Research and Creative Activity Highlights
2017-18
900 Fifth St. Nanaimo, BC, CanadaBuilding 305 (Library), Room 456 Main Office
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Phone: 250.740.6324email | [email protected] | research.viu.ca
3 Welcome Letter — Dr. Nicole Vaugeois, Associate Vice-President, Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity
4 VIU Research STATS
6 Celebrating VIU’s Growing Research Capacity
7 2018 CREATE Student Conference
8 Faculty Highlight — Dr. Lindsay McCunn
9 Student Reach Awards
10 VIU Interdisciplinary Research Course Builds Connections Between Students and the Community — Dr. Sylvie Lafrenière
11 Research Chair Spotlight — Dr. Timothy Green
12 Scientist uses Television Signals to Send Internet Data to Remote Locations — Dr. Frank LoPinto
13 Supporting Older Adults by Discovering What Matters Most — Piera Jung, Marti Harder and Dr. Laureen Styles
14 Fighting for Justice Exhibit Brings to Light Lesser Told Stories — Debra Toporowski
15 VIU Creative Writing Student Shanon Sinn launches book, The Haunting of Vancouver Island — Shannon Sinn
16 Karst Aquifer and Catchment Mapping Project on Quadra Island — Dr. Tim Stokes
17 Saving the Vancouver Island Marmot — Dr. Jamie Gorrell
18 VIU Scientists Earn NSERC Grants for Ground-Breaking Research — Dr. Erik Krogh and Dr. Chris Gill
19 VIU Receives $300,000 to Expand Research of Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program
20 Faculty Spotlight — Dr. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh
21 Climate Change is Having a Devastating Effect on Species Around the World — Dr. Dan Baker
22 VIU Professor Awarded Connection Grant for Important Work in Northern Canada — Dr. Suzanne de la Barre
23 Project between VIU and Snaw-Naw-As Preserves Traditional Plant Knowledge — Donna Edwards
24 VIU Participates in UNESCO Global Project for Education of Indigenous Youth — Dr. Danielle Alphonse
25 Fostering Resilience in Nursing Students — Dr. Laureen Styles
26 Discovering the Landscape of our Garry Oak Ecosystem — Dr. Hannah Wilson
27 Using Lasers and Drones to Uncover our Landscapes — Dr. Bill Floyd
28 Deep Bay Marine Field Station Goes Mobile — Dr. Michael Hammond-Todd
29 VIU Alumnus Tracking Migration Habits of Canada Geese — Stew Pearce
30 The Regional Initiatives Fund (RIF)
Foraging for Answers Under the Sea — Dr. John Morgan
Bringing the Water Underneath Us to the Surface — Dr. Jerome Lesemann
34 The ‘Player 3’ of the Video Game Industry — Dr. Mark Williams
35 CALAREO — Dr. NIcole Vaugeois
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 1
Contents
Vancouver Island University is a centre of excellence for teaching and learning.
Through ongoing evolution and growth, VIU is proud to have contributed to the
development of Vancouver Island and British Columbia’s cultural, economic and
knowledge base for more than 80 years.
To the Snuneymuxw First Nation,
Tla’Amin First Nation, Cowichan Tribes,
Snaw-Naw-As First Nation,
and Qualicum First Nation,
we raise our hands
and say
Hay ch qa’ sii’em sieye’ yu mukw Mustimuxw.
It is with great pleasure that I distribute the 2017-2018 Research and Creative Activity Highlights for
Vancouver Island University (VIU). Over the past year, the University has embedded scholarship, research and creative activity (SRCA) into its new Academic Plan: — Access to Excellence, as well as in a new Strategic Plan for SRCA (2017-2022). Together, these plans identify a clear commitment and strategies to expand the learning opportunities for students and faculty who are engaged in research.
This report highlights just a few examples of the wide range of SRCA that took place in the 2017-2018 academic year. The diversity of activity that has been undertaken is something we can all be very proud of. Many of these examples highlight the important roles students and community partners play in VIU’s research endeavours. For us, SRCA not only enhances the teaching and learning mandate of the institution, it also serves and enables the growth and prosperity of our region.
Celebration is one of VIU’s values and this year, we have plenty to celebrate with SRCA. We expanded our student research conference from a one-day event to Research Week which enabled us to broaden the number and type of opportunities for students, faculty,
and research centres and institutes to share their work. We had over 250 student participants at the CREATE conference alone. This year also marked the first year of the new Provost Awards for SRCA where 10 outstanding faculty were recognized for their contributions. It also marks the year History Professor Dr. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh was elected as the University’s first Fellow in the Academy of Arts and Humanities of the Royal Society of Canada.
To renew our commitment to undergraduate research, we hosted a Council for Undergraduate Research Institute from June 12-14, 2018, where we brought together teams from seven different institutions across Canada to explore ways to transform our culture and curricula. We also launched the new merit-based REACH Awards to enable students to undertake their own research investigations.
On behalf of VIU, I give my heartfelt thanks to all our faculty members and student researchers for another successful year of active engagement in SRCA, and for your contributions to the University and the people of our region. Your efforts and dedication to the pursuit and sharing of knowledge has enabled the University to enhance its research profile regionally, nationally and internationally.
Dr. Nicole L. Vaugeois
Associate Vice-President, Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 3
Launched the “Regional Initiatives Fund”
Funding
17projects with
29community partners resulting in
$880,311in leveraged funding for research with
253
VIU students
Research Week and CREATE Conference had
250student registrants and
25 faculty presentations
Approximately
,1,000 graduate students
engaged in researchas part of their studies
Hosted the Council for Undergraduate
Research with
50delegates and
7
Canadian institutions
6NSERC Undergraduate
Student Research Awards3
Canada Graduate Scholarship Awards for Master’s students
Created a set of new President’s Awards for Community Engagement
and Provost’s Awards for Scholarship, Research and Creative Activity
which recognized
19VIU employees
Secured
1Canada Research Chair and have
2
in nominations stages
research statsAs a community-focused university, VIU is dedicated to engaging in research across Vancouver Island.
VIU
6 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
Over 250 registrations and $3,500
in awards were presented at the 2018
conference. The poster session
was expanded to a two-day event to
accommodate the increase in entries.
From first year undergrads to master’s
students, CREATE saw a variety of
contributions from trades, arts, sciences,
social sciences, fine arts, and media
studies. For most students, it was their
first time participating in the conference.
“We anticipate CREATE will continue
to grow as both faculty and students
recognize it as a venue to share
knowledge, gain valuable presentation
skills, and to applaud the learning,
talents and discoveries of our students,”
Celebrating VIU’s Growing Research CapacityThe CREATE student conference promotes and awards student research and projects at VIU.
CREATE showcases research and projects by VIU students through artwork, displays,
performances, posters, and presentations. Prizes are given based on display type and
include both meritorious and ‘People’s Choice’ awards. Members of the VIU community
and the general public are welcome to attend the conference.
said Kendra Stiwich, VIU Student
Research Engagement Coordinator.
CREATE is the pillar event to VIU’s
first annual Research Week, which took
place April 9-16, 2018. Research Week
was initiated to engage students, staff
and faculty to share their scholarship,
research and creative activities with the
broader VIU campus and local community.
“It is a celebration of our growing
research capacity at VIU,” said Tanis
Dagert, Community Liaison and
Knowledge Mobilization Officer.
The celebrations included a variety
of events held over the week such as
a criminology case study slam, a faculty
research symposium, a biology
$3,500in awards
undergrad research symposium, an
engineering student’s creative bridge
design exhibition, Master’s of Community
Planning student research proposal
presentations, and the Centre for
Community Outreach and Care’s
annual forum.
“We wanted to take a coordinated
approach to involve the entire campus
to celebrate and experience the amazing
work that faculty, students and staff are
doing here,” said Dagert.
The CREATE Conference and
Research Week will continue as an
annual event to celebrate and collabo-
rate on the innovative research being
done at VIU.
Over 250 registrations(needed to expand poster
session to two days to accommodate numbers)
Over $3,500 in awards presented
Campus wide contributions:trades | arts | sciences
social sciences | fine arts media studies
Contributions from first year undergrads up through
to master’s students
Reported benefits to students included being able to share research; receiving positive
feedback; learning more about how conferences are operated;
and being inspired for future work
For most students, CREATE was their
first time participating in a conference
‘We anticipate CREATE will continue to grow as both faculty and students
recognize it as a venue to share knowledge, gain valuable presentation skills,
and to applaud the learning, talents and discoveries of our students.’
— VIU Student Research Engagement Coordinator
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 7
2018 CREATEStudent Conference
8 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“When students realize this is a
sub-field of psychology, they get really
excited,” said McCunn. “It makes a lot
of sense, but people don’t often realize
this type of research is being done.”
McCunn joined VIU in August 2017
because she saw the opportunities a
growing university brings.
“VIU has exceeded my expectations.
It has been incredibly supportive as I find
intersections in research,” said McCunn.
She directs the new Environmental
Psychology Research Lab (EPRL),
comprised of five undergraduates
interested in how humans think, feel,
and behave in built and natural settings.
Students study the transactions between
Although environmental psychology has been taught at VIU, it had not been offered in
some time. During her first class, psychology professor, Dr. Lindsay McCunn asked students
if they understood what environmental psychology was – few did.
FACULTY HIGHLIGHT
people and a number of environments
– from hospitals to prisons; from schools
to offices.
“Research is conducted by taking
variables such as productivity, attention,
sense of control, and sense of place, and
studying them in different environments
to understand whether they associate
with physical attributes of places,”
said McCunn.
The EPRL has connected with local
and international organizations to
complete projects that optimize the
inclusion of building occupants’ and
community members’ attitudes and
behaviors in the design cycle. The team
has partnered with Island Health, School
District 61, the University of Washington’s
UW Tower, as well as the City of
Bellevue, to conduct research.
“Research that accounts for
the experiences of users can help
people make better spending decisions
with public dollars, as well as avoid
carrying forward errors in design,”
said McCunn.
McCunn has been elected Chair
of the environmental psychology
section of the Canadian Psychological
Association. She received the Provost’s
Collaborative Research Award and
the Deans’ Scholarship, Research
and Creative Activity Award, for her
innovative efforts.
photo credit: University of Victoria
Students study the transactions
between people and a number of
environments – from hospitals to
prisons; from schools to offices.
Misha Zvekic was one VIU student
chosen for the REACH award this year.
Her project examined the adsorptive
properties of various chemicals
onto plastics.
“A current environmental problem
is that plastics weather and break
down into microplastics,” she said.
Microplastics cause a threat to living
organisms as they can be easily
digested and don’t break down in
the body. Aquatic organisms digest
these harmful substances, which can
then be consumed by humans.
“My research seeks to characterize
the absorption and desorption rates
for chemicals to and from different
types of plastics at different stages of
weathering,” said Zvekic. Through her
research, Zvekic has become more
conscious on how prevalent plastic is
and why it’s so important society takes
steps towards reducing the production
of the material.
“I’m so grateful to everyone involved
with the REACH award. Opportunities
like this are incredibly enriching and
so important.”
REACH AwardsVIU’s REACH awards financially support undergraduate and graduate students to conduct
their own original research under the mentorship of a faculty member. Ten awards of
$2,000 each were given out in spring 2018 as one-time awards to further engage VIU
students in research.
The following students are recipients of the 2018 awards:
NAME PROJECT FACULTY MENTOR
1 Kimberly BarrettVancouver Island Marmot (Marmota Vancouverensis) Breeding Pair Recommendations Using High-Throughput Amplicon Sequencing
Jamie Gorrell
2 Carmen ZimmerCircle Time Check-Ins Secondary Schools: A Classroom Approach to Improving Students’ Social Responsibility
Harry Janzen
3 Michael WildenA Comparison of Hemispheric Sleep Architecture in Mothers: An EEG Study.
Elliot Marchant
4 Sean Andrew
Benefits of Supplementary Dietary Astaxanthin to Reproductive Performance and Egg-Larval Quality of Repeatedly Spawned Pacific Whiteleg Shrimp (Litopanaeus Vannemei)
Stefanie Duff
5Anna-Irena (Misha) Zvekic
Characteristics of Containment-Microplastic Interactions
Christine Tong
6 Theresa YukaSilver Opportunity: Asset Mapping of Low Cost Physical Activity for Older Adults in Nanaimo
Guy Le Masurier
7 Katie EicharAn Investigation of the Relationship Between Resilience, Gratitude and Spirituality in Older Adults
Ruth Kirson
8 Sue StreetAn Exploration of Factors that Support and Constrain Women’s Participation in Recreational Ice Hockey Leagues
Aggie Weighill
9 Evan HesselsInvestigating possible genetic variations between Vancouver Island and mainland B.C. wolverine populations
Jamie Gorrell
10 Melynda Bergen
Synthesis of New Coumarin Derived Compounds: For Potential Use in Antibiotics
Jessie Key
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 9
TEN AWARDS OF
$2,000EACH
“It provides students with an
opportunity to get real life experience
by working with community members,”
said Dr. Sylvie Lafrenière, Chair of the
Sociology Department and founding
member of CBAIR.
Since its creation in 2014, CBAIR has
been focused on providing opportunities
for experiential learning, and fostering
student empowerment and growth.
The student led course partners
teams of three or four students with
a community organization to complete
a research project that is relevant to
VIU Interdisciplinary Research Course Builds Connections Between Students and the Community
the organization. Lafrenière said they
try to work with community groups that
otherwise would not be able to access
this type of research.
In 2018, students surveyed the
general public on behalf of Ocean
Legacy Foundation to ask about best
practices for recycling plastics and their
views about plastics in the ocean.
Another group worked with the Vancouver
Island Multicultural Society to interview
newcomers to Canada to better
understand where they find support.
“There were different instances
throughout the course where I was
forced to venture out of my comfort
zone, and that is where I grew the most,”
stated one student.
The team-based course is open
to students who are interested in
research from any discipline or faculty.
Each research team is responsible for
writing a research proposal for their
client, creating data collection tools,
The teaching philosophy of the Community Based Applied Interdisciplinary Research (CBAIR)
course is to support students’ development beyond the classroom.
collecting and analysing data, and
writing a final report on their findings.
At the end of the course, students
present their project at CREATE to
encourage their participation in the
reporting of data which is the final step
in the research process. It also provides
them with an opportunity to participate
in the sharing of knowledge with
the campus community. Since the
inception of the program, CBAIR
students have also presented their
work at international conferences.
One of CBAIR’s greatest assets
comes from the partnerships it
fosters between VIU and community
organizations. “These partnerships allow
students to become change agents by
creating knowledge that supports and
serves organizations in our region of
Vancouver Island,” said Lafrenière.
10 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“VIU is committed to supporting our
coastal communities by undertaking
research in areas that are of key
importance to the Island’s Indigenous
and local communities,” said Dr. David
Witty, VIU’s Provost and Vice-President
Academic (now retired). “Green’s global
perspective will greatly contribute to
our understanding on how to address
the impacts of climate change to support
a thriving coastal aquaculture industry
which so many of our communities
rely on.”
An internationally recognized
expert in the scientific discipline of
aquaculture, with a strong emphasis on
aquatic animal health and immunology,
Green’s research aims to help
“future-proof” the shellfish industry in
Canada and the world by exploring
ways to make shellfish more resilient
to climate change and the diseases
that are linked to it. Green’s project
will specifically quantify genetic and
epigenetic (a biological mechanism
that switches genes on and off) changes
that occur in both oysters adapting
to ocean acidification, and disease
tolerant shellfish.
Green has already delved deep
into research on addressing how
to “disease-proof” oysters against
herpes virus infection. Through his
research, Green discovered a way to
Climate change is one of the biggest threats to shellfish populations and sustainable shellfish
farming in Canada and worldwide. That’s one reason why Dr. Timothy Green, VIU’s new
Canada Research Chair in Shellfish Health and Genomics, will be researching whether Pacific
oysters possess the evolutionary capacity to adapt to a rapid pace of ocean change.
“vaccinate” oysters, as well as the
offspring of “vaccinated” individuals, so
they are less susceptible to this disease.
Green will be based in VIU’s Centre
for Shellfish Research and the
University’s Deep Bay Marine
Field Station. Both research facilities
support interdisciplinary research
in sustainable shellfish production
to strengthen BC’s shellfish industry
in a way that is compatible with
the social and cultural values of
coastal communities.
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 11
RESEARCH CHAIR SPOTLIGHT
“It could help people in remote
communities gain access to information
they might not otherwise be able to
obtain,” said Dr. Frank LoPinto, a VIU
Physics instructor and founder of
Pixelstream Communications.
After successful lab tests, LoPinto
is hoping to do a field test and broadcast
content to VIU’s Powell River Campus
for a distance learning course.
“His vision to provide much-needed,
web-based communication to areas
without Internet is a lofty goal,” said
Dr. Gregory Cran, VIU’s Powell River
Campus Administrator.
LoPinto said the field test results
will be used to understand how
Scientist uses Television Signals to Send Internet Data to Remote Locations
the technology can serve remote
communities throughout British
Columbia, Canada and around the globe.
“I think it is going to change lives.
It is going to allow people to access
information interactively and it is going
to be current information,” said LoPinto.
“The most immediate impact will be
on students taking distance learning
courses who live in places where
Internet connections are not possible.”
LoPinto will use existing television
infrastructure to function as a
broadcasting system. Software will
convert a file into a colour stream. It will
then display the colours using a video
that is made for television. The received
What if you could turn the world’s television infrastructure into a system that can broadcast
data that people access on the internet?
video, or colour stream, is then turned
into a copy of the original file, which
the person on the receiving end can
download. Several pages of information
can be sent in a transmission. Once the
file is downloaded people will be able
to interact with the information the
same way they do a webpage.
“It could be just the tip of the
iceberg in terms of possibilities,”
he said. “Once people see how it
works the number of applications
will be tremendous.”
12 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
The research project explored
what matters most in everyday life
to older adults living independently
in the community by sharing personal
perspectives. The study was a
collaboration between VIU Bachelor
of Science in Nursing students,
faculty and community members.
Volunteer participants ages ranged
from early 70s to early 90s.
“We wanted to gain perspectives
across a range of ages and were
conscious about the myth that
all older adults are the same,”
said Styles. “This case study
approach with eleven participants
sought their unique experiences
and views.”
From this descriptive qualitative
study, the thematic analysis identified
six main themes: making the best
out of ‘my’ life, life connection, living
‘my’ life every day, resources for
‘my’ life, restrictions in ‘my’ life, and
respecting ‘my’ life.
The community-based research
was done in partnership with the
Central Island Chapter of Geronto-
logical Nurses Group of BC (GNABC).
The mission of GNABC is to support
Supporting Older Adults by Discovering What Matters Most What matters most to us as we get older? This question is what a team of researchers
including three students, a community member, and three VIU professors, Piera Jung,
Marti Harder and Dr. Laureen Styles, sought to answer.
and advance the professional
interests of nurses working with
older adults in efficient and effective
healthcare. The key findings of
the research were screened in
a video at the GNABC annual
provincial conference in Nanaimo.
Student researchers profiled
the video and shared what they
had learned by participating in
the research.
Styles said there is a misconcep-
tion that most older adults live out
their lives in care homes, yet the
reality is the majority of older adults
live fulfilling lives in the community.
Although the 11 older adults
interviewed for the study live
independently, Styles said their
perspectives give professionals
insight on what are key values to
the aging population.
“The insights help us share those
stories so we can better focus on
the individual nature and diversity
of older adults, and that helps
the consciousness of how nurses
approach our care, whether that
is in a facility setting, a health
promotion event in the community
or in community care.”
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 13
This story was part of 150 Years
and Counting: Fighting for Justice
on the Coast, a travelling banner
exhibit developed by VIU, the
University of Victoria (UVic), and the
Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives.
The exhibit was displayed in the
VIU Library Nanaimo Campus until
March 2018.
Fighting for Justice personalized
more than 150 years of history from
the perspectives of First Nations
communities, Asian Canadians and
their allies, who fought for justice in
the face of colonial dispossession
and racist exclusions.
“The point of this exhibit is to
tell those stories that haven’t been
told and showcase the intersections
of these communities,” said
Dr. Imogene Lim, a VIU Anthropology
Professor, who worked on the
exhibit’s concept development
alongside Dr. Tusa Shea, Program
Coordinator, Arts and Sciences
Programs for UVic’s Division of
Continuing Studies; and Kathryn
Gagnon, Curator and Manager of the
Fighting for Justice Exhibit Brings to Light Lesser Told Stories
Cowichan Valley Museum & Archives.
The key point for Gagnon was
telling the stories in simple, bite-sized
chunks to give people an idea of
the history without overwhelming
them – and then encouraging them
to pursue more information.
For many years, Debra Toporowski could not be a member of the Cowichan Tribes because
her mother had married a Chinese-Canadian man. Under the Indian Act of 1876, women were
forced to give up their status if they married a non-Indigenous person. Today, Toporowski
is not only a member of Cowichan Tribes, she is a band councillor. Bill C-31, passed in 1985,
amended the Indian Act to prevent this gender-based discrimination following pressure on
the federal government by First Nations women.
“I’m hoping people gain an
awareness of how resilient these
communities were and are, and
how they fought to preserve
aspects of their culture that were
under threat,” said Shea.
14 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“So many people have had
encounters with the supernatural
and they are pervasive across all
cultures, all religions,” says Sinn.
From a headless ghost, to a lady
who walks on water, to the wild
people of the woods and sea
serpents, Sinn researches 25 tales
of hauntings and sightings from a
journalistic perspective, interviewing
VIU Creative Writing Student Shannon Sinn launches book, The Haunting of Vancouver Island
people with experiences where
possible, reading accounts in various
primary sources, such as local
newspapers, and going to the site
in person.
The stories span the length and
breadth of Vancouver Island, and
Sinn includes stories from the three
major First Nations language groups
on the Island: the Kwakwaka’wakw,
Shannon Sinn believes in ghosts. He’s also a skeptic. The VIU Creative Writing student
explores these conflicting emotions in his new non-fiction book, The Haunting of Vancouver
Island. Published by Victoria-based TouchWood Editions, the book is an investigation into
stories about supernatural events across the Island.
the Coast Salish and the Nuu-chah-
nulth. There is even a chapter on the
VIU Malaspina Theatre ghost, which
students have reportedly been
encountering for more than 20 years.
Sinn’s interest would have remained
at the hobby level if it weren’t for a
cancer diagnosis that ultimately led
him back to school at VIU.
When he took VIU Professor
Dr. Joy Gugeler’s publishing course,
he met Taryn Boyd, the Publisher of
TouchWood Editions. With Gugeler’s
support, he pitched the book idea
to her and after his proposal was
accepted in the spring of 2016,
he took everything he collected
and put it into book format.
“My biggest hope for the book is
that it will set a new bar for this kind
of writing so people will look at the
topic more seriously.”
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 15
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27 • 5:30 PMVIU - CREW • NANAIMO • ROYAL ARBUTUS ROOM B300 (ABOVE THE CAFETERIA)
CATCH ANOTHER SPOOKY TALE SATURDAY, OCTOBER 28 12:00 PM (READING AT 12:30 PM) • CHAPTERS • 6670 MARY ELLEN DRIVE
For more information, contact [email protected].
SHANON SINN is currently enrolled in the VIU Creative Writing Program, and was recently awarded the Barry Broadfoot Award for journalism and creative nonfi ction. Find out more about him at shanonsinn.com.
VANCOUVER ISLAND IS HAUNTED.
SHANON SINN’S NEW COLLECTION OF SUPERNATURAL TALES
UNEARTHS THE TRUTH BENEATH SOME OF THE REGION’S BEST
KNOWN LEGENDS AND FOLKLORE. JOIN US FOR A BOOK LAUNCH!
Goosebumps Guaranteed
Everyone Welcome
Halloween drinks & snacks served
Photo: Sarah Packwood
Studying karst is a multidisciplinary
science and involves not only surface
investigations, but also requires an
understanding of the subsurface.
“The Earth Science Department at
VIU is one of the few places in Canada
that has a strong interest and expertise
in karst science, allowing for students
to be involved in a range of related
research projects,” said VIU Professor
Dr. Tim Stokes.
The 2017-2018 Karst Spring Project
at VIU is focussed on installing a
permanent water monitoring site at
the Stramberg Spring on Quadra Island.
This spring is used as a domestic water
source and for micro-hydro power
generation. It provides the opportunity
Karst Aquifer and Catchment Mapping Project on Quadra Island
to better understand karst aquifers
and catchments in the region.
“We are investigating the
relationship of the karst spring to the
karst aquifer,” said Stokes. “How it
is recharged is key to providing land
management recommendations
for the spring catchment.”
The best way to evaluate a karst
aquifer is through a combination of
geological mapping, dye tracing and
monitoring. This project will install two
channel level loggers, two electrical
conductivity loggers, four temperature
loggers, and an automatic tipping
rain gauge. The monitoring system
will provide details on water quality
and flow rate at the spring.
Karst, a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks, underlies approximately
10-15 per cent of Vancouver Island. This distinct landscape is both sensitive and valuable.
One key aspect of karst is its inherent underground drainage, which creates an important
groundwater resource for both human use and to supply streams.
From initial findings, dye tracing
has determined the spring water
is connected to a series of sinking
streams a kilometre away from the
spring. Sediment in the catchment is
transported through the subsurface
aquifer, which supplies water to
the spring. Excess sediment can
potentially impact water quality and
flow rate.
“This research will assist in
protecting this water resource and
help advise the forest licensee,
who is involved in road construction
and logging in the spring catchment,”
said Stokes.
16 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“While we cannot create new
diversity, we can conserve what is left
and prevent future loss,” said VIU
Professor of Biology Dr. Jamie Gorrell.
“We can do this by making sure all
marmots get a chance to breed and pass
along their genetic material.”
Gorrell and his research team aim
to conduct genomic sequencing of
marmots to determine the level of
genetic diversity remaining in the wild
and captive populations to help manage
and conserve species.
Saving the Vancouver Island Marmot
By understanding each marmot’s
unique genetic profile, researchers can
determine if reduced genetic diversity
leads to lower survival or reproduction,
determine if marmots are inbreeding and
how this affects the survival of their
pups, and provide further information on
how best to choose breeding pairs to
maximize genetic diversity.
Gorrell has teamed up with the
Marmot Recovery Foundation (MRF) to
retrieve DNA samples, historical field
data and studbooks of captive marmots.
The Vancouver Island marmot is one of the most endangered mammals in the world.
As a result of the rapid decline of the species in the late 1990s, a captive breeding program
was initiated. By 2003, there were only 30 wild marmots. From 2004 - 2017, 501 captive-bred
marmots have been reintroduced into the wild resulting in a successful population recovery.
The population crash had presumably resulted in low genetic diversity, increasing the risks
of inbreeding, hereditary health concerns and disease susceptibility.
“By studying the success of reintroduc-
tions we will learn how captive-bred
individuals alter the ecological and
genetic structure of wild populations,”
says Gorrell. “This may have large
implications, not just for the Vancouver
Island marmot, but for all endangered
species in need of captive breeding.”
Gorrell said one way the public can
support their research efforts is to notify
them of marmot sightings or support
the MRF.
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 17
Marmots are the
largest burrowing
animal in the alpine habitabt.
The VIU Chemistry professors were
awarded two Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada
(NSERC) Discovery Grant totaling
$250,000, which will be distributed over
five years to support student projects.
“Thanks to NSERC support, we
will be able to push the limits of what
we know is possible with mass
spectrometry,” said Gill.
VIU Scientists Earn NSERC Grants for Ground-Breaking ResearchGrant funding is helping Dr. Erik Krogh and Dr. Chris Gill push boundaries and develop
new scientific approaches in environmental chemistry and analytical mass spectrometry, the
technique that ionizes chemical species and sorts ions based on their mass-to-charge ratio.
18 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“The research programs we are
launching are aimed at developing new
approaches for the direct, real-time
measurements of trace molecules in
different environments, which has
important applications in environmental,
medical and material sciences.”
VIU’s Applied Environmental
Research Laboratories is ground zero
for this important research.
It hosts a team of undergraduate
and graduate students, providing them
with the opportunity to conduct field
and laboratory-based research with
state-of-the-art instrumentation.
Researchers work to identify contami-
nants, determine concentration levels
and study their fate and distribution
in the environment.
news.viu.ca/world-class-viu-research-vehicle-will-monitor-air-quality-nanaimo-winternews.viu.ca/viu-research-breakthrough-opioid-overdose-harm-reduction
The funding supports 18 VIU students
to pursue international internships, and
assist six international students from
partner countries to pursue graduate
studies and research at VIU – growing
VIU’s network of scholars working on
issues facing coastal communities.
“VIU students are both contributing
their skills and knowledge to partner
communities abroad, as well as learning
from their experiences to tackle issues
here on Vancouver Island,” said Darrell
Harvey, VIU’s Co-ordinator of Internation-
al Projects and Internationalization.
VIU Receives $300,000 to Expand Research through the Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program
Over the first three years of VIU’s
QES program, 22 students
have travelled to partner countries,
including VIU’s primary partners in
Belize, to pursue internships and
research. The program aims to
develop global citizens, activate
a new generation of leaders,
enhance collaborative capacity
and peer relationships and enable
scholars to pursue and amplify
community development.
The expanded program will
build on growing partnerships in the
More students at VIU are going to have a chance to continue the work of building resilience
in coastal communities thanks to $300,000 in new funding from the Queen Elizabeth II
Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) program.
Caribbean, East Africa and elsewhere.
In addition to the external funding,
VIU will contribute more than $200,000
in-kind resources. The Nanaimo
Foundation will also contribute $5,000
to support students.
“The work aligns with the United
Nations Sustainable Development
Goals, and is important as it encourages
economic growth in a sustainable way,”
said Celina Glabus, VIU BA student,
“It promotes the fostering of long-term
community development in coastal
areas.”
The QES program is a collaborative
initiative led by the Rideau Hall
Foundation, Universities Canada and
the Community Foundations of Canada,
made possible thanks to contributions
from the Government of Canada,
provincial governments, the International
Development Research Centre, Social
Sciences and Humanities Research
Council, universities, and a wide range
of private sector donors.
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 19
22students travelled
to partner communiites
“I was absolutely thrilled and
delighted. This is capping off
a very long career,” said Warsh.
Warsh was recognized for her
ground-breaking work in Canadian
healthcare history, and for giving
a voice to vulnerable populations
in the 19th century, including
people with mental health issues,
addictions and children. She was
also recognized for shaping a
flourishing research field in her area
of study, as editor of the Canadian
Bulletin of Medical History.
The distinction of Fellow is
bestowed on scholars who have
made exceptional contributions
in their field and election to the
RSC is considered the highest
academic honour a scholar can
receive in the arts, humanities and
sciences. Warsh joins more than
2,000 other Canadians who have
received this recognition.
Warsh’s research focuses on
the everyday lives of people.
While pursuing her master’s degree
at Western University, she delved
into the lives of patients at the
London Psychiatric Hospital on
Highbury Avenue, also known
as the London Asylum.
“I wanted to go beyond the
images, promotional literature
VIU History Professor Dr. Cheryl Krasnick Warsh has been elected as the University’s first
Fellow in the Academy of Arts and Humanities of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).
and the glossy veneer and see
what was going on in the lives of
average Canadians,” said Warsh.
“Everything we know about patients
is through the eyes of authority
figures, doctors and police.”
Warsh said her research explores
universal stresses and issues, and
it is fascinating that many of the past
issues are similar to those faced
by people today.
Warsh was inducted as a Fellow
during the RSC’s Celebration of
Excellence in November 2017.
20 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
FACULTY SPOTLIGHT
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 21
Climate change is having a devastating effect on species around the worldIn North America where river systems continue to get warmer year after year, just one day
of intense weather has the potential to raise water temperatures enough to devastate an
entire population of white sturgeon or salmonid eggs and larvae.
Baker is trying to discover how
water temperatures affect the early
life stages of white sturgeon and
salmonid. These species can’t adapt
to temperature changes in the same
way fish that live year round in rivers
and streams do. White sturgeon and
salmonids are anadromous, which
means they go to sea for part of their
life and then return to spawn.
“Sturgeon and salmon are two
of the most important fish in BC —
economically, culturally and ecologically,”
said Baker. “The Discovery Grant will
allow me to focus on conservation topics
critical to the survival of these species.”
Difficulties arise when hot days
increase water temperatures, which
may alter rates of larval development.
Increased water temperatures can
speed up development, but this could
work against the species as it could
lead them to depleting food sources
before they head out to sea. When the
temperatures get too high, development
is abnormal, and fish die after hatching.
Baker’s research could open the
doors for other scientists to work on
management strategies. Once tempera-
ture thresholds are better understood,
it could lead to prioritizing management
strategies aimed at protecting the fish.
Thanks to a $115,000 Discovery
Grant from the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of
Canada, Dr. Dan Baker, VIU Professor
and fish physiologist, is researching how
increasing temperatures are affecting
these populations. The grant also allows
Baker to train undergraduate students,
as well as two Master’s of Science
students and one PhD student to work
with him on the research project.
$115,000Discovery Grant from Natural
Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada.
About 35 per cent of attendees at
the week-long opportunity for education
and networking were undergraduate
and graduate students from around the
world who do research in polar tourism.
Students from VIU presented at the
Yukon IPTRN, and fulfilled conference
delivery support roles.
“The bi-annual event provides
a very good grounding in tourism from
diverse academic disciplines, as well
as industry and community perspectives,”
said de la Barre. “It’s a great opportunity
for students to learn and network, which
makes it an invaluable experience.”
Connection grants are awarded for
events and outreach activities that
represent opportunities to exchange
knowledge and engage on research
issues of value to the participants and
the communities in which they occur.
The IPTRN is a significant polar research
network. The sixth IPTRN conference
featured presentations and workshops
and engaged international academics,
artists, students, community members,
Yukon and other Indigenous peoples,
and the public sector on topics such as:
tourism and community related issues
and concerns, economic diversification,
VIU Professor Dr. Suzanne de la Barre was awarded a $23,485 Social Sciences and
Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Connection grant in support of her work on the sixth
annual International Polar Tourism Research Network (IPTRN) conference and community tour.
De la Barre was a primary organizer of this major event, which was held in Whitehorse and
Dawson City, Yukon, from June 22- 28, 2018.
22 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
the cultural and creative economies,
climate change, and much more.
“VIU has a rich research community,”
said Dr. Nicole Vaugeois, Associate
Vice-President, Scholarship, Research
and Creative Activity. “This connection
grant is a great example of how our
people are creating global relationships
to bring the best knowledge available
to our students, and are also among
the premier names creating that body
of knowledge.”
VIU Professor Awarded SSHRCConnection Grant for ImportantWork in Northern Canada
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 23
VIU’s Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere
Region Research Institute (MABRRI)
collaborated with the Snaw-Naw-As
Community Garden Committee to
develop a vision for the garden.
Throughout the process they also
spoke to other members of the
community during Elder lunches
and community events.
“At the beginning this project was
meant to provide an opportunity to
preserve language and knowledge
pertaining to native plant species, but
it grew into so much more, including
food security, community capacity
building, education and outreach, and
mental and therapeutic health benefits,”
said Graham Sakaki, MABRRI Research
and Community Engagement Coordinator.
Donna Edwards, Health Director of
the Snaw-Naw-As Health Centre said
creating a Garden of Spiritual Healing
was a dream of the late Snaw-Naw-As
Chief David Bob. For Edwards the
garden has created an opportunity
to connect with her Elders.
“I feel pride, especially for those
Elders who have mobility issues and
who I don’t see out too often. To see
them out and participating in this is just
A Garden of Spiritual Healing is taking root at the Snaw-Naw-As Community Health Centre
thanks to a partnership between the First Nation and VIU.
uplifting to the spirit knowing they
are coming out here,” said Edwards.
Edwards said the project has allowed
community members to access fresh
produce and offers the First Nation
opportunities to educate young people
about traditional plants.
Development of the garden will
continue over the next few years with
plans to incorporate other elements
including a smokehouse, gazebo and
a therapeutic garden space. A rainwater
capture project to ensure sustainability
is also on the table, as well as classes
about healthy cooking.
Project between VIU and Snaw-Naw-As Preserves Traditional Plant Knowledge
24 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
The five-year project involves over
120 institutions and communities across
40 countries, but VIU is the only west
coast Canadian university invited
to participate.
“As an institution, we are leaders
in the field of Aboriginal education
and are closely connected with
community partners and schools,”
said Danielle Alphonse, BC Regional
Innovation Chair in Aboriginal Early
Childhood Development and co-chair
of the project.
“We are now seeing Aboriginal
content woven into the school
curriculum,” said Dr. Rachel Moll, VIU
Professor, Faulty of Education and
co-chair. “There is still lots of learning
to do around Aboriginal knowledge,
perspectives, ways of learning and
improving diversity.”
VIU Participates in UNESCO Global Project for Education of Indigenous Youth
“The knowledge isn’t the sole
responsibility of the teachers or
educators, but it comes from the
community, the nations, and places like
VIU that give support to bridge those
barriers and create openness to
Aboriginal learners,” Alphonse added.
The research project will develop
recommendations from research
findings on how to improve the quality
of education of Indigenous youth.
As part of the UNESCO global research project, “Re-orienting Education and Training
Systems to Improve the Lives of Indigenous Youth,” VIU is examining ways in which
engaging education for sustainable development can enhance the quality of education
for local Indigenous youth.
There is a strong focus on incorporating
sustainable education by recognizing
the deep connectedness to the planet
of Aboriginal culture and traditions.
Through this project, VIU hopes
to localize the goals of the global project
by creating an Indigenous education
research network and developing
innovative teaching and learning
approaches. VIU intends to engage in
collaborative research with community
organizations to build upon each other’s
ideas and celebrate successes.
“When you change the narrative
of a deficit base and turn it around
to focus on the successes, then youth
can begin to feel more confident
about their education and pathway,”
Alphonse said.
5year project
more than
120institutions involved
40countries involved
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 25
VIU’s Adjunct Professor of Nursing
Dr. Laureen Styles and colleagues,
studied whether or not educational
intervention through an online resilience
course can increase resilience among
nursing students.
“The Justice Institute of British
Columbia created an online course
originally piloted to paramedic students
with some success, and our team
wanted to see if the same type of impact
could be seen with nursing students,”
said Styles.
The Leading with Resilience online
course is intended to give participants
the tools and insights to recognize their
own strengths to enhance resilience
in demanding and challenging work
environments.
Bachelor of Science in Nursing students
at North Island College and VIU volun-
teered to participate in the online course.
The research study was a three
step process; students took a pre-
assessment; enrolled in the online
course; and then were interviewed after
completing the course to share their
experience. They also took part in a
second survey. While the results of the
study have not been finalized, the initial
interviews indicate that participants
found the course helpful.
“The role of education is to help
prepare students for their profession.
There are three components —
knowledge, skills and attitude —
that students need to have in order
to be successful.” said Styles.
Fostering resilience is key to providing a foundation to prepare nursing students for
maintaining their mental well-being while in their profession.
“One way we can foster resilience is to
help people become more conscious of
their own resilience and what they need
or want in order to feel more confident
in their abilities.”
The next phase of this research
is anticipated to include the online
course as part of program work that
students take in first year with a goal to
study the impact of the course more fully
with larger numbers of participants.
Fostering Resilience inNursing Students
Developing
resilience can decrease the
possiblity of burnout.
26 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
To gain a better understanding
of the location and extent of GOEs
within the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere
Region (MABR), VIU’s Mount Arrowsmith
Biosphere Region Research Institute
(MABRRI) created a map database of
the locations and types of GOEs, and
to determine which locations may have
an increased level of vulnerability.
Building on the BC Ministry of
Environment’s Sensitive Ecosystem
Inventories, the project uses satellite
imagery in combination with aerial
photographs and field validation
to map their extent. VIU Geography
Professor, Dr. Hannah Wilson leads
a team of students and research
assistants in processing satellite
imagery and collecting data on location.
Discovering the Landscape of our Garry Oak Ecosystem
“So far the mapped data suggests
that the deep soil GOEs have
experienced significant losses due to
agricultural and urban development,”
said Wilson. “The shallow soil
ecosystems have been less impacted
by development but may be more
vulnerable to climate change in the
near future.”
Once the project is complete, the
student research assistants will create
a finalized map of the extent of all GOEs
within the MABR. The findings will assist
MABRRI in recognizing the extent of the
ecosystems within the boundaries so
they can better make conservation
decisions, and determine what areas
are most vulnerable.
Garry oak ecosystems (GOEs) are one of the most biodiverse ecosystems in Canada.
GOEs house seven amphibian species, 33 mammals, over 100 birds, over 700 plants,
and over 800 invertebrate species. They are also one of the most vulnerable ecosystems
due to encroachment, habitat loss, and habitat fragmentation.
over
100birds
over
700plants
over
800invertebrates
33mammals
7amphibian species
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 27
Dr. Bill Floyd, VIU Adjunct Professor
in Geography and Research Hydrologist
with the Province of BC, hopes to better
understand water and its systems
through the Coastal Hydrology and
Climate Change Research Lab. The lab
studies the variations in hydrological
processes in watersheds influenced
by rain, snow and ice.
With recent equipment advances,
the research team, including Dr. Brian
Menounos, UNBC, and Derek Heathfield,
Hakai Institute, can better map out our
ever-changing landscape using LiDAR
technology on fixed wing aircraft and
imagery from drones.
“In the past, there has been so much
uncertainty in measurements,” said Floyd.
“This technology should help us make
better decisions and reduce the conflict
associated with how we measure things.”
LiDAR, meaning “light detection and
ranging”, is used by flying airplanes
across a snow covered landscape to
send out laser light pulses toward the
ground to generate a point cloud with
a latitude, longitude and elevation.
Drones are used to take pictures in
a grid pattern over smaller scales to
create detailed 3D models of the
snow surface with centimetre accuracy.
Previously, researchers relied solely on
weather stations to continuously measure
a small area, along with monthly manual
snow depth measurements to describe
approximately 100m2. However, with
LiDAR and drone technology, entire
landscapes can now be mapped out
in just one flight.
“Where maybe we could get a
hundred snow depth measurements,
now we are capable of getting millions,”
Water – we are almost entirely made out of it and cannot survive without it, but there is still
so much to learn about this essential resource.
said Floyd. “We can finally collect
data in some really remote areas and
understand what is going on.”
The LiDAR and drone system is
assisting researchers to better under-
stand the impact climate change has
on our watersheds – and ultimately
how those changes will affect people.
“On the Island, people don’t think of
it as being snowy, but we are surrounded
by mountains,” said Floyd. “We don’t
have high mountain elevations, which
means we are more susceptible to
temperature increases as our snowmelt
will be replaced by rain.”
As data become more reliable and
widespread, researchers can make
recommendations on how best to adapt
to our changing landscapes.
Using Lasers and Drones to Uncover our Landscapes
28 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“We are re-imagining a science
or marine centre as a multi-platform
learning facility where our mobile
technology supplements the physical
space,” said Dr. Michael Hammond-Todd,
co-collaborator for the Deep Bay mobile
app research project.
The Deep Bay facility currently
includes a seawater tank farm, a
laboratory, a demonstration shellfish
farm and a research facility for shellfish
aquaculture, marine ecology and
water quality. It also includes marine
exhibitions and educational programs for
schools and surrounding communities.
“The facility is geographically remote
and educational staff is limited, so using
mobile technology could support
Deep Bay to provide more quality
educational opportunities for children,”
said Hammond-Todd.
Deep Bay Marine Field Station Goes Mobile
Hammond-Todd is working alongside
VIU Education Professor Dr. Rachel Moll,
to develop a framework for an iPad app
designed to augment on-site learning
at the marine facility. The app aims
to encourage school-aged children
to discover and learn about marine
life through interactive activities.
For example, children will read about
and see photos of different shellfish
on the iPad, then be asked to identify
what shellfish they see in the displays
and speak to a facilitator about their
answers. After exploring the app, real-life
attractions will continue the dialogue.
Researchers with VIU’s Deep Bay Marine Field Station and community partners are
investigating how mobile device technology can be used to support real-life exploration.
“There is a lot of value in using
mobile device applications to encourage
more real-life exploration,” said
Hammond-Todd. “We are hoping that
if this app is successful, we could
co-author with Deep Bay to create
a beachcomber app.”
The beachcomber app would
explore citizen-based science where
participants could identify shellfish
on the beaches and share their
discoveries with Deep Bay for a
deeper understanding.
The facility is geographically remote and educational staff is limited, so using
mobile technology could support Deep Bay to provide more quality
educational opportunities for children.
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 29
With the help of volunteers, 400
Canada geese have received a white
collar on their neck, which displays
three numbers and the letter P.
The geese also received metal leg
bands for better cross-border tracking.
“Banding the birds allows us to get
a population estimate and discover
migration habits which helps shape
management strategies,” said Pearce.
Pearce does roving counts of
the collared birds, but said public
participation is crucial to the success
of the project. People are encouraged
to report sightings on the VIU Canada
Goose Project website, wordpress.viu.ca/
gooseproject.
VIU Alumnus Tracking Migration Habits of Canada GeeseStew Pearce, a VIU alumnus, has been monitoring the migration habits of Canada geese
through the VIU Canada Goose Project that started as part of his undergraduate research.
He is now working under contract with the City of Nanaimo to build upon what he learned.
Dr. Eric Demers, a VIU biology professor
said gauging population numbers
and migration habits are important
to help with management strategies.
“You can’t manage something if you
don’t know how many there are or
where they go. It’s like trying to
manage a moving target,” said Demers.
Most Canada geese in the
Departure Bay area are resident
geese which typically have higher
breeding success because they don’t
spend energy migrating. The geese
found in the Nanaimo River Estuary
seem to be more migratory.
Managing Canada geese populations
is becoming increasingly important
as more conflicts arise between birds
and humans.
Rising population levels are impacting
sensitive ecosystems such as the
Nanaimo River Estuary because Canada
geese rip out plants by the roots, which
can cause soil erosion. Sports fields,
where Canada geese graze, can also
be damaged and users don’t want to
play on fields with goose droppings.
Geese can also damage agricultural
crops by eating seedlings, leaves
or stalks.
400Canada geese
have been banded for migration
tracking
30 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
The partnerships develop scholarly connections through meaningful student involvement in community-based applied research.
The projects also respond to community needs and promote innovation and sustainability with a particular focus on supporting
Indigenous communities and projects.
The RIF fund provides grants of up to $20,000 for a one-year research project, with additional matched funds between VIU and
the community partners. The fund is intended to empower students to get involved in community-based applied research. So far,
the RIF has supported VIU faculty to collaborate with 29 community partners and more than 250 students to develop projects that
provide opportunities to make informed decisions for the growth and resilience of key economic sectors on Vancouver Island.
The Regional Initiatives Fund (RIF)The Regional Initiatives Fund (RIF) is a partnership between VIU and the Province of BC
to support communities on Vancouver Island to collaborate on projects that contribute
to the intellectual capital in the region.
Since the fund was announced in March 2017, over
$880,00017 projects
has been allocated to support
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 31
“A vibrant forage fish population
means a healthy oceanic ecosystem,”
said Haley Tomlin, Project Coordinator
of VIU’s Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere
Region Research Institute (MABRRI).
“Understanding the spawning habitat
of forage fish will help us to determine
which areas of the coastline are in need
of attention — regarding the creation
and implementation of policy and
management strategies.”
In November 2017, Dr. John Morgan,
VIU Professor of Resource Management
and Protection, and the MABRRI team
were provided funding by VIU to
undertake the Forage Fish Spawning
Habitat Monitoring Project. The principal
objectives of the project were to
generate spawning habitat predictive
Foraging for Answers under the Sea
mapping for the southeastern corner
of Vancouver Island; train students to
collect sediment samples in search of
forage fish embryos; engage with and
train local organizations and First Nations
to also collect samples, and build the
capacity of this project. Participants also
attended the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem
Conference in Seattle, Washington.
VIU aims to understand where
the spawning habitat exists in the
region using the same methods that
Washington State uses – the Vortex
Method.
Since receiving training in November,
MABRRI’s research team has been
sampling beaches, primarily within the
Parksville-Qualicum Beach region.
So far, 14 beaches have been sampled,
spanning the coastlines from Bowser
to Nanaimo. “Of those 14, there are
four sites that had forage fish embryos
identified within the beach sediments
we collected,” said Tomlin.
In partnership with the World Wildlife
Fund, MABRRI produced a total of
40 predictive maps for the entire
southeastern coastline of Vancouver
Island as well as many Gulf Islands;
the model used was developed by
Coastal and Ocean Resources.
The research team hopes to expand
upon their knowledge by including
citizen scientists along the Vancouver
Island and Gulf Island coastlines.
Forage fish are small pelagic fish that are preyed on by larger predators. They are an integral
part of the marine ecosystem as a result of the significant amount of energy they transfer to
their predators when consumed.
THE REGIONAL INITIATVES FUND (RIF)
32 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“Proper management of groundwater
resources requires sound understanding
of surface and subsurface water flow,”
said Dr. Jerome Lesemann, VIU
Professor of Earth Sciences.
VIU’s faculty members Lesemann,
Dr. Jeff Lewis, and Dr. Alan Gilchrist
partnered with the Regional District of
Nanaimo (RDN), RBC Foundation, and
75 VIU students, to learn about aquifer
mapping and surface-subsurface water
interactions for improved groundwater
management in the Nanaimo Lowlands
and Vancouver Island.
This RIF-supported project analysed
groundwater resources to better
understand the physical parameters that
control the availability and flow of water
underground. Using the data collected,
researchers can determine the areas
needing protection from contaminants.
Bringing the Water Underneath Us to the Surface
“We are interested in gaining a
better understanding of areas where
groundwater is recharged by surface
water,” said Lesemann. “To do this,
we are trying to improve the availability
of data on surface flow, recharge
areas tied to land use, and subsurface
geological conditions.”
The research project also focuses
on determining the types of subsurface
materials and their architecture below
the surface. This involves geophysical
surveys, analysis of borehole data, and
the development of geological models
of the subsurface.
The students who are participating
in the project are VIU geology and
geography students from undergraduate
courses, directed studies courses, and
a Master’s of Geographic Information
Systems student.
The project is scheduled to be
completed in the fall of 2018. The RDN
can then use the information collected
to better define groundwater recharge
areas and understand how aquifers
that are mapped as distinct systems
may be connected.
Understanding the availability and flow of underground water is crucial to those in the
Nanaimo Lowlands who use well water as their water supply.
THE REGIONAL INITIATVES FUND (RIF)
VIU faculty along with
75students are learning how to improve groundwater
management in NanaimoLowlands and
Vancouver Island
Faculty Member Project Title Funding Allocated
Matched Funding
VIU in-kind Matching
Number ofStudents Involved
Community Partners
May 2017
Rob FergusonDeveloping a visitor profile and exploring resident perceptions of tourism development for Bella Bella, BC
$20,000 $20,000 $20,000 3 Heiltsuk Tribal Council (Bella Bella)
Mark Holland and Dr. Miko Betanzo
Denman village community design charrette and village enhancement plan $5,000 $5,000 $5,000 20 Denman Island Local Trust
Committee
Dr. Jerome Lesemann
Surface-subsurface aquifer mapping and hydrometerological characterization for improved groundwater management and policy in the Nanaimo lowlands, Vancouver Island, BC
$20,000 $20,000 $20,000 106 Regional District of Nanaimo, RBC Foundation
John PredykEvaluation of the Économusée business model’s provincial/regional economic impacts and improvement in client satisfaction
$20,040 $27,400 $20,040 2
Societe de development economique de la Colombie- Britannique, Économusée BC Artisans at Work
Dr. Pamela Shaw Linley Valley park plan, trail assessment, and public engagement strategy $17,740 $17,740 $17,740 7 City of Nanaimo
Leslie Sundby, Dr. Pamela Shaw, Lynn Rollison, Les Malbon, Graham Sakaki, and Monica Shore
Snaw-Naw-As Garden of Spiritual Healing $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 17
Timber West, TD Friends of the Environment Foundation, Home Depot Canada Foundation, Island Health Community Wellness Program, Rite on Time Excavating, Island Timberlands, Cloverdale Paint
October 2017
Dr. Dan Baker Thermal plasticity of larval stages of West Coast Salmonids $20,000 $23,000 $20,000 4 NSERC
Dr. Miko Betanzo District of Ucluelet: Official community plan revision project $20,000 $40,000 $20,000 3 District of Ucluelet
Dr. Mathew BowesBarriers and benefits to bio-diesel use in commercial, industrial, and government vehicle fleets in the Regional District of Nanaimo
$10,678 $10,500 $10,678 15 Cowichan Bio-Diesel Co-op
Dr. Erik Krogh Regional air quality mapping pilot project $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 2
Cash Sponsors: BC Ministry of Environment, Regional District ofNanaimo, Comox Valley Regional District, Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District, City of Nanaimo – In-kind sponsors: Applied Environmental Research Laboratories, Centre for Coastal Health, Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Regional Research Institute, Advanced Diploma GIS
Dr. John Morgan Forage fish habitat restoration project $11,425 $11,425 $11,425 7 Nature Trust of British Columbia and WWF-Canada
Spencer Russell Tenacibaculum bacteria from farmed Atlantic salmon in Vancouver Island waters $11,000 $11,000 $11,000 10 Marine Harvest Canada
Dr. Pamela Shaw The City of Parksville’s open space and trails master plan $20,000 $37,000 $20,000 28 City of Parksville
May 2018
Dr. Jamie Gorrell Genomic diversity and relatedness in captive and wild Vancouver Island marmots $20,000 $20,000 $20,000 1 NSERC Discovery Grant, Vancouver
Island Marmot Recovery Centre
Dr. Pamela Shaw Campbell River – Campbelton neighbourhood project $14,440 $20,800 $14,400 9 City of Campbell River
Joanne Schroeder Gold River tourism strategic plan $7,900 $10,000 $7,900 7 Village of Gold River
Mark Holland Malahat First Nation project: Part 1 $15,000 $20,000 $15,000 12 Malahat First Nation Project: Part 1
TOTAL: 273,223 333,865 273,223 253 29 partners
TOTAL LEVERAGING FUNDING 880,331
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 33
THE REGIONAL INITIATVES FUND (RIF)
34 | 2017-18 VIU Research Report
“Canada is a country that has quietly
become the third largest country in the
world for video game development,
based on payroll of those working in the
sector, only behind the US and Japan,”
Dr. Mark Williams, VIU Professor of
Political Studies.
Canada is home to 500 studios that
directly employ over 20,000 full-time
workers and contribute over $3 billion
to Canada’s annual gross domestic
product (GDP).
Employing 1,000 staff at any given
time, the Burnaby-based studio, EA
Games, is the largest video game
company in the nation.
Williams and VIU students investigated
why this growing industry has made such
a profound impact in British Columbia.
“The purpose of this research
was to investigate the role of public
The ‘Player 3’ of the Video Game IndustryIn the early 1970s, Pong was released as one of the first video games. Fast forward 40 years,
and gamers are stepping into realistic adventures through virtual reality. The video game industry
is rapidly challenging technology, and Canada is at the forefront of these developments.
policy in the sector of video game
development in British Columbia,”
said Williams. “We hope to discern
through structured and semi-structured
interviews, the perspectives on public
policy held by members of BC’s video
game community.”
The focus of public policy relates to
the two major sets of tax credits video
game development studios can apply for:
The Scientific Research and Experimental
Design (SR&ED) tax credit, and the
Interactive Digital Media Tax Credit
(IDMTC). Although largely beneficial, the
SR&ED credit is difficult for most studios
to achieve due to the requirements.
The BC provincial IDMTC seemed to be
more significant for companies as the
credit gives studios up to 17.5 per cent tax
deductible on labor expenses, and the
incentive is not conditional on qualified
work. As 90 per cent of revenue comes
from only about 10 per cent of projects
worked on, the IDMTC supports
companies to hire and retain staff.
Due to the growth of the industry,
provincial governments are competing
for studio space – and the tax dollars
that come with it. Studio managers
voiced the importance of having
guaranteed provincial tax credits for
the long-term and working together
to create a harmonized tax credit level
between provinces.
Researchers discovered that
a lot of smaller BC studios were
deeply rooted in their communities,
and regardless of public policy, would
still choose to operate their businesses
in BC.
$3 billion dollar
industry
“Knowledge knows no jurisdictional boundaries. Important discoveries
and insights are gained when researchers from different international
contexts engage in projects with one another,” said Dr. Nicole Vaugeois,
Associate Vice-President of VIU’s Scholarship, Research and Creative
Activity.
VIU has signed onto a consortium of Canadian institutions called
CALAREO to promote research opportunities for graduate students
from Latin America. Six universities across Canada have signed into
the agreement.
“CALAREO will ensure that VIU is promoted as
a place for graduate students in Latin American
countries to come and engage in research
initiatives,” said Vaugeois. “As VIU expands its
graduate programs, this will help us to attract
diverse students and it will also provide
opportunities for VIU faculty to partner with
universities in Latin America on collaborative
projects that train the next generation in research.”
The partnership with CALAREO will result
in building meaningful connections between
VIU and Latin America graduate students, and
work collectively on discovering and expanding
on research.
CALAREOAs a student-centred community institution, VIU
prides itself on being an inclusive environment
for students around the world. The unique
perspective international students bring with their
cultural experience provides insight and diversity
amongst the campuses.
CALAREO aims to:
1 Encourage, facilitate, and support student mobility between Canadian
and Latin American member institutions.
2 Establish a scholarship program to allow Latin American students
to study at the partner Canadian member institutions.
3 Encourage, facilitate, and support research collaborations between
Canadian and Latin American member institutions.
4 Encourage partnerships that result in national and international grants
to enhance research collaborations and training of graduate and
undergraduate students between Canadian and Latin American
member institutions.
The CALAREO initiative will elevate funding for Latin American
graduate students as well.
2017-18 VIU Research Report | 35
14%of VIU students are international
VANCOUVER ISLAND UNIVERSITY
Key Funding SourcesVancouver Island University faculty and students could not
participate as actively as we do in research and scholarly activity
without the support of our research grant funding agencies.
We would like to publicly thank and acknowledge their continued
support. Below are some of the key groups which have funded
projects in this fiscal year.
Recognition Guidelines
Name
Please refer to the Foundation ONLY in either of the following ways (i.e. NOT BC Real Estate Foundation):
Real Estate Foundation of British Columbia OR Real Estate Foundation of BC
The following statements can be used in media releases, articles and verbal announcements to acknowledge the Real Estate Foundation of BC as a source of funding for your project.
Vision: To support land use and real estate practices that contribute to resilient, healthy communities and natural environments.
What we do: The Real Estate Foundation is a philanthropic organization that helps advance sustainable land use in British Columbia. We provide grants to non-profit organizations working to improve BC communities through responsible and informed land use, conservation and real estate practices.
Current grant program focus areas are: Sustainable Land Use, Sustainable Built Environment, Freshwater Sustainability, Local and Sustainable Food Systems, and Professional Excellence in Real Estate.
How we do it: The Real Estate Foundation has grant programs that support projects by non-profit organizations that fit its mandate and funding criteria. The Foundation also:• Provides information to people and organizations to help them advance their non-profit, land use related work;• Convenes stakeholders to hold meaningful conversations and share information on BC land use issues;• Partners with other organizations on real estate and land use related initiatives.
Governance: The Real Estate Foundation of BC is directed by a board of seven members. Governors are appointed by the British Columbia Real Estate Association, Real Estate Council of British Columbia, Real Estate Institute of British Columbia, the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and the BC Minister of Finance (3).
History: The Real Estate Foundation of BC was established in 1985. It is a non-profit corporation regulated by the Real Estate Services Act (BC). (It is not a government body.)
Income: According to the Real Estate Services Act, the Real Estate Foundation receives interest from pooled funds held in trust by real estate firms. We invest that money, and give it back to the community through our grant program.
Grants: Since 1988, the Real Estate Foundation has approved over $74 million in grants for projects across British Columbia.
Public Relations Information
For more information, or to discuss ideas for publicizing your project, please feel free to contact Stephanie Butler, Communications Coordinator - tel 604.343.2620 | toll free 1.866.912.6800 ext 101 | [email protected]
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