Impacts of transportation infrastructure on water quality, sediment loads, and fishing opportunities in the Gwich’in Settlement Area, Northwest Territories

The addition of gravel sediment to build ferry landings on the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers has been an ongoing concern for the Gwich’in communities of Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic that depend on the rivers for their livelihoods. Specifically, there are concerns that gravel from ferry landings is degrading water quality, harming fishing opportunities, and altering river morphology downstream. Previous reports concluded that ferry operations were not impacting downstream ecology. However, past studies had methodological shortcomings and community concerns about the ferry landings remain. To study the impact of the gravel landings on water quality, I utilized a multidisciplinary study design that included Western Scientific sampling on both rivers in 2018 and 2019, and Traditional Knowledge collection in 2019. During physical sampling, I collected depth-integrated samples of the water column, bed load samples, and benthic macroinvertebrates at sites upstream and downstream of ferry operations. Our team also reviewed existing documentation of Traditional Knowledge and gathered further Traditional Knowledge in Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic through interviews and community meetings. As well, I updated and implemented a fish harvest survey in 2019. I found that gravel from ferry landings did not alter turbidity, total suspended solids, or bed load sediments downstream. I observed differences in the abundance and richness of benthic macroinvertebrates but concluded that the differences found were not related to ferry operations. Knowledge holders in both communities expressed concerns that gravel from the ferry landings was contributing to morphological changes on both rivers but also acknowledged large climate-driven sediment inputs upstream (i.e. permafrost thaw slumps). Knowledge holders also expressed a diverse range of concerns that were not considered during the initial design of my study, including: interference with fishing opportunities, ferry cleaning residues entering the rivers, and oil spills. Gwich’in harvesters did not notice changes to the popular fish stocks of Broad Whitefish and Inconnu but harvesters in Tsiigehtchic have been impacted by the physical presence of the ferry landings due to the alteration of traditional fishing locations. My results suggest that ferry landing material is minimally impacting the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers, but ferry operations have interfered with Gwich’in traditional use areas, livelihood, and sense of well-being. Based on these results, I provide recommendations for both the communities and the Department of Infrastructure, Government of the Northwest Territories

Éléments pour une histoire des politiques publiques <br />en faveur des "musiques amplifiées"

National audienceCet article propose une approche socio-historique de la naissance, en France, d'une politique culturelle publique en faveur des musiques dites "amplifiées". Il souligne le lien entre les conditions de cette "inventioné et le contenu des mesures publiques prises en ce domaine

Old and Difficult Grievances: Examining the Relationship Between the Métis and the Crown

The inclusion of section 35 in the Constitution Act, 1982 was intended to address the old and difficult grievances of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada. In particular, it was meant to fundamentally change the relationship between Aboriginal peoples and the Crown. Since 1982, the Supreme Court of Canada has, in a series of more than 35 cases, set out the principles governing the relationship between the Aboriginal peoples of Canada and the Crown. In R. v. Powley, the Court applied those principles to the Métis. The paper examines the historical relationship between the Crown and the Métis and in particular looks to what has been happening post-Powley. Historically, the difficulty has always been that the Crown deals with the Métis as individuals and has refused to deal with the m as a people. In the contemporary context the issue is how the Crown is to implement a relationship with a people it has long denied and no longer knows. The paper looks to the issues of consultation and accommodation and how these can be carried out for the Métis. The conclusion of this paper is that despite 1982, more than 20 years of Supreme Court of Canada rulings and Powley, the Crown continues to ignore Métis collectives with the result that there is little to no progress in the reconciliation of the old and difficult grievances of the Métis

Impacts of transportation infrastructure on water quality, sediment loads, and fishing opportunities in the Gwich’in Settlement Area, Northwest Territories

The addition of gravel sediment to build ferry landings on the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers has been an ongoing concern for the Gwich’in communities of Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic that depend on the rivers for their livelihoods. Specifically, there are concerns that gravel from ferry landings is degrading water quality, harming fishing opportunities, and altering river morphology downstream. Previous reports concluded that ferry operations were not impacting downstream ecology. However, past studies had methodological shortcomings and community concerns about the ferry landings remain. To study the impact of the gravel landings on water quality, I utilized a multidisciplinary study design that included Western Scientific sampling on both rivers in 2018 and 2019, and Traditional Knowledge collection in 2019. During physical sampling, I collected depth-integrated samples of the water column, bed load samples, and benthic macroinvertebrates at sites upstream and downstream of ferry operations. Our team also reviewed existing documentation of Traditional Knowledge and gathered further Traditional Knowledge in Fort McPherson and Tsiigehtchic through interviews and community meetings. As well, I updated and implemented a fish harvest survey in 2019. I found that gravel from ferry landings did not alter turbidity, total suspended solids, or bed load sediments downstream. I observed differences in the abundance and richness of benthic macroinvertebrates but concluded that the differences found were not related to ferry operations. Knowledge holders in both communities expressed concerns that gravel from the ferry landings was contributing to morphological changes on both rivers but also acknowledged large climate-driven sediment inputs upstream (i.e. permafrost thaw slumps). Knowledge holders also expressed a diverse range of concerns that were not considered during the initial design of my study, including: interference with fishing opportunities, ferry cleaning residues entering the rivers, and oil spills. Gwich’in harvesters did not notice changes to the popular fish stocks of Broad Whitefish and Inconnu but harvesters in Tsiigehtchic have been impacted by the physical presence of the ferry landings due to the alteration of traditional fishing locations. My results suggest that ferry landing material is minimally impacting the Peel and Mackenzie Rivers, but ferry operations have interfered with Gwich’in traditional use areas, livelihood, and sense of well-being. Based on these results, I provide recommendations for both the communities and the Department of Infrastructure, Government of the Northwest Territories

The absolute radiometric calibration of the advanced very high resolution radiometer

An increasing number of remote sensing investigations require radiometrically calibrated imagery from NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiation (AVHRR) sensors. Although a prelaunch calibration is done for these sensors, there is no capability for monitoring any changes in the in-flight absolute calibration for the visible and near infrared spectral channels. Hence, the possibility of using the reflectance-based method developed at White Sands for in-orbit calibration of LANDSAT Thematic Mapper (TM) and SPOT Haute Resolution Visible (HVR) data to calibrate the AVHRR sensor was investigated. Three diffrent approaches were considered: Method 1 - ground and atmospheric measurements and reference to another calibrated satellite sensor; Method 2 - ground and atmospheric measurements with no reference to another sensor; and Method 3 - no ground and atmospheric measurements but reference to another satellite sensor. The purpose is to describe an investigation on the use of Method 2 to calibrate NOAA-9 AVHRR channels 1 and 2 with the help of ground and atmospheric measurements at Rogers (dry) Lake, Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) in the Mojave desert of California

The absolute radiometric calibration of the advanced very high resolution radiometer

The measurement conditions are described for an intensive field campaign at White Sands Missile Range for the calibration of the AVHRRs on NOAA-9, NOAA-10 and NOAA-11, LANDSAT-4 TM and SPOT. Three different methods for calibration of AVHRRs by reference to a ground surface site are reported, and results from these methods are compared. Significant degradations in NOAA-9 and NOAA-10 AVHRR responsivities occurred since prelaunch calibrations were completed. As of February 1988, degradations in NOAA-9 AVHRR responsivities were on the order of 37 percent in channel and 41 percent in channel 2, and for the NOAA-10 AVHRR these degradations were 42 and 59 percent in channels 1 and 2, respectively

The absolute radiometric calibration of the advanced very high resolution radiometer

The need for independent, redundant absolute radiometric calibration methods is discussed with reference to the Thematic Mapper. Uncertainty requirements for absolute calibration of between 0.5 and 4 percent are defined based on the accuracy of reflectance retrievals at an agricultural site. It is shown that even very approximate atmospheric corrections can reduce the error in reflectance retrieval to 0.02 over the reflectance range 0 to 0.4

The absolute radiometric calibration of the advanced very high resolution radiometer

The early results of an absolute radiometric calibration of the NOAA-9 AVHRR sensor indicate significant degradations in the response of bands 1 and 2 compared to prelaunch values. The results are currently in the process of being verified and it may be that refinements of the methodology will be in order as additional data sets are analyzed. The LANDSAT TM calibration used in this approach is known to be very precise and the Herman radiative transfer code, supplemented by the 5-S code for gaseous transmission, is reliable as well. The extent to which other steps in the analysis procedure give rise to uncertainties in the results is currently under investigation. Particular attention is being given to the geometric matching of the AVHRR and TM imagery, as well as to the spectral redistribution procedure. By taking advantage of a reasonably precise calibration of TM imagery acquired on the same day as the AVHRR data at White Sands, a promising approach to the in-orbit calibration of AVHRR sensors is being developed. Current efforts involve primarily the examination of additional test cases and the investigation of possible simplifications in the procedure through judicious use of atmospheric models

La Loutre d'Europe, Lutra lutra, de retour sur la Sèvre Nantaise

After 1985, the otter (Lutra lutra) was not found any more on the Sèvre Nantaise (France). From 1997, a careful exploration revealed presence signs of its presence showing the coming back of this mammal