Leading with Social Wealth: How Relational Investment Shapes the Social Well-being of Remote and Hybrid People Leaders in Canada
No full text2025This thesis explored how remote and hybrid people leaders in Canada experience social well-being, and how their efforts to activate, maintain, or neglect personal and professional relationships might influence their social wealth. This mixed-methods case study included a survey of 1,218 remote and hybrid leaders and 13 interviews with Sun Life leaders in Canada. Survey findings reveal that loneliness levels align with global averages and are significantly lower than those reported in the United States; trusted social networks are typically local (within 30 minutes); and “best friends at work” remain important, even in virtual contexts. Sun Life leaders report high levels of trust and reciprocity. Communication channels and caregiving responsibilities variably influence connection, while social media is deemed largely ineffective for building and sustaining relationships, despite frequent passive use.
Qualitative findings reveal four emergent themes: (1) social needs evolve, with a post-pandemic shift toward reciprocal and intentional connection; (2) loneliness manifests subtly for leaders, as a quiet longing for pre-pandemic workplace dynamics; (3) leaders sustain tight circles and remain emotionally reserved in groups; and (4) rhythm and ritual are associated with building and sustaining social wealth.
These findings offer practical insights for remote leadership and organizational design in shaping a more sustainable and socially healthy future of work
Toxicity identification evaluation techniques isolate zinc and 6PPD-Q as causes of acute lethality to rainbow trout in road runoff
No full textThis article was originally published as: Baker, J.A., Cronshaw, I., Monaghan, J., Jaeger, A., Bailey, H.C., & Krogh, E.T. (2025). Toxicity identification evaluation techniques isolate zinc and 6PPD-Q as causes of acute lethality to rainbow trout in road runoff. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1093/etojnl/vgaf269The buildup of pollutants on impervious surfaces, and their subsequent flush into the environment within stormwater, could worsen with expected increases in prolonged dry periods and extreme rain events due to climate change. As such, the monitoring and treatment of urban stormwaters is becoming a high priority. Of particular interest is road runoff in urban areas, which has been found to be acutely lethal to salmonids and frequently contains elevated concentrations of metals and organic contaminants. In this study, samples of road runoff were collected in the Metro Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada, and assessed for acute lethality to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Three of the four stormwaters tested exhibited 100% mortality in the 96-hr test. Stormwater toxicity was demonstrated to be reduced by treatment in a rain garden. Phase I Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) techniques initially identified a metal as the cause of toxicity in one stormwater, which was determined to be zinc after Phase II/III TIE testing. The second stormwater sample revealed an organic constituent to be responsible for toxicity, and subsequent TIE testing implicated N‐(1,3‐dimethylbutyl)‐N′‐phenyl‐p‐phenylenediamine‐quinone (6PPD-Q). The potential contribution of 6PPD-Q to toxicity was assessed by performing TIE techniques on a standard solution of 6PPD-Q in parallel with the stormwater. Chemical analysis of 6PPD-Q using Condensed-Phase Membrane Introduction Mass Spectrometry was used to support toxicity assessments. This is the first study to use the TIE approach to provide a toxicity profile for 6PPD-Q.We appreciate the support of the Krogh laboratory team and Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (ETK DG-2022-05349) and the Canada Foundation for Innovation (32238) in the 6PPD-Q analysis. Salary support for JM was provided through a Michael Smith Health Research BC trainee Fellowship (RT-2024-03771) and an NSERCCGS-D
Mid-Level Leadership as a Lever for Human Flourishing in a Canadian Educational Institution
No full text2025Despite decades of leadership evolution, problems related to human flourishing have not been adequately addressed by traditional approaches. Neoliberal and hierarchical frameworks have led to policies and practices that substantially transformed organizations, while at the same time limiting efforts to respond to such challenges. Mid-level leaders remain underexamined in leadership research, leaving a gap for understanding their influence on these complex challenges. The purpose of this study was to collaborate with a team of mid-level leaders in a Canadian post-secondary institution to explore their influence on critical issues related to human flourishing. Through critical action research grounded in social constructionism, participants explored dominant systems, values, and practices, utilizing reflection, dialogue, and shared meaning-making processes. Core participants included mid-level leaders (directors, managers, coordinator, supervisor), each of whom was fully engaged in the four cycles of the action research process. Data collection included dialogue sessions, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journals. Five supplemental division members also participated in one semi-structured interview. Key findings are organized around five interwoven themes: (a) achieving human flourishing through disruption of dominant, historical leadership norms, values and practices; (b) relational leadership as a transformative practice; (c) navigating power and agency in mid-level leadership; (d) reflexivity and the emotional weight of leadership, and (e) critique to construction: reimagining leadership. These findings affirm all five core tenets of critical leadership theory and extend them in important ways. Findings operationalize critical leadership praxis in mid-level leadership contexts and expand concepts of leadership to include embodied and emotional labour. The study positions human flourishing as a legitimate and necessary leadership goal, advances critical leadership studies from critique toward praxis, and highlights mid-level leaders as critical agents of change for human flourishing. Keywords: critical leadership, human flourishing, mid-level leaders, relational leadership, embodied reflexivity and emotional labour, disruption for transformative chang
Emergent Futures: Exploring Energy Transition Choices Through Serious Games
No full text2025Practitioners working with communities to build resilience face increasing challenges related to the rapid pace of the energy transition and worsening climate impacts. Meaningful participatory processes can enhance collective understanding of long-term trade-offs and uncertainties. Research indicates that serious games are increasingly employed to support this integrated planning challenge. This study contributes to the knowledge on this topic through an integrated literature review, case study analysis, and focus groups comprising of representative subject matter experts and stakeholders. A thematic analysis of participant feedback demonstrates the value of early stakeholder engagement in the design process and how co-development of serious games can foster emergent dialogue. The findings offer valuable insights into serious games as tools for social innovation and how they have been integrated into participatory planning through iterative co-development. The conclusions are illustrated within a serious game conceptual design structured to encourage systems thinking through foresight-driven design
Impostor Phenomenon: A Qualitative Study of the Journey Towards Resolution
No full text2025This study explores how former impostor phenomenon experiencing people experienced the resolution of their impostor phenomenon. A dominant conceptualization of impostor phenomenon is presented from the research to compare participants’ experiences of impostor phenomenon and its resolution against. Semi-structured interviews of seven participants were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological analysis which revealed alignment with the dominant conceptualization for their experiences of impostor phenomenon, but minimal alignment with their experience of resolution. The resolution of impostor phenomenon was experienced as a process of attaining evidence of performance, focusing on self-identity, and reconnecting with their emotions. A focus on finding belonging in both personal and professional lives was also present. The relevance of findings to future research and proposed professional coaching interventions for impostor phenomenon are discussed. More research is needed to investigate alternative conceptualizations of impostor phenomenon and to test the efficacy of potential interventions in the future
Implementing a multi-campus model in the K-12 education system: a guide for leaders
No full textAlthough multi-campus education has been embraced by post-secondary institutions for years, a multi-campus model in the K-12 system has been considerably less researched. This project gives an overview of the considerations and challenges involved in implementing a multi-campus model in the K-12 education system. The literature review highlights the importance of school culture and the unique challenges with developing a cohesive school culture in a multi-campus model. Also discussed are the potential impacts on staff and students during this unique transition. The aim of this project is to create a research-backed resource for school districts and administrators who are considering implementing a multi-campus model in their school community. This includes offering recommendations for supporting staff with the transition in an informed and proactive way
How Does VR Enhance or Detract from the Value of Interactive Visualization Tools for Planning and Stakeholder Engagement?
No full text2025This study investigates the use of interactive visualization tools, prepared in computer-based and virtual reality formats, in supporting watershed planning and stakeholder engagement. Using the Millstream Creek Watershed as a case study, the visualization tools were created using the Unity game engine, and these tools consisted of representations of existing conditions and potential management scenarios for two areas of concern within the watershed. Both tools were tested through open house events and workshops. Data were collected via questionnaires and group discussion, and analyzed through (respectively) t-tests and thematic coding. Results show that virtual reality significantly enhanced user experience in immersion and engagement; however, it did not produce improvements in comprehension or decision-making compared to the computer-based version. Qualitative analysis suggests the potential for applying the tool in education and planning scenarios. The findings highlight the promise of immersive visualization for environmental communication and participatory planning purposes