From left to right, Dr. Tarlok Sahota, LUARS Director; Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Lakehead's Vice-President, Research and Innovation; Dr. Gillian Siddall, Lakehead's President and Vice-Chancellor; and Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay - Atikokan participated in the announcement on Friday, Nov. 24 in the CASES building at Lakehead University.

November 24, 2023

THUNDER BAY – The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1.65 million over five years to support research programming, knowledge transfer and the operations and management of the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS).

This multi-year funding through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP) will help improve the viability and yield of crops in Northern Ontario, develop and diversify the agricultural industry, and position it for continued growth.

“Supporting agricultural research and innovation is vitally important,” said the Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. “This investment at the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station underscores our shared commitment to advancing Northern Ontario’s agricultural sector, and will help grow, and diversify, the province’s agricultural industry.”

“This $1.65 million dollar investment will greatly benefit LUARS as it particularly focuses on enhancing the agricultural sector's viability and growth in Northern Ontario. It supports research in critical areas such as soil health, environmental sustainability, and climate change, reflecting our government’s strong commitment to advancing agricultural science and innovation,” said Marcus Powlowski, MP for Thunder Bay - Rainy River. 

The research will focus on areas such as best management practices for Northern agriculture, soil health, environmental sustainability, and climate change, as well as research and knowledge co-developed with Indigenous researchers and communities.

“Agriculture in the North is growing, and the research at LUARS is becoming increasingly important as farmers expand their operations in the region,” said Lisa Thompson, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “By investing in agricultural research in the North, we are working towards the goals of our Grow Ontario Strategy by promoting this province as a leader in agri-food technology and increasing production and consumption of locally grown food.”

“I am pleased to see the investment in the Lakehead Agricultural Research Station through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay – Atikokan.

“Our local farmers and consumers will benefit from the innovative and best practices developed specifically for Northern Ontario through this funding.”

Sustainable CAP is a five-year (2023-2028), $3.5 billion investment by federal‐provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of the agriculture, food, and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60 per cent federally and 40 per cent provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.

QUICK FACTS

• Supporting continued and targeted investments in science, research and innovation to address key challenges and opportunities in the agriculture and food sector is among the priorities set for Sustainable CAP by the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers in The Guelph Statement.

• Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS), located in the city of Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario, was founded by the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in 1991.

• Funding for LUARS is being provided through the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario (ARIO).

• ARIO owns 14 research properties across Ontario. Research centres are an important platform for conducting agri-food research, which supports the competitiveness and sustainability of the agriculture and food sector.

QUOTES

“The Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario is pleased to support Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station to advance agriculture research for area farmers and enhance the strength and viability of the agri-food sector in Northern Ontario. The Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station serves as a continued example of how research stations across the province are integral to enabling innovative and high impact research for the province of Ontario.” — Dr. Lorne Hepworth, Chair, Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario.

“Lakehead University welcomes the continued financial support from the province and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario to operate our Agricultural Research Station. The research and extension services this station provides to the local farming community and agri-businesses are vital to the economy and continued growth of the agricultural sector in Northwestern Ontario.” — Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice President, Research and Innovation, Lakehead University.

November 24, 2023 – Thunder Bay and Orillia, Ont.

Tuesday, Nov. 28 marks the eighth annual Giving Tuesday at Lakehead University. 

This year’s goal is to raise $147,000.

For the past seven years, Giving Tuesday has grown to become a popular fundraising initiative for alumni and friends of Lakehead University.

Seen as the opening day of the giving season, Giving Tuesday is when charities, companies, and individuals come together to share their commitment, rally for their favourite causes, and think about others.

“It is a day when the entire Lakehead community celebrates the way that philanthropy supports students, especially students who otherwise couldn’t access a Lakehead education,” said Michael den Haan, Vice-President, External Relations at Lakehead University.

“Many people make this a day for their own giving-commitment to Lakehead University.”

Each year, approximately seven to 10 new student scholarships, bursaries, or awards are created because of community generosity. Building a robust set of supports helps address the critical need for student financial aid at Lakehead.

“Alumni living and working all over the globe contribute to the success of Giving Tuesday at Lakehead University,” said Mark Tilbury, Alumni and Annual Giving Director at Lakehead University. 

“They recognize the need because they were once students themselves. Their response to Giving Tuesday is their way of sharing it forward.” 

Giving Tuesday is one of the largest days of giving on the University’s calendar, with an incredible $810,000 in donations to Lakehead since 2016.

Once again, the Lakehead Annual Fund will match all new gifts towards scholarships, bursaries, and awards 1:1, up to $55,000.

Alumni and friends all over the globe are encouraged to give what they can on Giving Tuesday.

You may visit the Giving Tuesday portal (donate.lakeheadu.ca) beginning at 12:01 am on Tuesday, Nov. 28 until midnight. 

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Check out CERAH's monthly updates of news, events & resources related to aging & health here: https://myemail.constantcontact.com/CERAH-E-Blast---December-2023.html?s...

The Department of Health Sciences 2023 Fall Newsletter is now available online.

To check out department highlights, success stories, and news about our programs please visit:
https://mailchi.mp/32ec22928ff9/newsletter-fall-term-2023-success-storie...

The Research and Innovation Bulletin is distributed weekly every Tuesday by the Office of Research Services and includes information on research funding opportunities, events and workshops and updates from our funding partners.

Checkout the latest version of our Bulletin, by clicking here.

November 17, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

The Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI) has awarded a total of $811,056 for six research projects at Lakehead University through the John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF). The infrastructure grants will supply researchers with the equipment and space needed to advance holistic forest management, evaluate climate change, and further develop low-dose digital x-ray technology.

Dr. Nathan Basiliko, professor in the Faculty of Natural Resources Management, and co-applicants and colleagues Dr. Seung-Il Lee and Dr. Ashley Thomson, have received $174,996 to study how ecosystems in Canada’s Boreal environments are responding to interrelated stressors, including climate change and industrial forestry.

The team – Basiliko a soil scientist, Thomson a tree geneticist, Lee a forest entomologist, alongside Lakehead undergraduate and graduate students – will look at soil microbial communities, invertebrates, and tree populations to understand how they respond to climate change and other stressors such as invasive species and demand for forest products.

“The exciting part is that we’re using a transdisciplinary approach to study how different parts of forest ecosystems interact and that’s key to understanding how forests function,” explains Dr. Basiliko. “This project will expose Lakehead students to big picture, real-world contexts of forestry management and forest disturbances.”

The research will contribute to knowledge that will guide future forest management with a more holistic lens of biodiversity and help understand mechanisms behind northern ecosystem feedbacks to climate change and other contemporary environmental stressors.

Dr. Alla Reznik, professor in the Department of Physics and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Physics of Radiation Medical Imaging, has received $124,574 to support the crucial stages in scaling up of a new photoconductor material for digital X-ray imaging systems.

An evaluation of the photoconductive properties of amorphous Lead Oxide (a-PbO) – the material developed by Dr. Reznik’s group at Lakehead’s Rezniklab – as an important component of X-ray medical imaging detectors offers high-speed imaging and lowering patient exposure to radiation for a variety of diagnostic and image-guided therapeutic procedures.

Funding received through CFI JELF will enable the Rezniklab to optimize the a-PbO technology and fabricate and evaluate full-scale detector prototypes with the goal of developing detectors for fluoroscopic applications used in cardiac intervention and 3D mammography tomosynthesis.

“This is an important scientific and engineering accomplishment in the continuing development of X-ray imaging systems,” said Dr. Reznik. “It will lower the barrier towards harm-free X-ray imaging to the benefit of healthcare in Canada and worldwide.”

Dr. Adam Algar, associate professor in the Department of Biology, has received $119,591 for a five-year project that will look at how climate change and land cover change affect the ecology and evolution of species. Using amphibians, specifically gray tree frogs, Dr. Algar and his research team of graduate and undergraduate students will use lab experiments, field studies, remote-sensing and data modelling to shed light on the future of biodiversity in Canada and worldwide.

“I’m interested in what limits species distributions and ranges, how they survive in their environment, and how they respond when those environments change,” said Dr. Algar. “Northwestern Ontario is the most extreme environment where species like the gray tree frog can survive so it’s a great natural laboratory to study the limits of their physiology and their ecology and how those might evolve or how they may adjust their behaviour to cope with future changes.”

From there Algar and his research team will build data models where they can expand what’s happening now at the local level to try and predict how species will shift its range across all of North America in response to climate change or forest change.

“Lakehead researchers continue to tackle issues that impact people, our communities and the planet,” said Dr. Andrew P. Dean, Vice-President, Research and Innovation. “With support from CFI, our research teams will have access to state-of-the-art equipment that will help them facilitate high quality research. We thank CFI for their continued support.”

Canadian Foundation for Innovation, John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) Awards 2023

Total funding: $811,056

• Dr. Adam Algar, Department of Biology, "Laboratory for Physiological Macroecology", $119,591
• Drs. Nathan Basiliko, Seung-Il Lee and Ashley Thomson, Faculty of Natural Resources Management, "Research Infrastructure for Multitrophic Studies of Boreal Forest Landscapes", $174,996
• Dr. Gautam Das, Department of Physics, "Microscope, and Trace Gas Analyzers (Nitrous Oxide and Ammonia) for Photonics and Bio-Photonics Research Facilities", $166,892
• Dr. Apparao Dekka, Department of Electrical Engineering, "Design and Development of Powertrain Technologies for Heavy-duty Electric Transportation Applications", $100,017
• Dr. Ebrahim Rezaei, Department of Chemical Engineering, "Laboratory for Climate Change Mitigation and Air Pollution Control", $124,986
• Dr. Alla Reznik, Department of Physics and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Physics of Radiation Medical Imaging, Scientist, Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute, "Low-dose Direct Conversion Radiation Medical Imaging Detectors", $124,574 

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at 705-330-4010 ext. 2014 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

November 15, 2023 – Orillia, Ont. 

A comprehensive new report from researchers at Lakehead University highlights the need for greater commitment from Canadian school boards to address the climate crisis.

The report, “Climate Leadership Within Canadian School Boards: 2023 Review”, published by Dr. Ellen Field, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education, and Sidney Howlett, Master of Education candidate and research analyst, benchmarks climate leadership practices across 380 Canadian school boards through policy indicators such as the existence of Climate Action Plans, climate emergency declarations, and the integration of climate change and greenhouse gas reduction goals into strategic or environmental and sustainability plans.

“School boards are pivotal actors in shaping the educational landscape and inspiring future generations,” explains Field. “The potential impact of school board leadership across all schools in Canada, if greenhouse gas emission targets were set and acted upon in line with the Paris Agreement, could have a ripple effect in reducing emissions and improving climate literacy across Canada.”

Overall, the report reveals a mixed landscape where progress is limited but the potential for impact is immense. Highlights of the findings include:

• Only four school boards in Canada had published Climate Action Plans: Toronto District School Board, Trillium Lakelands District School Board, Richmond School District, and Greater Victoria School District.
• Five school boards have environmental and sustainability plans, and nine have strategic plans that mention climate change or greenhouse gas reductions.
• Only 10 school boards in Canada have declared a climate emergency, all from either British Columbia or Ontario.
• B.C. and Ontario are the only provinces that require some form of mandatory reporting, with variability in ambition and level of detail required by school boards.

“Our research demonstrates that provincial mandates can enhance school boards’ leadership, fostering a more proactive approach to climate action,” Howlett says.

On average, Ontario school boards are aiming for less than two percent annual greenhouse gas reductions, with the most frequent target set at one percent reduction annually. With the current five-year plans ending in 2023, Field and Howlett state that there exists an opportunity to advocate for more ambitious, science-based targets for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in schools across Ontario. Collectively, these boards produce more than 650,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent annually.

“Our intention with this report is to encourage superintendents and senior leaders of school boards to see their schools as important stakeholders for taking climate action, not only through the energy efficiency of their schools but also as community actors that have climate action plans and are working for more-stable futures in alignment with the Paris agreement,” Field says. “We also recognize that this may mean advocating for provincial or federal funding or mandatory reporting to improve climate governance across the system.”

In addition to the report, Field and Howlett have provided resources for school boards to support the development of climate action plans, including specific examples of school board leadership, a pledge for superintendents to commit to driving climate action within their school boards, and a way for school boards to provide updates on new climate policies.

“In Canada, 492 municipalities have already declared a climate emergency and more than 52 municipalities have climate action plans. The urgency and momentum surrounding climate action is at the regional level. We see opportunity for school boards to work with regional partners to develop climate action plans and implement solutions,” adds Howlett.

The full report is available at https://climatechangelearningcanada.org/. 

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Jaclyn Bucik, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at 705-330-4010 ext. 2014 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

Denise Baxter, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Initiatives, spoke during the ceremony.

November 8, 2023 – Thunder Bay, Ont.

Lakehead hosted an Indigenous Veterans Day ceremony and exhibit opening on Wednesday, Nov. 8 in the Agora – with speakers from the University and invited guests. 

The exhibit, which will be on display from Wednesday, Nov. 8 until Friday, Nov. 10, features photos and artifacts from the World Wars.

See below for more about the exhibit.

Lakehead University has been honoured to host the Indigenous Veterans of Treaty 3 Exhibit on campus for the past two years. 

This year, Lakehead is excited to announce, in partnership with the Native Veterans Association of Northwestern Ontario, Treaty 3 Indigenous Veteran Exhibit, Thunder Bay Museum, and the City of Thunder Bay, a new chapter of Charles “Willy” John’s vision. 

The late John founded the Native Veterans Association of Northwestern Ontario. He was an Ojibway of the Red Rock Band located at Lake Helen Reserve near Nipigon, Ont. 

John was a veteran of the Second World War. His dream of forming an organization of Native veterans became a reality when a founding meeting took place on November 11, 1988. 

Native veterans and families came across Northwestern Ontario and participated in a Remembrance Day service on Mount McKay in Fort William First Nation. Some of the images from that original ceremony will be on display. 

The above partners will be working together to create a permanent and portable exhibit in the coming year that they hope will be shared throughout the region to commemorate the important contributions of Indigenous veterans. 

We would like to acknowledge the entire team that brought the original project together: Beverley Alto, Graphics Design, Digitization Lead, Web Gallery; Greg Quachegan, Researcher, Contact, Web Contributions; Owen Zoccole, Researcher/ Writer, Artist, Web Contributions; Stan Alto, Team Leader, Editor, Webmaster; Brian Walmark, Project Consultant; and David-Michael Thompson, Research Developer & Project Manager.

 The exhibit, which will be on display from Wednesday, Nov. 8 until Friday, Nov. 10, features photos and artifacts from the World Wars.

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Media: For more information or interviews, please contact Brandon Walker, Media, Communications and Marketing Associate, at (807) 343-8110 ext. 8372 or mediarelations@lakeheadu.ca.

Lakehead University is a fully comprehensive university with approximately 9,700 full-time equivalent students and over 2,000 faculty and staff at two campuses in Orillia and Thunder Bay, Ontario. Lakehead has nine faculties, including Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Graduate Studies, Health & Behavioural Sciences, Law, Natural Resources Management, Science & Environmental Studies, and Social Sciences & Humanities. Lakehead University’s achievements have been recognized nationally and internationally, including being ranked in the top half of Times Higher Education's 2023 World Universities Rankings for the fourth consecutive year, and the number one university in the world with fewer than 9,000 students in THE’s 2023 Impact Rankings (which assesses institutions against the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals). Visit www.lakeheadu.ca.

The Research and Innovation Bulletin is distributed weekly every Tuesday by the Office of Research Services and includes information on research funding opportunities, events and workshops and updates from our funding partners.

Checkout the latest version of our Bulletin, by clicking here.

Check out some of the compelling stories featured in the Fall issue. 

Dr. Gillian Siddall Takes the Stage

Our eighth president is taking a collaborative approach to making Lakehead stronger.

Master of Mystery and Mayhem

Alum Brenda Chapman is an acclaimed crime writer of over 20 spellbinding novels.

Advocates, Artists, and Activists

Three members of the inspirational McPherson family started their PhDs this fall.

Risky Business

Skyrocketing cannabis use among Ontario teens is creating a public health crisis.

Head of the Class

Julia Carvello is Lakehead’s 2023 TD Insurance Meloche Monnex Fellow.

Son of a Critch

What’s it like writing for a hit TV show? Meet alum Justin Rawana and find out.

One Plane Away

Student Caris Madsen ships baby clothes and other essentials to Nunavut families.

The Music Man

Discover alum Derek Oger’s leading role in Canada’s classical music scene.