Asthma affects nearly two and a half million people in Canada. In Saskatchewan, the prevalence of asthma has increased across all age groups since 1981. Current literature indicates that the purchase of all asthma medications increased in the last 20 years both province and nationwide. Since the early 1990s, the Canadian Consensus Guidelines (CCG) for the treatment of asthma recommended increasing the use of inhaled corticosteroids as a mainstay for controlling asthma symptoms. The CCG have also encouraged decreasing the use of short-acting, inhaled beta2-agonist medication. <p>The objective of this descriptive epidemiological study was to investigate asthma medication prescribing at the individual level among physician-diagnosed asthma patients, aged 0 to 64 years, in Saskatchewan from January 1, 1991 to December 31, 2000. Saskatchewan residents covered under the provincial health insurance plan who received a physicians diagnosis of asthma, identified each calendar year, were included in the study (296,430 asthma patients in total). <p> Nearly 80.0% of this asthma population purchased at least one asthma medication in each calendar year. From 1991 to 2000, users and the mean number of prescriptions of short-acting beta2-agonists decreased slightly. The proportion of users and mean number prescriptions per year of inhaled corticosteroids increased. The highest mean numbers of prescriptions and users of inhaled corticosteroids were among the 0-4 year olds. <p>Short-acting beta2-agonists, inhaled corticosteroids, and oral corticosteroids were the most popular medications. Users of theophyllines and cromoglycates decreased. The 15-34 year old males showed the greatest "inappropriate" use as high users of short-acting beta2-agonists and low users of inhaled corticosteroids. <p>There was increasing compliance with the CCG over the ten years. The combination of beta2-agonists with inhaled corticosteroids usurped beta2-agonist monotherapy as the most popular form of asthma therapy by the year 2000. Users of combination therapy increased from 19% to 38.7%, while users of beta2-agonists alone decreased from 34.5% to 23.1%. <p>From 1996 to 2000, the monthly number of both short-acting beta2-agonists and inhaled corticosteroids prescriptions decreased for all users in July and August. Peak increases in the number of short-acting beta2-agonist prescriptions, for children under 15, occurred in September. For adults, peak increases occurred in December for both medications. <p>These study results will enhance the understanding of asthma medication use among children and adults and will help healthcare professionals develop new treatment programs for the management of asthma.

In Canada, the duty to consult doctrine has been articulated as a legal remedy to address the potential infringement of Aboriginal and treaty rights by the Crown. The political dimension and implications of this legal duty on the evolving federal relationship between First Nations and the provincial Crown concerning lands and resources have yet to be fully explored. This research presents the argument that the duty to consult jurisprudence and the new relationship policy in British Columbia are moving towards the articulation of a treaty federalism relationship between the Crown and First Nations. The implications of these findings are then analyzed within the Saskatchewan policy environment, and a potential consultation framework is offered for this province. Crucial linkages between duty to consult jurisprudence and Aboriginal governance, and their implications for policy are highlighted, which contribute to further understanding the complex relationship between First Nations and the Crown in Canada on land and resources.

This thesis consists of analysis of three different data sets: (i) Aircraft-based eddy correlation data collected above irrigated and non-irrigated agricultural land in Southern California during the California Ozone Deposition Experiment (CODE) summer 1991; (ii) micrometeorological tower data, collected over grape and cotton canopies as part of CODE; (iii) aircraft-based eddy correlation flux data above two grid sites in the Canadian boreal forest during the Boreal Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (BOREAS), spring and summer of 1994 and 1996. / Results from the CODE aircraft data document composition and size of the dominant structures, which transport heat and gases (H2O, CO 2 and ozone) over water stressed and non-water stressed surfaces, and the relative frequency with which structures carrying only a single scalar, or given combinations of scalars, were encountered along the flight paths. Interpretation of results provides further evidence for the existence of a second (nonphysiological) sink for ozone. The relative preponderance of structures that carry moisture, carbon dioxide and ozone simultaneously, particularly in the gradient-up mode, reflects the importance of vegetation as co-located source/sink for these scalars. The detrending procedures described in this study may help to define a more effective separation between local and mesoscale events in biosphere-atmosphere interaction. / Results from the CODE tower data indicates a single vegetated ozone sink for the grape site, but a vegetated as well as a non-vegetated sink for the cotton site. For both sites, structures simultaneously transporting significant flux contributions of CO2, H2O, heat and ozone dominate during unstable conditions. During stable conditions, unmixed single flux structures dominated over cotton but not over grape. The results of this study contribute empirical evidence about the relationship between ozone uptake and the physical and physiological state of vegetation, as well as the limitations placed on eddy scales in simulation models. / Results from the BOREAS aircraft data shows a decoupling between the surface and the atmosphere, where the patterns of vegetation, greenness and surface temperature may be quite dissimilar to those of the fluxes of sensible heat, latent heat and---to a lesser degree---CO2. Reasons for this lie in the extraordinary boundary layer conditions, high vapour pressure deficit, moist soil and hot canopies, and the response of the vegetation to these conditions. Analysis of the coherent structure compositions to some extent permits the characterization of the different sources and sinks. Overall, this study shows the importance of understanding the various interacting components of soil, vegetation and atmosphere when attempting to design process-based models for predictions in 'micrometeorologiacally' complex ecosystems.

Through inquiry, experience, and discovery, this practicum reveals the landscape of Old Wives Lake, Saskatchewan and the prairie pothole region that surrounds it. It is my intention for this work to become a device for the revealing of unseen forces, for the creation of a different attention, an altering of perception, and an openness to a unique landscape of ever changing and shifting phenomena. It is accepted that complex systems, cannot be fully understood without time, patience, and commitment; however, through learning, understanding and revealing, the potential to not simply ‘see’ a landscape, but ‘read’ a landscape is harvested to enlighten and share in its discovery. The result is an exhibition of the unexpected Saskatchewan landscape.

Cette thèse traite des transmissions de la langue bretonne en Bretagne (France) éclairées par celles de la langue française en Saskatchewan (Canada), dans les filiations. Dans les deux situations, leurs locuteurs évoluent dans un contexte minoritaire, et la transmission intergénérationnelle n'est plus toujours une évidence. Dans une démarche ethnologique, l'objectif est de comprendre comment les individus s'inscrivent dans une continuité (réelle ou fictive) à partir d'une rupture. Grâce aux discours des informateurs, les représentations des trajectoires intergénérationnelles des deux langues considérées sont précisées et détaillées. Ainsi, plusieurs manières d'envisager les transmissions linguistiques, et par conséquent les origines sont relevées et décryptées. La première s'inscrit dans une logique d'héritage. La langue est perçue comme un objet hérité des générations précédentes, sa pratique s'inscrivant dans la continuité. La deuxième est celle de la patrimonialisation, observable en Bretagne. Les individus revendiquent le breton comme un patrimoine, une " richesse " à préserver. Le lien avec les générations précédentes, devenues des témoins, s'expriment, mais cette fois-ci à partir d'une rupture. Enfin, les langues sont envisagées, notamment pour les institutions qui en ont la gestion, comme des symboles, s'inscrivant dans une troisième logique de transmission, celle de la revitalisation. Le rapport aux origines est modifié et exprimé différemment en Bretagne et en Saskatchewan.

This study provides selected research findings on which decisions can be based in planning an in-school, publicly funded, Cree immersion program from kindergarten to grade 8 in Saskatchewan. The study was an analysis of language education research relating to the learner in immersion programs. Consequences of immersion education for student linguistic, psycho-social, and educational development were examined and reported. Immersion programs for French, and to a lesser extent, for heritage languages in Canada, have been extensively researched. Immersion programs for Indian languages are few and are relatively unreported. There is, however, an increasing interest in the creation of immersion programs in Indian schools. The analysis of research relating to publicly-funded French, heritage language, and Indian language immersion programs in Canada revealed support for the creation of an early total Cree immersion program. It could have neutral or positive effects on student linguistic, psycho-social, and educational development, under specific program conditions. The following consequences for students were projected: 1. a positive effect on Cree language proficiency. Native-like proficiency levels would not necessarily result. 2. a neutral or positive effect on cognitive development.3. a positive effect on attitudes toward the Cree language and culture, and a strengthening of Indian identity. 4. a neutral or positive effect on self-concet. 5. a lessening of social distance between the generations.6. a positive effect on attitudes toward language learning and the immersion experience. 7. a positive effect on student understanding of cultural, social, and political aspects of Indian/non-Indian relations.8. a neutral effect on English language and literacy development. Temporary lags in English literacy skills could be expected until after the teaching of English reading. Skill levels could become equivalent to those of comparable students in regular programs within one school year, with the possible exception of spelling.9. a neutral or positive effect on overall educational achievement. Greater understanding of their Indian culture, lowered drop-out rates, and improved work study skills could be predicted. Certain program characteristics which were identified as essential if all of the projected neutral or positive consequences were to be realized include: 1. an early total immersion program model. 2. an immersion centre setting.3. introduction of Cree literacy before English literacy.4. adequate Cree language resource materials, for all subjects and grades taught in Cree.5. fluently bilingual and biliterate qualified teachers with specialized training in bilingual education.6. subjects to be taught in Cree to be selected dependent on the availability of resource materials and qualified teachers.7. a carefully planned and implemented program. A Cree immersion program could result in enhanced cognitive and linguistic abilities to the extent that Cree were spoken in students' homes, and that students had opportunities to use Cree outside of the school. Under identified program conditions, early total Cree immersion could have at least neutral 'effects on student self-concept, cognitive development, English language development and academic achievement. It could have positive effects on student Cree language proficiency, attitudes toward the Cree language and culture, attitudes toward language learning, sociopolitical perceptions, communication within the family, retention rates, work study skills, and knowledge about Indian cultures. Cree proficiency attained by students might not be native-like, but could be at a level which would allow them to learn through Cree, and to continue learning the Cree language and culture.

Through inquiry, experience, and discovery, this practicum reveals the landscape of Old Wives Lake, Saskatchewan and the prairie pothole region that surrounds it. It is my intention for this work to become a device for the revealing of unseen forces, for the creation of a different attention, an altering of perception, and an openness to a unique landscape of ever changing and shifting phenomena. It is accepted that complex systems, cannot be fully understood without time, patience, and commitment; however, through learning, understanding and revealing, the potential to not simply ‘see’ a landscape, but ‘read’ a landscape is harvested to enlighten and share in its discovery. The result is an exhibition of the unexpected Saskatchewan landscape.

The Bow River Basin in Southern Alberta is a semi-arid catchment, with surface water provided from the Rocky Mountains. Water resources in this basin, primarily surface water, are allocated to a variety of users- industry, municipalities, agriculture, energy and needs for the environment. The largest consumptive use is by agriculture (80%), and several large dams at the headwaters provide for over 800,000 MWhrs of hydropower. This water is managed by the 1990 Water Act, distributing water via licenses following the “first in time first in right” principle. Currently, the basin is over-allocated, and closed to any new licenses. Conflicts between different water users have consequences for the economy and the environment. By using an integrated water resources model, these conflicts can be further examined and solutions can be investigated and proposed. In this research an integrated water resources model, referred to as Sustainability-oriented Water Allocation Management and Planning Model applied to the Bow Basin (SWAMPB), is developed to emulate Alberta’s Water Resources Management Model (WRMM). While having the same allocation structure as WRMM, SWAMPB instead provides a simulation environment, linking allocation with dynamic irrigation and economic sub-models. SWAMPB is part of a much larger framework, SWAMP, to simulate the water resources systems for the entire South Saskatchewan River Basin (SSRB). SWAMPB integrates economics with a water resources allocation model as well as an irrigation model- all developed using the system dynamics approach. Water is allocated following the allocation structure provided in WRMM, through operation rules of reservoirs and diversions to water users. The irrigation component calculates the water balance of farms, determining the crop water demand and crop yields. An economic valuation is provided for both crops and hydropower generation through the economic component. The structure of SWAMPB is verified through several phases. First, the operation of reservoirs with fixed (known) inflows, and modeled releases, are compared against WRMM for a historical simulation period (1928-2001). Further verifications compare the operation of SWAMPB as a whole without any fixed flows but fixed demands to identify errors in the system water allocation. A final verification then compares both models against historical flows and reservoir levels to assess the validity of each model. SWAMPB, although found to have some minor differences in model structure due to the system dynamics modeling environment, is to be evaluated as an acceptable emulator. SWAMPB is applied to assess a variety of management and policy solutions to mitigating environmental flow deficit. Solutions include increasing irrigation efficiency (S1), requiring more summer release from hydropower reservoirs at the headwaters (S2), a combination of the previous two (S3), implementing the In-Stream Flow Needs (S4) and implementing Water Conservation Objectives (S5). The solutions are not only examined by their ability to restore river flows, but also with respect to the economic consequences and effect on hydropower, irrigation, and municipalities. It is found that the three technical solutions (S1, S2, and S3) provide economic gains and allow more efficient water use, but do little to restore streamflows. Conversely, the two policy solutions (S4 and S5) are more effective at restoring river flow, but have severe consequences on the economy and water availability for irrigation and municipal uses. This analysis does not recommend a particular solution, but provides a quantification of the tradeoffs that can be used by stakeholders to make decisions. Further work on the SWAMP methodology is foreseen, to link SWAMPB with other models, enabling a comprehensive analysis across the entire SSRB.

No description available.

In teacher education, critical civic education and anti-racist education are often disconnected in practice, despite increasing overlap in theorizing and goals: to resist and dismantle the settler colonial realities of education, to promote working for social justice, and to challenge racist and White supremacist structures. This comparative case study examined how White teacher candidates’ civic, social justice, and anti-racist knowledge development during Bachelor of Education foundations courses affected their pedagogical growth. Through surveys, co- researcher observations, and focus groups conducted at research sites in Saskatchewan and Ontario, the study examined how teacher candidates understood their positionalities within societal structures, and how their understandings of structural injustice affected their pedagogical choices. Building from a postcolonial global citizenship education conceptual framework, the study engaged with Critical Race Theory and Critical Whiteness Studies in order to situate the findings in White settler colonial contexts. Findings indicate that the degree to which teacher candidates were aware of their own positionality influenced their understandings of structural injustice, and their confidence (or not) with anti-racist pedagogy. In the areas of civic engagement, racism, and Whiteness, the re-inscription of individualistic discourses and rejection of structural discourses was pervasive, and teacher candidates resisted self-implication in historical and ongoing settler colonialism and White supremacy. However, access to alternative conceptual frameworks for understanding the social construction of identities and structural determinism were somewhat effective at tackling meritocratic discourses. The study affirms the need for scaffolded anti-racist/anti-oppressive education in teacher education programs and discusses the necessity for teacher candidates to understand their own positionalities in context.