http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/single en mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca Copyright 2013 2013-04-29T19:33:19+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/vuntut_gwitchin_student_wins_scholarship_to_join_arctic_expedition_this_sum http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/vuntut_gwitchin_student_wins_scholarship_to_join_arctic_expedition_this_sum#When:19:33:19Z Fourteen-year-old Myles Rumley-Nukon will join this summer’s 2013 Students on Ice Arctic expedition thanks to a scholarship funded by the Government of Yukon and Yukon College. Rumley-Nukon is a Vuntut Gwitchin student currently in Grade 8 at Porter Creek Secondary School in Whitehorse. The $10,000 scholarship is provided by the Northern Climate ExChange at Yukon College, the Government of Yukon’s Climate Change Secretariat, Yukon Education and Environment Yukon. Students aged 14-18 were invited to apply earlier this year through their schools. Myles Rumley-Nukon is a Vuntut Gwitchin student who is interested in helping his community fight to protect the Porcupine caribou herd. References accompanying his scholarship application speak highly of him being "a role model for all young First Nation males." “I am really grateful to Students on Ice for this opportunity. I am excited to travel with students from around the world and learn more about other regions in the Arctic,” said Rumley-Nukon. The July 14-28 Students on Ice expedition will include 70 international high school students and a team of 35 world-renowned scientists, educators, Aboriginal Elders, historians, artists, writers, innovators, leaders and polar experts, as well as 30 public and private sector leaders. Students on this summer's educational adventure will develop the knowledge, skills, perspectives and practices that will help them to be Arctic ambassadors and environmentally responsible citizens. The team will depart on July 14 from Ottawa and return on July 28 after exploring Kangerlussuaq, Greenland and, in Nunavut, Iqaluit and Resolute Bay. Funding support for the scholarship from the Department of Education is through its First Nations Programs and Partnerships initiative. -30- Contact: Michael Vernon Communications Coordinator College Relations Yukon College 867.668.8786 867.332.4722 mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca 2013-04-29T19:33:19+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/cannor_and_yukon_government_supports_7_cold_climate_technology_innovation_p http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/cannor_and_yukon_government_supports_7_cold_climate_technology_innovation_p#When:16:48:59Z WHITEHORSE – Starting next month, visitors to MacBride Museum will be able to enjoy an enhanced museum experience using mobile tablet computers. Mid Arctic Technology Services has created an interactive museum tour product that will provide new information and new context in up to 48 languages. This is just one of seven innovative ideas that have received support towards commercialization from the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor) and Government of Yukon through Cold Climate and Technology Innovation at the Yukon Research Centre (YRC). CanNor is providing $165,658 towards the projects. Funding for the projects also comes from Yukon Economic Development. Cold Climate and Technology Innovation support and in-kind contributions from developers bring the development budget to $446,750. “This investment in local research will create opportunities for economic diversification of the territorial economy while building its scientific and technological capacity,” said Yukon Member of Parliament Ryan Leef, on behalf of the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, Minister of Health and Minister for the Arctic Council. “The commercialization of these ‘made-in-Yukon’ products has incredible potential to create new business and export opportunities for innovative Yukon businesses.” “We are pleased to support projects like this which demonstrate what is possible when innovation and commercialization are encouraged and supported,” Yukon Economic Development Minister Currie Dixon said. “Such projects represent a tremendous step forward in the development of the knowledge-based economy in Yukon, which strengthens the private sector.” “Without this support from CanNor and Yukon government through Technology Innovation at the YRC we would not have been able to build our proof of concept, which then enabled us to attract private sector investment,” said Chris May, president of Mid Arctic Technology Services. May will be launching his new product at the Canadian National Museum Association conference in Whitehorse May 27-June 1. “Alongside supporting truly innovative projects being developed in Canada’s North, these seven projects are also building a wealth of expertise across a range of new technologies,“ said Stephen Mooney, director of Cold Climate and Technology Innovation at the Yukon Research Centre. “Expertise, that will have a lasting impact beyond the products and technology that are being created.” The other six projects are: • weather sensors at Northwestel remote sites to gather data towards the feasibility of solar/wind energy powered sites; • enhance existing wood gasification technology to provide biomass energy in Carcross with Pacific Tlingit Energy; • use new, locally-created technology to enhance the capacity of the Dawson City Community TV and Radio Society; • creation of new software with the company Joint Families, to help manage communication and mitigate friction in dual custody situations involving divided families; • phase two  in the research and development of the plastics-to-oil machine being studied at P&M Recycling; • a final stage of development with Boreal Compost Enterprises towards the commercialization of a machine that removes plastic from compost; Cold Climate Innovation and Technology Innovation are two of seven key programs at the Yukon Research Centre (YRC) at Yukon College. The other five are: NSERC Industrial Research Chair for College in Mining Life Cycles, Northern Climate ExChange, Biodiversity Monitoring, Science Adventures, and Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic. Core funding for the Yukon Research Centre is provided by Yukon Education and Yukon Economic Development. -30- This investment is funded by CanNor’s Strategic Investments in Northern Economic Development (SINED) program, which focuses on long-term economic growth, economic diversification and capacity-building in all three territories. SINED is one of several economic development programs within CanNor. CanNor is responsible for coordinating and delivering Canada’s economic development across the North, and for related policy development, research and advocacy. For more information, contact: Michael Vernon Communications Coordinator College Relations Yukon College 867.668.8786 867.332.4722 mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca Erin MacPherson Communications CanNor 867.667.3849 erin.macpherson@cannor.gc.ca Matthew Grant Cabinet Communications 867-393-6470 matthew.grant@gov.yk.ca Samantha Paterson Communications, Economic Development Government of Yukon 867.667.5387 Samantha.Paterson@gov.yk.ca 2013-04-24T16:48:59+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/yukon_college_part_of_new_bc_research_and_innovation_network http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/yukon_college_part_of_new_bc_research_and_innovation_network#When:17:04:48Z WHITEHORSE – Yukon College, the Justice Institute of British Columbia, and the Presidents of British Columbia Colleges (BC Colleges) representing 11 colleges in BC, announced today the formal creation of a BC Applied Research and Innovation Network (BCARIN). BCARIN’s mandate is to connect member institutions – their students and faculty – with business and community organizations who seek to solve ‘real world’ problems which demand skill in research and innovation.  BCARIN has launched a web site and network ‘portal’ at www.bcarin.ca and it has appointed its first executive board, co-chaired by Thor Borgford, Dean of Science & Technology at Douglas College and Margaret Heldman, Dean of Science at Langara.  “The BCARIN initiative will grow applied research capacity within the Colleges and fellow institutions. It will produce greater direct engagement of students and faculty with their communities, and promote an extensive sharing of knowledge and resources.  Importantly, the network aims to enhance business productivity and improve the outcomes sought by community organizations,” said Borgford and Heldman. “This new, mutually beneficial partnership will give Yukon College the ability to engage in stronger applied research networking and partnership building initiatives with BC Colleges and the Justice Institute,” said Chris Hawkins, vice-president Research at Yukon College. “It will build capacity and widen access to research funding, which expands the ability of the Yukon Research Centre to serve the needs of our business and community partners in the territory.” “Skilled and educated workers are our most critical resource and BC’s 11 public colleges are focused on ensuring our graduates have the right advanced skills and education to meet labour market demands.  This includes fostering an environment that places an emphasis on applied research and innovation as a means to improved workforce productivity, sustained business and enterprise success, and expanded community engagement,” said Angus Graeme, President of Selkirk College and Chair of BC Colleges. -30-   About BCARIN Members of BCARIN belong to the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC) and are accredited to administer funding from the three major Canadian federal granting agencies – the Canadian Institutes of Health research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). Member institutions include; Camosun College, the College of New Caledonia, College of the Rockies, Douglas College, Justice Institute of BC, Langara, North Island College, Northwest Community College, Northern Lights College, Okanagan College, Selkirk College, Vancouver Community College, and Yukon College. Members offer a broad-range of expertise and experience in research and development, and the required infrastructure to support innovation in industrial, corporate, and community contexts. BCARIN’s website – www.bcarin.ca – was created and is maintained by students working with the Douglas College Digital Cultures Lab. About the Yukon Research Centre The Yukon Research Centre (YRC) at Yukon College has seven key programs: NSERC Industrial Research Chair for College in Mining Life Cycles, Northern Climate ExChange, Cold Climate Innovation, Biodiversity Monitoring, Technology Innovation, Science Adventures, and Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic. Core funding for the Yukon Research Centre is provided by Yukon Education and Yukon Economic Development.   For more information, contact: Michael Vernon Communications Coordinator College Relations Yukon College 867.668.8786 867.332.4722 mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca Jacqueline Bedard Director College Relations Yukon College 867.456.8619 jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca 2013-04-23T17:04:48+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/20th_annual_bridge_building_contest_to_showcase_youth_engineering_in_action http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/20th_annual_bridge_building_contest_to_showcase_youth_engineering_in_action#When:23:26:35Z Whitehorse - Science Adventures and the Association of Professional Engineers of Yukon are pleased to welcome everyone to the 20th Annual Bridge Building Contest this Saturday, April 06, at Porter Creek Secondary School in the gym. To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the competition a new building category has been added.  The “All-CAN” bridge building category honours those engineers that built the Alaska Highway that was once called the Alcan (Alaska/Canada) Highway. There is no limit to the number of builders who can build a bridge. Teams will compete for a special, honorary trophy. Bridge viewing happens between 12:00 and 1:00 pm followed by bridge strength testing. This year 10 schools participated in building just over 140 different bridges. Join us to witness the loads these bridges can endure before they break. “We are really excited to see this program in its 20th year, “said Heather Dundas, Coordinator of Science Adventures at the Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College. “So much passion goes into this event. The youth and families that compete are learning engineering principles, design concepts, building skills, and teamwork, and having a great time. It’s really a spectacular show.” During the past three months approximately 215 Yukon students and members of the public have been building bridges out of wooden coffee stir sticks, white glue and - in some cases - dental floss.  Robert Service School and Porter Creek Secondary entered the largest number of bridges this year. The goal? To build the lightest bridge that can hold the most weight using the bridge criteria as set out in the official rules All competitors receive a certificate that includes a photo of their bridge before testing and a participation prize. Prizes will also be awarded in each category and there are special prizes for best narrative, best looking, strongest and lightest bridge. Visit www.scienceadventures.ca for details on the competition. -30- For more information: Heather Dundas                                                         Coordinator, Science Adventures Yukon Research Centre, Yukon College                   t 867.668.8739                 scienceadventures@yukoncollege.yk.ca 2013-04-04T23:26:35+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/hazards_research_bingo_and_dinner http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/hazards_research_bingo_and_dinner#When:20:13:15Z How does thawing permafrost affect you? Researchers will share their results on climate change hazards in your community. Climate change adaptation planning, one dauber at a time. Thursday, March 21 Jacquot Hall, Burwash Landing, 5 to 9pm Free Dinner and Bingo. Great Prizes.   2013-03-14T20:13:15+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/northern_research_endowment_fund_deadline_of_march_18th http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/northern_research_endowment_fund_deadline_of_march_18th#When:18:09:10Z Learn more about the Northern Research Endowment Fund and apply now! 2013-02-26T18:09:10+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/presentation_social_economy_of_northern_canada http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/presentation_social_economy_of_northern_canada#When:21:22:03Z Dr. Chris Southcott will present the final results of his recent work to develop a profile of the social economy in northern Canada. As northerners, we often fixate on the types of development we lack in the North. But Lakehead University researcher Dr. Southcott has found that northerners – and Yukoners in particular - have a wealth of social economy organizations that many southerners don't have. Sitting at the crossroads between the private and the public sector, social economic organizations offer services that the government and private sector are either unable or unwilling to provide. The social economic sector in Canada is strongest in the North, and it's the Yukon that has the most thriving social economy amongst the three territories. A research study in 2010 found that the Yukon housed 43 per cent of the total 1,178 social economy organizations in the North. Raven Recycling and Yukon Artists at Work are two examples of social economic organizations featured in Dr. Southcott’s research and a new 30 min film that will be premiered following his presentation. Join us in A2103 this Thursday from noon-1pm to learn more. The film will follow at 1pm in A2712. 2013-02-25T21:22:03+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/presentation_mapping_bumps_in_the_road_thawing_permafrost_and_the_north_ala http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/presentation_mapping_bumps_in_the_road_thawing_permafrost_and_the_north_ala#When:22:32:45Z Travelers of the Alaska Highway know what it’s like to drive a bumpy road. The northern 200 km of the Alaska Highway are built on permafrost that is thawing due to the effects of construction and climate change. Join researchers from the Northern Climate ExChange to learn about a project that’s mapping permafrost under the North Alaska Highway and identifying areas where it is the most sensitive. Thursday, January 24th, 2013 12-1 pm Buckshot Betty's in Beaver Creek Lunch is provided. 2013-01-17T22:32:45+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/yukon_college_awarded_first_industrial_research_chair http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/yukon_college_awarded_first_industrial_research_chair#When:17:22:36Z WHITEHORSE – The Yukon Research Centre at Yukon College is pleased to welcome Dr. Amelie Janin as the NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges in Mining Life Cycle at Yukon College. The NSERC Industrial Research Chair for Colleges grant is for an initial term of 5 years. As the new Chair, Dr. Janin will work with the Yukon mining industry to develop a business-focused applied research program on reclamation activities throughout the mining lifecycle. The program will investigate the applicability to the north of innovative technologies for both water and soil treatment. Alexco Resource Corp., Capstone Mining Corp., Yukon Zinc Corp., and Victoria Gold Corp. have made an initial two year commitment to match the NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) funding of $100,000 per year. The four companies partnered with the College on the initial application to NSERC and created the Yukon Mining Research Consortium to support the Chair. “The Yukon Mining Research Consortium is very proud to support the first NSERC Research Chair ever awarded to Yukon College” said David Petkovich of Alexco Resource Corp. on behalf of the Consortium partners. “We are excited to partner with Dr. Janin and the Yukon Research Centre in looking at new applied northern technologies for this important work.”  “Yukon Government is pleased to support the Yukon Research Centre and Yukon College because we believe that Yukon is uniquely positioned to research and develop northern technologies to improve the mining industry,” Economic Development Minister Currie Dixon said. “Dr. Janin’s work will improve our local scientific knowledge and capacity within the mining industry, which will strengthen our economy and our stewardship of the environment.” “We are looking forward to Dr. Janin applying her expertise to advancing research into environmental and reclamation technologies applicable to our northern climate,” Education Minister Scott Kent said. “The work she will do through the Yukon Research Centre is an excellent opportunity for innovation both at Yukon College and in the territory’s mining industry.” Industrial Research Chairs for Colleges grants support longer term research partnerships between industry and colleges.  Yukon College is one of only 15 colleges with an active chair. Industry support for the research is a condition of NSERC support. “Achieving an Industrial Research Chair for Colleges reflects both the quality of our programs and the strength of our partnership with the Yukon mineral resources industry for this research,” said Dr. Chris Hawkins, vice president Research at Yukon College.Dr. Janin will spend the initial weeks meeting with the four companies to learn more about their particular reclamation conditions and which projects are priorities for investigation before preparing a research plan. The Yukon Research Centre (YRC) at Yukon College has six key programs: Cold Climate Innovation, Technology Innovation, Northern Climate ExChange, Biodiversity Monitoring, Science Adventures, and Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic. Core funding for the Yukon Research Centre is provided by Yukon Education and Yukon Economic Development. -30- For more information, contact: Michael Vernon Communications Coordinator College Relations Yukon College 867.668.8786 867.332.4722 mvernon@yukoncollege.yk.ca Jacqueline Bedard Director College Relations Yukon College 867.456.8619 jbedard@yukoncollege.yk.ca Elaine Schiman Community and Cabinet Communications Cabinet Office Government of Yukon 867-633-7961 elaine.schiman@gov.yk.ca 2013-01-11T17:22:36+00:00 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/biomass_open_house_january_22_2013 http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/research/post/biomass_open_house_january_22_2013#When:22:25:30Z Is it time to turn wood into electricity? Join us for a public open house: Tuesday, January 22, 2013, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the new Da Ku Cultural Centre, 280 Alaska Highway in Haines Junction. FREE dinner provided For more information: http://yukonenergy.ca/energy/projects/biomass/ 2013-01-08T22:25:30+00:00