Polar Knowledge Canada

Did you know that Cambridge Bay is located on a craton?

This means that there is no risk of major earthquakes happening in Cambridge Bay. Still, understanding the larger geology and faulting associated with the region is valuable in many ways, and especially exploratory processes.

This is why Dr. Riddhi Dave, from the National Geological Survey of Canada and Environment and Natural Resources in Canada, visited Cambridge Bay: to install a seismic station under the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.

This station will join a collection seismic stations across north-western Canada, collecting earthquake data, or 'teleseismic' events.

"These stations help us understand the faulting near the crust… it gives us a better understanding of the lithospheric mantle in northwestern Canada"

One of the primary ways this data is used is to determine earthquake risk.

Dr. Dave is a lithospheric architect and research scientist. She uses data such as that from the CHARS seismic station to understand the thermal and compositional structure of the lithospheric mantle and crust.

As for this collection of seismic stations, Dr. Dave is looking for critical minerals: rare earth metals that will help Canada transition towards ‘greener energy’.

📷 Emiko Wijeysundera

🌿🔬 Some key minerals are needed by wildlife and humans in very small amounts but are crucial for optimal health. These are called trace minerals.

In our region, several populations of muskoxen and caribou have been found to have trace mineral deficiencies. This can impact animal health, make them more vulnerable to disease, and inhibit reproductive productivity.

Exciting news! A visiting researcher’s team from the University of Calgary is at to investigate the availability of these trace minerals in Arctic landscapes and pinpoint the sources of these deficiencies.

Together with a local research technician, the team is conducting plant abundance surveys and collecting plant and soil samples across various habitats.

"Since the mineral content of plants can change throughout the growing season, we’ll take samples during three phases of the plant life cycle: new growth, maturity, and senescence. We will process the samples at CHARS before shipping them to the University of Calgary for mineral analysis." – Will Justus, PhD Student, UCalgary - Kutz Research Group | Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

Check back for updates on their collection process!

📷 Elise Imbeau

There’s nothing like a sunny Arctic day, and being surrounded by Saxifraga Tricuspidata (commonly referred to as Prickly Saxifrage, or Three Toothed Saxifrage) and taking sweet photos of moss!

Our POLAR moss expert Erin Cox is in her element along the shoreline with her camera, snapping and sampling the amazing flora that Ikaluktutiak has to offer! She is busy building a reference collection of plants found on Victoria Island!

that a person who studies moss is called a Bryologist?

📷 Arina Nikolaeva

“If it hadn’t been for Brandon Langan in the community, we never would have known it was there.”

For thousands of years, a species of marine fish called the Fourhorn Sculpin or Kanayok, has lived along the Arctic coastline.

In rare cases, this marine fish has invaded freshwater habitats, including high Arctic lakes.

This is the subject that Dr. Nathan Lovejoy and his students from the University of Toronto are studying.

When they visited Cambridge Bay, on Victoria Island, Nunavut, they were hoping to find proof that the Fourhorn Sculpin was living in lakes. Brandon Langan from Cambridge Bay had generously provided a photograph of a sculpin that he found in a Lake Trout, which helped the researchers narrow their search. Working with the assistance of the Ekaluktutiak Hunters & Trappers Organization, CHARS technicians, and Viventem Science Support Agency, the researchers used traps to survey two lakes and found their Fourhorn Sculpin!

Why is this finding important? Well, simply put, understanding the conditions of the lake and its health helps track whether environmental changes are affecting the life within it. Their next steps including DNA barcoding and further assessment!

📷 Elise Imbeau

Step 4 for a successful camp: Have fun!

Back in June, Dr. Shoshanah Jacobs and Dr. Daniel Gillis of the University of Guelph, along with Dr. Jonathan Goldner and Ph.D. Candidate Dani Nowosad spent a week on the land with local Cambridge Bay youth.

The outcome? Smiles all around!

July 24th is International Self-Care Day, and our friends at Statistics Canada have put together a great list of activities to help feel great. Two of which these students did on their trip: Spend time outdoors, and go camping!

Check out the article here: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/o1/en/plus/6662-take-care-self-care-self-care-day

📷 Elise Imbeau

The freshwater biodiversity workshop, referred to as "What's in the water?" by facilitator and PhD. candidate Dani Nowosad, is a Nuna Buddies activity that was supported by folks from the camp.

Last year, Dani donated the activity materials to the Kitikmeot Friendship Society, who run the Nuna Buddies youth day camp, so that they could do the activity in all five communities where they offer the camp. Through KFS, this activity has been offered 4 times in Cambridge Bay over the last few years!

Dani says "It is so wonderful to see youth from previous years participating in the workshop, I often encourage them to take the lead in teaching the other campers how to collect freshwater bugs and use the microscopes."

This year another small activity was included, where the kids took petri dishes onto the tundra outside and collect items that were of interest. They then looked at their collections under the microscopes and got close-up views of spiders, lichens, flowers, and more!

What a fun collaboration between the Kitikmeot Friendship Society, Nuna Buddies, the University of Guelph, and Polar Knowledge Canada!

📷 Elise Imbeau

Check out the visiting researchers from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi !

Their goal is to better understand the lakes and rivers in coastal Inuit Nunangat and how they respond to climate change.

They will specifically study how thawing permafrost affects the transfer of energy in food webs due to increased carbon and nutrients. Their research includes experiments and comparative analysis in culturally sensitive freshwater ecosystems on southern Victoria Island, using long-term Indigenous data to guide their study selection.

This project has been been going on since 2014 making it one of the longest-term freshwater projects in the Canadian Arctic and a unique contributor of baseline ecological information on Arctic freshwaters!

📷 Elise Imbeau

Everyone got a little taste of what's growing in the greenhouse dome during the recent open house at !

Daphnée and Élizabeth from Université Laval invited the community of Cambridge Bay to a taste-test of what's currently growing in the dome and it was a huge success. A first of many yummy things to come!

Do you recognize the plants in the first photo? Would you give them a taste?

📷 Elise Imbeau & Brodie Larocque

Step 3 for a successful camp: learning new skills!

Today is World Youth Skills Day, and to celebrate, we're sharing another amazing activity from the recent youth camp in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. Dr. Shoshanah Jacobs and Dr. Daniel Gillis of the University of Guelph, accompanied by Dr. Jonathan Goldner and Ph.D. Candidate Dani Nowosad took to the lakes and river with local youth to learn about water safety, canoeing, kayaking, and how to look cool.

The Secretary General of the UN sums up the importance of today, saying "Around the world, young people are already working to build safer and stronger communities. They can make an even bigger difference for our shared future with training for the burgeoning green and digital economies, education to help break the cycle of hate speech and misinformation, tools to enhance mediation and dialogue, and so much more.

Today, and every day, let’s work to transform education.

And let’s ensure that youth have what they need to build skills for shaping a more peaceful, sustainable future for all."

is the definition of transforming education: to make it fun, to make it useful, to make it accessible.

📷 Brodie Larocque

Visiting researcher from the Korea Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) were at to take measurements to try to understand how much greenhouse gas is exchanged between the atmosphere and permafrost, and how terrestrial ecosystem structure and processes change under future climate scenarios.

They hope to understand ecosystem changes in response to climate change.

Check them out at work!

📷 Brodie Larocque

Canada and the United States will work together to advance Arctic research and knowledge.

The Members of the Board of Directors of Polar Knowledge Canada and the Commissioners of the US Arctic Research Commission USARC met at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, on June 4 and 5, 2024. Both organizations have mandates from their respective national governments to provide leadership in Arctic research and science. Officials from the US National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs also joined the meeting.

Discussions covered topics of mutual interest with the goal of further aligning key bilateral priorities and future collaboration opportunities, including how to fully involve Northern and Indigenous Peoples in the direction and conduct of Arctic research.

Participants also met with local Elders, elected officials and community members in Cambridge Bay, to improve knowledge sharing.

The Polar Knowledge Canada Board and US Arctic Research Commissioners committed to furthering collaborations on: permafrost research, modelling and adaptation; data sharing; and communications and public information.

Read the joint statement here: https://ow.ly/SUO850Sy9Jo

📷 Brodie Larocque

JOB OPPORTUNITY WITH POLAR!

Are you an experienced administrative professional with Human Resources experience? Polar Knowledge Canada is looking for an experienced Human Resources Program Analyst (AS-05).

Are you looking for a change? Do you want to be part of a great team and work in a small organization? As a separate employer, POLAR has flexibility in how it manages HR programs. POLAR’s rates of pay and pension contribution is the same as the core public service, therefore your pension, dental and medical benefits will transfer to POLAR.

SALARY RANGING FROM $96,235 TO $104,044

This position is bilingual (CBC/CBC) and is located in Ottawa, Ontario or Cambridge Bay, Nunavut.

WE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS:
• Experience in leading Human Resources programs
• Experience in co-ordinating projects
• Experience working with MyGCHR, Phoenix, and/or PeopleSoft
• Experience coordinating compensation services
• Experience developing and maintaining dashboards and presentations
• Experience in working with Northern communities is an asset

Submit your resume and a cover letter explaining, in detail, how you meet all the job requirements, by email at: [email protected]

Perks of the job (for those who will be located in Cambridge Bay only):
• Vacation travel allowance given twice a year for you and your dependants
• Flexible work schedule at the new state-of-the-art CHARS campus
• Relocation assistance and crown housing may be available
• Training and mentorship opportunities
• Progressive range of health benefits including medical and dental

As an HR Program Analyst you will be responsible for administering several HR Programs such as Performance Management and Awards and Recognition at Polar Knowledge Canada. You will also work with HR Systems to create reports and dashboards that will be used to brief senior management. In this role you may also be required to provide briefings or information sessions to staff.

Happy Nunavut Day!

Join us and all Nunavummiut in marking the signing of the Nunavut Agreement and the Nunavut Act on July 9, 1993, which led to the creation of Nunavut 25 years ago.

At POLAR, we are so thankful to work and live on this beautiful land.

Meet POLAR's Fellowship recipients!

Polar Knowledge Canada is delighted to announce funding for five post-doctoral candidates with fellowships of $50,000 each to conduct research at Northern colleges and universities in Nunavut, Yukon and the Northwest Territories.

The Polar Knowledge Canada Fellowship Program supports projects that work across disciplines and connect multiple knowledge holders and knowledge systems, and that contribute to Northern scientific and Indigenous community priorities.

Congratulations to:

Kevin Erratt
Project Title: Permafrost thaw as a potential driver of unforeseen cyanobacteria blooms in Canada's North.

Carla Johnston
Project Title: Sharing Knowledge and building relationships for fuel break food forests.

Rebecca Lee
Project Title: Geohazard mapping for the future of Arctic communities.

Jean Holloway
Project Title: Inuit Qaujisarnirmut Pilirijjutit on Arctic shipping risks in Inuit Nunangat.

Tara Howatt
Project Title: Utilizing autonomous underwater vehicles to understand and address oceanographic and ship noise impacts on whale distribution in the Canadian Arctic.

Read the news release here:

https://www.canada.ca/en/polar-knowledge/news/2024/07/polar-knowledge-canada-invests-250k-in-postdoctoral-fellowships-to-advance-knowledge-of-the-arctic.html

Can’t wait to see the new shirts! Please come by CHARS anytime - especially when the weather isn’t ideal! 🌧️

Step 2 for a successful camping trip: setting up camp!

​Dr. Shoshanah Jacobs and Dr. Daniel Gillis of the University of Guelph set up their Eureka tents, while Dr. Jonathan Goldner (sporting a versatile, yet fashionable Arc'teryx jacket!), and Ph.D. Candidate Dani Nowosad had a little help from a furry friend setting up their gear.

With this step of the week complete, the group was ready to welcome Cambridge Bay students for the week!

📷 Brodie Larocque

In May 2024, Manito Média - Media RendezVous was in Cambridge Bay to film a special Arctic episode of the French documentary series La Faune Connectée. The show explores the work of different biologists around Canada.

Manito Media followed biologists Jean-Sebastien Moore and Veronique Dubos from the Université Laval, Matt Gilbert of the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Les Harris of Fisheries and Oceans Canada while they conducted their research in the Kitikmeot region of Nunavut, and at .

Seen below: a fishing trip with local students that will be featured in season 3 of the documentary series!

https://ici.tou.tv/la-faune-connectee

📷 Elise Imbeau

Happy Canada Day! 🍁

There are so many ways to celebrate Canada! Wherever you are, you can mark July 1st in a way that reflects your values and celebrate what represents you and your community.

Check out our artist's rendering of life at !

✍️‍🎨Elise Imbeau

Step 1 for a successful camping trip: the perfect location.

For ​Dr. Shoshanah Jacobs and Dr. Daniel Gillis of the University of Guelph, alongside Dr. Jonathan Goldner, and Ph.D. Candidate Dani Nowosad, the perfect location happened to be in Ovayok Territorial Park at the base of the mountain.

The adult and student campers, with a furry friend or two, departed Cambridge Bay to set up camp by the lake in June 2024.

Check out their beautiful spot below!

📷 Elise Imbeau & Brodie Larocque

We hope to see all those in Cambridge Bay there tomorrow!

Spring is in the air for Élizabeth and Daphnée from the Université Laval .

These two and their four green thumbs have been busy collecting local plants to study and observe back at in the greenhouse dome.

The beautiful flowers below, Purple Saxifrage, are the official flower of Nunavut and can be used to make syrup!

📷 Elise Imbeau

Passing the Mic, Part 1 — Nunavut’s viral TikTok Mayor Lenny Aqigiaq Panigayak In the first of three episodes from Taloyoak, podcast host David McGuffin speaks with Mayor Lenny Panigayak, who shares stories about embracing traditional Inuit life, his social media platform, being out on the land and more

Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day.

On this day, we recognize and celebrate the history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit and Métis across Canada.

Did you know that in this years' design, the eagle represents First Nations, the narwhal represents Inuits, and the violin represents Métis?

The Canadian High Arctic Research Station is located on Inuit land (or "nuna") and we are grateful to the community and for the resources available to us and our collaborators while conducting important Arctic research.

Fishing day with Fisheries and Oceans Canada !

Out on Greiner Lake in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, these researchers are taking a multidisciplinary approach to studying the migration of lake trout, which helps them understand why the fish use certain habitats. This research contributes to a detailed view of how environmental changes might affect the lake trout in Greiner Lake. The work aims to predict the impacts of long-term stressors on these, and other fish.

that warming water temperatures, changes in oxygen levels, and even ship traffic can have an effect on these fish?

📷 Elise Imbeau

In a project funded by Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED), three antennas were installed at in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, to test a satellite communications innovation developed by SpaceBridge.

The innovation could be used to provide Internet broadband access, as well as for low-latency direct voice calls between communities in the Arctic!

Explore the success of the Canadian Ranger Ocean Watch (CROW), a collaborative effort by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Canadian Rangers! 🤝

🛷 ❄️ combines the transportation and observation skills of with the scientific expertise of DFO to monitor the southern Northwest Passage. This unique partnership ensures year-round data collection in challenging conditions, reducing travel costs with local expertise.

Learn more about CROW initiative here: 👉 https://www.canada.ca/fr/savoir-polaire/publications/aqhaliat/volume-4/fiches-dinformation.html?utm_campaign=aqhaliat&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_content=infosheets



📷 Mike Dempsey

On October 25 at Real Property Institute of Canada’s 2023 Real Property National Workshop, POLAR received the excellence in engagement and partnerships with indigenous peoples award!

This award highlights excellency in the way we engaged and partnered with Indigenous communities for the design, construction, and operation of the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.

See all 2023 Real Property Award winners here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiWk8e_0wRY