"I love to bake—it's my escape and one of the ways that I express caring," says Brandon Rhéal Amyot, a soon-to-be graduate of Lakehead Orillia's Bachelor of Arts and Science in Interdisciplinary Studies program. "When I was a kid, my mom and I would bring trays of baked goods to our neighbours during the holidays."

In elementary school, Brandon's baking abilities helped take them in a new direction after a teacher recommended they attend an Ontario Educational Leadership Centre (OELC) summer camp. "I'm from a working-class family," Brandon explains, "so I spent months baking cookies and selling them at recess to raise money to attend OELC—my mum would find me baking at midnight."

Brandon (second from left) attended Georgian College and Carleton University before coming to Lakehead. They will be graduating with a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Interdisciplinary Studies in June 2025. This unique degree gave them the opportunity to study political science, media, film, and communications.

Brandon's sense of civic engagement is a thread that runs throughout their life. Today, they are an inspiring intersectional activist focused on youth, postsecondary education, media, and the 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous communities. They spent 10 years volunteering with Fierté Simcoe Pride—a grassroots organization that advocates for the 2SLGBTQ+ community—before becoming the VP Orillia of the Lakehead University Student Union (LUSU).

"I always ask myself, 'How can I fight for students, for Lakehead, and for equity?' I had to fight to open the door to postsecondary education for myself, and I want to leave it open for others. Although I'm the first person in my family to go to college or university, I hope I won't be the last."

Brandon enrolled at Lakehead Orillia because "it's an interdisciplinary campus by design. I didn't want to go to school simply to get a job. I wanted to become a lifelong learner and build skills to uplift communities, and interdisciplinary studies lend themselves to that." Brandon believes there's real power in students working together. "It's what enabled us to open LUSU Orillia's Food Pantry—an emergency food resource for students in need that's served over 2,200 students since opening in October 2022. The Food Pantry is one of my proudest achievements because I've struggled with food security at certain points.

"After Lakehead, I feel much more prepared to be part of the world and to take on the world," Brandon says. "I owe that to my family, friends, and instructors who've encouraged me to stay the path." Photo credit: Jessica Owen

With the increasing wealth inequality and the social and political challenges gripping us, we need to step up in any way we can," adds Brandon, who recently joined the City of Orillia's Poverty Reduction Working Group. They have also officially launched their career, even though they are still a month away from graduation.

"I've been hired as LUSU's first governance and advocacy officer, supporting student leaders, the union, and our university community. I'm also working part-time with the Paapiiwaaniimaan Grassy Narrows Mercury Care Home as an executive assistant with their Operational Planning Committee. These roles are both close to my heart and offer me a way to give back.

We have to take bold risks as students, faculty, staff, and community members, and do it with grit and with love. That's the whole purpose of higher education—Lakehead instilled in me that a rising tide lifts all boats."

Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu (right) received the Cruikshank Gold Medal for Outstanding Service to the Ontario Historical Society in February 2025. In addition to his 2025 Cruikshank Gold Medal, Dr. Beaulieu received a King Charles III Coronation Medal in March 2025 for his contributions as educator, volunteer, and philanthropist.

"I'm very curious, if you dangle something in front of me that I don't know anything about, I'll latch onto it," Dr. Michel S. Beaulieu says.

That's plainly evident from Dr. Beaulieu's diverse body of work. He's a history professor specializing in northern Ontario, as well as Lakehead University's Associate Vice-Provost (Academic) and a Lakehead alum. Dr. Beaulieu has written about everything from labour and politics to resource development, including Second World War German POWs and the pioneering northwestern Ontario filmmaker Dorothea Mitchell—"the Lady Lumberjack" who also ran a sawmill.

His love of history extends beyond his roles as professor and researcher to encompass more than two decades spent volunteering with heritage and historical organizations such as the Ontario Historical Society (OHS), the Multicultural History Society of Ontario, the Northwestern Ontario Archivists' Association, and the Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society. Behind his efforts is a commitment to bring to light history that challenges prevailing views.

"There are certain grand narratives of Canadian history that overlook those who live in regions like northwestern Ontario," Dr. Beaulieu explains, "and it's not just that our story or region needs to be included, it's about countering narratives that are, at times, exclusionary, inaccurate, and that don't reflect the experiences of many geographic and ethnic communities in Canada."

It's because of the high standard of his scholarship, his mentoring of students, his philanthropic work, and his time serving on boards, associations, and societies that Dr. Beaulieu was recently awarded the Ontario Historical Society's highest honour—the Cruikshank Gold Medal.

The medal, which is only rarely given out, recognizes individuals who've gone above and beyond to preserve, promote, and protect the history of Ontario and, in doing so, for their service for the OHS.

"I was overwhelmed when I found out," Dr. Beaulieu says. "Past award recipients are people that I've looked up to and admired."

In the presentation of the award, the OHS also drew special attention to Dr. Beaulieu's leadership in transitioning the journal Ontario History into an online publication and, as a result, bringing "Ontario's foremost history journal to readers on a global scale."

"I first came to Lakehead as an undergraduate student," Dr. Beaulieu says. "I chose Lakehead because of the interest that the faculty took in me as an individual, the volunteer opportunities, and the financial support—I was the first person in my family to go to university and that wouldn't have been possible without awards and scholarships." He's also grateful for the funding he's received from SSHRC and other organizations for his research.

"If we don't preserve and promote the histories and experiences of northwestern Ontario, who will?" Dr. Beaulieu asks. "Knowledge of our history shapes how we talk about the province and the nation, and I want to contribute to that."

"In many ways, I was drawn to history because of my mom and dad," adds Dr. Beaulieu, who grew up in Brampton, Ontario. "It was their suggestion that I volunteer with the Region of Peel Museum while I was in high school that sparked my life-long passion for volunteerism. The staff, particularly Bill Barber and Janice Calvert, introduced me to the good, the bad, and the fascinating in Ontario's history. It was a vastly different history from what I was taught previously."

He believes that some of the problems facing democracies today stem from a devaluing of history and historical education. "It's frustrating when decision makers are ignorant of the past or create skepticism about historical events. It's alarming and, frankly, dangerous, when individuals, organizations, and politicians, dispute, for example, the trauma caused by residential schools, the role racism has played in our society, or argue that the Holocaust never occurred."

Despite these hurdles, Dr. Beaulieu takes great joy in engaging people in our region's history. "History is meant to be shared. It's not meant to stay behind closed doors."

The general public and policymakers at all levels of government use Dr. Rennie's stellar research work for the sustainable resource management of aquatic ecosystems.

Acid rain fell unrelentingly on Canada's lakes from the Industrial Revolution until the 1980s when modern environmental regulations came into effect.

The effects of this rain, generated by manufacturing and coal-burning industries belching pollutants into the atmosphere, were catastrophic. Many pristine northern Ontario lakes were acidified and the plants, fish, and other aquatic life native to them died off. But for several years, Lakehead University's Dr. Michael Rennie and his team of students have been researching how to reverse this environmental devastation.

"The lakes were greatly helped by bi-lateral agreements between Canada and the United States that dramatically reduced the levels of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that cause acid rain," explains Dr. Rennie—a Lakehead University biology professor and the head of the Community Ecology and Energetics Lab.

"By the 2000s, the pH levels of many lakes had returned to normal, but the diversity of fish, zooplankton, and invertebrate communities were very low, indicating that these lakes had not recovered biologically."

To restore these fragile ecosystems, Dr. Rennie focused on Lake 223 in northwestern Ontario, one of 58 lakes that are part of the International Institute for Sustainable Development's Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA)—the world's largest freshwater laboratory.

An Unassuming Crustacean Becomes a Mighty Hero

"The IISD-ELA purposely acidified Lake 223 in the 1970s to study acid rain," Dr. Rennie says. "They discovered that lake trout populations declined during the experiment, starving as the animals they ate were decimated by acidification."

It's not only humans who love shrimp. Mysis diluviana is a high-protein food that's a favourite of lake trout.

This included Mysis diluviana—a googly-eyed crustacean about the size of your thumbnail commonly known as opossum shrimp—which turned out to be a keystone animal species that many aquatic creatures rely upon for food. "Although the pH of the lake recovered, the remaining lake trout population was smaller in size, fewer in number, and had higher mercury concentrations after the shrimp were extirpated."

Dr. Rennie's team developed a new scientific method to extract Mysis DNA from sediment cores in Lake 223. The lake itself was important in developing the method because the extirpation date of Mysis was known. "The disappearance of the DNA from the dated core corresponded exactly to the date we knew they were no longer found in the lake—1979."

The implications go far beyond this single lake. "Lake 223 is proof of concept that analyzing DNA in sediment cores enables us to identify the aquatic organisms that previously lived in disturbed lakes, allowing managers to use this information to guide biological restoration."

His team has also shown that reintroduction can work. From 2018 to 2021, they reintroduced small numbers of opossum shrimp into the lake and there's now an abundance of them. "It's the first time ever that these shrimp have been successfully re-established in a lake where they were extirpated."

Dr. Rennie and his team continue to track the lake's recovery. "It'll be a few years for us to tell if the lake trout population will recover, but things are looking good so far." Dr. Rennie is currently collaborating with government, industry, and researchers to apply the same technology to reveal historical biological communities in lake sediments in the Sudbury area to guide the restoration of lakes damaged by former nickel smelting operations.

His hope is that future Earth Days will be times for celebrating healthy lakes that sustain all of us.

Dr. Rennie received an NSERC Discovery Grant and a Government of Ontario Early Career Researcher Award for his ecosystem restoration work. He currently has an NSERC Alliance Grant for his work to restore lakes in the Sudbury area.

Northwestern Ontario community members made the decision to be part of Canada's journey to reconciliation by creating the stunning painting Maamawi, which now hangs in the Agora on the Thunder Bay campus.

"Maamawi refers to the action of coming together," says Tashie Broadbent, an Anishinaabekwe artist and Lakehead visual arts student who led this powerful community-based art project in September 2024.

Lakehead's Office of Indigenous Initiatives reached out to Tashie about leading this unique art project. "Maamawi was a community effort," Tashie says, "and the process of creating the piece was the main point. I'm very grateful that I got to be the carrier of the community's ideas."

Reconciliation has a strong personal resonance for Tashie.

"My father is a Sixties Scoop survivor who began searching for his mother as an adult," Tashie says. After finding her, Tashie's family moved from London, Ontario, to his home community of Manitou Rapids in northwestern Ontario where his mother was living. "This allowed me to absorb cultural influences, especially at powwows," Tashie says. It was in Manitou Rapids that she became familiar with the Woodland style of art that was used to create Maamawi.

"Woodland art employs bold lines, colours, and symbolism to illustrate Indigenous stories and teachings that I take inspiration from," Tashie explains. "There are times when Indigenous knowledge and perspectives should be at the forefront and, for this initiative, painting in the Woodland style made sense."

The Maamawi project was open to the general public, and more than 40 people took part in a brainstorming session to conceptualize the artwork and to talk about how they were fostering reconciliation. Along with community members, grade 7 and grade 8 students from Bishop EQ Jennings school, Lakehead University Indigenous Transition Year students, and Lakehead University Indigenous Learning students engaged in the artistic process.

"The imagery I chose to symbolize reconciliation—and to design the sketch that formed the basis of the painting—came from the participants' thoughts and intentions," Tashie says. "Many of the Indigenous participants said they were advancing reconciliation through practices like singing and dancing to keep their culture alive. Many of the settler participants said it was by educating themselves about the injustices faced by Indigenous Peoples in Canada and by acknowledging the damage this has caused. This is the significance of the turtle in the artwork—in the Anishinaabe Seven Grandfather teachings, the turtle is an embodiment of both the truth and the land. The jingle dress dancer that appears on the turtle is dancing to heal the land and its inhabitants."

Tashie has loved art since she was a child, but she only began thinking of it as a vocation after her parents began reconnecting with their culture. "My mom motivated me to pursue visual arts and she's given me little lessons over the years about my connection to art."

In the painting's upper left corner, a circle containing a drum represents the Indigenous community, which is joined by a line of connection to a circle in the bottom right corner containing a tree. "The tree represents the settler community and the learning and growth that's transforming it. The line of connection is wavy to signify the detours that reconciliation will take."

The actual painting process, guided by Tashie, happened in a second session. Afterward, Tashie worked nonstop to fix up the line work and the details in the circles and the turtle's shell, not finishing until the night before the artwork's unveiling. She was incredibly nervous about whether people would like it, but she arrived at the ceremony to find her family, friends, and professors there to support her. "It was so special to have people I look up to congratulating me," she says.

Tashie believes that projects like hers are important to reconciliation because "art is medicine and art can bridge cultures. Maamawi wouldn't have come together without people coming together."

Meet Tashie and get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Maamawi.

Wind power will slow climate change by replacing conventional fossil fuels with renewable energy.
Photo Credit: Pexels/Sam Forson

Making wind turbines more efficient and helping Canada make the shift to green energy has become Dr. Mohammed Nasir Uddin life's work. This Lakehead engineering professor is the director of the Renewable Energy, Power Systems and Drive Research Lab in Barrie, Ontario, as well as the coordinator of the Lakehead University-Georgian College Electrical Engineering program.

Even though Dr. Uddin completed his PhD at Memorial University in St. John's Newfoundland—famous as the windiest city in Canada—his initial research focused on the motor drives of electric vehicles.

"Slowly, I began studying renewable energy, specifically wind turbines, which uses the same technology as electric motor drives," Dr. Uddin says. "The main reason I switched areas is because in 2019, Canada committed to having net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050." Dr. Uddin's work also supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7—a call for countries around the world to develop affordable and clean energy for a healthier planet.

Wind-generated energy is crucial to achieving Canada's net zero commitment because it can replace fossil fuel-based power like oil, gas, and coal, which are notorious producers of greenhouse gases. Wind energy, in contrast, doesn't generate any pollution or waste. According to the Canadian Renewable Energy Association: "Wind energy is now the lowest-cost source of new electricity generation in Canada. There has been more wind-energy capacity installed in Canada over the last decade than any other form."

Dr. Uddin is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC).

Dr. Uddin was also influenced by his students' interest in protecting the environment from global warming and climate change. These young people work alongside him in his lab designing wind-energy conversion systems that extract the maximum amount of power from the wind.

Their research is possible because wind energy has evolved from quaint windmills into sophisticated wind turbines—colossal giants that can reach over 300 feet into the air. "The speed of the wind becomes the mechanical energy that rotates the wind turbine blades," Dr. Uddin explains. "The wind turbine generator then converts the mechanical energy into electrical energy."

But there's one big problem that wind energy producers must contend with.

"Wind turbine output varies because wind speed varies depending upon weather conditions. This, in turn, means that the wind generator's electrical output is variable and can only be connected to the power supply grid if the turbines have power converters," Dr. Uddin says.

The Power of Algorithms

Dr. Uddin and his team have concentrated their attention on making wind turbine power converters more efficient by creating AI algorithms that these power converters can use to regulate wind turbines' power output. "We're applying mathematical logic—the algorithm runs through a microprocessor that sends a signal to the power converter."

The algorithms are designed to reduce the loss of energy and improve wind turbines' dynamic performance. "Whenever wind speed varies, the turbine should adjust to the new wind speed as quickly as possible for better performance," Dr. Uddin says. "One of the algorithms our lab developed was able to reduce the lag time by three to four per cent."

These algorithms respond the way humans do when they face unexpected events. "If you're driving your car and there's a roadblock, you'll find an alternate route to your destination," Dr. Uddin says. "That's how algorithms work."

It takes one to four years for Dr. Uddin's lab to develop an algorithm. Once an algorithm has been released, any company or energy producer is free to use it. Mercedes Benz, Rockwell Automation, and Texas Instruments, for instance, have adopted some of Dr. Uddin's algorithms for their variable-speed motor drives.

Dr. Uddin says that the success of his Renewable Energy, Power Systems and Drive Research Lab hinges upon his students. "They dedicate huge amounts of time to wind-energy conversion research. Without them, I couldn't do my work."

A five-year NSERC Discovery Grant of $210,000 is helping make possible Dr. Mohammed Nasir Uddin's research project "Power Conversion, Fault Protection, and Power Management Schemes for Wind Energy Conversion Systems."

Lakehead University is ranked in the top 10 per cent globally for universities making an impact through a commitment to sustainability and positive societal change, and was named the top-ranked university with under 10,000 students in Canada and North America in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. These prestigious rankings assess universities' success in delivering on the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to solve our planet's most pressing social, economic, and environmental challenges.

Thunder Bay, Ont. – Lakehead University has received $540,000 from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) PromoScience program to address the underrepresentation of Indigenous perspectives and knowledge in Canada’s engineering profession.

Led by Lakehead’s Faculty of Engineering, the project, ‘Sustainable Engineering for Indigenous Communities,’ will develop outreach programming for primary and secondary school students in northwestern Ontario, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan, with an emphasis on engaging Indigenous youth and their communities to promote sustainable engineering.

“Our shared intention with our partners is to provide Indigenous youth with more opportunities and more pathways to become engineers, enabling them to apply their talent and perspectives to help address challenges facing communities across Canada, including sustainable land development, ecosystem restoration, and access to clean water, energy, and housing,” said Faculty of Engineering dean Dr. Janusz Kozinski.

Dr. Kozinski says that less than one per cent of undergraduate students enrolled in accredited engineering programs in Canada identify as Indigenous. “We want to send a strong, compelling message to students throughout their educational journey that engineering is for everyone and there is a pathway for every student to become an engineer.”

Alongside partners PSI Analytics Inc., a Saskatoon-based pavement, materials, and mining engineering firm, and Civiconnect, an Ontario-based organization with expertise in developing work-integrated learning experiences for young people, the outreach program aims to engage 2,000 Indigenous youth each year, and an additional 5,000 through digital resources and platforms. Educators, including Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and cultural advisors, will support the development and delivery of these initiatives.

“PSI believes in knowledge sharing with youngsters in our community,” stated Dr. Curtis Berthelot, President and Chief Technical Officer, PSI Analytics Inc. “We are aware of the necessity of developing outreach programs and educational pathways that are designed in a collaborative partnership with Indigenous leaders and educators, with the long-term goal of bringing more Indigenous students into engineering, and to help build the next generation of infrastructure that Canada needs.”

“Through initiatives like this, Lakehead University can create balanced and effective engineering solutions that genuinely benefit Indigenous communities,” said Nour Hage, President & CEO of Civiconnect. “By partnering on this initiative, we strive to further Civiconnect’s mission of fostering career readiness among Canada's youth, notably by expanding opportunities for Indigenous communities, thereby enhancing our efforts to bridge educational and employment gaps in underrepresented groups.”

The proposal also received strong support from the Fort William First Nation, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, Gambler First Nation in Manitoba, and Lakehead’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives.

The project is set to begin later in 2025 and will take place initially over the next three years.

NSERC's PromoScience program offers financial support for organizations working with young Canadians to promote an understanding of science and engineering (including mathematics and technology). PromoScience supports hands-on learning experiences for young students and their science teachers.

"I've been piping since I was 11 years old and I've competed in North American championships, but what I love most about the bagpipes is the camaraderie it fosters and the opportunity to bring members of the community together. It is awe inspiring to receive the King Charles III Coronation Medal and to be in the company of such wonderful representatives of our region."

"Being from northwestern Ontario motivated me to work to help improve health outcomes for rural, northern, and Indigenous communities by reducing disparities in access to treatment for mental health and addiction services. For me, this medal is a shared recognition with my community partners, colleagues, trainees, and students, and an acknowledgement of the importance of Indigenous-led research and clinical care."

"It was overwhelming to receive this honour—it was like the feeling I had when I received my PhD from Lakehead. Many people helped me when I arrived in Thunder Bay by providing me with support and opportunities to grow. Now I give back by welcoming newcomer women, helping international students thrive, and fostering cross-cultural understanding."

"My students are really the recipients of this medal, and I'd like to share the award with my trainees at all levels. Together, we are advancing breast cancer detection through the development of innovative medical imaging technologies, designed and developed in Canada. Our work improves patient outcomes and decreases the cost of breast cancer detection—I believe that this country can be a pioneer in health innovation."

"Being recognized as an educator and for my passion for history and volunteerism is an honor. I've had the privilege of working alongside some truly remarkable individuals at the regional, provincial, and national levels. This recognition is as much a reflection of what I've learned from them and what we've achieved together as it is about my own contributions."

Our congratulations to each of the King Charles III Coronation Medal recipients—you've demonstrated what can be achieved when individuals pledge themselves to the greater good of others and to society. We are proud to count you as members of the Lakehead community.

Lakehead students Rylind Davis and Seth Mandel have set the bar high when it comes to academic excellence and their determination to be changemakers.

They are among only 30 students from across Canada chosen to receive 2024-25 Canadian Hearing Services National Scholarships. "The scholarship is an immense honour that I hold close to my heart," Seth says. "It has had a significant impact on my ability to focus on my studies because it has alleviated some of the financial burdens that come with being in law school." The scholarship has made Rylind's educational journey easier, too. "I've been able to use the scholarship for expenses like computers, commuting costs, and books. Being a hybrid student and a student in the age of technology, I needed to have a good, reliable computer to complete coursework with."

Seth was Born a Fighter

A premature baby who weighed just one pound and 10 ounces, Seth was given a less than a 1% chance of survival. "Growing up, I faced many challenges, including ADHD and severe hearing impairment," says the Toronto native and first-year student at Lakehead's Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in Thunder Bay. "These obstacles led others to doubt my ability to succeed, but I've always been determined to prove the naysayers wrong."

"I have a deep love for sports, particularly the Toronto Maple Leafs," Seth says. "I'm also blessed with two younger siblings, supportive parents, and my six-year-old dog, Mishka, who all play a huge role in my life."

Today, the former amateur athlete is channeling his ambition into becoming a lawyer. "I realized that a career in law would not only allow me to make a meaningful impact on society but also stand up for those who need a voice—something I'm passionate about.

At this point, I'm still deciding between criminal defence and sports law. I feel drawn to criminal defence because of my commitment to defending marginalized communities. On the other hand, my love for sports and the influence of movies like Jerry Maguire have sparked an interest in becoming a sports agent or corporate lawyer."

Seth says that Lakehead is helping him achieve his bold ambitions. "My experience has been incredibly positive. The ability to connect personally with professors and peers has made Bora Laskin a great fit for me, both academically and socially."

Rylind is a Mentor and Activist

"I was diagnosed with hearing loss when I was 13 and have used hearing aids ever since," Rylind says. The second-year history and political science student explains that "the Orillia campus being about an hour from my home in Huntsville has been beneficial for creating connections with friends and profs and the small class sizes are great."

Rylind believes "it's important for young people to be involved with politics because politics affects all of us in our everyday lives and our generation that must deal with the long-term effects of political decisions made today."

Despite his young age, Rylind is already a keen advocate for his fellow community members. In particular, he's an outspoken member of the Town of Huntsville's Accessibility Advisory Committee. "Seventy per cent of disabilities are invisible, and when it comes to advising the town council, those with invisible disabilities must have their voices heard," he says.

Rylind is considering becoming a high school teacher because it would give him the opportunity to help students "who may not understand a concept the first time it's taught, but who have a light-bulb moment when it's explained in a different way."

Teaching youth in conflict with the law is another career option he's mulling over. "Two of my very good friends spent time in Ontario youth detention centres and they didn't receive the same quality of education I did. Although kids in detention may have made serious mistakes, these mistakes shouldn't hold them back for the rest of their lives."

Rylind also wants to make it clear that "having a disability or hearing loss does not make students stupid, it just means that we need different tools and resources in order to be successful."

Congratulations Seth and Rylind on your Canadian Hearing Services National Scholarships!

Canadian Hearing Services is the country's leading provider of professional programs, services, and products that enable Deaf and hard of hearing Canadians to overcome barriers to participation in society.

Teenagers are often stereotyped as self-centred, but Dr. Ellen Field knows this couldn't be further from the truth. The Lakehead education professor and researcher has been amazed by the inventive ways that young people are taking the lead in fighting climate change and their determination to create a future where everyone–and every living thing–can thrive.

"I was drawn to the field of climate change education (CCE) because while doing PhD research in 2013, I discovered that teenagers around the world were using social media for environmental conversations and learning, as well as for organizing community actions to address local climate issues," Dr. Field says. "They were taking matters into their own hands because they weren't getting enough climate information in their classrooms."

Fast forward to 2025, and Dr. Field is channelling young people's concerns about the environmental crisis into developing and deepening the climate change education taught in Canadian schools.

Achieving this ambitious goal is being made possible by the Accelerating Climate Change Education in Teacher Education (ACCE-TE) project, which provides learning opportunities for practising teachers, teacher candidates, and faculty of education members through funding from Environment Climate Change Canada.

The two-year project is being led by Dr. Field and Dr. Hilary Inwood at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto and a network of researchers and collaborators. "Educators at all levels are well-positioned to lead the cultural shifts needed for equitable, just, and sustainable forms of living on Earth."

In addition to being a Lakehead professor and researcher, Dr. Field Ellen is an associate editor of the Canadian Journal of Environmental Education and co-chair of the Canadian Regional Hub of Monitoring and Evaluation of Climate Change Education (MECCE).

The ACCE-TE project is giving educators the tools to do this through its free national e-course, two webinar series, and by encouraging educators to share promising CCE learning strategies with their colleagues. "For example, an elementary teacher who took the e-course facilitated by Dr. Maria Vamvalis and Indigenous educator Kahsenniyohstha Lauren Williams began implementing what she'd learned by inviting an Indigenous knowledge keeper to speak to her class about plants and Indigenous history through a climate change lens," Dr. Field says.

The far-reaching environmental, social, physical, mental, and economic effects of our warming planet mean that climate change education needs to be integrated into every school subject, especially since the most vulnerable people and habitats often face the harshest consequences. Hotter temperatures and extreme weather, for instance, are forcing schools to create emergency plans to prevent heat stroke, dehydration, and injuries.

A climate clock installation in New York City showing the countdown until the Earth's collective carbon budget has been exhausted, unless more direct action is taken, and it's no longer possible to keep global warming below the 1.5-degree Celsius threshold.

The ACCE-TE has also made a difference by offering funding to 17 university faculties of education to develop CCE programming that ranges from a three-day climate camp for preservice and in-service teachers to nine new climate change education courses being delivered throughout Canada.

Dr. Field's commitment to this project is strengthened by her desire to reduce the distress that climate change causes—a 2023 survey of respondents aged 16 to 25 she conducted with Lakehead's Canada Research Chair in Social-Ecological Health Dr. Lindsay Galway found that 80 per cent reported that climate change negatively affects their overall mental health.

"We need to find ways for young people to engage in these problems directly while in school because most young people want to solve the climate crisis," Dr. Field says.

MPP Sol Mamakwa (centre) was invited by two students to their Ontario classroom as part of a climate change education assignment. "The students also facilitated a water ceremony. It was a powerful experience that speaks to the importance of including inquiry and student choice in course designs," Dr. Field says.

In addition to her work in Canada, Dr. Field was selected by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as one of six global scholars to create a curriculum framework for climate change education. "UNESCO's goal of having 90 per cent of countries around the world adopt and implement a climate curriculum by 2030 means that we need to be bold and ambitious in ensuring that schools develop and implement policies and practices quickly."

Uppermost in Dr. Field's mind is the climate mantra "Every fraction of a degree matters." It motivates her to continue her work of helping "students understand that it's possible to have a more stable and just future if we reduce greenhouse gas emissions and plan appropriately."

This vital research project is funded by the Environment and Climate Change Canada, Lakehead University, and University of Toronto OISE: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. ACCE-TE is also thankful to educators and graduate students that work to keep programs going including Dr. Marie Tremblay, Dr. Maria Vamvalis, Kahsenniyohstha Lauren Williams, Sarah Urquhart, Felicia Mikrogianakis, Caitlin Hastings, and Daniel Paradis, and many educational and community collaborators.

Thunder Bay, Ont. – The vibrant sights, sounds, and traditions of Indigenous culture will take centre stage at the Indigenous Cultural Traditions Club’s (ICTC) Powwow, March 7 to 9 at Lakehead University’s Hangar.

The 35th annual ICTC Powwow invites the Thunder Bay community to experience and celebrate the rich heritage of Indigenous peoples. The Powwow showcases tremendous talent and entertainment, while reinforcing traditional aspects of Indigenous culture such as drumming, dancing, singing, and giving thanks. This year’s Powwow will feature Walking Bear as the Host Drum. Attendees will also have the chance to explore Indigenous arts and crafts vendors.

Highlights of the event include:

Saturday, March 8

• Grand Entry, 12 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• Traditional feast, 5 p.m.

Sunday, March 9

• Grand Entry, 12 p.m.
• Closing ceremonies until 5 p.m.

Master of Ceremonies: Todd Genno, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg
Arena Director: Dustin Gagne, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg
Spiritual Advisor: Carmela Moses, Biigtigong Nishnaabeg
Host Drum: Walking Bear, Ginoogaming First Nation

The Powwow is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. Admission is free.

This event is made possible through the generous support of Lakehead University, OpenText, Matawa Jordan’s Principle, Matawa Next Steps, and other corporate and community partners.