News archives

Point in Natural Resources publishes a special issue on the work of Caribou Ungava

April 9, 2013

Monique Bernier and Yves Gauthier Explain Ice Monitoring in Nunavik

April 9, 2013

In an interview with journalist Pascale Guéricolas, Monique Bernier and Yves Gauthier explain ice monitoring in Nunavik and community-based adaptation to climate change. The research team uses remote sensing to map ice conditions at the regional scale and produces forecasts to inform snowmobile users. They also seek to link traditional knowledge to technology by integrating the elders' local knowledge in the production of ice charts.

Listen to the interview Google Street View chez les Inuits by Pascale Guéricolas broadcasted on Un monde d'info, France-Info, on Tuesday March 26, 2013

Public Lecture by Professor Raymond S. Bradley "Global Warming and Political Intimidation"

March 25, 2013

Public Lecture by Professor Raymond S. Bradley entitled "Global Warming and Political Intimidation" which was canceled in February, will be held Thursday, April 4 at 18:30.

For information : www.ete.inrs.ca/evenements/changements-climatiques-et-intimidation-politique  (french)

A discovery of the knowledge and wealth of Inuit people

March 25, 2013

Découvrir Magazine presents the video "An Arctic trip with Joel Bêty"

March 21, 2013

ACFAS Magazine Découvrir presents the video "Joel Bêty, a passionate researcher" by Brite Pauchet and Guy Lavigeur. The production seeks to show how research is lived on a day-to-day basis by the researchers who are passionate craftsmen of their work. This first video of a series looks at Joel Bêty, biologist specialized in Arctic ecosystems, and his team. Among their topics, the migration of snow geese, the predatory behaviour and movement of arctic foxes, and the impact of climate change on arctic birds. Their "research laboratory" stretches from Bylot Island to Rankin Inlet and Rimouski, where journalists found the team busily preparing their new mission. Soon, the team will fly north of the 60th parallel, where no road is drawn.

Source : Découvrir, ACFAS magazine, Ferbuary 2013

Louis-Edmond Hamelin co-published the book "L'apparition du Nord "

March 20, 2013

Bernard Hétu explains the risks of avalanches in Quebec

March 20, 2013

Sarah Aubé Michaud Awarded for her Excellence

March 20, 2013

Intercultural Workshop: Research on Inuit land

March 13, 2013

ARCTIConnexion and Nunavik Information Centre in Quebec are Organizing an Intercultural Workshop Entitled Research on Inuit Lands 
 

Florent Dominé is awarded the 2013 Louis Agassiz Medal by the European Geosciences Union

March 4, 2013

Warwick Vincent receives the Ramón-Margalef Award

March 4, 2013

Memorandum of Understanding between ADAPT and PAGE21

February 28, 2013

Series of lectures on thermokarst ponds March 14, 2013

February 25, 2013

Bernard Hétu is awarded the Alcide-C.-Horth Distinction

December 22, 2012

First prize for Catherine Doucet

December 22, 2012

Red Fox Threatens the Survival of Arctic Fox

December 20, 2012

CEN Students are Rewarded at the Colloque FFGG 2012

December 5, 2012

CEN contributes to Radio-Canada's «Découverte» series

December 3, 2012

Stéphane Aebischer's talents are underscored!

December 3, 2012

CEN Master's student Stéphane Aebischer won a prize for the outstanding quality of his oral presentation entitled: «Le cycle géochimique de surface des métaux en période d'exploitation minière : exemple des sédiments lacustres de Schefferville, Québec» at the Congrès Québec Mines 2012 which was held in Québec City from November 26-29, 2012.

From Science to Policy in Nunavik and Nunatsiavut

December 3, 2012

Mining Operations - Beware of Permafrost!

December 3, 2012

CNST Scholarship Program – 2013

November 30, 2012

2013 Competition : Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research

November 30, 2012

Nunavik Crater Lakes Remain Ice-Free

November 30, 2012

Le Nord au cœur - Documentary Film Directed by Serge Giguère

November 30, 2012

The documentary film directed by Serge Giguère, “Le Nord au Coeur”, depicts Louis Edmond Hamelin, founder of CEN and emeritus member, as a unique and heartwarming man. Inventor of the term nordicity and great defender of aboriginal peoples, Mr. Hamelin has been extremely influential in many realms of northern research in Québec.

The documentary captures many aspects of this great man’s work and his many passions.

Also see the article entitled Cet homme n'est pas de glace, published in lefil on November 29, 2012.

Martin-Hugues St-Laurent is Awarded the Title of "Star Researcher"

November 15, 2012

CEN Bulletin #9 (November 2012) is now available

November 15, 2012

CEN Bulletin #9 (November 2012) is now available

Read the latest news:

• Opening Celebration of the CEN Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Community Science Centre
• INTERACT Northern Collaborative Research
  
• AWord From Your Student Reps 
• A New Governance Structure for CEN
• Obituary
• International Internship in Iceland

International Innovation Interested in Dominique Berteaux's Work

November 13, 2012

Field Classes in Northern Quebec

November 13, 2012

LECO Elemental analyser, a new acquisition for CEN's Radiochronology Lab

November 13, 2012

Hugo Asselin Writes an Article about the Exclusion of two First Nations Groups from the Plan Nord

November 13, 2012

Northern Science Award

November 13, 2012

The impacts of the extension of Highway 167 and wood harvesting on woodland caribou addressed by CEN researcher

November 12, 2012

Towards a Greener North

November 12, 2012

Bylot Island Forest Fossils Date Back 2.5 Million Years

November 12, 2012

The recent discovery of forest fossils on Bylot Island continues to fascinate researchers. The work of CEN student Alexandre Guertin-Pasquier shows that if the climate warms by 10 to 15°C and if soils also adapt to this warming, the island’s tundra ecosystem could eventually host forests anew. This could happen by the end of the century. Analyses show that the forest remains date back 2.5 million years, yet these unsullied remains look as if they died only five years ago! The cold, anoxic conditions contributed to preserving the fossils in such good conditions.

 See the article or listen to the Interview "Une forêt préhistorique pétrifiée pourrait  resurgir du sol arctique canadien, on RCI Net Website, Septembrer 26, 2012

Christine Barnard

Northern Scientific Training Program and Northern Science Award Moving to the Canadian Polar Commission

November 2, 2012

Ottawa, Ontario (November 1, 2012)

The Canadian Polar Commission's Chair, Bernard Funston, announced the transfer of responsibility for the Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) and the Northern Science Award from Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada to the Canadian Polar Commission.

Read more on the Canadian Polar Commission Website >>

CEN researcher Joel Bêty receives an Award of Excellence for his achievements

September 11, 2012

Photo : Joël Bêty, UQAR-Info

Biology professor at UQAR, CEN researcher Joel Bêty received on August 29, 2012 an Award of Excellence in Research from Sylvie Beauchamps, president of University of Quebec network. This award recognizes the work of the researcher and his team on avian migration. Since the publication in 2010 of the scientific discovery that birds migrate north to reduce the risk of egg predation, Joël Bêty received the prestigious titles of Scientific of the year 2010 from Radio-Canada and La Presse Personnality in January 2011. Meanwhile the discovery has carved its place in Quebec-Science's list of dicoveries of year 2010  and was listed among the «Faculty of 1000 : the expert guide to the most important advances in biology and medical sciences». Le professeur Joël Bêty reçoit un Prix d'excellence UQAR-Info électronique, 30 août 2012

CEN Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Community Science Centre celebrates official opening

September 11, 2012

Najat Bhiry and Claude Tremblay before the  Community Science Centre (c) Warwick Vincent

The CEN Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik Community Science Centre was officially opened on June 14, 2012. The Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik research station is the Centre d'études nordiques’ (Centre for Northern Studies - CEN) principal field station and has operated since the 1970s, with diverse research projects on past and present environments. In 2010, major upgrades to the station were undertaken thanks to a grant from the AANDC (Arctic Research Infrastructure Fund- ARIF), consisting of the construction of this state-of-art Community Science Centre to serve the needs of the circumpolar science community for research planning, information exchange, national research workshops and coordination of field operations, and the local communities for information exchange, identification of northern research needs, science training of northerners, exchange of traditional knowledge, and outreach activities. These was no official "ribbon-cutting" but rather an opening speech given by the CEN’s scientific director, Warwick F. Vincent, followed by short talks from key CEN partners and collaborators. Present were representatives from the Cree First Nation, including the chief, Stanley George, and from the Inuit municipality, including the mayor, Rhoda Angutiguluk , and treasurer, Pierre Roussel, and representatives from partners such as Université Laval, almost the full board of directors from the network of Centres of Excellence ArcticNet, including Mr Duane Smith (President, Inuit Circumpolar Council Canada), and Makivik Corporation (Nunavik Research Centre). There were some excellent speeches including in Inuktitut and Cree, which nicely christened the new centre. The speech from Chief Stanley George was especially moving. He talked about Eeyou Istchee and the importance of our teepee symbol (meaning Watchiya! Welcome to this place of warmth and food) that was developed in close consultation with the Band Council during the ARIF design process. This large research complex is composed of seven buildings, which includes the new CEN Community Science Centre. This new building has a permanent display-outreach-teaching component (with all material in the four languages of subarctic Québec) and a conference room seating 50 people, equipped with state-of-the-art audio-visual and internet support. The station can accommodate up to 34 people at any given time. Students are lodged in dormitories and researchers in more private quarters. There is a greenhouse (built in 2011), a kitchen (with a cook from May to August), two garages with storage space, access to land vehicles and boats, as well as other field equipment. The CEN manager lives on-site year-round. There is local access to a wide array of ecosystems and geosystems, including Hudson Bay, the Great Whale River, lakes, ponds, wetlands, sand dune complexes, forest-tundra, and discontinuous permafrost. Current projects include work on biodiversity and dynamics of northern aquatic ecosystems; impacts of melting permafrost in the context of global warming; wetlands paleoecology; restoration of vegetation in degraded sites, and research on mercury dynamics (air, precipitation, snow). An overview of past studies in this region is given in: Bhiry, N., Delwaide, A., Allard, M., Bégin, Y., Filion, L., Lavoie, M., Nozais, C., Payette, S., Pienitz, R., Saulnier-Talbot, E., Vincent, W.F. 2011. Environmental change in the Great Whale River region, Hudson Bay: Five decades of multidisciplinary research by CEN. Ecoscience 18: 182-203.

ACUNS Annual General Meeting and 10th ACUNS Student Conference hosted by UQAT - November 1-3

September 6, 2012

The ACUNS Annual General Meeting will be held on Friday, November 2, 2012 (9 am to 12 pm) at the Université du Quebec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Val-d'Or (Quebec) on the occasion of the 10th National Student Conference on Northern Studies to be held from 1 to 3 November 2012 on the campus of UQAT Val-d'Or. Organized by the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) and the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies (ACUNS), under the theme "Nikan: The Future of the North", this conference is an opportunity for students and researchers to discuss the future of the North and share their knowledge. Several speakers are expected including, Hugo Asselin, Caroline Desbiens, Sylvie Gauthier, Peter Geller, Audrey Giles, Alain A. Grenier, Jean-Paul Lacasse Carole Lévesque, Serge Payette and Romeo Saganash. Visit acuns.ca for more information, updates and other program details. Geneviève Allard

Circumpolar Conference on Education for Indigenous People

September 6, 2012

The Circumpolar Conference on Education for Indigenous People will be held in Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada from November 26-30, 2012. Co-hosted by the Government of Greenland and the Government of Nunavut, this conference will bring together over 120 educators, researchers, aboriginal organization representatives, ministers and decision makers from eight countries, three Canadian territories and six Canadian provinces. Presentation topics include:

1. Family Community Engagement;
2. Early Childhood Education;
3. Delivery of Quality Education Program in all communities, including remote and small schools.


More information:

Sara LeBlanc
Conference Coordinator
Department of Education
Government of Nunavut
Box 1000, Station 980
Iqaluit, Nunavut
X0A 0H0

Renewal of Anticosti Research Chair

September 6, 2012

Photographer : Louis-Philippe Lavoie

NSERC has renewed funding for the NSERC - Produits forestiers Anticosti Industrial Research Chair of Université Laval and the new associated CRD program for the period 2012-2016. CEN researcher and Chair holder Steeve Côté has a budget of $ 2.4 M to continue to address, with his collaborators, the complex relationships between deer, forest and the exploitation of natural resources. Initially the result of a close collaboration between Université Laval, Produits forestiers Anticosti inc., NSERC and the MRNF, the Chair now features three new partners which are Petrolia and the oufitters Safari and Sépaq Anticosti. For more information visit www.chaireanticosti.ulaval.ca See the article Chaire Anticosti renouvelée published by Journal de la communauté universitaire - Le Fil, September 6, 2012 Geneviève Allard

Caribou Ungava discusses the decline of George River caribou herd

September 5, 2012

Photographet : Joëlle Taillon

Following the MRNF's (Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife) press release on the results of the 2012 George River caribou herd census, CEN researcher Steeve Côté gave four interviews explaining the causes of the decline of the George River herd over the past years. Estimated at 74 000 animals in 2010, the current population counts about 27 600 individuals and could count fewer than 25,000 by October 2012. According to the researcher, this 63% reduction in size could be explained by a rapid increase in the number of predators and the over-grazing of food resources. Steeve Côté is co-leader with CEN researcher Marco Festa-Bianchet (Université de Sherbrooke) of the Caribou Ungava research program on the ecology and population dynamics of migratory caribou of the Quebec-Labrador peninsula in a context of climate change. For more information visit http://www.caribou-ungava.ulaval.ca/accueil/. See the article Scientist calls for stop to aboriginal George River caribou hunt published in CBC News, 20 août 2012 Listen to the interview Figuring out the problem of dwindling caribou by CBC Radio, Labrador morning, 20 août 2012 See the article Scientist calls for ban on sport hunting of caribou in western Labrador published by Radio-Canada International, 21 août 2012 See the article Mystérieux déclin : la disparition progressive de l’espèce dans le Nord-du-Québec inquiète les scientifiques (par Isabelle Maher) published in Le Journal de Montréal, 26 août 2012 Geneviève Allard

CEN is Mobilized for a Sustainable North

August 31, 2012

In response to concerns about Plan Nord, CEN researchers played a key role in the preparation of the symposium entitled "Mobilizing for a Sustainable North" held at Laval University in June 2012 (http://www2.ulaval.ca/la-recherche/nord-durable/accueil.html). The conference brought together researchers, academics and members of Aboriginal and northern communities, who were brought together for a common goal : the sustainable development of the North. CEN played a kay role in the organizing committee (with the participation of W.F. Vincent and N. Bhiry). CEN researchers also held prominent roles as co-chairs of three of the four "Table of experts":  M. Grenon for Table 2 "Economic Potential of North," M. Allard for Table 3 "Transport and communication" and S. Boudreau for Table 4 "Protecting the environment". Eight CEN researchers also sat at these tables. These consultations ended with the production of the document "Mobilizing for a Sustainable North: Research Issues and Priorities" that was launched at the conference. This document is a proposed research agenda for Laval University to meet the research needs of the Plan Nord. Christine Barnard

Six CEN students win CNST awards 2012-2013

August 29, 2012

Six students from the Centre for Northern Studies are attributed awards from the Canadian Northern Studies Trust The Canadian Northern Studies Trust (CNST) is an ACUNS scholarship awards program. It was established in 1982 to further the Association’s mandate to advance knowledge and understanding of Canada’s North by offering student awards for exceptional northern-based research. The purpose of the CNST is to foster scholars and scientists with northern experience while enhancing the educational opportunities available for northern residents to obtain post-secondary education at Canadian colleges and universities. In 2012-2013, the CNST will distribute more than $ 864,000 in scholarships and support for undergraduate and graduate level students, including the following CEN recipients : Étienne Godin, PhD candidate in Geography at Université de Montréal, is awarded the W. Garfield Weston Award for Northen Research $40 000 ; Catherine Doucet, Master's candidate in Wildlife and Habitat Management at Université du Québec à Rimouski, is the current award winner of the W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research $15 000 $; Stéphanie Coulombe, Master's candidate in Geography at Université de Montréal, is awarded the W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research $15 000; Michel Paquette, Master's candidate in Geography at Université de Montréal, is awarded the W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research $15 000; Valérie Mathon-Dufour, Master's candidate in gGeography at Université Laval, is awarded the W. Garfield Weston Award for Northern Research $15 000; Valérie Saucier, Master's candidate in Biology at Université Laval, is awarded the Caribou Research and Management Award given by The Beverly and Qamanirjuaq Caribou Management Board ($1,500) Receiving these awards is an important event for these students because it shows that their success is worthy of public recognition. ACUNS and CEN recognize the merit of these students, and encourage other students to consider the Canadian North as a fertile ground for research. Geneviève Allard For more information on ACUNS, visit our website at www.acuns.ca.

Publication of «Flore des bryophytes du Québec–Labrador - volume 1»

July 23, 2012

Flore des bryophytes du Québec–Labrador intends to survey, describe, and provide identification means to all mosses, liverworts and hornworts known to occur naturally in Quebec and Labrador. Identification keys to genera, species and infraspecific taxa are provided, and the following information is presented for each taxon: a short description with diagnostic characters, habitat and ecological preferences, a distribution map for Quebec and Labrador, additional comments, drawings pointing out characters useful or necessary for identification, and references to other relevant publications. Many species which are likely to occur in Quebec and/or Labrador but have not yet been collected there are discussed or described. The book also includes photographs showing the general habit of each genus, artistic drawings depicting each family, an illustrated glossary, a bibliography, and an annex proposing French and English names. Preview (pdf 1Mo) >> To order : http://www.societequebecoisedebryologie.org/ Faubert, Jean, 2012. Flore des bryophytes du Québec-Labrador. Volume 1 : Anthocérotes et hépatiques. Société québécoise de bryologie, Saint-Valérien, Québec, xvii + 356 p., illus.

Louise Filion nominated Emeritus CEN Member

June 28, 2012

Louise Filion (c) Laval University

Thomas Richerol wins the Editors prize at the IPY 2012 Conference

June 28, 2012

Congratulations to Thomas Richerol, CEN PhD student, who was awarded the Editor's prize for the Frostbyte he presented at the IPY 2012 Conference. IPY had received over 200 submissions.

As part of the IPY Conference, the Association of Polar Early Career Scientists (APECS) invited everyone to catch Frostbytes - short abstracts of research recorded as an audio file, slideshow or video which shared information about their research and aimed to attract delegates to their poster or oral presentation.

Thomas Richerol uses sedimentary sequences to assess the impact of natural and anthropogenic disturbances in three fjord ecosystems of Labrador, Canada.

CEN Researchers using Resolute Bay facility as Base

May 22, 2012

Resolute Bay PCSP Facility

Daniel Fortier, CEN Researcher, and Michel Paquette, CEN MSc student, are mentioned in this article featuring the Resolute Bay facility run by the Canada’s Polar Continental Shelf Project (PCSP). The facility offers logistic support with 75 aircrafts for researchers working from the Alaskan border to the Arctic Circle. Recently updated, the facility offers lodging (with a cafeteria), laboratory space and storage space for scientific material. Fortier and Paquette were working on Ward Hunt Island last year, at the tip of Northern Ellesmere Island and used the facility as a base. See the article Resolute explorers of the Arctic Published in Weekly Guardian, May 15, 2012 Christine Barnard

Bird migration, a topical subject

April 18, 2012

(c) Hilde Marie Johansen

Quebec's New Budget Targets Plan Nord

April 17, 2012

Taïga   (c) Fabio Gennaretti

Scientist develop a hybrid species of Arctic char

April 17, 2012

Francis Dupuis La semaine verte

A multidisciplinary team of scientist at UQAR contributes to the development of the fish of the future, a char rich in omega-3 and more resistant to environmental changes. Research is conducted in close collaboration with Francis Dupuis who aims to develop an efficient strain of Arctic charr, in terms of production capacity of omega-3 without making a transgenic species.

CEN researcher France Dufresne keeps track of the genetic diversity of the livestock. She says that the DNA diversity is limited by the small number of livestock production in Quebec. She seeks individuals with the best features and crosses them while taking into consideration their level of relatedness in order to avoid inbreeding. The team also tries to develop a viable hybrid Arctic char. Finally, researchers are also interested in the diet of livestock and modulates it to develop a more profitable business.

Geneviève Allard

An outdoor aviary to study the energy challenges in birds

February 29, 2012

Photo : François Vézina

The Premier of Quebec Jean Charest and Clement Gignac, Minister responsible for the Northern Plan showed interest in CEN activities

February 29, 2012

CEN researcher Dominique Berteaux and CEN Coordinator Genevieve Allard met with Quebec Premier Jean Charest and the Minister responsible for the Northern Plan Clément Gignac during the passage of the tour CAP NORD in Riviere du Loup February 27. Dominique Berteaux and Genevieve Allard held a booth on Northern Research. During their visit to the booth, Mr. Charest and Mr. Gignac were very interested in the activities of CEN and particularly by the map distributed to our members at the Nordic Symposium 2012. They left with several copies and will be better informed of the scope of our network of research stations.

Before an audience of business people, Mr. Charest then presented the economic impact of the Northern Plan, briefly mentioning its environmental dimension. Following this speech, Dominique Berteaux was able to talk face to face with Mr. Charest on environmental issues for the Northern Plan. He particularly stressed the importance of promoting the benefits of maintaining healthy northern environments. Charest reminded the government internt to dedicate 50% of the territory to non-industrial purposes, and support the strategy expressed in November 2011 by the international scientific community.

A terrestrial laser applied to the study of coastal geomorphology

February 24, 2012

Photo : Susan Drejza, CEN Professionnal

The most recent approach used by coastal geomorphologists to acquire topographic data, to map morphological changes and to document active processes in coastal environments is the LiDAR (light detection and ranging). This airborne remote sensing technique is used to gather millions of georeferenced XYZ points on a single survey. With a vertical precision of +/-0.15m this technology is perfect for analysis of the coastal zone. Easily interpreted within GIS, LiDAR data facilitates the graphical representation of beach topography and shoreline change.

To reduce the high acquisition costs of airborne LiDAR survey, the team of the Research Chair in Coastal Geoscience (UQAR) has developed a mobile ground-based laser (SMLT) suitable for coastal surveys, consists of three main components: a laser scanner, an integrated navigation system GPS-INS and a camera.

Initially used in 2010 to quantify the impact of rigid coastal protective structures on sandy beaches of the Manicouagan Peninsula, the SMLT is now used to document the vulnerability of road infrastructure in eastern Quebec with the Ministry of Transport of Quebec.

Bulletin de l'Association Québécoise de Télédétection, December 2011
http://laqt.org/bulletin/Bull_dec11.pdf

Geneviève Allard

CEN founder Louis-Edmond Hamelin received the insignia of Officer of the Order of Academic Palms

February 24, 2012

Louis-Edmond Hamelin

January 18, Helen Le Gal, Consul General of France in Quebec, presented the insignia of Officer of the Order of Academic Palms to Louis-Edmond Hamelin, founder and honorary member of the CEN. Professor, author, geographer and terminologist, Mr. Hamelin has an exceptional track record for his politic actions, research and writings. His work has helped to raise awareness of the North and gave a new meaning to the word "nordicité" (northerness).

Mr. Hamelin played a central role in establishing the Centre for Northern Studies and the Department of Geography at Laval University. He also co-hosted with Mr. Henri Dorion, the GÉCET (the study group of choronymy and toponymy) which is the antecedent of the Commision of toponymy of Quebec. During his career, Mr. Hamelin has held a teaching position at the University of Toulouse, was a member of the Council of the Northwest Territories in Yellowknife and was rector of the University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières. He also joined several organizations including the International Commission for the Study of periglacial (1957-1969) and the Cree Committee of Northern Quebec Convention.

Mr. Hamelin was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1974 and Grand Officer of the National Order of Quebec in 1998. His career successes have been recognized by numerous prestigious awards and several honorary doctorates from universities in Quebec and Canada.

Geneviève Allard

Press review
Louis-Edmond Hamelin, inventeur du concept de nordicité canadienne promu Officier dans l’Ordre des Palmes Académiques (18.01.2012)
Louis-Edmond Hamelin, inventeur du concept de nordicité épinglé

Snowy owl feeds on land and at sea

February 23, 2012

Snow owl Alexandre Anctil, CEN M.Sc.student

The snowy owl niche on Bylot Island only every 3 or 4 years when lemming abundance is high. Snowy owl capture is therefore a difficult and 2007 was a fruitful year to capture and provide 12 females with satellite transmitters. We have since then, the regular and precise location of these birds sent to us by satellite. Analysis of early data show that snowy owl does not behave at all according to our expectations. It seems that some birds spend up to three months on the sea ice during winter, feeding on the edge of polynyas (areas of open water in winter). CEN researcher Joel Bêty emits the hypothesis that these snowy owls may feed on seabirds found in high concentrations, during winter in Arctic polynyas. Listen to the interview (french) : Le harfang des mers Published by Découverte, Radio-Canada on January 8, 2012 Geneviève Allard

Bylot 2, secondary camp on Bylot Island

February 23, 2012

Students at Bylot Island Aude Lalis, CEN postdoctoral fellow

Several CEN students spend each year 3 to 16 summer weeks on Bylot Island to study lemmings, shorebirds, foxes, geese, permafrost, vegetation, gullying processes, etc.. They work on multi-annual research projects led by renown CEN researchers and collaborators. The photo-article of Anne Pélouas and Bernard Le Meunier tells the complex logistics of Bylot camps, the typical day of CEN students and the beautiful scenery of the Canadian National Park Sirmilik. See the article : Jobs d'été pour jeunes scientifiques en Arctique Published in La Presse.ca on December 31, 2011. Geneviève Allard

The decline of northern caribou

February 23, 2012

Woodland Caribou  Radio-Canada.ca

Caribou herds of Rivière George and Rivière aux Feuilles registered a loss of nearly 800,000 individuals over the last 15 years. This variation in abundance is not exceptional. The Rivière George herd, which now counts nearly 60,000 individual has already counted more than a million and its population had dwindled to about 10,000 in the 60s. In an interview with Radio-Canada, CEN researcher Steeve Côté presents the hypotheses that could explain the recent decline of these populations.   Listen to the interview : Le déclin du caribou nordique Published by La première chaîne Radio-Canada , December 19, 2011 Geneviève Allard

Upcoming conferences

February 22, 2012

Student Seminar «La Nature dans tous ses États »
lanaturedanstoussesetats
Université du Québec à Rimouski
Rimouski (Québec)
March 22-24, 2012

« 20 ans après Rio », 8th Institut EDS student seminar
http://www.ihqeds.ulaval.ca/14501.html?&tx_ttnews%5Btt_news%5D=847&cHash=c2655d472929dffc02c6f1903739f17c
Pavillon Gene H. Kruger, Université Laval
Québec (Québec)
March 19-20, 2012

Registration reminder, early bird registration fee before February 29
Conférence IPY (International Polar Year) 2012
www.ipy2012montreal.ca
Montréal, Québec
April 22-27, 2012

«How To Break Out Of Colonianism», research project Indigenous Peoples and Governance International Conference
www.pag-ipg.com
Montréal, Québec
April 17-20, 2012

Registration reminder, early bird registration fee before March 31
80e congrès de l'ACFAS
http://www.acfas.ca/congres/a_propos.html
Palais des congrès de Montréal
Montreal, Québec
May 7-11, 2012

Abstract submission deadline has been extended to February 29 
«Earth, Wind and Water, the elements of life» seminar, Canadian Water Ressources and Canadian Geophysical Union
http://www.elements2012.ca/
Banff, Alberta
June 5-8, 2012

Multidisciplinary Seminar
«Environment, Culture & Place in a Rapidly Changing North», ASLE (Asociation for the Study of Literature and Environment) off-Year Regional Symposium
www.uas.alaska.edu/asle
University of Alaska SouthEast
Alaska, U.S.
June 14-17, 2012

Abstract submission deadline, March 2nd
Nikan, the Future of the North, ACUNS's 10th Student Conference On Northern Studies
acuns.ca/website/conferences
Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT)
Val d’Or, Québec
November 1-3, 2012

Snowy Owl spotted in Hawaii

February 20, 2012

Un harfang des neiges à Hawaii Jacques Samson, en collaboration avec Le Soleil

Our provincial avian emblem, the Snowy Owl, was observed in the Hawaiian archipelago this winter. This destination lies outside of this bird’s habitual migratory route. During winter, juveniles usually fly to southern Canada and northern United States. Other individuals have also been spotted in Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. CEN researchers Gilles Gauthier, Joël Bêty and Jean-Therrien are mentioned in this article relative to their findings on this owl’s habits during the winter.

Geneviève Allard

Break-in of 20 Million-Year-Old Pristine Treasure, Beneath 4 km of Ice

February 8, 2012

Vostok Lake, Antarctic La Presse, February 6, 2012

See the article Un lac à 4 km sous la glace.
Published in La Presse, on February 06, 2012.

Christine Barnard

Our Spruce Forests Threatened by Lichen Woodland

February 8, 2012

(c)François Girard

Research by former CEN student François Girard, supervised by Serge Payette, has shown that our harvested spruce forests have lost up to one tenth (9%) of their area to lichen woodlands which are of no commercial interest to the forest industry. Dense spruce forests have not regenerated quickly enough and are being overtaken by open forest (lichen woodland). Throughout the 20th century, a series of disturbances occurring at critical periods in the spruce forests’ life cycle would be responsible for impeding its regeneration.

Relict Mountain Goat Population

December 12, 2011

(c) Christian Mehlführer

A team of researchers including CEN’s Steeve Côté has found a relict population of mountain goats on Alaska’s Baranof Island. The individuals captured on the island are in fact genetically distinct from the presumed ancestors and the islanders possessed a gene that could not be found in a radius of 100 km of the area from which the individuals were captured before being introduced to the island. Only goats from a northeastern section of the island possess this particular gene. The islanders are therefore an indigenous population whose ancestors found refuge on the island during the last glaciation. See the article : Des biologistes découvrent une population relique de chèvres de montagne Published by Au fil des évènements, Decembrer 1, 2011 Christine Barnard

Special issue of ÉCOSCIENCE: From the Boreal Forest to the Hight Arctic Desert

December 12, 2011

Volume 18 - no 3 - 2011

A Surf ‘n’ Turf Diet for the Snowy Owl

December 12, 2011

Snowy owl (c)Gilles Gauthier, CEN

A team from the Centre for Northern Studies has unleashed that the formidable terrestrial predator, the snowy owl, is also a marine predator during the winter season. The snowy owl feeds on eiders, long-tailed ducks, and guillemots which gather in polynias (natural ice holes) during the winter. Jean-François Therrien, Gilles Gauthier and Joël Bêty confirmed the owl’s winter diet by tracking nine females over two winters. According to the study, adults are more prone to reside in the Arctic over the winter while the young undertake long migrations to southern Québec and the United States.

See the article : Harfang des mers
Published by Au fil des événements, December 8, 2011

Geneviève Allard

Sustainable CEN project at Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik

November 28, 2011

CEN Science Centre (c) Claude Tremblay

The CEN now boasts a new community science centre at Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik, the gateway village to Nunavik. This station is the flagship station of the CEN Network which comprises nine research stations spanning the eastern Canadian Subarctic and Arctic regions. The tenth station is mobile and is the research vessel named the Louis-Edmond Hamelin.

This new centre at Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik is deemed to be a source of inspiration for future construction projects in northern Québec. Its layout was inspired by the local communities, both Cree and Inuit, and its design has integrated sustainable construction strategies and technologies that are adapted to the northern climate.

The Centre will host researchers and students from around the world that come to study northern ecosystems and geosystems. It will serve as a platform for knowledge and information exchange between Inuit, Cree and scientists. With a surface area of 390 square metres, the first floor holds a large state-of-the-art conference room with a permanent exhibit (to be installed this winter) while the second floor consists of an office and workspaces. 

Press review

 Le nouveau Centre scientifique communautaire du Centre d’études nordiques : ouverture sur les communautés locales et sur le monde
V2com.biz - newswire (architecture, design, lifestyle), 2011

Serge Payette wins prestigious Prix Marie-Victorin

November 9, 2011

Serge Payette (c) Rémi Boily, Laval U.

Dominique Berteaux and Joël Bêty publish « Uuma »

November 7, 2011

The book " Uuma - The Canada Research Chair in Northern Ecosystem Conservation " tells in pictures, 10 years of  research by the Chair on the occasion of it's 10th anniversary. " We wanted to express what seemed impossible to explain, what we like most of our work " write Joel and Dominique.

Uuma, which means "life", is available at the student coop at UQAR and copies are also available at the library, the CEN office (B-003) and C-405 (UQAR). The book can also be read (in french only) in electronic format : http://chairedb.uqar.ca/documents/Uuma.pdf .

Almost all the pictures contained therein have been taken by CEN students !

Past and recent changes in the Arctic's largest remaining ice shelf

November 5, 2011

(c)Denis Sarrazin, CEN

Call for Papers ACUNS 2012

October 28, 2011

The organizing committee of the 10th National Student Conference for Northern Studies of the ACUNS has released the first call for papers for the student conference to be held from November 1 to 3, 2012 in Val-d’Or , Quebec, Canada. We encourage students who are conducting Northern Studies to submit the abstract (paper) for this conference, which has the theme “Nikan*: The Future of The North”.

For further information about the conference, please visit our Website at: http://www.uqat.ca/sce2012/.

Please note that the abstract should be sent by email at mailto:sce2012@uqat.ca before March 2 , 2012.

*Nikan means “the future, to go forward ” in the Anicinape (Algonquin) language. It was included in the conference title because we want to emphasize that the conference will be held on Anicinape territory and that aboriginal, social, and cultural issues will have a prominent place.

 On behalf of the organizing committee, Suzy Basile, Environmental Sciences Ph.D Student

Photo: Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue

Canadian Ice Shelves Breaking up at Alarming Rates

October 18, 2011

(c) Warwick Vincent, CEN

The Gazette interviews Chrisian Nozais about his work aboard the CCGS Amundsen research vessel

October 17, 2011

In an interview with The Gazette, researcher and aquatic ecologist Christian Nozais and doctoral student Anne Fontaine (ISMER) explain the methods they use to identify aquatic organisms that live near the ocean floor, directly on the substratum (epibenthic ), or even within it.

Professor Nozais also emphasizes the very small portion of the ocean bottom that has been surveyed and underscores the urgency to document it in an attempt to create a baseline for future research. In the context of a changing climate and the amplification of human activities in the Arctic Ocean, the researchers are racing against time to establish what exists today for future comparative studies.

See the article CCGS Amundsen: Charting arctic change
Published by Montreal Gazette, Octobrer 15, 2011

Geneviève Allard

In an interview with Québec Science, Pascal Bernatchez describes the acceleration of coastal erosion

October 17, 2011

(c)Québec-Science

An interview with Dominique Berteaux and Joel Bêty on the evolution of biodiversity in Quebec

October 17, 2011

                                                      Last Saturday, October 15, Radio-Canada's La Semain Verte broadcasted a report on the evolution of biodiversity in Quebec. In an interview with Errol Duchaine, CEN researchers Dominique Berteaux and Joel Bêty present their concerns about the explosion of animal populations and associated problems. For instance, some species take advantage of the warming climate and others thrive on human activities such as intensive farming.

View the report : Les changements dans la faune Québécoise
Published by La semaine verte on October 15, 2011

Geneviève Allard

Canada Research Chair (Tier 1) on nordicity at UQAR

October 17, 2011

Photo: Vincent L'Hérault (c)

The research of UQAR professors in the field of biology with a current focus on nordicity involves the study and management of continental and coastal organisms and ecosystems as well as adaptive and evolutionary biology. This work comprises both fundamental and applied areas of research. The theoretical research focuses on the functioning of the food chain, forest dynamics, and the evolution and adaptation of organisms in northern environments. The applied research deals with the impact of forestry practices on wildlife and habitats, integrated resource management, conservation of endangered species and populations, as well as aquaculture and the effects of ecotourism on wildlife. The team includes researchers in ecology, population dynamics and genetics, behavioural ecology, ecophysiology, molecular ecology and biogeography.

The researchers are heavily involved in a number of recognized research groups in which they assume a strong leadership role. Especially noteworthy are the importance of UQAR'S role in the Centre for Northern Studies (CEN), its active participation in ArcticNet, its membership in the Association of Canadian Universities for Northern Studies, the creation and management of the Research Group on Northern Environments (BOREAS), and the establishment of the EnviroNorth Training Program in Northern Environmental Sciences (CREATE program of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada).

The chairholder will, therefore, be expected to promote an integrative approach to the dynamics and functioning of biological resources in northern environments, from the northern extremity of the temperate zone to the Arctic, including their altitudinal equivalents. The chairholder should also have an interest in sustainable development and ecosystem management of natural resources. This person will work in close collaboration with stakeholders of the natural environment. The chairholder should demonstrate an interest and aptitude for teamwork in order to participate fully and actively in the development of the various groups mentioned above. Ideal candidates hold a Ph.D. in biology, geography or other environmental sciences and are currently associate or full professors, or have the necessary qualifications for these positions. Candidates have distinguished themselves through their research excellence, influence and international collaborations. The successful candidate will supervise students in UQAR's M.Sc. program in Wildlife and Habitat Management, as well as students in the Ph.D. in Biology and Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences programs. The chairholder will also be involved in teaching at all levels in which his or her expertise is relevant.

Interested individuals are invited to submit an application, along with their curriculum vitae and a statement describing their current research program and their vision for the Chair. These documents must be delivered by 5 p.m. on November 11, 2011, to: Dr. Luc Sirois, Directeur Département de biologie, de chimie et de géographie Université du Québec à Rimouski 300, allée des Ursulines Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 Canada Email: luc_sirois@uqar.qc.ca

See the call for nominations>>

Thomas Buffin-Bélanger and Maxime Boivin are involved in a shooting of Code Chatenay

October 13, 2011

Wood dam on the St-Jean  river (c) Maxime Boivin

A new NSERC grant is added to the renewal of the NSERC - Produits forestiers Anticosti Industrial Chair

October 13, 2011

The NSERC- Produits forestiers Anticosti Industrial Chair in integrated management of forest biological resources of Anticosti Island, led by Dr. Steeve Côté, from Laval University, has just seen its mandate renewed for five years (2012 -2016). The Chair also received a collaborative research and development (CRD) grant of NSERC. The Chair’s overall funding of $ 2.4 million is mainly from the NSERC and Produits forestiers Anticosti inc., Pétrolia, Laval University, Sépaq Anticosti Outfitters and Safari Anticosti. Significant in-kind contributions are granted by the Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec and various industrial partners to help achieve the research.

The team of Professor Côté will continue to benefit from the expertise of many researchers and collaborators from various institutions such as Jean-Pierre Tremblay, Conrad Cloutier, Monique Poulin and Louis Bernatchez (Laval University), Robert Bradley (Université de Sherbrooke ), Christian Dussault and Nelson Thiffault (Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec), Christian Hébert (Department of Natural Resources Canada), and Stéphanie Pellerin (Institut de recherche en biologie végétale of the Montreal Botanical Garden). The program will train 13 new graduate students over the next 5 years.

CEN Bulletin #7 (September 2011)is now available

October 3, 2011

CEN Bulletin #7 (September 2011) is now available

Read the lastest news:

• CEN’S 50th anniversary celebrations continue...
• Serge Payette is awarded the inaugural Weston Family Prize!
• Annoucment of the new program Arctic Development and Adaptation to Permafrost in Transition (ADAPT).
• Renewal of ArcticNet’s funding.
• “Arctic Metals” project should be formally launched soon.
• Student's reps
• EnviroNorth scholarships - application deadline November 15.
• CEN students Sandra Lai and Isabel Lemus-Lauzon meet with local communities.
• Whapmagoostui- Kuujjuaraapik research station, the flagship of the CEN-Quajisarvik Network.
• 5 new researchers join CEN

UQAR celebrates CEN's 50th anniversary

September 14, 2011

The University of Quebec at Rimouski (UQAR) celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Centre d'études nordiques (CEN: Centre for Northern Studies), from September 10 to October 10, with the traveling exhibition "50 glorious years" being shown in the mezzanine, overlooking the Atrium.

The Centre for Northern Studies was founded by ministerial decree on August 2nd, 1961 at Laval University. No less than a quarter of CEN researchers are now attached to UQAR. "The researcher Luc Sirois joined in 1991. Today there are 12 UQAR researchers. And this proportion remains high on the side of student attendance: more than thirty graduate students explore topics as diverse as the Arctic fox, permafrost and forest ecosystems, "says Geneviève Allard, CEN Coordinator at UQAR.

The continued growth of this team led to the hiring of a full-time resource in 2010. Through various partnerships, CEN students travel the circumpolar world, from Rimouski to Bylot (Baffin Island) via Nain (Newfoundland and Labrador) and Tromsø (Norway).

"50 glorious years" is an exhibition in four languages, namely French, English, Cree and Inuktitut. "It gives visitors an overview of the efforts invested by Quebec researchers over the last 50 years to study past, present and future northern environments," says Allard.

The Centre for Northern Studies now takes the form of an extensive network of meteorological and field research stations in Northern Quebec and the Canadian Arctic. It brings together over 200 researchers, students, trainees and professionals from various disciplines (biology, geography, geology, engineering, archeology and planning). For more details about the Centre, visit the website at www.cen.uqar.ca.

Jean-François Bouchard
Communications Adviser, UQAR

Photo: CEN Researchers at UQAR. Front, Pascal Bernatchez, Joel Bêty, Geneviève Allard (Coordinator) and France Dufresne. Behind, Dominique Berteaux, Dominique Arsenault, Martin-Hugues St-Laurent, François Vézina and Yanick Gendreau (student representative). Not pictured: Thomas Buffin-Bélanger, Simon Bélanger, Bernard Hetu, Christian Nozais and Jean-Pierre Ouellet.

Mark your calendar

September 13, 2011

ACUNS’ Student Conference On Northern Studies

ACFAS 80th Annual Scientific Conference

IPY (International Polar Year) 2012 conference

Mapping Northern Places Memory, Abandonment, Oblivion

CEN 31st annual meeting on nordicity

Arctic Frontiers 2012

Territory and Environment: from Representations to Action

Workshop Announcement: Polar Simulations with the Weather and Research Forecasting Model

Researcher Joel Bêty newly admitted to the Circle of Excellence of University of Quebec

September 8, 2011

(c) UQAR-Info

INRS holds a northern conference session for the 50th anniversary of CEN

September 1, 2011

(c) INRS-ETE

Serge Payette is the inaugural recipient of the Weston Family Prize for Lifetime Achievement in Northern Research

August 25, 2011

Serge Payette (c) AUCEN

Le Devoir special section highlights CEN's 50th anniversary

August 12, 2011

On August 6, 2011, the Montreal newspaper Le Devoir published a special section highlighting the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Centre for Northern Studies. A PDF version of the book is available for viewing under the tab Documents/50e anniversaire.

Émilie Saulnier-Talbot

A recent field campaign has helped discover the deepest lake in Quebec: Lake Walker

August 12, 2011

The mission behind this discovery took place from July 1 to 13, 2011. It resulted from a collaboration between researchers from the Laboratory of marine geomorphology (LGM), Laval University,and from the ARCHIVES project of INRS-ETE (Centre Eau, Terre, Environnement of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique), all affiliated to the Centre for Northern Studies (CEN). The mapping of Walker Lake was conducted using hydrographic and geophysical instruments installed on the Louis-Edmond-Hamelin, a research vessel recently acquired by CEN. Eight meters long, this boat is equipped for hydrographic and geophysical surveys and for coastal seabed mapping. It can easily be moved on a trailer to navigate on lakes and inland seas.

Walker Lake sits at the bottom of a glacial valley on the North Shore of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, about 30 km northwest of Port-Cartier. At an altitude of 100 meters, this thirty kilometers long lake has a depth of 280 meters, making it the deepest natural lake in Quebec, even surpassing the deep Pingaluit crater lake (252 m).

With its great depth and glacial valley shape, Lake Walker facilitates the accumulation and preservation of sediments. A high-resolution bathymetric map will be created using data from the campaign. Seismic profiles will be used to define the nature, distribution and stratigraphy of sediments and sediment sample analysis will provide information on palaeoclimatic conditions. All these data will allow LGM and project ARCHIVES researchers to trace the evolution of past climate and environmental changes in this region. Patrick Lajeunesse (LGM) and Pierre Francus (INRS), the project leaders, were accompanied by Alexandre Normandeau (CEN student), Genevieve Philibert (CEN student),  David Fortin (INRS) and Rajarshi Roychowdhury (INRS).

Mathilde Renaud and Jean-Daniel Bourgault, INRS-ETE

Press review

Upcoming conferences

July 26, 2011

Goldschmidt student committee

The GEOTOP research center and Montréal are proud to host the 22nd Goldschmidt™ conference which will be held 24-29 June 2012. The 22nd Goldschmidt™ conference will focus on the Earth in Evolution. An invitation is sent to all students wishing to get involved in this prestigious geochemistry congress! A student committee will be formed to organize the student component of the conference (poster sessions and oral presentations). For more information or to get involved, please contact Audrey Limoges at limoges_audrey@hotmail.com

Call for Abstracts Now Open

The IPY 2012 Conference “From Knowledge to Action” will take place in Montreal, Canada April 22-27, 2012 and will be one of the largest and most important scientific conferences for polar science and climate change, impacts and adaptation. The Call for Abstracts for oral and poster presentations is now open and will close September 30, 2011. The Conference program is available at www.ipy2012montreal.ca ; Twitter page (IPY2012).

Last call to register

The 2nd International workshop on deer-forest relationships under the theme: Impacts of the overabundance of large herbivores on forest ecosystem management, will take place August 17-22, 2011 in Quebec City and Anticosti Island. The Workshop will bring together international researchers specialized in plant-herbivore relationships, population dynamics, community structure, ecosystem functioning and wildlife and forest management. This event is organized by the NSERC-Produits forestiers Anticosti Industrial Research Chair and will mark the completion of the second 5-year term of the Chair which aims at developing forest and wildlife management methods adapted to high densities of deer (Cervidae). The preliminary program and the registration form are available on the Workshop website. The deadline to register for the seminars in Quebec City is August 9, 2011.

Monique Bernier awarded the Ferdinand-Bonn Prize

July 25, 2011

Remote Sensing Professor at INRS-ETE and CEN co-director, Monique Bernier received last June the Ferdinand-Bonn Prize awarded by the Quebec Remote Sensing Association (Association québécoise de télédétection). The award recognizes her dedication and outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of remote sensing in Quebec. This contribution includes, among others, the current Chair of the Canadian Remote Sensing Society and that of the Quebec Remote Sensing Association from 1995 to 2000, the organization of numerous conferences in remote sensing and her participation in several committees of experts in the field.

Monique Bernier’s research focuses on developing remote sensing applications for monitoring and mapping water resources, particularly snow, ice, rivers, bogs and soil moisture. The originality of her research has allowed her to establish collaborations with researchers from France, Germany and the United States (CCREL, U. Alaska) and to set up several inter-institutional and multidisciplinary projects involving private and government users such as project SNOWPOWER (EU, 5th Framework Programme), project FRAZIL (GEOIDE NCE) and the EQEAU application for estimating snow water equivalent from a RADARSAT image.

The Ferdinand-Bonn award has been awarded since 1985 during the congress of the Association. Ferdinand Bonn, author of the first remote sensing handbook in French, was one of the founders of CARTEL (Centre for Research and Applications in Remote Sensing) and held the Canada Research Chair in Earth observation. Ferdinand Bonn also directed Mrs. Bernier’s graduate work while she was studying at the University of Sherbrooke. "He was my mentor, so this award has a personal touch, in addition to professional recognition. Receiving it in Sherbrooke was also quite a gift". An Inuit sculpture in the shape of a bear accompanied the honorable mention.

Geneviève Allard

INRS host CEN's 50th anniversary exhibition

July 6, 2011

INRS is hosting the exhibition Centre for Northern Studies (CEN): 50 years of northern research in the lobby of the INRS-Quebec building, from June 30 toSeptember 8, 2011.

The exhibition highlights five decades of  CEN research. It provides a brief overview of CEN history, its mission, its research and its extensive network of research and weather stations in Northern Quebec and the Canadian Arctic. It also illustrates how Quebec researchers contribute to the study of past, present and future northern environments.

CEN brings together researchers from various disciplines from Université Laval, Université du Québec à Rimouski and the Centre Eau, Terre et Environnement of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique.CEN co-direction is provided by Professor Monique Bernier from INRS.

Free admission until Septembre 8, 2011, at 490, rue de la Couronne, Québec | Monday to Thursday : 9 AM to 4 PM.

Caribou Ungava in the news

June 20, 2011

Georges River Caribou (c) Vincent Brodeau (CEN)

Isabelle Laurion and her team in the news

June 20, 2011

Photo : Webzine planète INRS.ca

Dominique Berteaux discusses the Plan Nord in the news

June 17, 2011

In an interview with Je vote pour la science, CEN researcher Dominique Berteaux (UQAR) discusses the ecological impacts of the Plan Nord with biologists Nicolas Mainville, Greenpeace Canada representative and Marcel Darveau, representative of the research sector at the Plan Nord partners’ discussion Table. The three researchers do not share exactly the same concerns about the Plan Nord but they agree on the lack of clarity of the plan regarding the conservation of northern ecosystems. Listen to the full interview on Agence Science-Presse (in French).

Geneviève Allard

CEN wins CECOBOIS's award for sustainable development

June 2, 2011

The new Community Science Center at Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik, was awarded the CECOBOIS's excellence award in the category sustainable development! This award recognizes projects that successfully integrate the concepts of sustainable development and energy efficiency. It was important for our Centre to design a building with a footprint that respects the fragility of northern environments.

CEN and the team project succeeded in developing a building that respects the environment using plenty of south-facing windows (passive solar heating) and solar power systems. The building envelope consists of black spruce as its interior. In addition to being a material lighter than steel or concrete, which results in a reduction of energy required for transportation, black spruce forms a thermal barrier ideal in an environment where temperatures often drop below -40 oC. This achievement is a great example of how environemental choices can support local economy . It should inspire other northern projects to deploy the necessary resources to its fragility.

Émilie Saulnier-Talbot

Press review

Najat Bhiry and Anne-Marie Lemieux in the news

May 30, 2011

CEN researcher Najat Bhiry and CEN student Anne-Marie Lemieux (M.Sc.) conducted geomorphical, stratigraphical and paleoecological studies of subterranean sod houses located on Drayton Island, Nunavik. These sod houses were used for habitation and had the appearance of a dome. They were about 1 m deep and 2 meters high inside. The frame consisted of pieces of driftwood covered with blocks of peat. The Inuit people who occupied these houses during fall and winter, abandoned the place over 150 years ago. - Au Fil des évènements, May 2011

Geneviève Allard

CEN Bulletin #6 is now available

May 20, 2011

The latest edition of the CEN Bulletin (May 2011) is now available. Read the lastest news:

• CEN 50th celebrations
  
•  Joël Bêty (UQAR) was named Scientist of the Year 2010 by Radio-Canada
  
• International CEN-Interact partnership
  
• 50 students receive Environord fellowship
  
• Cen's first reseach vessel will be launched this summer
  
• Pascal Bernatchez is documenting coastal erosion
  
• Follow CEN news on our web site, Twitter and Facebook
  
• CEN hosted a workshop with Nunavut Arctic College students
  
• Student's reps
  

Mark your calendars

May 20, 2011

The conference " Routes et faune terrestre : de la science aux solutions " will be held 24-27 May 2011 at the Four Points by Sheraton Quebec. This meeting will be a privileged moment to discuss new approaches in research and management on road ecology.

The Seventh International Congress of Arctic Social Sciences (ICASS VII) entitled "Circumpolar Perspectives in Global Dialogue: Social Sciences Beyond the International Polar Year" will convene 22-26 June 2011 in Akureyri, Iceland.

The Canadian Water Resources Association (CWRA) will hold its 64th national congress "Our Water - Our life- the most valuable resource" in St. John's, Newfoundland, 27-30 June 2011.

Organizers of a session entitled "Winter Climate Change and Ecosystem Functioning" announce a call for abstracts. The session will be convened at the 41st Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria, to be held 5-9 September 2011 in Oldenburg, Germany.

Organizers of session A2, entitled "Arctic Coasts: Physical, Ecological, and Socio-economic Perspectives" announce that the deadline for abstract submission has been extended to Tuesday, 31 May 2011. The session will be convened at the 2011 LOICZ Open Science Conference, scheduled for 12-15 September 2011 in Yantai, China.

Organizers of session C40, entitled "The Changing Cryosphere and its Role in the Climate System" announce a call for abstracts. The session will be held at the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) Open Science Conference, scheduled to be held 24-28 October 2011 in Denver, Colorado.

Laboratoire Cités, Territoire, Environnement et Société, in partnership with the University of Strasbourg, Université Laval and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), is organizing the Symposium Environment and Territory: representations to action, scheduled for 8-9 December 2011.

The third International Polar Year (IPY) 2012 "From Knowledge to Action" Conference is to be held in Montréal, Canada from April 22 - 27, 2012! Visit the conference website at www.ipy2012montreal.ca

APECS, together with the ArcticNet Student Association (ASA) is planning a career development workshop "From Knowledge to Careers" in Montréal before the start of the IPY Conference. Keep checking the workshop website for regular updates at: http://www.apecs.is/workshops/ipy-montreal-2012

Research interface in Plan Nord

May 20, 2011

On 9 May, the Quebec government unveiled the details of the Plan Nord, to develop northern Quebec and Nunavik, involving $80 billion in investment over the next 25 years. Chapter 4 (Transport and communications: to open the North) of the first action plan outlines the anticipated development of transportation and communication networks. The government is committed toward sustainable development and will ensure that 50% of these northern lands are removed from industrial activities. Chapter 5 (Ensuring Environmental Protection) describes the means to meet these environmental commitments.

According to this first action plan, "knowledge acquisition will be at the forefront of these government initiatives". A research network, the Réseau de soutien à la recherche et au développement des connaissances (RSRDC: network to support research and knowledge acquisition), has been created and is described in Appendix F of the action plan. This network will serve as an interface between the Plan Nord and the scientific community. CEN is among the 65 organizations (1750 researchers) that make up the RSRDC and contributed to the inaugural meeting of the network at Université Laval earlier this year. The network is codirected by Mr. Marcel Darveau and Mr. Michel Létourneau. Further information: http://www.plannord.gouv.qc.ca/documentation/index.asp

Geneviève Allard et Dominique Berteaux

CEN annual spring meeting

May 20, 2011

CEN’s 50th anniversary was once again celebrated during the spring meeting held last April 29 at La Pocatière! The researcher’s assembly discussed the international scope of CEN, grant programs, newly created CEN logistical support, defined the eligibility criteria for the new CEN nordic supplements program and reviewed management procedures for CEN research stations and camps for the summer.

The Assembly also approved the nomination of five (5) new CEN members, 2 associates members: Martin Simard (geographer, U. Laval) and Simon Bélanger (geographer, UQAR) and 3 regular members: Jean Carignan (geochemist, Assistant Director Takuvik, UMI, U. Laval), François Vézina (biologist, UQAR), and Martin-Hugues St-Laurent (biologist, UQAR). The 40 members present were then informed of current CEN research projects and study sites visited this summer.

Finally, we enjoyed a cocktail in the spirit of the 50th to discuss and socialize! Thanks to the "student representatives" for their excellent presentations and to the direction, the coordination and the "dedicated" student committee for organizing this great day!

Geneviève Allard

CEN – INTERACT Partnership

May 20, 2011

As leaders of a network of Canadian infrastructures and recent member of the SCANNET circumarctic network of field stations, CEN has recently become a partner in the EU-funded (9M Euro) project INTERACT (International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic). The main objective of INTERACT is to improve our environmental observation capacity of the Arctic by facilitating knowledge exchange and consolidating existing infrastructures and networking activities throughout the Arctic. CEN is involved in the development and use of a platform for exchange of information between station managers and participants within INTERACT. CEN members can now submit proposals to be supported via the INTERACT Trans-National Access program. This program offers travel and logistic support to SCANNET research stations in Northernmost Europe and Russia.

Geneviève Allard

Communicating with local communities

May 20, 2011

Members of CEN at Université Laval and UQAR hosted a workshop for 13 students of the Environmental Technology program of the Nunavut Arctic College in Pond Inlet, Nunavut, on 8-9 avril 2011. Accompanied by an Elder from the community and 2 instructors, they attended a series of lectures by CEN and ArcticNet researchers and graduate students on their arctic research and the state-of-the-art methods that they use to collect data. Time was devoted to discussions and exchanges with the students in order to better understand the perspective of native People on scientific research. A field trip along the shore of the Saint Lawrence River provided a great opportunity for Northern Inhabitants to observe the spring waterfowl migration in a different setting from the Arctic tundra.

For more than 2 decades, researchers from CEN have been studying the local wildlife and environment at the Bylot Island field station located in Sirmilik National Park, near Pond Inlet. During this period, they established close ties with people from this community, who have a vested interest in the research that takes place in their own backyard. Elders and Aboriginal succession want to better understand the perspective of southern Canadians on the North and northern issues, how resource management decisions are made and research agendas are set - all of which impact on the lives of northerners.

“ Nunavut citizens are very concerned with how research projects are thought up...how does a research project start, how do they decide what methods will be used to conduct research in the North ” - Sam Arreak

Patrick Lajeunesse and Jonathan Roger in the news

May 20, 2011

CEN researcher Patrick Lajeunesse and CEN student Jonathan Roger (M.Sc.) discovered huge circular depressions on the Hudson Bay seabed. For now, the pockmark-like structures can be classified into two types: the first are linked to hydrocarbon escape chimnies and the second, ring-shaped depressions, to possible salt deposits. Sediment cores and seismic surveys planned for 2012 should reveal the structure of the underlying layers. - Au fil des évènements, April 14, 2011. 

Don’t forget to keep us updated on your research-related accomplishments (scholarships, awards, distinctions, media coverage, etc). It will give us a big hand in keeping our web site up to date.

50 students receive an EnviroNorth fellowship

May 20, 2011

The NSERC CREATE training program in northern environmental sciences EnviroNorth held its second competition in March 2011. Nearly $120,000 was awarded in the form of scholarships to students from CEN, the Groupe de recherche sur les environnements nordiques BORÉAS, and the Canadian Circumpolar Institute. EnviroNorth will distribut close to $1.5 million in fellowships by 2016, in programs aimed at trainees from the Bachelor to the postdoctoral level. The next deadline is 1st November 2011. Further information: http://www.environord-environorth.ca.

Michel Allard in the news

May 20, 2011

In an interview with the Vancouver Sun, CEN researcher Michel Allard discussed the links between landslides and terrain instability with the thawing of permafrost in response to global warming. His research team has proposed various adaptative strategies to the community of Salluit including, using refrigeration systems to keep the ground frozen, building on bedrock and managing snow accumulation on hillsides.

Don’t forget to keep us updated on your research-related accomplishments (scholarships, awards, distinctions, media coverage, etc). It will give us a big hand in keeping our web site up to date.

Audrey Mercier-Remillard stood out

May 20, 2011

CEN student Audrey Mercier-Remillard (MSc Bernard Hétu / Pascal Bernatchez) stood out at the Colloque de vulgarisation scientifique de l’UQAR «La nature dans tous ses états» where she won first prize for her oral presentation.

Ursule Boyer-Villemaire in the news

May 20, 2011

Le Nouvelliste mentions the participation of doctoral CEN student Ursule Boyer-Villemaire to the Journée de la recherche du Fonds québécois de la recherche sur la nature et les technologies. Gathered around the theme of "the St. Lawrence river", this workshop intendedto generate collaboration among young researchers in natural sciences and engineering.

Don’t forget to keep us updated on your research-related accomplishments (scholarships, awards, distinctions, media coverage, etc). It will give us a big hand in keeping our web site up to date.

CEN’S 50TH

May 20, 2011

Last February 9-10 marked the kick off of CEN’s 50th anniversary celebrations at our annual symposium. Several renowned scientists participated in the festivities, giving lectures and advice to meet the challenges of the next 50 years of northern research. We also witnessed a memorable testimony when Mr. Louis-Edmond Hamelin, CEN founder and retired professor of geography, related the historical events that led to the creation of our "Northern" Centre. The words and songs of Lisa Koperqualuk and Marie Belleau reminded us that northern communities occupy this vast territory and are willing to take part in Northern Research in the 21st century.

Prizes were awarded to students who gave the best poster and oral presentations. Congratulations to the deserving students: Pascale Ropars (Best Poster PhD), Gregory Ledoux (Best Poster Master’s) and Francis Gauthier (best oral presentation). Reinhard Pienitz, CEN researcher and professor at the department of Geography at Laval U, won 1st prize (on the right) of the photo contest.

The anniversary exhibition "The Centre for Northern Studies: 50 glorious years", is presented at Université Laval’s Sciences Library until June 30. INRS-ETE will host the exposition over the summer and UQAR from September 10 to October 10. This panel exhibition allows the visitor to experience CEN’s northern expertise through words and pictures, witnessing the vitality of our large team of researchers. The expo will reach its final destination, the station Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik in October.

CEN’s first research vessel, the Louis-Edmond Hamelin will be launched this summer. Funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation , the boat is a 26 foot Silver Dolphin design, with a stand up cabin. It will be fully outfitted with geophysical survey equipment. The Louis-Edmond Hamelin will serve to collect physical, chemical and biological data, which will bring new insights on northern waters, from Hudson Bay to the St-Lawrence.

CEN students distinguished themselves !

May 20, 2011

CEN students distinguished themselves at the 2nd Conférence de biologie de l’Université Laval held on February 2. Caroline Mercier (M.Sc., Stéphane Boudreau) won first prize with her presentation "Climate Change and Performance of birch in forested environments at the treeline in subarctic Quebec”. Marie-Pascale Villeneuve-Simard (M.Sc., Stéphane Boudreau / Julie Turgeon) received 2nd prize for her oral presentation and Pascale Ropars (Ph.D., Stéphane Boudreau), 2nd prize for an oral presentation at the doctoral level.

Publication: Climate change impacts on human populations

May 20, 2011

CEN researcher Dominique Berteaux (UQAR) co-authored with doctoral student Jason Samson (McGill), an interesting article on the vulnerability of humans to climate change. Mr. Berteaux and colleagues applied the theoretical concept of "ecological niche" for human populations, with climate change and population density as limiting factors. The worldwide study shows that human populations most affected by climate change are distant from high latitude regions where climate change will be the greatest. Indeed, in hot and dry areas of low latitudes, even a small increase in temperature may threaten food production and security. It is therefore inadequate to characterize the vulnerability of a population, taking only into account the magnitude of regional climate change. When confronted with data for CO2 emissions, the study shows a serious inequity between the causes and consequences of climate change. In fact, CO2-producing countries are likely to suffer the least impact. An interesting fact, statistical approaches developed for beaver studies in northern Quebec resulted in this scientific breakthrough in human biogeography!

Samson, J., Berteaux, D., McGill, B. J. and Humphries, M. M. (2011), Geographic disparities and moral hazards in the predicted impacts of climate change on human populations. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 20.

Peter Fast and Madeleine Doiron won first and second prize

May 20, 2011

Peter Fast (PhD, Joel Bety) and Madeleine Doiron (PhD, Gilles Gauthier / Esther Lévesque) respectively won first and second prize for best student presentation at the Twelfth North American Arctic Goose Conference held in Portland, Oregon, 11-14 Jan.

Joël Bêty in the news

May 20, 2011

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has just awarded Carleton University Professor Mark Forbes and a team of researchers a half a million dollars over three years to study avian cholera, a virulent infectious disease that threatens the Arctic breeding waterfowl. CEN researcher Joel Bêty is part of the research team that provided the baseline data on survival and productivity of avian populations before the cholera outbreak. - Science Carleton news, January 28, 2011.

Don’t forget to keep us updated on your research-related accomplishments (scholarships, awards, distinctions, media coverage, etc). It will give us a big hand in keeping our web site up to date.

Frédéric Bilodeau and Gilles Gauthier in the news

May 20, 2011

Nunatsiaq News published an overview of Frederick Bilodeau’s Bylot Island research results presented at the ArcticNet conference in Ottawa. The CEN doctoral student (M.Sc. Gilles Gauthier) visited Bylot Island from 2007 to 2010 to assess the impact of snow cover thickness on the population of brown and collared lemmings. Bilodeau’s experiments suggest that a generous, loosely packed snow cover bolsters the population and the amplitude of population peaks.

Don’t forget to keep us updated on your research-related accomplishments (scholarships, awards, distinctions, media coverage, etc). It will give us a big hand in keeping our web site up to date.

Tania Giberyen in the news

May 20, 2011

The Luxembourg Committee of IPY (COLUPO) invited Tania Gibéryen, a CEN PhD candidate, to present a public conference on " living and doing research with the Inuits ". The event also included an exhibition of inuit art and artifacts.This conference, held in luxembourgish language, is part of a series of COLUPO conferences on polar regions and hence supported by the Luxembourg National Research Fund. It was also publicised by the Revue Technique Luxembourgeoise.

Don’t forget to keep us updated on your research-related accomplishments (scholarships, awards, distinctions, media coverage, etc). It will give us a big hand in keeping our web site up to date.

Dominique Berteaux in the news

May 20, 2011

Following the launch of the International year of forests 2011, CEN researcher Dominique Berteaux co-authored with 11 other specialists, a book entitled " Il était une fois la forêt " published by Quentin. In a few pages, each scientist discusses an aspect of the forest landscape; formation, biodiversity, resources, medicine, recreation, income and future ...

Don’t forget to keep us updated on your research-related accomplishments (scholarships, awards, distinctions, media coverage, etc). It will give us a big hand in keeping our web site up to date.

Joël Bêty was named Scientist of the year

May 20, 2011

Biologist Joël Bêty (UQAR) was named Scientist of the Year 2010 by Radio-Canada "for the remarkable demonstration of the survival instinct that drives birds in their migrations." La Presse and Radio-Canada named him Personality of the Week last February. This avalanche of honors follows the publication, in January 2010, of a scientific paper in the journal Science on northward bird migration, in collaboration with CEN PhD student, Laura McKinnon.

Identified by the newspaper Le Soleil as one of the scientific breakthroughs of 2010 and by Québec-Science as one of 10 discoveries of the year, this article is an outstanding example of scientific curiosity. To prove the hypothesis that "migratory birds nest in the North to reduce predation pressure on nests”, Bêty and his team monitored survival to predators of 8 000 quail eggs deposited in 1555 artificial nests, from James Bay to Ellesmere Island. They found that the rate of nest predation decreases by 3.6 % for each degree of latitude north gained, proving that migratory birds go north to increase the chances of hatching. This article also demonstrates that predation has a strong influence on the biodiversity of terrestrial arctic ecosystems.

A member of CEN since 2004, Joël Bêty coordinates CEN’s UQAR pole and is a principal instigator of the Canada research chair in conservation of northern ecosystems. His research interests focus on understanding the influence of climate change on northern ecosystems. He is particularly interested in reproductive strategies and land use of arctic birds (geese, ducks and shorebirds).

Ref. McKinnon, L., et al, 2010, Lower Predation Risk for Migratory Birds at High Latitudes, Science: Vol. 327. no. 5963, pp. 326-327.

Northern research - Documenting coastal erosion

May 19, 2011

CEN professor Pascal Bernachtez (UQAR) holds the Research Chair in Coastal Geoscience, which focuses on improving our understanding of the impacts of erosion along Quebec’s coasts and on recommending solutions for existing problems. Dr Bernatchez administers a vast environmental monitoring network along a 4000 km stretch of coastline. Since the devastating storms of December 2010, the Chair team has been working intensively to assess the damages and conditions that led to such serious impacts. The chair program includes 15 professionals and 11 students that collaborate closely at acquiring knowledge on coastal erosion and coastal flooding, evaluating recent, present and future impacts of georisks on coastal communities and developping proactive coastal zone adaptive strategies.

Studies conducted within the Chair show that coastal erosion is a phenomenon that has been growing in some areas over the last decade. Although the coasts of Quebec experience average rates of erosion ranging from 0.5 to 2 meters annually, some sectors of the St. Lawrence estuary and gulf have recently experienced much higher rates. Since the devastating storms of December 2010, the Chair team has been working tirelessly to assess damages and conditions that led to such an outcome. Coastal georisks are as much social, economic as environmental in nature and the impacts of georisks on coastal communities can increase due to changes in the physical environment, such as climate warming. Therefore, one of the three research themes of the Chair aims to strengthen the adaptive capacity of coastal communities through proactive coastal zone management and identification of areas suitable or unsuitable for development.

Rescued from a helicopter crash

Dr. Bernatchez is currently recuperating from a serious helicopter accident that occurred while he was flying over the south shore of the St-Lawrence estuary to assess the damage caused by the tides of 6 December. He intends to gradually return to work this summer, and he conveys his thanks to everyone for the many words of encouragement that he received.

Further information : http://dgizc.uqar.ca

Four awards were won by CEN students !

May 19, 2011

Four awards were won by CEN students at Université Laval’s Colloque Facultaire de Foresterie, de Géographie et de Géomatique, held on 10 and 11 November 2010. Valerie Labrecque (MSc, Reinhard Pienitz) and Alexandre Normandeau (MSc, Patrick Lajeunesse/Guillaume St-Onge) were tied for the 3rd prize best oral presentation. Genevieve Philibert (MSc, Patrick Lajeunesse / Guillaume St-Onge / Jacques Locat) and Ann-Julie Roy (MSc, Reinhard Pienitz) respectively won 1st and 2nd prize for the quality of their posters.

Conference by M Warwick F. Vincent: Nos régions polaires en pleine mutation: implications pour la biodiversité à l’échelle planétaire

April 5, 2011

"Go on an expedition to the poles with Warwick F. Vincent, professor of limnology (the study of lakes and rivers) and director of CEN, to examine up-close the important environmental changes that our planet is currently undergoing. From the surprising diversity of life in the Far North to the depths of the world's most mysterious lake: lake Vanda in Antarctica, M Vincent will lead us through his diverse research of high latitude ecosystems and will decode for us the urgent messages which these regions are now conveying to humankind."

The conference will be held Thursday, April 14th 2001, room 2298, Pavillon Ferdinand-Vandry (Université Laval). A raffle and a silent auction will take place during intermission. Proceeds will benefit a biodiversity and conservation field course in Madagascar, organized by Laval Biology students.

CEN Bulletin #5 (February 2011)

February 8, 2011

The latest edition of the CEN Bulletin is now available.

CEN meeting 2011

January 31, 2011

The program for CEN meeting 2011 is now available

At last, the new web site is here!!

January 27, 2011

The new web site is now online. Come back regularly to get the latest news from the Centre d'études nordiques.