There are 51 projects funded under the Northern Contaminants Program for the 2022-2023 year, with allocated funding support of approximately $4.1 million. These projects were subject to a comprehensive technical, peer, and northern social/cultural review process. This process ensures that each project supports the priorities and objectives of the Northern Contaminants Program, as outlined in the Program’s blueprints and annual call for proposals. Consultation with northern community authorities and/or Indigenous organizations is required for all projects involving field work in the North and/or analyses of samples.
| Project # | Project Title | Project Leader(s) | Funding Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| H-02 | Elevated Exposure to Long-Chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in Nunavimmiut Adults: Determinants of Exposure and Harmful Effects on the Immune System and Respiratory Health | Mélanie Lemire and Pierre Ayotte (Université Laval), Elyse Caron-Beaudoin (University of Toronto) | $196,760 |
| H-04 | Selenoneine Protection Against Methylmercury Toxicity: A Potential Benefit of Beluga Maktaaq Consumption for Inuit Health | Pierre Ayotte, Mélanie Lemire and Paul De Koninck (Université Laval) | $162,795 |
| H-10 | Country Foods for Good Health: Promoting Foods in the Inuvialuit Settlement Region that Reflect Inuvialuit Culture, Knowledge, and Values (Country Foods for Good Health: Phase Two) | Sonja Ostertag, Brian Laird and Kelly Skinner (University of Waterloo) | $298,948 |
| H-12 | The Roles of Culture, Health Messaging, Conservation Management, and Inuit Knowledge in Country Food Access, Preferences, and Decision-making (CHOICES) | Matthew Little (University of Victoria), Tiff-Annie Kenny (Université Laval) | $58,492 |
| H-13 | Elevated Exposure to Long-chain Perfluoroalkyl Acids (PFAAs) in Nunavimmiut Adults: Concentrations in Select Country Foods and Adverse Effects on Thyroid Function | Mélanie Lemire and Pierre Ayotte (Université Laval), Amira Aker (University of Toronto) | $211,000 |
| H-14 | Identifying Sources and Patterns of Persistent Organic Pollutant Exposures in First Nations Communities of the Northwest Territories and Old Crow, Yukon | Brian Laird and Kelly Skinner (University of Waterloo) | $147,000 |
Total Funding Awarded to Human Health projects: $1,074,995
| Project # | Project Title | Project Leader(s) | Funding Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| CB-10 | Nunalinni kamatsianik palastikkinik igitauKattatunik Nunatsiavummi / Community-Based Monitoring of Plastic Pollution in Nunatsiavut | Liz Pijogge (Nunatsiavut Government), Max Liboiron (Memorial University) | $35,435 |
| CB-13 | Sources of Methylmercury, Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls to Ringed Seal Food Webs of Lake Melville, Northern Labrador | Liz Pijogge (Nunatsiavut Government), Jane Kirk and Sarah Roberts (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $33,460 |
| CB-30 | Contaminants in the Carcross Tagish First Nation Traditional Territory | Kate Andre (Carcross/Tagish First Nation) | $46,855 |
| CB-36 | Building a Community-based Monitoring Program for Microplastics in Yellowknife Bay, Northwest Territories | Jessica Hurtubise (North Slave Métis Alliance), Jesse Vermaire and Madelaine Bourdages (Carleton University) | $25,462 |
| CB-37 | Assessing Vessel-based Microplastics in Arviat and Pond Inlet, Nunavut | Shirley Tagalik (Aqqiumavvik Society), Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $24,100 |
| CB-38 | Dinàgà Wek'èhodì Protected Area Aquatic Monitoring Program | Michael Birlea and Paul Vecsei (Tłı̨chǫ Government) | $64,180 |
| CB-39 | Understanding of Distribution and Sources of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers in The North and East of Great Slave Lake and Coastal Regions | Jessica Hurtubise (North Slave Métis Alliance), Bing Chen (Memorial University) | $49,600 |
Total Funding Awarded to Community-Based Monitoring and Research projects: $279,092
| Project # | Project Title | Project Leader(s) | Funding Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| M-01 | Northern Contaminants Air Monitoring: Organic Pollutant Measurements | Hayley Hung (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $157,774 |
| M-02 | Air Measurements of Mercury at Alert, Nunavut and Little Fox Lake, Yukon, Mercury in the Air in Nunavut and Yukon | Alexandra Steffen (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $105,100 |
| M-03 | Passive Air Sampling Network for Organic Pollutants and Mercury | Hayley Hung and Alexandra Steffen (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $34,541 |
| M-04 | Temporal Trends of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Metals in Ringed Seals from the Canadian Arctic | Magali Houde and Derek Muir (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Steve Ferguson (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) | $62,020 |
| M-05 | Temporal and Spatial Trends of Legacy and New Organic and Metal/Elemental Contaminants in Canadian Polar Bears | Robert Letcher (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Amélie Roberto-Charron (Government of Nunavut) | $53,495 |
| M-06 | Assessing Legacy and Emerging Contaminants in Canadian Arctic Air and Water Bodies as an Entry Point into the Arctic Food Chain | Liisa M. Jantunen (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $44,375 |
| M-07 | Temporal Trends of Mercury and Selected Halogenated Organic Compounds in Three Beluga Populations Landed Near Hendrickson Island NT, Sanikiluaq NU and Pangnirtung NU | Lisa Loseto, Steven Ferguson and Cortney Watt (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) | $66,400 |
| M-08 | Temporal Trends of Contaminants in Arctic Seabird Eggs | Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $44,738 |
| M-09 | Temporal Trends and Spatial Variations of Mercury in Sea-Run Arctic Char and Other Fish from Cambridge Bay, Nunavut | Marlene S. Evans (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $15,570 |
| M-10 | Temporal Trends of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Mercury in Landlocked Char in the High Arctic | Jane Kirk and Derek Muir (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Günter Köck (Institute for Interdisciplinary Mountain Studies ÖAW-IGF) | $39,665 |
| M-11 | Spatial and Long-Term Trends in Persistent Organic Contaminants and Metals in Lake Trout and Burbot from the Northwest Territories | Marlene S. Evans (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $33,725 |
| M-12 | Temporal Trend Studies of Trace Metals and Halogenated Organic Contaminants (HOCs), Including New and Emerging Persistent Compounds, in Mackenzie River Burbot, Fort Good Hope, Northwest Territories | Gary Stern (University of Manitoba) | $14,156 |
| M-13 | Temporal Trends in Contaminants in Yukon Lake Trout | Mary Gamberg (Gamberg Consulting) | $63,825 |
| M-14 | Caribou Contaminant Monitoring Program | Mary Gamberg (Gamberg Consulting), Jeremy Brammer (National Wildlife Research Center) | $72,090 |
| M-15 | Community Based Seawater Monitoring for Organic Contaminants and Mercury in the Canadian Arctic | Jane Kirk, Amila De Silva, Derek Muir and Amber Gleason (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $37,950 |
| M-63 | Beluga (Qilalukkaq) Population Health: A Comparative Approach to Define Impacts of Contaminants and Climate Change Using Omics | Lisa Loseto (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), Marie Noel and Adam Warner (Ocean Wise Conservation Association) | $10,000 |
| M-72 | Assessing Health Effects of Priority Contaminants in Ringed Seals in Northern Labrador: Influence of a Changing Climate | Tanya Brown (Fisheries and Oceans Canada), Liz Pijogge and Joey Angnatok (Nunatsiavut Government) | $13,400 |
| M-78 | Alert 2022 – Investigating the Impacts of Climate and Sea Ice Change on Contaminants in Arctic Air and Water | Alexandra Steffen, Liisa M. Jantunen and Hayley Hung (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $48,500 |
| M-81 | Analysis of Plastic-Related Contaminants in Walrus Tissues from Nunavut in Relation to Plastic Pollution Ingestion | Mary Gamberg (Gamberg Consulting), Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $35,837 |
Total Funding Awarded to Environmental Monitoring and Research projects: $953,161
| Project # | Project Title | Project Leader(s) | Funding Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| C-02 | Northwest Territories Regional Contaminants Committee | Emma Pike (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada), Lorne Napier (Northwest Territory Métis Nation) | $177,755 |
| C-03 | Nunavut Environmental Contaminants Committee (NECC) | Selma Al-Soweydawi (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada), Jean Allen (Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated) | $58,595 |
| C-04 | Nunavik Nutrition and Health Committee (NNHC): Coordinating, Learning and Communicating on Contaminants Research in Nunavik | Kitty Gordon and Marie Rochette (Nunavik Regional Board of Health and Social Services), Lucy Grey (Kativik Regional Government) | $89,700 |
| C-05 | Northern Contaminants Researcher | Liz Pijogge (Nunatsiavut Government) | $46,545 |
| C-06 | Coordination, Participation and Communication: Evolving Inuit Research Advisor Responsibilities in Nunatsiavut for the Benefit of Inuit and their Communities | Carla Pamak (Nunatsiavut Government) | $33,750 |
| C-07 | An Inuit Research Advisor (IRA) for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) | Shanay Williams (Inuvialuit Regional Corporation) | $63,250 |
| C-08 | Nunavik Inuit Research Advisor: Environmental, Health and Climate Change Research in Nunavik | Markusi Qisiiq and Veronique Gilbert (Kativik Regional Government) | $69,250 |
| C-09 | Research Advisor for Nunavut | Cheryl Wray and Jean Allen (Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated) | $42,665 |
| C-11 | Wildlife Contaminants Workshop – Enhancing Contaminants Research Capacity in Nunavut | Mary Gamberg (Gamberg Consulting), Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Jamal Shirley (Nunavut Arctic College) | $40,106 |
Total Funding Awarded to Communications, Capacity and Outreach projects: $621,616
| Project # | Project Title | Project Leader(s) | Funding Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| N-01A | Northern Contaminants Program Secretariat: Operational Support and Coordination for the NCP | Sarah Kalhok Bourque (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada) | $451,500 |
| N-01B | Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) and Artic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) Quality Assurance/Quality Control Interlaboratory Study | Harold Malle (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $125,000 |
| N-01C | Data Management Support to the NCP from the Canadian Cryospheric Information Network (CCIN) /Polar Data Catalogue (PDC) to the Northern Contaminants Program | Gregory Vey (University of Waterloo) | $68,195 |
| N-01D | The NCP Publications Database: Making Northern Contaminants Program Publications More Accessible | Shannon Christoffersen (Arctic Institute of North America) | $40,308 |
| Total | $685,003 | ||
| N-02A | Canadian Support for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme for 2022/2023 | Rolf Rødven and Simon Wilson (Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Secretariat) | $133,000 |
| N-02B | Global Atmospheric Passive Sampling (GAPS) Network in Support of Global Monitoring Plan (Effective Evaluation) of the Stockholm Convention on POPs | Tom Harner (Environment and Climate Change Canada) | $13,147 |
| Total | $146,147 | ||
| N-3A | Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) Participatory Support in the Northern Contaminants Program | Merran Smith (Council of Yukon First Nations), Ed Schultz (Council of Yukon First Nations) | $40,934 |
| N-3B | Dene Nation Participation in the Northern Contaminants Program | Trevor Teed (Dene Nation) | $32,200 |
| N-3C | Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (ITK) National Coordination | Eric Loring (Inuit Tapiirit Kanatami) | $140,300 |
| N-3D | Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Canada’s Activities Under the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) | Eva Kruemmel (Inuit Circumpolar Council) | $182,620 |
| Total | $396,054 | ||
Total Funding Awarded to Program Coordination and Indigenous Partnership projects: $1,227,204