First Nations communities in northern Ontario continue to grapple with food insecurity despite community leaders, social justice activists, reporters, and scholars drawing attention to this multi-faceted issue for decades. Improving food security has been approached by many different actors and directions, such as neo-liberal initiatives to make market food more financially accessible, alternative food procurement programs such as incorporating greenhouses and gardening, and food system resurgent efforts such as increasing funding and training for land-based harvesting practices. Compared to food security, which focuses on access to affordable and nutritious food, food sovereignty offers a more compelling framework to understand food shortages in the settler-colonial context of northern Ontario as it emphasizes the roots of that insecurity, specifically at the way that colonial impositions disrupted Indigenous food systems. Using a community-based participatory methodology within a decolonial feminist theoretical lens and a community of practice of political ecology, this thesis will explore the ways that First Nations communities in northern Ontario are working against and within colonial impositions to improve access to traditional foods in their communities. I will examine some of the tensions and opportunities community members experience and the various approaches they are using or imagining for the future. Lastly, I will explore the ways that the concept of food sovereignty risks becoming symbolic in northern Ontario unless it is accompanied by movements towards land restitution. At the same time, I will argue that food and land sovereignty are inextricably linked, and that practicing Indigenous food systems can lead to food sovereignty with or without government approved land restitution. Finally, I will suggest that sovereignty of and through food may be a more appropriate voicing or inversion of the term to more explicitly acknowledge that food sovereignty and land restitution are inherently and intimately tied.

In the James Bay Lowlands of northern Ontario, kimberlite pipes are concealed by peat, thick layers of till, and Tyrell sea sediments. Studies have shown that buried ore bodies produce geochemical signatures in surface media. This thesis explores the geochemistry of near-surface groundwater above concealed kimberlite pipes using factor analysis to determine whether (1) a factor analysis can reveal an underlying structure (factors) in a multivariate groundwater geochemical dataset, and whether (2) those factors are related to the presence of concealed kimberlite. Factor analysis was performed on two datasets of nearsurface groundwater, collected at 0.2 m and 1.1 m below ground surface in peat. Results revealed that (1) there is a significant difference in the behaviour of elements in groundwater near the surface compared to those in deeper groundwater, which is sheltered from the effects of the atmosphere; (2) for both datasets, the first factor is dominated by elements known to be enriched in kimberlite, notably rare earth elements (REE), U, Th, Ti – the composition of factor one is consistent with their derivation from kimberlite in a limestone background where such elements are in very low concentration; (3) high-valence and lowvalence kimberlite indicator elements (KIE) are found separated into distinct factors suggesting that once released from the kimberlite after weathering, KIE are subjected to various geochemical processes to be differentiated as they migrate upward to the surface; and (4) Fe and Mn load on a factor distinct from other metals, suggesting that in this environment Fe-Mn-O-OH is not a significant controller of metal mobility in groundwater. Overall, this research has further highlighted the multivariate nature of geochemical processes in groundwater. Compared with previous work in geochemical exploration where often only univariate or bivariate statistics or single element profiles over concealed ore bodies were used, this thesis has shown that factor analysis, as a multivariate data analysis technique, is a robust exploration tool, able to shed light on relevant geochemical processes hidden within geochemical datasets. This thesis shows that high-valence KIE, notably U,V, Th, Ti and the REE, as a group, are better indicators of the presence of kimberlites than other well-known KIE. Single element concentration profiles such as Ni or Cr (known KIE) show similar anomalies over a concealed kimberlite as a factor score profile for factor one (U, V, Th, Ti, REE, Ni) would; however, it is the peculiar assemblage of elements in factor one that makes it unique to kimberlites, a feature that can be used in future exploration work for concealed kimberlites in similar surficial environments, such as the Siberian wetlands. The results suggest that future geochemical exploration work involving groundwater should focus on the more stable groundwater located below the zone of oxidation, sheltered from the effects of the atmosphere.

The drinking water contamination tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario during the spring of 2000 led to many changes in water management for the province. Among these changes has been the increased use of the multiple barrier approach (MBA) to safe drinking water as the basis of water management for communities throughout Ontario. The MBA is also used in the management of water for First Nations communities throughout Ontario and Canada. Literature on water quality management for First Nations suggests that despite these changes, many communities continue to face challenges for ensuring the safety and quality of their drinking water supplies. Fort William First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation, and Mattagami First Nation, were selected for this study in order to investigate the use of the MBA in these communities. Data was collected using key informant interviews with representatives of institutions that affect water management for the case study communities, direct observations during visits to two of the communities and attendance at a First Nations water policy forum, and through a review of recent reports and publications on safe drinking water for First Nations. The research has provided insight into the challenges that the case study communities face for ensuring safe drinking water under the MBA, as well as opportunities that exist to address those challenges. The findings suggest that the MBA currently does not meet the unique needs of some First Nations communities. They also suggest that specific adaptations of existing water management strategies to the MBA framework may lead to a more effective approach to ensure safe drinking water for First Nations communities. This thesis focuses on several key ways to make these changes: Strengthen public involvement and awareness; Introduce effective legislative and policy frameworks; Encourage research, science and technology for First Nations’ water management; Allocate sufficient financial resources to First Nations to recruit, train and retain qualified water managers and maintain drinking water infrastructure, and; Increase efforts to ensure that water management goals are supported by local and indigenous traditional knowledge, beliefs and perspectives.

The drinking water contamination tragedy in Walkerton, Ontario during the spring of 2000 led to many changes in water management for the province. Among these changes has been the increased use of the multiple barrier approach (MBA) to safe drinking water as the basis of water management for communities throughout Ontario. The MBA is also used in the management of water for First Nations communities throughout Ontario and Canada. Literature on water quality management for First Nations suggests that despite these changes, many communities continue to face challenges for ensuring the safety and quality of their drinking water supplies. Fort William First Nation, Gull Bay First Nation, and Mattagami First Nation, were selected for this study in order to investigate the use of the MBA in these communities. Data was collected using key informant interviews with representatives of institutions that affect water management for the case study communities, direct observations during visits to two of the communities and attendance at a First Nations water policy forum, and through a review of recent reports and publications on safe drinking water for First Nations. The research has provided insight into the challenges that the case study communities face for ensuring safe drinking water under the MBA, as well as opportunities that exist to address those challenges. The findings suggest that the MBA currently does not meet the unique needs of some First Nations communities. They also suggest that specific adaptations of existing water management strategies to the MBA framework may lead to a more effective approach to ensure safe drinking water for First Nations communities. This thesis focuses on several key ways to make these changes: Strengthen public involvement and awareness; Introduce effective legislative and policy frameworks; Encourage research, science and technology for First Nations’ water management; Allocate sufficient financial resources to First Nations to recruit, train and retain qualified water managers and maintain drinking water infrastructure, and; Increase efforts to ensure that water management goals are supported by local and indigenous traditional knowledge, beliefs and perspectives.

Since 2001, the forest sector and forest communities across Northern Ontario have experienced many challenges. In response, there has been significant provincial debate and policy reform surrounding the use and control of Crown forests, and some local leaders have established the Northeast Superior Forest Community Corporation (NSFC) under the federal Forest Communities Program (FCP) to collaborate for much needed economic and governance alternatives. This process has been difficult and characterized by uncertainty and conflict. This research examines evolving social framings of Northern Ontario’s ‘forestry crisis’ and the consequences of uneven power relations in the Northeast Superior Region of Ontario, Canada. Four core research questions were pursued: 1) how do different actors frame the forestry crisis in the Northeast Superior Region (e.g., problems, solutions and different actors)? 2) Do actors’ frames change over time? 3) What forms and sources of power are present and how do they influence, if at all, the construction of shared meaning? 4) How does social learning influence the way actors approach forest management problems related to policy, planning and practice? A single embedded case study design and mixed methods approach enabled analysis at the regional and organizational scales, for the period 2001-2009. A key informant survey assessed regional public-civic-private perceptions regarding the use and control of Crown forests. Fifty-nine interviews and over 200 documents from local and regional newspapers and reports were examined. Direct observations from two NSFC meetings and two regional conferences regarding Ontario’s forest governance challenges supplemented these data. Actors’ contrasting and shifting views were coded using QSR Nvivo 7 and analyzed for convergence as evidence of collective reframing. Survey results and frame analysis established two main perspectives of the ‘forestry crisis’: 1) a conventional perspective in which forest companies hold the primary interest in resource extraction as policy agents; and, 2) an alternative view that seeks increased municipal and Aboriginal control of forests to achieve equity and provide regional stability. Power relations reinforced an entrenched community of interest, including both internal and external actors (e.g., investors, mill managers and workers, bush workers, and government regulators), that has formed around a common goal and/or set of beliefs (i.e., timber extraction and scientific forestry). These interests have historically reproduced uneven social relations and overridden communities of place and collective place-based identities. The analysis builds to 14 conclusions that address the core research questions, highlights of which include: • Social framings of the forestry crisis in the Northeast Superior Region, as well as identities and local culture, are mediated by core-periphery dynamics. Such conditions normalize ongoing community instability and oversimplify notions of sustainability which prioritize a perpetual timber supply and economic values. • Commitment to place before interests provides a basis to develop trust and mutual understanding of each other and shared problems, and enable reframing of common identities based on shared values and local problems/opportunities. • Public control and collaboration are strongly valued in the Northeast Superior Region. Many leaders and residents want control over resources devolved to the municipal level; however, awareness and a model for effective implementation are needed. • Independent local forums are valuable for developing alternative and representative social framings. • Relational power works to consolidate various forms of agent-based power in dominant actors rather than facilitating its distribution. • Actors with unmatched positional and expertise power can (un)intentionally subvert reframing processes through limiting the participation of dissenters, thereby controlling the organizational framings guiding actions. • Dominant social relations influenced the perceived range of reasonable or desirable options as dominant actors bounded the problem to serve conventional interests, which in turn constrained debate about solutions. • Reframing a common place-based identity inclusive of Aboriginals and municipalities requires the willing redistribution of agent-based power and full recognition of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights. This research builds understanding of how power relations affect the social framings that drive action in settings of crisis, conflict and uncertainty, and provides new evidence to bridge concepts from framing and social learning theory. It supports the premise that social learning is a political process inherent in multi-party collaboration, in which reconciliation of individual and group identities occurs alongside the negotiation of problem and solution definitions. By documenting regional and NSFC perspectives, this research supports the search for alternative tenure models to reinvigorate Ontario’s forest economy and communities. Ten recommendations for NSFC, the Forest Communities Program or emerging collaborative organizations focus on organizational governance and practice to improve conditions affecting power relations and social learning. Main points include considering the need to organize culturally appropriate public workshops on forest issues to meet the need for deliberative space; increase access to organizational information and opportunities for NSFC plans to be publicly reviewed; actively participate in Ontario tenure policy reform discussions to develop, publicize and implement policy alternatives; support Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and meaningful resolution of First Nations settlement negotiations; expand NSFC board representation to include at-large public and ex-officio provincial members; decentralize organizational structures to establish a physical presence in partner communities and draw on leadership and capacity from the whole region; and, establish an explicit rationale for and clearly identify geographical boundaries for the organization.

Since 2001, the forest sector and forest communities across Northern Ontario have experienced many challenges. In response, there has been significant provincial debate and policy reform surrounding the use and control of Crown forests, and some local leaders have established the Northeast Superior Forest Community Corporation (NSFC) under the federal Forest Communities Program (FCP) to collaborate for much needed economic and governance alternatives. This process has been difficult and characterized by uncertainty and conflict. This research examines evolving social framings of Northern Ontario’s ‘forestry crisis’ and the consequences of uneven power relations in the Northeast Superior Region of Ontario, Canada. Four core research questions were pursued: 1) how do different actors frame the forestry crisis in the Northeast Superior Region (e.g., problems, solutions and different actors)? 2) Do actors’ frames change over time? 3) What forms and sources of power are present and how do they influence, if at all, the construction of shared meaning? 4) How does social learning influence the way actors approach forest management problems related to policy, planning and practice? A single embedded case study design and mixed methods approach enabled analysis at the regional and organizational scales, for the period 2001-2009. A key informant survey assessed regional public-civic-private perceptions regarding the use and control of Crown forests. Fifty-nine interviews and over 200 documents from local and regional newspapers and reports were examined. Direct observations from two NSFC meetings and two regional conferences regarding Ontario’s forest governance challenges supplemented these data. Actors’ contrasting and shifting views were coded using QSR Nvivo 7 and analyzed for convergence as evidence of collective reframing. Survey results and frame analysis established two main perspectives of the ‘forestry crisis’: 1) a conventional perspective in which forest companies hold the primary interest in resource extraction as policy agents; and, 2) an alternative view that seeks increased municipal and Aboriginal control of forests to achieve equity and provide regional stability. Power relations reinforced an entrenched community of interest, including both internal and external actors (e.g., investors, mill managers and workers, bush workers, and government regulators), that has formed around a common goal and/or set of beliefs (i.e., timber extraction and scientific forestry). These interests have historically reproduced uneven social relations and overridden communities of place and collective place-based identities. The analysis builds to 14 conclusions that address the core research questions, highlights of which include: • Social framings of the forestry crisis in the Northeast Superior Region, as well as identities and local culture, are mediated by core-periphery dynamics. Such conditions normalize ongoing community instability and oversimplify notions of sustainability which prioritize a perpetual timber supply and economic values. • Commitment to place before interests provides a basis to develop trust and mutual understanding of each other and shared problems, and enable reframing of common identities based on shared values and local problems/opportunities. • Public control and collaboration are strongly valued in the Northeast Superior Region. Many leaders and residents want control over resources devolved to the municipal level; however, awareness and a model for effective implementation are needed. • Independent local forums are valuable for developing alternative and representative social framings. • Relational power works to consolidate various forms of agent-based power in dominant actors rather than facilitating its distribution. • Actors with unmatched positional and expertise power can (un)intentionally subvert reframing processes through limiting the participation of dissenters, thereby controlling the organizational framings guiding actions. • Dominant social relations influenced the perceived range of reasonable or desirable options as dominant actors bounded the problem to serve conventional interests, which in turn constrained debate about solutions. • Reframing a common place-based identity inclusive of Aboriginals and municipalities requires the willing redistribution of agent-based power and full recognition of Aboriginal and Treaty Rights. This research builds understanding of how power relations affect the social framings that drive action in settings of crisis, conflict and uncertainty, and provides new evidence to bridge concepts from framing and social learning theory. It supports the premise that social learning is a political process inherent in multi-party collaboration, in which reconciliation of individual and group identities occurs alongside the negotiation of problem and solution definitions. By documenting regional and NSFC perspectives, this research supports the search for alternative tenure models to reinvigorate Ontario’s forest economy and communities. Ten recommendations for NSFC, the Forest Communities Program or emerging collaborative organizations focus on organizational governance and practice to improve conditions affecting power relations and social learning. Main points include considering the need to organize culturally appropriate public workshops on forest issues to meet the need for deliberative space; increase access to organizational information and opportunities for NSFC plans to be publicly reviewed; actively participate in Ontario tenure policy reform discussions to develop, publicize and implement policy alternatives; support Aboriginal and Treaty Rights and meaningful resolution of First Nations settlement negotiations; expand NSFC board representation to include at-large public and ex-officio provincial members; decentralize organizational structures to establish a physical presence in partner communities and draw on leadership and capacity from the whole region; and, establish an explicit rationale for and clearly identify geographical boundaries for the organization.

Inadequate numbers of physicians skilled at providing specialized care of the elderly, has initiated inquiry as to how medical schools will ensure tomorrow’s physicians are capable of providing the most appropriate care for Canada’s growing population of aging seniors. The Canadian Geriatrics Society has responded to such concerns with the establishment of recommended geriatric learning objectives. This thesis examined the geriatric content of the undergraduate curriculum of Canada’s newest medical school, the Northern Ontario School of Medicine, and compared these findings to the Canadian Geriatrics Society’s recommended ‘Core Competencies in the Care of Older Persons for Canadian Medical Students’. While there was a respectful compliance with the recommendations, findings reveal that five of the twenty recommended competencies were absent in the curriculum objectives. Further, present competencies were found to be unequally distributed across the curriculum in relation to both the year and the teaching setting. The results suggest areas for improvement as recommended competencies are intended as a minimum standard for performance in caring for the elderly.

The Fort Albany First Nation (FAFN) in Ontario’s western James Bay region is interested in undertaking a community-based process of land use planning for its traditional territory, in order to respond to increasing resource development pressure within the area. To construct a framework for such a process, semi-structured interviews were held with 12 members of the FAFN and two staff members of the Mushkegowuk Council, which represents the FAFN at the regional level. Interviews focused on the substantive values that community members see as worthy of protection or management through the land use plan, and on the procedural values that ought to guide the process. In addition, three group discussions on valued ecosystem components were observed, to supplement interview data on substantive values. The results indicate that the community is concerned with preserving their way of life in the face of resource development pressure and social change, by protecting subsistence resources and strengthening the transmission of culture. Substantively, this means that the land use plan needs to protect wildlife and its habitat, navigable waterways, and water quality. Procedurally, this means that the planning process should engage the entire community in discussions of its cultural identity and connection to the land, in order to build a genuine consensus on appropriate land uses. It was felt that the process should be grassroots-based, that the FAFN should initiate the process autonomously, and that the planning process should pursue the twin goals of community self-determination and cultural continuity. It was also felt that neighbouring first nations should be invited to participate in the process or to conduct separate planning activities streamlined with those of the FAFN, because of overlap in traditional territories. At the conclusion of this thesis, a set of recommendations outlines a planning process that is appropriate to the needs and values expressed by participants. This framework draws upon the principles of empowerment, advocacy, and collaborative planning, applying them to the local cultural context. It relies upon social learning as a vehicle by which to develop a community-wide vision for the traditional territory of the FAFN. / Thesis (Master, Urban & Regional Planning) -- Queen's University, 2008-09-23 19:11:37.053

First Nations people have experienced dramatic life changes in a very short period of time. The process of change was not a conscious decision made by First Nations peoples but rather the result of successive stages of European contact and formal colonization by what is now the government of Canada. With such constant changes and the history of assimilation that overshadows the Aboriginal population, it is becoming difficult for Elders to sustain their roles within the family unit and in their community as a whole. This study provides a description of the oral accounts of Elders living in two remote First Nations communities in Northwestern Ontario. I conducted three summers of ethnographic research that involved participant observation of local cultural practices and 12 semi-structured interviews from 2009 to 2011. Guided discussions with Elders about their lives and their relationship to the land provide important insight into local cultural and personal values. Three primary themes emerged from the conversations with the Elders about life during the childhood: the intense physicality of life in the past, the connection between health and local foods and the changing role of Elders. Findings suggest that Elders are eager to transmit their knowledge to provide a healthier lifestyle for future generations. In addition, I provide a description of the current living conditions of Elders in both communities. First Nations Elders, who were once crucial to the survival of a band, are now facing the highest degree of vulnerability and are desperately searching for a new identity that gives them purpose. Meeting with Elders in their homes and at several community events provided insight into their lives and the challenges they are currently facing. These challenges and experiences are hardly one-dimensional, as they each have varying degrees of family support, financial stability and housing conditions. However, the consistent thread in all the cases was the ongoing struggle Elders have faced trying to reconcile traditional perspectives with the growing dominance of contemporary western lifestyle practices.

An investigation of permafrost (permanently frozen soil) was conducted in Canada’s subarctic region of Northern Ontario. Environmental baseline conditions and permafrost states were estimated using seasonal freezing and thawing energies based on observed climate data and the Stefan equation. Field studies provided measurements of the active layer depths and validated the permafrost states; laboratory studies of the soil samples provided characterization for organic materials that have high affinity for soil moisture. Palsas (unique dome-like formations) were observed to have enhanced permafrost cores beneath a thermal insulating organic layer. With climate change, results suggest the possibility of shifts from the classification of continuous to discontinuous permafrost states in areas lacking the presence of organic materials that can have environmental and ecological impacts. Northern infrastructures may become destabilized with the degradation of permafrost while palsas may become lone permafrost refuges for biodiversity that depend on cooler ecosystems, such as polar bears.