Metal concentrations in sediment and two species of freshwater fish (lake trout [Salvelinus namaycush], and grayling [Thymallus arcticus) were examined in four Arctic lakes in Alaska. Concentrations of several metals were naturally high in the sediment relative to uncontaminated lakes in other Arctic regions and more temperate locations. For example, concentrations of Hg and Ni were 175 ng/g and 250 ng/g dry weight, respectively, in Feniak Lake surface sediment. If any anthropogenic enrichment has occurred, it is not distinguishable from background variability based on surface sediment to down core comparisons. With the exception of Hg, the site rank order of metal concentrations (Cu, Cd, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in sediment and freshwater fish tissue among lakes is not consistent. This suggests that a number of physical, chemical, and physiological parameters mediate metal bioavailability and uptake in these systems. Maximum concentrations of most metals in fish from this study are equal to or higher than those collected from remote Arctic lakes and rivers in Canada, Finland, and Russia. Muscle Hg concentrations in excess of 1 μg/g wet weight were observed in lake trout from Fenink Lake, which has no identified Hg source other than naturally Hg enriched sediments. Fish diet seems to influence some heavy metal burdens, as evidenced by the higher concentrations of some metals in lake trout compared to grayling, and differences among lakes for lake trout. Cadmium, Cu, and Zn burdens were higher in lakes where snails were consumed by trout compared to lakes without snails.

In Canada, many remote communities rely on diesel power for the majority of their energy needs, which can cause negative ecological and health impacts while limiting economic development. Bifacial photovoltaics present an alternative to diesel power. With high average latitudes, these communities show potential for large bifacial gains due to high albedo caused by snow and a high fraction of diffuse light; however, high-latitude conditions deviate from standard test conditions, with low average temperatures, light incident from many directions, and high average air masses, resulting in increased energy yield prediction uncertainty. This thesis describes the performance of bifacial silicon heterojunction cells and modules under high-latitude operating conditions, including high angles of incidence and high air masses. Optical losses in the cell and module are described, and module characteristics are incorporated in DUET, the SUNLAB's energy yield prediction software, as an incidence angle modifier and air mass modifier. The percentage change in energy yield when considering air mass is shown to increase with increasing latitude: for a single-axis-tracked installation, the annual difference in energy yield is 0.5% in a low-latitude location (33°N), and more than 2.5% in a high-latitude location (69°N). Air mass correction is demonstrated to improve energy yield prediction accuracy compared to the absence of spectral correction. This work improves energy yield prediction accuracy for high-latitude locations, facilitating adoption of solar energy in diesel-dependent remote communities in Canada and abroad.

No description available.

No description available.

Marine tourism in the Canadian Arctic is a rapidly growing industry. The discovery of two shipwrecks, the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, in 2014 and 2016 was a monumental and historic moment in Canada. It is anticipated that their discovery will stimulate tourism demand and development opportunities in and around Gjoa Haven, Nunavut - the community that is nearest to the wreck's sites. The community of Gjoa Haven played a critical role in the discovery of the shipwrecks by participating in explorations and offering historical Inuit knowledge of the region and of relevant oral histories. The community will be co-managing the Wrecks of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site (WET NHS) with the federal government agency, Parks Canada and as such will have an influential role in the site's development and management. This study examined Arctic tourism development through various perspectives (i.e. residents' of Gjoa Haven and potential tourists) to achieve the overarching research aim of better understanding the current and potential future state of tourism within the region. This research sought to address several important research and knowledge gaps including: 1) a lack of baseline data on the current state of the marine tourism industry and marine tourism patterns and trends in the Canadian Arctic; 2) the absence of a comprehensive collection of community perspectives on Arctic tourism development; 3) in-depth understanding of the factors that influence, are contributing to and/or acting as a barrier to Arctic tourism development; and 4) a complete absence of information on potential tourists' desired visitor experiences, and motivations for visiting the region and the Franklin Wrecks. This thesis achieves four key research objectives, including: 1) Identifying temporal and spatial marine tourism trends in Inuit Nunangat; 2) Exploring Gjoa Haven residents' perspectives on tourism development around the Wrecks of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site; 3) Understanding the underlying factors influencing tourism development around the Wrecks of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror National Historic Site; and 4) Exploring visitor experience desires for the Franklin Wrecks sites. To achieve these objectives, several mixed methods were utilized including GIS and spatial analysis, semi-structured interviews, and surveys. Key results of the research efforts reveal that the there is potential for the Franklin Wrecks to become a tourism destination as there is a growing cruise industry, demand from highly motivated potential tourists and a strong desire from the community of Gjoa Haven to engage in tourism development. Marine tourism voyages and related shore activity has been steadily increasing in the region; however, the results indicate that the industry is still in its infancy as 150 unique on-shore locations have been advertised to tourists from 2008 to 2019 with a minimum of 44 different on-shore locations advertised each season. Further, there is demand from highly motivated potential tourists to visit the region and engage in Franklin related tourism experiences but the current cost, access to the region and available infrastructure were acknowledged as potential limiting factors. Residents of Gjoa Haven who participated in this study recognized that there are significant benefits and opportunities associated with tourism related development but also understood that there are factors influencing this development (e.g., tourism resources, access, infrastructure, and capacity). It is paramount that any tourism development in the region is community driven and sustainable with clear residual benefits to the community itself. Inuit and Northerners' must be involved in the entire tourism planning process and be at the forefront of any management plans. Ensuring tourism development is realized in a sustainable and self-determined manner and examining the potential of the Franklin Wrecks as a tourism destination requires a significant understanding of tourism patterns, community perspectives, factors influencing tourism development and potential tourists' desired experiences. This research achieved this by contributing to the academic literature on tourism development but by also providing the community of Gjoa Haven and the region of Inuit Nunangat with comprehensive baseline data. The findings from this thesis can be utilized by the region (i.e., Inuit Nunangat) and community (i.e., Gjoa Haven) to ensure self-determined and sustainable tourism development.

Today, more people have the opportunity to travel which means that more places need to raise awareness that they exist. In the global world that we live in today, competition among places are growing. This means that places need to work on their marketing to create a unique and special image that reaches out through all the noise. This study aims to investigate why a special image is chosen, in this case why the destination Swedish Lapland have chosen to market a region in north of Sweden as an artic destination. The study also aims to investigate what is included in the concept of an artic destination and what is comprehended in an artic lifestyle, which also is a theme that is used in the marketing of the region. Are there any challenges by using the artic and artic lifestyle concept in the marketing and what consequences can it entail? To answer these questions interviews where made with informants that have a professional work connection to the area. The result showed that the arctic region is complex phenomena to define also for those who use the expression in marketing. What is included in the artic concept and the lifestyle is connected to a lot of conceptions of the nature, culture, climate and experiences. The informants gave different viewpoints about challenges when marketing a large region and the consequences that can be registered. The hope with this study was to get a deeper understanding about the area and especially why a specific theme as the artic was used in marketing purpose for a region in north of Sweden.

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<p>This thesis is a study of economic change in the Palaeoeskimo period (3200 B. P. to 1000 B. P.) at Igloolik Island, in the Foxe Basin, eastern Canadian Arctic. Evidence derived from the analysis of settlement, zooarchaeological and artefactual data was used to in fer changes in settlement, subsistence and social organization between early PreDorset (3200 B. P.) and Late Dorset (1000 B. P.). The primary economic unit during early PreDorset was probably the nuclear fanlily and at Igloolik the major subsistence activity was ringed seal hunting. PreDorset settlement was short-term and groups appear to have been highly mobile, moving away from Igloolik to exploit other resources on a seasonal basis. In contrast Dorset groups were less mobile. spending a greater proportion of the year at Igloolik and exploiting a wider range of resources. The Early Dorset period was characterized by the development of new technology, communal walrus hunting, storage practices and the appearance of larger economic and social units. In Late Dorset, this basic pattern remained the sanle, although subsistence strategies continued to broaden.</p> <p>The development of communal walrus hunting storage and the widening of the subsistence base combined to produce relative subsistence security in Dorset as compared to PreDorset. This relative security seems to have been expressed in the elaboration of material culture, particularly walrus hunting harpoon heads. and it may have resulted some socio-economic differentiation between Dorset groups in the Foxe Basin region and those in the central and high Arctic.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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No description available.