Science News
From hydrogeology to the Isummasaqvik School in Quaqtaq
Feb. 16, 2026
Credit: Pascale Roy-Léveillée
Quaqtaq (Nunavik, Québec), October 2025
In October 2025, a research team from Université Laval traveled to Quaqtaq as part of a joint project led by Pascale Roy-Léveillée and Jean-Michel Lemieux on the icing mechanisms affecting the community. The team consisted of Professor Jean-Michel Lemieux and student Alexandra Bélanger (LERN, Department of Geology and Geological Engineering), as well as Professor Pascale Roy-Léveillée and research professional Julie Major (CRYO-UL, Department of Geography).
In collaboration with François Bérubé, a teacher at Isummasaqvik High School, a science outreach activity was organized for students. The activity was offered to two groups of students (approximately 10 students per group, aged 12 to 16): once in English and once in French. It aimed to demystify permafrost, hydrogeology, and the profession of hydrogeologist, while highlighting the importance of studying groundwater and permafrost in Quaqtaq.
The first part took place in the classroom using a hands-on hydrogeology model, allowing students to observe the flow of groundwater through different materials and the impact of surface contamination. The second part was held outdoors during a visit to a site equipped with thermal probes and a piezometer. The students were able to use a water level probe and a scoop to sample groundwater, and observe how the piezometer works.
Made possible thanks to François Bérubé and Omer Koffi welcoming the students into their classrooms, this activity sparked the students' scientific curiosity and presented concrete examples of research being conducted within their community. The students received hats and caps from the CEN, which provides essential support for the project as a whole. This type of initiative promotes young people's interest in science and environmental issues affecting their region.
A story by Alexandra Bélanger
Photo credit: Jean-Michel Lemieux. Alexandra Bélanger explains the impacts of icing to students, using concrete examples observed in their community.
Photo credit: Jean-Michel Lemieux. From left to right: Alexandra Bélanger, Julie Major, and Pascale Roy-Léveillée present the hydrogeology model.
Photo credit: Pascale Roy-Léveillée. Jean-Michel Lemieux shows students how a data logger works, used for thermal and hydrogeological monitoring of the site.
Photo credit: Pascale Roy-Léveillée. Students take turns competing to scoop as much water as possible from the piezometer using a bailer. In coarse fill materials, the water table rises so quickly that the level measured with the probe varies very little between samples.
