canadian mountain network nce planning workshop meeting notes - january 12th, 2016

Mountain NCE Workshop Tuesday, January 12, 2016

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Summary of Workshop Discussions

PLEASE REFER TO SUMMARY SLIDES PROVIDED BY THE SPEAKERS FOR MORE DETAILS

Table of Contents Introduction 1 Key Objectives 1 Panel: Setting the Context - What is an NCE? 2 A Snapshot of Mountain Research Activities in Canada 5 Panel: Landscapes of Mountain Studies in Canada 7 Panel: First Nation and Community Perspectives 8 Panel: A Governance Model for a Canadian Mountain Network (and NCE) 9 Plenary: Defining Research Themes, Platforms, and Interdisciplinary Opportunities 10 Breakout Session Notes

Group 1 13 Group 2 17 Group 3 20 Group 4: Governance 22

Break Out Session Reviews and Summary 26 Conclusions 27

Introduction: Jonathon Schaeffer Round of introductions • This is a large group with a large breadth of interests and the NCE is a catalyst to bring people

together to create synergies to tackle the big problems that will impact us nationally and internationally.

• Thinking of mountains as a venue for research is novel and exciting for the general public. Mountains lend for breadth, impact, and relevance to larger issues in Canada.

• “United we grow, divided we status quo.” -J. Schaeffer

Key Objectives: David Hik • Acknowledge all who came, especially those traveling from afar. • Recap of Thursday’s meeting and the public session. • The agenda for the day – hopefully participants to represent their institution (as well as themselves)

and take the workshop information back to their home institutions. • Create a work plan for the next steps of this initiative (see last page). Steps so Far: • Preliminary discussions throughout 2015 • May 2015 Early Leaders Workshop in Whitehorse…for an NCE to follow ArcticNet, at the time a

subarctic focus. Why Mountains Matter?


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• 1/4 of Earth’s land surface • Home to more than 1.5 billion people • Headwaters of major rivers • 20% of worlds electricity • Hotspots for biodiversity with unique adaptations • Cultural and human diversity • Spiritual and sacred places • Places to play - tourism and recreation • Experiencing rapid change • How do mountains feedback into the climate system under rapid change - consequences a mostly

unknown • Agenda 21, Chapter 13 (1992): Sustainable Mountain Development, Mountain Partnership UN NGO

that organizes International Year of Mountains (2002), International Mountain Day (December 11) • Canada does not participate at an international scale re: mountains • Many international and regional organizations with a mountain focus - University of Central Asia

Mountain Societies Research Institute, CONDESAN, CH-AT (Europe), etc. • Many mountains in Canada - West, Arctic, East • Google search shows: “Canada” = Flags, Maps and Mountains! • Many Canada-based Mountain Initiatives at universities and with other partners, including

government: MLP, CMSI, CMI, CAS, CNHR, Avalanche Canada, Parks Canada, etc. These are developed in isolation. How can we take advantage of these pieces that already exist?

NCE: • What would a network of networks look like? • Include USA and international partners, industry, private sector, etc. • Federally funded, supported through NSERC, SSHRC, CIHR and Industry Canada. • 15-25 projects, 3-6 themes, 50-75 professors, 10-20 universities. • Need to demonstrate evidence of our collaboration and effective management. • Need private/non-federal contributions for funding. Anticipated NCE Timeline: Spring 2017 - letter of intent June 2018 - full application deadline March 2019 - release of funds, if successful

Panel: Setting the Context - What is an NCE?

PLEASE REFER TO SUMMARY SLIDES PROVIDED BY THE SPEAKERS FOR MORE DETAILS What We Know About NCE Proposals: Aynslie Ogden • Conversation with NCE Deputy Director: • The proposed NCE has a lot to offer. • NCE Deputy Director was very generous with advice and her time. • The proposed themes were very issue driven, solutions oriented, pragmatic types of themes

northerners were putting forward. • Knowledge gaps include: water and food security, energy security, energy security, climate change,

reconciliation, etc. • Link to policy, make research relevant, utilitarian, transition from College to University, recognition of

northern expertise, redefine HQP


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• All criteria of NCE are equally weighted. However, Management of Network category tends to make or break proposal – it has been the “Achilles heel”. Other categories include: Excellence of Research Program, Development of HQP, Networking and Partnerships, Knowledge and Technology Exchange and Exploitation. How end use of information will be impacted is also critical.

• The NCE Program can accommodate: leadership of northern colleges, northern research capacity building, northern HQP development, northern research interests.

• buildonexistentcollaborations,engageindustry• With the new Minister, we will likely see a change - science will become a top priority. -Note:thisinformationfromtheNCESecretariatwasprovidedpriortotheelection. -Newfederalmandates–shouldtheybeaddressesinaproposal? Mountain NCE MUST: • be solutions driven • develop world class capacity • outline plan for lasting value • longterm impacts • engage industry • build off of existing organizations and networks Experiences in ArcticNet: Greg Henry • successful NCE coming to an end in 2018 (March) • two 7 year funding cycles (total 14 successful years) • 2001: Started with oceanographers in Laval, had CFI to refurbish CCGS Franklin, had existing

collaborators and networks, pre-proposal workshops (similar to Mountain NCE workshop). • 2003: Successful LOI. Key to Success: • Governance and Administration: Scientific Director, Board of Directors and Research Management

Committee which are governed and influenced by Inuit and prioritize projects and funding, Administrative Centre.

• Unified and Rationale Objectives: impacts of climate change, industrialization, involvement of local people (this was key), knowledge generation and end users, products (publications, IRIS reports, data), HQP (including northern students).

• Network Success: Annual Science Meeting (largest in Canada and not just science), involvement in northern communities (rocky start, but became much, much better, directed by Inuit communities), student organization (network of networks), integration and interdisciplinary, outreach and education (Students on Ice)

• ArcticNet had good numbers and success - many CVs, graduates, industry partners, etc. Issues: • Reporting (annual, individual researcher - its a beast) • Data management (this needs to be thought out ahead of time) • Projects and budgets are fixed (in the proposal) • Interdisciplinary integration is difficult However, this is a good model for a Mountain NCE, at least as a starting point. NCE Experiences Tania Bubela • Stem Cell Network - renewed once 2001-2015 • Advance Materials Network - unsuccessful on first renewal


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• BioCanRx - Funded in 2014 Lessons: • NCE secretariat/advisors are cheerleaders for all NCE applicants, will provide support and advice to

you and all other proposal groups. They will not provide the critique needed to be successful. • Budget is HUGE: Need a very specific budget and need to start fundraising NOW • Focus: If you can’t say it in a one sentence, 30 second elevator pitch, there’s no vision, and you

need to sell a vision. • National: Need representation across the country which need to be collaborative and networked. • HQP: Non-traditional ways of thinking about HQP is key, don’t focus just on grad students. • Lessons:

The initial story needs to be tight and needs a good leader and presenter to sell it. The board chair needs to be a champion to pitch and sell the vision of the NCE and clearly explain it. Appointing who it is, is critical.

• International Panel – consider carefully Cautions: • Reality check: 5 year NCE at $3M, or max $6M per year divided by 36 institutions is not a lot of

money, especially for research projects. Don't pursue the NCE for research money. • Timelines are tight: -writers need to be ready to go -need an editor in chief. It is essential to have the same linguistic style throughout publications. -need to identify who will hit the ground running in the first five years. • Knowledge exchange and exploitation • Passionate about the NCE because of the opportunities for sending her trainees to

experiences/opportunities that she could not otherwise provide.

Panel Wrap Up/Questions Snow: How does this transform policy? Henry: It is inherent in that the research informs policy. Hik: identify policy before hand (Susan File’s review) – this needs work. We don’t have a coherent narrative arc yet. Milsom: What was the wisest use of funding? Bubela: Use funds to leverage clinical trials, had a professional fundraiser hired very early on, legacy of annual stem cell meetings, research funding was secondary, support for funding in the research area. Focus on a tight pitch, and bring themes together, also training initiatives. Henry: wisest use of ArcticNet was the ability to use and engage northerners and have two way exchange: students going to communities and northerners advising researchers. Hope Polar Knowledge Canada will continue to do important work after ArcticNet. Bubela: Can’t count federal dollars as funding. There needs to be funding from industry and other foundations, and provinces/territories.

A snapshot of Mountain Research activities in Canada REFER TO SUMMARY SLIDES PROVIDED BY MANY OF THE SPEAKERS FOR MORE DETAILS Eric Higgs University of Victoria


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• Promoted the “Edge” - standing over the edge of a cliff an ocean studies centered university. Ocean Networks Canada is the main focus. Where does this leave mountains? UVic is surrounded by mountains and this is an opportunity to revise the image to make mountains more prominent; there are a lot of people at UVic to bring that focus to light.

Greg Henry University of British Columbia • Department of Geography expertise: Water, Landscapes/Ecosystems, Climates, First

Nations/Environmental History, Anthropology, Human Health, Geology, Groundwater, Sustainability/Conservation

Allan Carroll University of British Columbia • Department of Forestry’s capabilities: natural resource conservation, hydrology ecology, wildlife

ecology, indigenous forestry, forest ecology, environmental detection and monitoring, forest economics and policy and management, forest health and disturbance, climate change impacts and adaptation. Potential contributions to NCE include all of the above.

John Clague Simon Fraser University • Gwenn Flowers CRC Glaciology. Natural hazards mountain hazards in western Canada mountains.

Topics needing attention in this group: natural hazards, deglaciation, thaw of permafrost, GLOFs, destabilization of slopes, changes in frequency in magnitude of mass flows and their impacts at the toe of flow. Process Change: avalanche triggers, series of lakes, glacier erosion, impact waves, what are the risks of these hazards? What lessons emerge? Interest in the communication of science in policy and decision makers.

John Hull Thompson Rivers University • Courtney Mason CRC Indigenous Health wrote book on Banff Indian Days mountain tourism.

Potential Contribution: working with 5-6 european universities for Horizon 2020 is a world renaissance project that is in the works which could help to fundraise for alternative ways to bring research funds from Europe to Canada.

Philip Ainslie University of British Columbia - Okanagan • Human Alpine Physiologist. Organize international group of physiologist 30 participants,12 countries

(including Bolivia and Nepal), range of expertise - interest in vascular health. Potential Contributions: HQP, NSERC, CIHR, CFI funding track record, Full Support form UBC-O, Interest in Arctic research. Need: Canadian High altitude research station.

David Scott Polar Knowledge Canada • Overview and Canadian High Arctic Research Station. Water impacts people and regions in the

North as it flows downstream from mountains. Joyce Gould Alberta Parks • Potential Contributions: offer a land base spanning 8 natural regions where you don't need to worry

about a road or pipeline going through research sites, limited in-kind support for accommodation, offices, research centers and facilities, some capacity to offer grant, science communication, existing networks, in-house experience with social and natural sciences research. Alberta Parks themes are align with proposed NCE themes that can inform policy.

Jeff Kneteman Alberta Environment and Parks • Inventory work on selected species. Policy and regulation. Bighorn Sheep Resilience Project:

population dynamics, usually biased to hunter harvest, Harlequin Ducks • Priorities: hydrology, species (bighorn, grizzly, wolves, elk, trouts), ecological systems, pine beetles


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Jolie Gareis Aurora Research Institute, Aurora College • Potential Contributions: licensing research in the NWT, provide logistical support, northern

communities outreach and connections, literacy adult education. Priorities, social/cultural research, meaningful involvement of northerners, produce northern HQPs with a new definition of HQP. ARI is main station out of 3, also 23 community learning centers.

Brian Menounos University of Northern British Columbia • Potential Contributions: monitoring glaciers overtime, environmental reconstruction - need many

individuals and lots of computing time to do accurate downscaling (need to plan!), social scientists and natural scientist, under the umbrella of NRESi, access to LiDAR, community development

Zac Robinson and Stephen Slemon Canadian Mountain Studies Initiative, University of Alberta • Mountain researchers cross disciplinary boundaries. • Success of CMSI lies in undergraduate teaching and outreach: • INTD 280: students from across 8 faculties • INTD 284: Skills course for students doing field research, teaching, or studying these environments.

Partnered with Alpine Club of Canada. • INTD 281: Study Abroad Course: University of Innsbruck • MOOC: Mountains 101 – partnered with Parks Canada, ACC, MEC and others • Certificate in Mountain Studies Martyn Unsworth Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta • geophysicist, plate tectonics, subduction and volcanologist, how were Himalayas formed? Super

volcano eruptions, hazards - especially in developing countries and indigenous rights issues. applied mountains for petroleum interests.

Mike Demuth Centre for Hydrology, University of Saskatchewan • stems from Don Gray, Coldwater Lab from BGS Institute, CCRN meta browser, strong capacity in

data management? Ron Stewart University of Manitoba • Spatial temporal variation of precipitation and how it is changing in Coast Mountains, Baffin Isalnd,

and Ellesmere. Calgary flooding event 2013. Changes in prairie thunderstorms which can initiate forest fires.


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Panel: Landscapes of Mountain Studies in Canada

Panelists provided an overview of Canadian mountain research and policy related initiatives. Research in Mountain Parks: Lee Smith • Represent the 7 mountain park and communities, 20 million visitors, ~7million to mountain parks,

“constantly building and reshaping our brand” integrated mandate (dual) that drives agency. Each park has its own management plan and goal, brought together by a national mandate.

• Current management of research: 1) internal research: mostly on ecological monitoring and restoration and recovery works which leads

to wildlife conflict. 2) seek out external experts where research is needed 3) independent research: through research and collection permit system (professors, students)

ensures consistency with PC mandate and policies… to benefit communities. Individual park’s research include: archaeology, human history geophysical studies, long term studies, aquatic projects, huge range of research that PC benefits from • Some research is brought on by needs (mountain pine beetle). Some is brought on by events

(Kootenay fires). Wildlife over/under passes these brought in applications for engineering solutions. NCE would provide opportunity for Parks Canada’s communication needs. There are new parks with new needs. Parks Canada has a lot of expertise and experiences to contribute. Minister of Environment and Climate Change - how will policies reflect these changes?

• Contributions: broad land-base, strong communication platform, tourism opportunities Review of policies, strategies and gaps identified by stakeholders: Susan File Topics include: economy, education, health, environment, etc. Reviewed 170 documents from 2008 to present, plus other documents reviewed in the State of Northern Knowledge [See “Review of policies, strategies and gaps identified by stakeholders” for complete lists.] • Health and Wellbeing: Priorities - improving access to remote and northern communities, health

promotion in YT, strengthen research strategy in BC • Housing: improve services and delivery, increase quality and quantity in the north • Food Security: sustainable harvesting and local food production, understand impacts to food,

greenhouse technology for northern regions, urban food production in BC • Education: increase links with north - more accessible pathways to education, develop curricula

specific to northern needs • Labor Force: develop and retain an engaged workforce • Energy: testing and conserving energy and resources • potential negative impacts from various energy resources • Economic Development: balance development with environment and community objectives, sustain

forestry, environmentally sound mining in YT adapted to cc, increase geoscience in NWT • Transportation and Infrastructure: increased connectiveness, permafrost considered in North • encourage innovative transportation • Water: expand monitoring, local knowledge integrated, water governance, understand groundwater

regime in YT and AB, identify thresholds in NWT, water science strategy in BC • Environment: coordination, collaboration, sustainable management, cumulative effects on • coastal/marine ecosystems • Fish and Wildlife: maintain health and sustainability of fish populations, integrate TEK and LK,

manage human wildlife encounters


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• Climate Change: conduct risk and vulnerability assessments, reduce GHG emissions, develop adaptation strategies, improve human health food security, NWT, forest mitigation in BC

• Culture and Language: preserve and document, provide services/resources to indigenous • Governance: work toward northern centered approaches to governance reflective of cultural and

social context, institutions support integrated science and approaches, ensure greater role for indigenous for decision making and monitoring

Panel: First Nation and Community Perspectives Bill Snow Stoney Nakoda First Nations • Current Projects: TEK study of grizzly bear activity in Kananaskis, silos for research groups, but lack

cross collaboration, Buffalo treaty in Banff NP, Thinking Mountains 2012 & 2015, RAM redesign new museum terms of reference to bring in Treaties 6, 7, 8. sacred places in NP: Cascade Mountain healing, regional planning with Government of AB, Great Northern Landscapes Cooperative GNLCC in the US, work with Zac and Stephen on early explorers of mountain history and similarities with early mountain films

• We need a Mountain NCE. • Issue: understanding of building frameworks around TEK. • Historical barrier: appropriation of FN culture in academia. • Solution: cultural awareness - have nations present on own cultural history at conferences (such as

Thinking Mountains) • Hopes to look at more than western science and more TEK to bring FN history to light • TEK is an important driver for FN support and involvement of NCE. • Linkage to policy - more buy in from FN if at the end there is actually policy change for wildlife,

environment, etc. • Need change, inclusion, mitigation. Deb Simmons Sahtu Renewable Resources Board • strong research mandate in the mountains • Dene excited to work collaboratively with social and natural scientists, as it is a requirement • How to make science relevant in communities of NWT? - acknowledge failure of government to do

so • engage with co-managers BEFORE setting a research agenda to meet the needs of the people of

the region • core issue: role of research, collaboration, chose passionate people, less political people that

wanted to play an advisory role rather than a decision making role • created a vision statement and term of reference to generate funding • community members have committed to teleconference calls • development of Sahtu Youth Network • cross cultural research camps • in field environmental monitoring • Highlights of McKenzie Mountains: water health monitoring program, want to monitor caribou

populations in areas they are accessible by road, and mining issues Bob van Dijken Council of Yukon First Nations • Umbrella Agreement signed in 1992 for 11 of 14 of the Yukon First Nations (YFN) • Theme: co-management of biota, environment, water, • geographic features don't have first nations names.


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• YFN have been stewards and monitors of wildlife for hundred of years • western science research paradigm: go in very quickly and precisely to get a snapshot image,

whereas FN knowledge is passed on over generations • White Ash - AKA “Year of Two Winters”. • Spruce Bark Beetle and MountainPine Beetle • Caribou go onto snow patches to avoid bugs and YFN go up there to hunt them. • Long Ago Person Found Tlingit trading with the interior - Champaign Aishihik FN made clothing to

mimic Long Ago Person Found • Alsek River Flooding - TEK on where villages were • introduced species - bison disease and predators • CC in your backyard - caribou harvesting to moose harvesting • Dezadeash Lake - trout population go to glacier streams to reproduce because of warming

lake/stream temps • IPY Gwitchin turned research paradigms on head. Old Crow wrote IPY proposal and the community

was the PI. • Masters student developed a community-based monitoring program from specific science program • Alaska LEO, AK-YT connections, Arctic Borderlands Ecological Knowledge Coop, Yukon Intertribal

Watershed Council, Jane Blasco? fellows with the Gordon Center • opportunities are endless • How to get communities deeply imbedded in the NCE?

Panel: A Governance Model for a Canadian Mountain Network (and NCE)

Andrea Buckley Yukon Government • Governance is key criteria, #1 on the list. • Early Leaders Workshop in Whitehorse - clear perspectives of governance • The North is a model for governance. Self governing FN lend an entirely different way of governing

in the North. • Regional representation is good - it is one thing to talk, another to actually do, and to do on an

ongoing basis (keep this in mind). • End research colonialism in the North, different relationship now. Need partners, and to move

forward and welcome change. • Governance proposal moving forward: governments have different objectives than an NCE, or

private sector in science. Need a nimble, flexible structure that can consider and sustain the life of the project. Governments have clear priorities.

Andrew Applejohn Government of NWT “Why is a Mountain NCE important to the Government of NWT?” • ‘colonial’ decisions were made in a vacuum - need to see a change in how communities and

researchers interact • scientists were not residents • strategic partnerships are key to effective longterm management of NWT landscape and resources

(large area, few people) • need for onshore community focused coalition of academic scientists that can make a difference

where most NWT resides • licensing database, with government spread thin, need to keep track of research • mountain communities need more attention. • strong college base, no university, have needs


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Roger Epp UANorth “Governance Model from a UAlberta Perspective” • Want to build an NCE that brings in northern partners the way northern partners have not been

brought in before. Initiating Group Draft is a balancing document: • working towards a common narrative, which is very difficult to do from a central, single university. IG

draft requires de-centralized governance, strong non-academic leadership, ability to think about what a mountain focus looks like from different jurisdictions. How can this NCE be ground up, not top-down? IG memberships will look different. Steering group would consolidate with representatives from IGs.

• How do people feel about the inelegant “Eastern Canada”? • Model has authority. • Steering group will have to make decisions on a short time period. • Jurisdictions that have experience with TEK and public policy have a lot to teach to other IGs. • Secretariat supported by UA to make sure the NCE run smoothly. • need to redefine HQP, need community engagement, need strong northern presence, how do we

make things contextually relevant? Comments: What was the early-ArcticNet structure? Henry: Louis Fortier started ArcticNet with a strong vision which expanded from there under workshops similar to this one. Mountain NCE Planning Secretariat has one employed (Christy Urban) and Karen Barnes made half-time commitment for Yukon College contribution. This is a good start to begin necessary planning.

Plenary: Defining Research Themes, Platforms, and Interdisciplinary

Opportunities Hik: Mountains in a global context: Paris 2015, UNEA, Habitat III, Disaster Risk Reduction Big Questions:

• What are the big research questions to address? • What is the existing infrastructure to mobilize support? • Who else to engage in early planning stage? • Where is co-funding? • Who/What are points of contact? • When and where to convene again?

Ed Johnson Biogeosciences Institute, University of Calgary • Attract range of PIs from around the world - not everyone has mountains. • 18-22 field courses/year • STEM programs for Junior High and High school students • Train teachers in STEM • 2 long term mammal studies over 40 years • 10 studies over 30 years


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• Research clusters - NSF critical zone observatories • Southern Canadian Rockies are impacted by CC and human activity • Invasive species (earthworms), invasion of giardia spread by humans • Below ground carbon issues are neglected • Human use and occupation requires rigorous studies Potential Contribution: • Year round facility can organize meetings to help synthesize ideas • Need some place permanent for long-term research • Need technical support for instruments. [an opportunity for HQP?] Janice Cooke University of Alberta Genomics: • high throughput of DNA and gene products how environment shapes the genes an organism has,

not constrained to certain organisms. Needs: • Genomics needs smaller scale infrastructure. There is huge capacity to do environmental genomics

in Canada (Genome Canada). Large platforms will always have equipment to perform genomics, but there are long wait times, especially for small organizations.

• HQP can get involved - this is beneficial because we don’t know what goes on under the hood, lending experience for trainees.

Gaps in Proposal: • Bioinformatics capacity Training/Outreach/Knowledge Transfer potential: • modules for non-science professionals currently in development • designed to be delivered remotely, “pack and go” hands on workshops also in development - not

constrained to major centers Sally Adamowicz University of Guelph • Global hub of iBOL • Molecular processing facility capable of barcoding one million specimens per year • monitoring whole assemblages of species “next-generation sequencing technology” • is a tool for collaboration • BIC: 3 years to sample Canada’s National Parks • could be a helpful tool for recovering mine sites and reclamation Eric Higgs Mountain Legacy Project as a Platform Mountain Observatory Platform • documenting of mountain changes began with surveyors • 120,000 old photos stored in Gatineau • each site in the Rockies have 3-16 images • These photos are an extensible platform for documents ecological and biodiversity data. • each photo is an interdisciplinary Chris Hawkins Yukon College • mostly research, little teaching • Northern Climate Exchange • Mandate: Climate change and commercialization • Strength of research center is collaboration with communities • Contribution: provide short term computer space, freezer set up for ice cores Martin Sharp Canadian Ice Core Facility, University of Alberta


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• ice cores from Devon, Baffin and Ellesmere • Building facility for storing, analyzing and characterizing cores - hope to be usable by late 2016. • 2 deep drills - one for trace level contaminants • characterizing the ice ecosystem, past climate trends, forest fire history and dust deposition • core site selection, airborne geophysics, remote sensing, ice flow modeling, atmospheric back

trajectories • LiDAR with a China University - aircraft based in Calgary • few fast moving glaciers in Columbia Icefield, only fast on steep parts of glacier. • working with Ag Can on pesticide contaminants and plan to fill gaps with Yukon Several other summaries are available for download, but were not presented during the workshop due to time constraints.


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Breakout Session Notes

Questions to Address: • What are the big research questions to address? • What is the existing infrastructure to mobilize support? • Who else to engage in early planning stage? • Where is co-funding? • Who are points of contact? • When/Where to convene again? Group 1: Scribe: Christy Urban

Figure 1: A concept map produced by Group

1. Proposed Elevator Pitch: “To promote and integrate research in a manner that best informs Canadians on ways to address the social and economic consequences of human activity and climate change on mountain environments.” Reasons for forming an NCE: • Working with peers that you wouldn’t normally get to interact with. • Mountains affect watersheds throughout the world. • Canada does not have a united front on mountain research compared to other nations. Important keywords: • resilience • adaptability • climate change • global change • sustainability • social growth • economic growth • ecosystem services • interconnectedness • indigenous knowledge

Statements:


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• Mountain environments are fragile • Mountain environments are perfect systems for studying the effects of human activity and climate

change as they are vulnerable and reactive to change. • Mountains have both elevation and latitude (run north and south) • Mountain environments provide a tool for testing predictions and expanding the scope of studies.

Mountains are seasonal with many species migrating north and south to maintain their environmental requirements. Social scientific research of mountain communities can apply to both northern and southern hemispheres worldwide.

• Mountain environments have been studied historically, but we still have more to learn • Leverage and share existing research on mountains to identify knowledge gaps. Fill those gaps, and

create a forum to communicate results to other researchers and the general public. Synthesize outcomes and translate findings into policy recommendations as appropriate.

• There is the possibility to create a think tank (such as the American National Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis) to help effectively process existing data and newly discovered data and then log and communicate the outcomes.

A communications disconnect: • There is often a disconnect between research being done in a particular community, and the

community’s ability to access that research. This has left communities either frustrated about not getting access to vital information or completely in the dark that research has even taken place. An example of this is researchers discovering that Grizzly Bears are coming out of hibernation earlier in the season than usual and not effectively communicating this to the community; thus, leaving the community exposed to risk. Researchers need to the take the time/resources required that allows communities to support local mountain research; they must understand how and why the research is taking place, and what, if any effect it will have on policy creation.

• Existing data is not easily found and is also not always in a useable form. This makes sharing data between researchers and other interested-parties challenging. We require a new perspective on data management, analysis, and distribution.

Mountain research beyond the Western Canadian Mountains: • Mountain environments exist beyond western Canada. There is much to be learned from mountain

systems in other areas of Canada, and in other parts of the world. Mountain systems don’t just end at borders. We potentially could focus on the western cordillera to focus on resilience, change, and development and then use this research as a baseline in comparison to other mountain systems elsewhere in the country and around the globe.

Collaboration on mountain research is important: • Interdisciplinary research is critical in order to provide useful outcomes for the environment and

society. The collaboration includes national and international networks. Findings are often transferable between communities and environments – we have much to learn from other mountain research. If this new network is formed there is much potential to coordinate activities, share findings and synergies throughout Canada and the world. There is potential for a network of observatories to be created in key locations.

• Often research topics are siloed resulting in many missed opportunities for learnings as well as inefficient use of resources.

• Industry (energy, tourism, etc.) is often excluded from the discussion, and can be a source of data, knowledge, and support.

Mountain environment resiliency:


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• Mountain environments will need smart management in order to become more sustainable and adaptable to change. In order to provide useful mitigation recommendations (improve the ability of mountain environments to be sustainable), we need to understand how resilient the mountain environment is currently. With the right research, we will be able to build useful models to help predict outcomes that aid in sustainable management practices.

Taking mountain science outside: • By utilizing networks, educators will be able to take students to the mountains to do research outside

where the systems are functioning. Mountain environments as service providers: • Mountain environments provide vital services that many take for granted such as water, minerals,

weather influence, food sources, etc. The effects of cumulative impacts: • The value of a mountain research network is that we will be able to look at all the impacts together

and assess their total effect on mountain communities and the environment in order to ascertain actual risks.

Indigenous and community knowledge: • Indigenous and community (local) knowledge is often not utilized in mountain research. Working as

an interdisciplinary network, we will pool all knowledge in order to draw outcomes, advise policy, and improve mountain landscape and community resilience. Currently, indigenous knowledge is not being understood/utilized at a postdoc level.

Details System disruption: • In the mountain landscape, there are many systems being disrupted (changed) such as hibernation

and how populations interact with one another. Drivers: • Wintering daylight hours and temperature are drivers in the mountains. In light of climate change,

temperatures are fluctuating while daylight hour patterns are staying consistent. With the western Canadian mountains, we have the advantage of doing research based on different latitudes (daylight hours). What effect does temperature change have on organisms compared to the photoperiod? Is one more important than another?

Climate change: • Mountains provide a unique opportunity to study climate change as the communities, and the

environment are strongly interconnected; and thus, both are sensitive to global changes. Mountain environments are one of the most reactive ecosystems to climate change (canary in the mine analogy).

Temperature is a constraint: • Cold temperatures on mountains can be a limitation to research. Community impact: • How do we make sure our Canadian mountain landscapes don’t get overrun with human habitation

and tourism as has happened in Europe.


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Pollution: • Pollution from communities, forest fires, and glacial melt contaminants (deposition from

industrialization) flux to headwaters. South American tie in: • We should not just look at Canadian research but also consider research globally such as in South

America. Soils: • Climate change affects everything. With continued weathering, new soils will form. Cross-boundary: • The environment and many communities don’t stop at borders, this is in reference to national or

ecosystem borders. There are also technological cross-border implements such as pipelines that have the ability to move resources between communities that affect local human and environmental systems.

Initiating groups: • Each initiating group doesn’t have to define terms and issues the same way as one another. Other topics include: Species distribution, Geomorphology, Forest fires, Hydro-dams, and Hazards.


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Group 2: Scribe: Betty Peavey Big Questions: • scientific excellence

• future 5, 10, 15 years down the road? • conditions today?

• Engineers needed to deal with impact/environment • wildlife interactions, floods • civil infrastructure - storage, water, headwaters • community interactions • hydro projects - as a partner • ice roads - roads to mining

Prediction: • water regime and climate

• trends in recreation - spring/fall human use increases as those seasons lengthen • relation to biodiversity • modelers for predicting precipitation (e.g. ice core data (parameterize these models) -

atmospheric modelers • forestry preservation/conservation • managing landscapes and regimes (e.g. fire control regimes in forest) • measuring - longterm monitoring • tools for efficient monitoring

• hydrology regimes • snowfall regimes • recreation/tourism • imaging landscapes • indigenous populations — Deb Simmons • policy questions • changes in land use - social impacts of areas not being utilized

• mapping projects looking forward with cumulative effects analysis (e.g. impacts of mining, climate change)

• community observations • linguistics change over time - Karen Rice (U of T) as collaborator

• gather what we know e.g. synthesis of knowledge required first • instead of mining roads, could use air ships to move mineral out to the coast for shipment - a cleaner

way for resource extraction • adaptation from: - hazards - disasters - industrial development How do we respond?; advice? • use of new technology - research and development of new technology to address • ecosystem services/goods and communication to community

• value of the services/quantifications • directional climate change


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• invasive species • plants and animal interactions will change

• indigenous knowledge • systematic understanding of this

• 2nd residences and affect on mountain communities Partnerships: • utilities, food/energy security

• sustainable infrastructure, renewable energy - waste disposal (organic waste), wind energy alternatives)

• physically isolated - hard to get resource in (like the Arctic) Eric Higgs: • environmental change in mountains - glacier recession • water towers • sustainability of mountain communities

• e.g. indigenous mountain people - poverty, access to resources • ecological ecosystems - characteristics and change • services from mountain ecosystems

• e.g. climate, regulation/water towers • mountain areas are inaccessible, so hard to get into - avalanches, mass sliding, but what about

smaller changes? • ? corridors - wildlife and people intersections

• prions transfer and spreading • agriculture - retention of trees • invasive species

• tourism - snow/ski resorts

• Norwegians coming to ski here - more demand, but that space could be pressured by increasing number of people, leading to governance issues

• destination management of resorts • indigenous and politicians to co-manage mountains?

Who to engage? • Crown conservation ‘network’? • Great Northern Landscape Initiative • indigenous gathering to have them discuss this together recommendations - can we get some

Chiefs? — Deb Simmons • cross regional discussions

• e.g. Stoney Nakoda First Nation and mountain researchers • us to travel to First Nation locations

* point creation of research questions • First Nations research strategies exist, so we should look at it • direct connection required

HQP: • definition broadened to include high school students • work in the community so both student and community gain knowledge (two-way exchange) • concrete benefits for community • Alpine Club has mountain classes


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• field based learning (like northern learning styles) • camps for learning to bring all together

• community feast *mountain field courses would be good for NCE as effectively for interdisciplinary learning • NCE could be a platform to bring researchers together

• piggyback off each others projects • share logistics costs

Potential Funding Sources: • environ parks • economic development, trade • toursim - hotels, heli tourism


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Group 3: Scribe: Jamie Bradshaw “Mountain NCE” will not sell. Boyce: Develop strategy for policy. Can science help inform sustainable development? Can science provide insight with what we do with our mountains and face the future of mountain landscapes? Is that something the NCE should do, or is that just for academics? Kneteman How do you reclaim these places? Johnson: Forest NCE, no attempt to train foresters, forestry was receptive to training, government was not. however, industry was good at getting something from that day. In the mountains, who is the industry? Tourism & Mining. Hotels may have a lot of data on who visitors are and what they do. What is the definition of “mountain(s)”? • If consider foothills, oil and gas would have more buy-in. Don't isolate the mountains and find out

effects are coming from down range. • Silas (is Selkirk FN the flat land people) Should consider rain shadows as part of the mountains. • How do Beringia Mountains look different? Microbial processes in Beringia are through the roof.

Nunataks as beacons for traveling across the ice. Historical aspect of human journey. Modeling in the mountains is more difficult that in the prairies - mountains are variable, cant make generalizations.

• Yukon: rapid thaw in spring - seasonal flooding, see variations in animal migration routes, risks of being out in hazards (wildfire, flooding), upward movement of treeline in Haines Junction, Mountain Pine Beetle. Without mountains which cause the Yukon River to be there, there would be different animals, different species assemblages.

• Passive water treatment for mining innovation soil microbes and constructive wetlands. Development of mining in Yukon is exploding: open pit, small scale underground.

• Johnson: Geology igneous (North) / Sedimentary (South) this will result in different focuses. • Watching rapid changes of Wisconsin ecosystem is fascinating. • Silas: shallow soil depth in Yukon (15cm) soil in unglaciated regions has permafrost Infrastructure: • How to build pieces that act as cinders of interest where people will continue to go because of its

history - this could sell. Watersheds are instrumented many reasons for people to continue to return to. Need to construct something with physical and human capital.

• How to create a data center that has a spectrum of quantitative, qualitative. This needs to be established at the front end. Tri Council is very focused on data management.

• Concerned that NCE researchers will collect stuff, but where will that be deposited? This needs to be a component of the proposal. Is it the NCE’s job to make that convenient? Everyone has data that they know needs to be entered into a meaningful place.

• Cutting edge data management protocol is important to the proposal. Building sustainable infrastructure: • United Nations sustainable development has 12 priority areas. Can we use that as a launch point?

Can we build the infrastructure without power lines? • Geomaterial roads - sustainable surface for roads with permafrost melt. these are medical issues. • National Energy Policy ignored by government. Constitutions between US and Canada are quite

different.


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• Industry (oil/gas) hesitant to release core data because release of data opens opportunities for collaboration. Its like organ donating - having someone else keep you alive, just like effective and accessible data management.

Vuntut Gwitchin FN: • lost lake Zelda in 24 hours from permafrost melt • concerned with building materials • sustainable energy issues for Old Crow to demonstrate a running start • cost of mining production in YT is huge • diamond mining result of mountain glaciers Potential Co-Funders: • AB Government contribution • Foothills: energy companies • FN: great results when get them on board • not really agriculture • Tourism • Small Municipalities (issues objectiveness) • [something about grizzly viewing and hunting and killing making money…?] • Traditional territories: A Land - own a mineral and surface right, B Land own surface rights, below

ground owned by the Crown, limited access to lands • Mining company land claims. • Are there things that all stakeholders of NCE could NOT do to slow down climate change? Need a better network of monitoring: • especially watersheds (water monitoring is easier to justify), debris flow not building on flood plains • wildlife monitoring: Canmore put up 150 cameras, but what research questions are they trying to

answer? population dynamics? • Community based monitoring - its sustainable. • Need to know what is being monitored and where - make a better use of existing monitoring efforts,

increase parameters at a given sight. Mountain communities: • balance transience - residents and visitors • Increased income to communities = increase in domestic violence, drug use etc. This will happen

even with warming temperatures. Northern communities are not used to having an influx of seasonal cash.


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Group 4: Governance Scribe: Maggie Glasgow Does the current structural model get it right, or does this need to be tweaked? Also, what are some of the next steps to make this happen? • There is inherent structural dissymmetry between the northern and southern groups. • Steering committee shouldn’t divide resources based on N-S geography • Just a fact that the northern groups are less able to support themselves • BC and AB will be doing more of the work than NWT and other northern regions. • western Canada is being more represented than the east. • but structure shouldn’t change. Arctic Net comparison • oceanographers got the boat going and people came to join (instead of determining group

beforehand). Could we keep the structure flexible based on regional needs? • Maybe but you do need to have the structure in place when we submit Will it turn thematic? • In ArcticNet evolved towards IRIS (Integrated Regional Impact Studies). Each one has a report.

Went from theme to project based. Should it be focused? • That’s how it was done - mainly natural scientists though with big relevant projects that could get

support. This is different with the Mountain NCE – we have big players that should feel that they are involved right from the start.

Steering group – shaping how this is coming together. • Testing driving a board structure – if in event we are successful: e.g industry needs representation,

how do we get that? • This should get driven by a broader set of interests and groups. Build that in right from start

perhaps. But at every stage this isn’t just driven by academic research interests but also a more diverse set of interests.

• We should try to have 1-2 indigenous members who just naturally are a part of the group instead of mandating it.

• Not that prescriptive here although we should be mindful of the outcomes Reach out for external expertise – could we be missing this? • Steering members can consult with external expertise which will improve the lack of balanced

representation in the room • It is assumed that steering committee would bring others in as things develop anyway. • Representatives should be more senior staff that can bring expertise – We need senior strategic

thinkers to think this out and move ahead on this since we only have a little over a year. So we can have a cohesive proposal. -

Initiative group models – • they need to get going and they will each need a steering committee for those. • Every institution will want to be involved. • Due to jurisdictional differences, not sure how else this can be done. ArcticNet was quite a bit more

simple than this. In this case, there are so many involved.


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Consultation issues • When we convene on any issue – there is a shallow pool. Consultation is an emerging mantra but

there is a limited supply of consultation possibilities. • We should plan on going out and talking to the communities. • Within the provinces, the groups don’t have to be big. Groups should be formed to represent

different industries, different institutions, etc. • First Nations will also be a consideration. E.g BC –don’t often agree on issues, which could present

an issue. Many regional perspectives. • Initiating committees need to get going soon • Need to have advisory committee– each area will have different requirements Governance • Very important to have in place soon • We have 2.5 years so we should play around with a couple of different models. We do have time to

do this. • If it is more focussed – may simplify the governance structure. Broader themes tend to make things

harder Regional inclusion concern – that the East and Nunavut are not focussed on. We know this has to be national – but can it be western focused? • Needs to be a national focus. Participants across the country but if we do have a regional focus,

you have to have a rational for why you’re excluding an area. Better to find reasons why they should (eastern locations) be included than not included. Common issues could help bind (e.g. water).

• This NCE has to be distinct from Arctic focus, hence the change of our focus. • There is the nagging issue of mountains in the east. Some believe they need to be added. The

large ranges in the NE are important for the global climate. • Include natural sciences all the way to first nation and socio-economic issues. Model works fairly well as initiating groups to get going for all groups except the eastern Canada region. • Perhaps Nunavut should be included to a greater extent due to the collaborative work that is often

done. • But, one piece of the initiating stage is how do we incorporate all group • Question is; does Nunavut even want to be involved? • Northern jurisdictions don’t necessarily define themselves as a mountain area. This may not capture

their interest • Yukon may want this because they will be considered a mountain area • Note that getting the ice caps in the east could be a good global focus but we need to attract support

in Canada. o Also, consider that a lack of articulated strategy in eastern elevated areas may affect

global support. Potential Plan of action • Approach Nunavut, Labrador, etc, to determine whether they would like to be involved since every

jurisdiction should be invited.


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o There may not be a high level of interest and therefore, their participation would be lower.

o If these regions are specifically excluded, it could negatively affect the proposal • Advisory group could involve the east and industry in the early stages. • Things could morph into northern, eastern, and western groups • Then, frame up themes and scope and engagement strategy – from information garnered from the

initiating groups o The boundaries of provinces/territories – won’t define the NCE boundaries o Smaller geographic groups are better because people don’t have to travel as far o As themes develop, the net gets cast wider

**NCE isn’t necessary the end point but something else could come out of this. Consideration of Small Details • Focus: pan Canadian mountain environments –

o but is it 400m, or 450m elevation? Nitty details? o Must be considered as we move forward

• We need to focus to make things easier. Western is going to happen anyway because most of mountains are here – but then for example, focus on water that comes from westerly winds of this part of the continent – and then list the reasons…

• Would make it a lot easier and more interesting because there are a lot of folks from the west but get people from the east that are involved in complementary research.

What impact/vision of this NCE? • It might be easier to communicate the issues within a constrained geography but in doing so, we

could lose out on being successful • Global climate change context – compelling but it leaves out large chunks of the country. Regional self-elimination • Could frame in way to allow regions to self-eliminate,

o E.g. Ontario and Maritimes could self-eliminate because they don’t have this but maybe they would still be interested because they have something to add (complementary research). However, universities would still be involved, some in a major way. Governments may choose to opt out.

o Have to appeal to government and industry objectives – Climate change is the number one priority for new fed government so maybe we need to focus on this – make a link to these key federal priorities

• Perhaps we need to have mountains as an idea but not as a hard focus, but Waterloo is developing a climate change NCE. They are not very far along though.

• Placing priority on issues will help to allocate effort, and support what we want to do. People will self-exclude as they realize that they aren’t interested.

National scope –

a) issues driven. • Not setting arbitrary boundaries to begin with When there are issues are in common, it’s a good way to bring people together. e.g. mountain regions all have issues in common and parallels regardless of region. • but these issues are also affecting lower elevation regions.

b) Define it physical – then you only need a physical science NCE but what about sociological


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Conclusion: Do not want to write iterative drafts for governance

Priority: • Here is our structure, it’s flexible and want to engage communities. • Things will morph as time goes on, and we can ID other needs that we have • Transitional, flexible, maybe the steering committee can add members, making decisions,

experimental • Leave space for jurisdictions that aren’t here. • Steering committee need to reach out to contacts (which should include governments) to determine

whether eastern Canada is interested in being involved.


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…end breakout session, workshop continued…

Break Out Session Reviews and Summary Group 1: Represented by: Bill Milsom • Impacts to mountain environments are: Human Activity and Climate Change • How to mitigate impacts and promote sustainability? • Mountains are fragile which makes them a good venue to study. Advantage elevation and latitudinal

change in mountains - tool to predict impacts. • Analysis, Synthesis and Policy Development requires sophistication. Give post docs access to

information that exists and make it available to scientists and the public. Potential Mission Statement: “To promote and integrate research in a manner that best informs Canadians on ways to address the social and economic consequences of human activity and climate change on mountain environments.” Group 2: Represented by: Eric Higgs and Sally Adamowicz Themes: 1. Synthesizing, Digitizing and Sharing Knowledge build a platform. mapping TEK and usage of landscapes and living history, linguistic diversity 2. Prediction what will environments be like? water, recreation (should seasons), snowfall and tourism? impact of mitigation activities - fire management regime 3. Measuring and Monitoring determining if mitigation and prediction are correct, genomics, remote sensing 4. Mitigation and Opportunities plan/predict hazards and impacts. Quantifying ecosystem services and incorporate them into economics… Disjunct: university presenters. how ecosystems respond to rapid change Common Elements: • Significant awareness of arctic and subarctic • Sustainable infrastructure for remote communities (food/water) • How to deal with conflicts in the use of places (tourism, residents, resources)? • How can diverse organizations work together collectively? • How to make latitude and altitude prominent • Importance of directly bringing indigenous people to the table - what more can be done? • HQP: community researchers, high school students, • Camps: tradition, legacy, tying together with traditional hunting camps in communities. Provide

experiential opportunities. Funding Options: • environmental mitigation, civil engineering, tourism, research institutes, linguists, climate modelers


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Additional partners and collaborators: • engineering, modeling cleaner technology Group 3: Represented by: Mark Boyce • Most valuable Forest NCE was networking, we want all sciences to shape policy and have an

influence on the future of Canada. National Energy and Land-Use policy • HQP: disappointed Forest NCE didn't train new generation of foresters. what kind of people to train?

tourism directors? watershed instrumentation specialists, mountaineers? needs a strategic approach.

• Monitoring network: needs questions first. • strategic data management so data continues to live • Mountains complicate GCMs • UN Sustainable Development for priority areas that need attention. • What ARE mountains? Group 4: Governance and Management Represented by: Roger Epp Is this model good for next transitional stage? Yes, let’s move on. Need secretariat Need to be flexible Appoint positions in IGs. -Learn how the group operates with the appointed representatives Steering group needs to shape proposal Need authority to make sure significant voices are heard Which Mountains? Eastern Canada? Ellesmere? National scope: In representation, in geography? This is unanswered - welcome IGs to discuss. Governance is most critical - get it now, get the right people (not those who want an ego boost), need to utilize resources to build a successful team.

Conclusions: Hik

Who else to ask to be in the room? TEK Who will provide the co-funding? To Do:

• Urgency to continue to next few weeks • IGs are critical - appoint in 6-8 weeks • Identify individuals for a steering group • Build capacity within Secretariat (at UofA and elsewhere) • Reconvene in a couple months with steering group • Wait for LOI call, then determine the breadth and focus of purpose

canadian mountain network nce planning workshop meeting notes - january 12th, 2016

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