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This paper is a collaborative interdisciplinary examination of the scientific, political, and cultural determinants of the conservation status of mammal species that occur in both Canada and the USA. We read Canada's Species at Risk Act as a document of bio-cultural nationalism circumscribed by the weak federalism and Crown–Indigenous relations of the nation's constitution. We also provide a numerical comparison of at-risk species listings either side of the US–Canada border and examples of provincial/state listings in comparison with those at a federal level. We find 17 mammal species listed as at-risk in Canada as distinct from the USA, and only 6 transboundary species that have comparable levels of protection in both countries, and we consider several explanations for this asymmetry. We evaluate the concept of 'jurisdictional rarity', in which species are endangered only because a geopolitical boundary isolates a small population. The paper begins and ends with reflections on interdisciplinary collaboration, and our findings highlight the importance of considering and explicitly acknowledging political influences on science and conservation-decision making, including in the context of at-risk-species protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geothermal energy exploration, development, and research have been ongoing in Canada for several decades. The country's cold climate and the push to develop renewable energy sources have driven interest in geothermal energy. Despite this drive, regulatory complexities and competition with other relatively inexpensive energy sources with existing infrastructure have hindered development. As such, interest has grown and waned with changes in the energy economy over several decades, leaving many projects at a standstill. As of January 2023, there are currently no operational geothermal power projects in Canada. Many hot spring pool and spa complexes remain active, and Canada is a leading country in the installation of ground source heat pumps (GSHPs; also called geo-exchange systems). However, in the last decade, the interest in deep geothermal systems has renewed, with many new projects starting up across several provinces and territories. Moreover, projects that had shown limited progress for many years—such as Mount Meager in British Columbia—have begun to renew their development efforts. Research is also expanding within prominent research groups and universities. The areas of focus include both building upon previous studies (such as thermal gradients and the heat flow in sedimentary basins) and researching new methods and resources (such as GSHPs, closed-loop systems, integrated geothermal operations, and hybrid systems, including heat storage). The development is supported by federal, provincial, and territorial governments through grants and the development of regulatory frameworks. Although challenges still remain for Canada to develop its geothermal energy resources, several power, thermal, and co-production projects, ongoing research, funding, and regulatory acts are all moving forward to support geothermal development. This paper aims to study Canada's geothermal energy update in 2023 regarding the aspects mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canada's universities each receive an annual operating grant from their provincial government to partially finance operating expenses. This paper estimates the sensitivity of provincial operating grants to the business cycle by disentangling the effects of procyclical income on government revenue and the countercyclical effect on student demand by utilizing an economic regression model composed of three equations. Our panel data include the total real operating grant paid to all universities within a province, total student enrolment, real per capita government revenue, and real per capita gross domestic product for Canada's ten provinces over the 1992–2019 sample period. The results confirm that real per capita government revenues are procyclical and that full-time equivalent student enrolments are counter-cyclical. The total real operating grant is only weakly associated with cyclical changes in provincial government revenue. Instead, the total real operating grant is mainly determined by countercyclical changes in student demand. This partially offsets the potential reduction in funding to universities during an economic downturn. Provincial governments in Canada can smooth the total allocation over the business cycle by adjusting other expenditures and using debt financing. Our results suggest they do this to some extent, but not enough to avoid a net reduction in real operating grants during an economic downturn. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Sorafenib has been the standard of care for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) patients since 2008. Recently, new therapies have been funded that provide increased survival in this patient population. The aim of our retrospective cohort study of linked administrative databases in Ontario was to understand the characteristics of patients with aHCC, their treatment patterns, survival outcomes, healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), and costs. We observed that patients who received systemic therapy for aHCC had a higher median overall survival (mOS) from diagnosis compared to patients who received other systemic therapies or a locoregional treatment (LRT). The mean cost per patient was $52,166 CAD for all the patients in the study, with inpatient hospitalizations and oral medications as the largest cost drivers. The therapeutic landscape for aHCC has evolved in recent years, necessitating a comprehensive analysis of treatment patterns, clinical outcomes, HCRU, and costs to contextualize emerging treatments. This study aimed to investigate these outcomes using real-world data from Ontario, Canada. This retrospective cohort study was conducted using linked administrative databases from April 2010 to March 2020. Patients diagnosed with aHCC were included, and their clinical and demographic characteristics were analyzed, as well as treatment patterns, survival, HCRU, and economic burden. Among 7322 identified patients, 802 aHCC patients met the eligibility criteria for inclusion in the study. Treatment subgroups included 1L systemic therapy (53.2%), other systemic treatments (4.5%), LRT (9.0%), and no treatment (33.3%). The median age was 66 years, and the majority were male (82%). The mOS for the entire cohort from diagnosis was 6.5 months. However, patients who received 1L systemic therapy had an mOS of 9.0 months, which was significantly higher than the other three subgroups. The mean cost per aHCC-treated patient was $49,640 CAD, with oral medications and inpatient hospitalizations as the largest cost drivers. The results underscore the need for the continuous evaluation and optimization of HCC management strategies in the era of evolving therapeutic options. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Newcomer women and children are less likely to access and utilize mental health support services as compared to the general Canadian population, despite reporting experiences of mental health issues. This review aimed to map out the social support interventions that are available for promoting the mental well-being of newcomer women and children living in Canada. A search using Medline, Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO, and the Cochrane library was conducted to identify published studies. Studies were screened, extracted, and synthesized by two independent reviewers in line with the methodological approach for scoping reviews. Fourteen articles published in English between 2012–2023 were reviewed. Results identified five types of interventions: art and sand play interventions, support groups and workshops, assessment of existing support services, social media interventions, and short-term cognitive behavioral therapy. Our results suggest that culturally appropriate social support interventions increase mental well-being outcomes, such as self-esteem and social support, and reduce peri-migratory traumas for newcomer women and children in Canada. However, findings from this review underscore the need for more quantitative and participatory research approaches so that newcomer women's and children's needs are adequately explored and addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This epidemiological model forecasted reductions in recurrences and recurrence treatment cost savings with adjuvant atezolizumab vs best supportive care among Canadians with stage II-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) at national and provincial levels. The population had resected, programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1)–high (≥50%), EGFR−, ALK−, stage II-IIIA NSCLC eligible for adjuvant treatment. Patients with recurrence or death and the costs of treating recurrences were estimated for those receiving adjuvant atezolizumab or best supportive care each year (2024–2034). Proportions of patients expected to be event free up to 10 years after treatment initiation were extrapolated with parametric survival analyses. In the base case analysis, 240 fewer recurrences were estimated to occur over 10 years (2024–2034) with adjuvant atezolizumab vs best supportive care across Canada, with 136 (57%) and 104 (43%) fewer locoregional and metastatic recurrences, respectively. Projected costs of treated recurrences were CAD 33.2 million less over 10 years with adjuvant atezolizumab at a national level (adjuvant atezolizumab, CAD 135.8 million; best supportive care, CAD 169.0 million). This model predicts a considerable long-term reduction in recurrences and substantial treatment cost savings with adjuvant atezolizumab vs best supportive care for patients with PD-L1–high early-stage NSCLC in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indigenous Peoples throughout the world have been displaced from their ancestral territories through colonial land use management. Indigenous Peoples have pushed settler-colonial governments to shift their policy frameworks to better support Indigenous rights and leadership across land management, but particularly in conservation. In Canada, this has recently involved the development of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas. Combined with pressure from international organizations, Canada's Federal Government has dedicated substantial funds to support the establishment of these areas and to achieve conservation and reconciliatory goals. In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori groups have shaped new legislation that recognizes legal personality status for natural features, which contrasts with Western understandings of land ownership. Indigenous-led conservation in Canada faces many interrelated barriers grounded in colonial histories that complicate land jurisdictions, reconciliation, and protected area networks. This research reveals some of this complexity by examining how Indigenous-led conservation can contribute to more equitable and consensus-based decision-making frameworks in land use management. Policy and legal analyses of Canadian, Aotearoa New Zealand, and international conservation and human rights documents inform our results. We affirm that Indigenous-led conservation can foster relationships between Indigenous Nations and Crown governments. They can also provide steps towards reconciling colonial injustices, supporting Indigenous self-determination, and advancing more sustainable land use systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Paramedic practice is highly variable, occurs in diverse contexts, and involves the assessment and management of a range of presentations of varying acuity across the lifespan. As a result, attempts to define paramedic practice have been challenging and incomplete. This has led to inaccurate or under-representations of practice that can ultimately affect education, assessment, and the delivery of care. In this study, we outline our efforts to better identify, explore, and represent professional practice when developing a national competency framework for paramedics in Canada. Methods: We used a systems-thinking approach to identify the settings, contexts, features, and influences on paramedic practice in Canada. This approach makes use of the role and influence of system features at the microsystem, mesosystem, exosystem, macrosystem, supra-macrosystem, and chronosystem levels in ways that can provide new insights. We used methods such as rich pictures, diagramming, and systems mapping to explore relationships between these contexts and features. Findings: When we examine the system of practice in paramedicine, multiple layers become evident and within them we start to see details of features that ought to be considered in any future competency development work. Our exploration of the system highlights that paramedic practice considers the person receiving care, caregivers, and paramedics. It involves collaboration within co-located and dispersed teams that are composed of other health and social care professionals, public safety personnel, and others. Practice is enacted across varying geographical, cultural, social, and technical contexts and is subject to multiple levels of policy, regulatory, and legislative influence. Conclusion: Using a systems-thinking approach, we developed a detailed systems map of paramedic practice in Canada. This map can be used to inform the initial stages of a more representative, comprehensive, and contemporary national competency framework for paramedics in Canada. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Slave Province in Canada is an Archean granite–supracrustal terrane at the northwestern corner of the Canadian Shield. It is bordered by the Thelon–Taltson orogen (2.0 to 1.9 Ga) to the southeast and the Wopmay orogen (1.9 to 1.8 Ga) to the west. Acasta gneisses, exposed in the westernmost Slave Province, and the Wopmay rocks, located close to the gneisses, were systematically collected for K–Ar and laser step-heating 40Ar/39Ar single-crystal analyses of the biotite and amphibole. The K–Ar biotite ages of the four Wopmay samples range from 1816 ± 18 Ma to 1854 ± 26 Ma. The 40Ar/39Ar biotite analyses of the three Wopmay samples yield plateau ages of 1826 ± 21 Ma, 1886 ± 13 Ma, and 1870 ± 18 Ma. These ages fall within the reported U–Pb zircon age range of the Wopmay orogen. The K–Ar biotite ages of the fifteen Acasta gneisses range from 1779 ± 25 Ma to 1877 ± 26 Ma, except for one younger sample (1711 ± 25 Ma). The 40Ar/39Ar analyses of the biotite crystals from three samples give the plateau ages of 1877 ± 8 Ma, 1935 ± 14 Ma, and 1951 ± 11 Ma. The K–Ar amphibole ages from twelve samples range from 1949 ± 19 Ma to 1685 ± 25 Ma. Two samples of them give ages older than the zircon U-Pb age of Hepburn plutons. The 40Ar/39Ar analyses of the amphibole crystals show varied age relations. The two samples give plateau ages of 1814 ± 22 Ma and 1964 ± 12 Ma. Some samples exhibit apparent old ages of ~2000 Ma in the middle temperature fractions. These old fractions result from the amphibole crystals, originally formed in the Archean, being affected by the thermal events during the Wopmay orogeny but not fully resetting. These observations suggest that the K–Ar system ages of the biotite and amphibole in the Archean Acasta gneiss were rejuvenated during the Paleoproterozoic ages. The Discussion explores the possibility that the heat source rejuvenating the K–Ar system ages may have arisen due to asthenospheric extrusion into the wedge mantle, a process likely triggered by subduction rollback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Access to transport is key to people's movement in cities, their social participation, and personal development. People with mobility disabilities (PMDs) face additional barriers when using public transport. The objective of this study is to identify the dilemmas that PMDs face in their daily mobility practices and their coping strategies, in particular the ways in which these dilemmas and strategies are influenced by both personal and environmental characteristics. We conducted ethnographic research, utilizing narrative interviews, life stories, focus groups, and participant observations. Our aim was to analyse multiple experiences of mobility in situations of disability in Quebec City, Canada. This study engages the following research question: how do PMDs navigate their social environment, considering the impact of personal, social, and physical landscape factors on their mobility strategies? Depending on the accessibility of fixed-route public buses and the availability of public paratransit services, what are the dilemmas that PMDs face and how do they shape their mobility strategies? Using the three-dimensional model of narrative analysis, we present a narrative ethnography of participants' dilemmas and strategies about their experiences on public transport. Five dilemmas are examined. Through this methodology, we propose to extend the study of "constellations of mobility" by including the notion of strategies as an experiential outcome between personal and physical landscape factors, practices, and meanings of mobility. This offers new research perspectives both in disability and mobility studies and in the understanding of urban accessibility experiences in situations of disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Women's marital surname change is important, in part, because it affects how often only husbands' (fathers') surnames are passed on to offspring: this, in turn, affects the frequency of these "family" names. Brides-to-be, novelly, from across especially western and central Canada (N = 184), were surveyed as to marital surname hyphenation/retention versus change intention, and attitude towards women's such choices in general. Among women engaged to men, the hypothesized predictors of income and number of future children desired were positively predictive of marital surname retention/hyphenation under univariate analysis. Under multiple regression analysis using these and other predictors from the literature, previously found to be predictive of this DV under univariate analysis, only some of these other predictors were predictive. Of greatest predictiveness was the bride-to-be's own mother's marital surname choice (with brides-to-be, more often than would otherwise be predicted, following their mother's such choice), thus suggesting a possible shift to a transmitted manner of bilateral descent reckoning, towards greater bilateral such reckoning, among a portion of the population. Reported, general attitude towards women's marital surname retention was predictive of participant brides-to-be's own reported (imminent) marital surname retention/hyphenation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For more than fifty years, Jamaican farm workers have been seasonally employed in Canada under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP). In Canada, these workers live and work in conditions that make them vulnerable to various health issues, including poor mental health. This ethnographic study investigated Jamaican SAWP workers' mental health experiences in Southern Ontario. Several common factors that engender psychological distress among Jamaican workers, ranging from mild to extreme suffering, were uncovered and organised into five themes: (1) family, (2) work environments and SAWP relations, (3) living conditions and isolation, (4) racism and social exclusion, and (5) illness and injury. I found that Jamaican workers predominantly use the term 'stress' to articulate distress, and they associate experiences of suffering with historic plantation slavery. Analysis of workers' stress discourses revealed their experiences of psychological distress are structured by the conditions of the SAWP and their social marginalisation in Ontario. This article presents and discusses these findings in the context of SAWP power dynamics and concludes with policy recommendations aimed at improving the mental health of all SAWP workers. In foregrounding the experiences of Jamaican workers, this study addresses the dearth of research on the health and wellbeing of Caribbean SAWP workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]