3855 research outputs found
Sort by
Unsettling ecosocial work: ethical reflections on land-based practice as a settler social worker
No full textThis thesis examines how settler social workers might ethically incorporate land-based approaches on colonized Indigenous Land. Using an autoethnographic methodology grounded in anti-oppressive, anti-colonial, and relational theories, the research draws on Anishinaabe teachings—particularly mino-bimaadiziwin (the good way)—to challenge dominant assumptions in social work and explore the responsibilities of settlers. Fieldwork involved a series of contemplative walks on land held under Canadian property law by the researcher’s family, in what is now known as Sudbury, Ontario, within the territory covered by the Robinson-Huron Treaty of 1850. These walks generated audio and written reflections, which were thematically analyzed to examine the intersections of settler identity, land relations, and social work practice. The findings suggest that ethical engagement with land-based approaches requires more than cultural inclusion or symbolic gestures; it demands ongoing relational and material accountability, critical self-reflection, and a willingness to confront settler complicity. Material accountability includes supporting Indigenous land return, honouring treaties, and redistributing resources. This research contributes to emerging discussions in ecosocial work by foregrounding Indigenous knowledge systems, relational ethics, and the political implications of land-based practice. It offers a framework for settler practitioners to engage with the land without reproducing extractive or appropriative dynamics of settler colonialism
Learning impact of ‘planting hope’—a place-based documentary about Sudbury’s regreening efforts
No full textThis study explores the learning impact of a newly released place-based environmental documentary titled ‘Planting Hope’ by measuring audience perceptions of the film. Produced by Science North, this film showcases how Sudbury has been transformed from a land severely polluted by traditional mining into a flourishing, eco-innovative region over the past five decades, through the collaborative efforts of local communities, experts, government agencies, and Indigenous advisors. Based on constructivist learning theory and guided by concepts of environmental storytelling and place identity, this study takes the communication objectives of the film as a reference framework to examine how audiences process and personalise environmental information embedded in local stories in the informal science learning context, namely, actively watching a documentary on environmental themes. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, collecting data from 18 Sudbury adult residents through a digital questionnaire combining closed- and open-ended questions. Descriptive analysis of the quantitative results reveals overall trends in audience emotional responses and knowledge recall. From the researcher’s unique perspective, thematic analysis of the qualitative data categorises more nuanced responses into four key themes: emotional resonance, knowledge retention, identity affirmation, and prospects for the local future. This research concludes that this film not only successfully communicates the essential science and community collaboration involved in Sudbury’s regreening project, which aligns with the film’s intended communication goals, but also deepens some viewers’ connection and sense of belonging to Sudbury
Structural and stratigraphic framework of gold mineralization at the Ulu gold deposit, High Lake Greenstone Belt, Nunavut, Canada
No full textThe Ulu gold deposit is located within the relatively underexplored High Lake greenstone belt in the Archean Slave craton, Nunavut, Canada. The most significant mineralized zone, the Flood Zone, is characterized by brittle deformation, with brecciated wall-rock clasts replaced by quartz + arsenopyrite + K-feldspar, enveloped by a high-strain zone of biotite ± pyrrhotite and calc- silicate alteration assemblages. Its spatial association with ca. 2686 Ma high Fe-Ti tholeiitic volcanic rocks and an interpreted synvolcanic fault is similar to other gold systems in the northern Slave craton. The deposit is atypical compared to the generally accepted orogenic model, as mineralization appears to predate both peak deformation (D2) and peak amphibolite-facies metamorphism (D3). As a result, many of the primary alteration and deformation features have been significantly modified by these later processes. This thesis proposes a refined genetic model for the Flood Zone, suggesting that gold mineralization occurred during a pre-D2 early brittle event, and was subsequently overprinted by later deformation and metamorphism.Blue Star Gold Corp., Mitacs, and the Mineral Exploration Research Centre (MERC
Condition monitoring of hardware redundant machinery subject to non-stationary operations
Get PDFThe focus of this work is to develop techniques for detection of faults in hardware redundant machinery. Hardware redundancy is a design methodology that can be utilized to increase the reliability of a system. The inclusion of multiple redundant components can allow for fault tolerant design of systems, as the failure of one component typically results in increased load on other while the overall system continues to operate. However, this built in redundancy can increase the cost and complexity of the system. Therefore it is typically seen in applications where there is significant risk (cost or safety) associated with unexpected failures or downtime. These types of applications are also well suited to condition monitoring, which is another technique often employed to reduce the risk of unexpected failure and reduce the overall maintenance cost of a system. Condition monitoring (CM) is the practice of utilizing measurements or information from a system as it is operating to determine its health state in real time. This type of information can be extremely useful for planning maintenance activities and minimizing risk. CM however can be extremely difficult to apply in many industrial applications, as there are many factors that can affect a system and obscure the effects of an incipient fault. The most prevalent of which is non-stationary machinery operation. When a mechanical system undergoes changes in speed and load the measurements gathered can exhibit significant frequency and amplitude modulations. These modulations will often hide the relatively weak changes associated with a fault. This work presents five peer reviewed published works that provide solutions for, and advance our understanding of the detection of faults in hardware redundant machinery. This work demonstrates that in cases where there is hardware redundant configuration of mechanical components, it is possible to leverage a redundant data collection scheme to improve the accuracy of a fault detection system. The benefit of using redundant signals is made clear when considering non-stationary machinery. The fundamental aspect of this work is that the residual or difference between signals from hardware redundant components is less sensitive to changes in operational conditions (speed, load, temperature, etc.) than the original signals.Laurentian University Bharti School of Engineering, Goodman School of Mines, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada
Les effets de l’enseignement virtuel pendant la COVID-19 sur le sentiment d’auto- efficacité des enseignants du Grand Sudbury : une étude de cas
No full textLe but de cette étude de maîtrise est de mieux comprendre l’impact de l’enseignement virtuel, lors de la pandémie de la COVID-19, sur le sentiment d’auto-efficacité des enseignant.e.s de l’élémentaire dans la ville du Grand Sudbury. Les études antérieures démontraient que l’enseignement virtuel pendant la pandémie avait touché la santé mentale, mais ne démontraient pas comment il avait influencé le sentiment d’auto- efficacité, spécifiquement celui des enseignant.e.s de niveau primaire. Une approche qualitative utilisant des entrevues semi-structurées auprès de huit enseignant.e.s de différentes écoles élémentaires du Grand Sudbury, ville du nord de l’Ontario, a été utilisée. En s’appuyant sur les quatre facteurs du sentiment d’auto-efficacité de Bandura, l’analyse de contenu du corpus recueilli a révélé que les enseignant.e.s vivaient des vagues d’émotions en lien avec la relation pédagogique, et ce, entre eux et leurs élèves, lors de l’enseignement virtuel. En conséquence, ces enseignant.e.s avaient de la difficulté à bâtir de solides rapports en lien avec leur mission d’enseignement auprès de leurs élèves. Bien que la majorité des enseignant.e.s se sentaient bien appuyés, ils indiquent avoir vécu des répercussions négatives par rapport à leurs émotions. Par ailleurs, ils mentionnent qu’ils ont plus de temps pour le repos et l’exercice physique, contribuant au sentiment d’auto-efficacité. En somme, l’enseignement virtuel, lors de la pandémie, a fait en sorte que les enseignant.e.s vivaient plus d’émotions négatives, mais cet enseignement a aussi amené des éléments positifs comme le temps de repos de la vie autrement chaotique vécue par ceux-ci. En général, le sentiment d’auto-efficacité a été légèrement touché
The perceptions of two older First Nation women with multiple chronic conditions regarding community-level supports during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textThe public health responses to the COVID-19 pandemic limited the spread of the illness and older adults and Elders’ ability to socialize and connect with others, impacting their ability to pass on guidance and leadership through culturally-specific ways. Community-level supports are vital for older adults living in First Nation communities, particularly supports that are inclusive, accessible, private, and confidential and that promote visiting, connecting, and culture, offering opportunities for outings and using many avenues for awareness. Using an Anishinabek research methodology, this community-based participatory action research approach is responsive to the Health and Community Wellness Committee of Atikameksheng Anishnawbek. We used the Gaataa’aabing visual research method to answer the research question: What perceptions are held by Atikameksheng Anishnawbek adults over 50 years of age who have multiple chronic conditions about community-level supports during the COVID-19 pandemic? We recruited two participants who took part in three learning circles and contributed seven photos. We followed an adapted version of the collective consensual data analytic procedure to analyze over 400-word sentences or stories (segments). This resulted in 14 themes organized into strengths of, thoughts and perceptions about, and barriers to community-level support. We found that the importance of connecting through various means was heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic and that community-level support aided in socialization through digital platforms. Although older adults and Elders enjoyed connecting with others through modern technology, they also felt that there was a need to return to the old ways, bringing back an Anishinabek way of life. Moving forward, service providers and community-level supports can use these findings to support the coordination of ‘friendly visiting’ via community-level volunteer programs to reduce the impacts of social isolation
Haunted houses: a design exploration of the uncanny
No full textSome of the most innocuous houses that you step foot into can set off alarm bells in your mind. You can’t seem to identify what it is that is making you feel uncomfortable, but something about the house seems off. While this gut-feeling may stem from a pre- existing knowledge of a dark history of the house, it is often a completely coincidental amalgamation of design elements that curate an environment that induces unease.
This thesis examines the home’s tendency to become uncanny to its inhabitants, attempting to pinpoint the design elements that contribute to the unsettling atmosphere. Horror films are used as a case study for heightened and intentional uncanny design, ultimately providing an outlet for the physical manifestation of this thesis’ research: the adaptive reuse of an abandoned farmhouse, modified to serve as a domestic horror film set with a corresponding narrative to guide design
Diasporic intimacies: stitching the South Asian communities of Sudbury together through autonomous design
No full textSince 2019, Sudbury’s South Asian population has grown exponentially, doubling with each census. Despite this growth, the community remains fragmented between Cambrian College in New Sudbury, in the North of the city and Laurentian University in the South. The city’s motor-centricity furthers this divide, limiting opportunities for efficient social and cultural interaction.
This study thus explores the potential for a Communo-Ethnic Space in Downtown Sudbury to bridge these cores fostering cultural integration for the South Asian immigrants and supporting the development of a prospective South Asian urban ethnic enclave. The study questions what it means for a South Asian settler to build a relationship with indigenous land, and how to navigate that with respect.
Architecturally, by taking on the role of a “seed”, the proposed intervention is set to practice and demonstrate non-extractive relational design over Sudbury’s pre-existing colonial-modernist urban fabric, with community-driven participatory design at its forefront
Virtual cafés: exploring ways of improving social connectedness in postsecondary students
No full textThere is a consensus in the literature that attending postsecondary studies is a significant transition period for many students. In addition to psychosocial changes, students face high levels of academic and personal demands. Previous research indicates that many students struggle with these challenges, with high rates of loneliness and suicidality reported in postsecondary populations. These issues are often exacerbated by multidimensional trait perfectionism, which may create additional barriers to help-seeking and effective treatment. The current two-part study aimed to explore the use of Virtual Cafés (VCs) as a tool for bolstering social connectedness, which has traditionally served as a protective factor against loneliness and, by extension, suicidality. Results suggest that participating in VCs may be associated with psychological benefits such as an increased sense of social connectedness and a decrease in loneliness. The current study offers a promising avenue for addressing these concerns
A decarbonist’s approach: rethinking of schools as community-oriented living and learning hubs in mid-sized northern cities
No full textIn the face of escalating climate urgency, the future of sustainable development necessitates pivotal shifts toward decarbonization, adaptability, and long-term resilience. This thesis proposes a holistic path for decarbonized institutional development in mid-sized northern Ontario cities by synthesizing low upfront embodied c arbon strategies with design for disassembly, adaptability, and material sufficiency. By analyzing established district school board models for educational facility consolidation, it considers how the co-location and sharing of educational and community-oriented recreational amenities can generate a new architectural typology aligned with the ‘schools as community hub’ initiative.
This thesis reimagines schools as Living and Learning Hubs, where circular construction practices, ecological education, and place-based design foster impactful, intergenerational learning outcomes. Simultaneously, it explores how municipal and educational institutions might better co-exist, asking how siting within sprawling, decentralized northern communities can forge meaningful connections between schools, neighbourhoods, leisure activities, and surrounding ecosystems