Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #244: Workshop / Conference summarizing the result of the Canadian Northern Contaminants Program - Human Health and Environmental Research (2004 – 2008) – Results and Future Vision.  

Outline
The Canadian Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) is an interdepartmental / intergovernmental research program undertaking research and evaluation on contaminant issues in the Canadian arctic. The NCP involves federal, provincial and territorial departments plus aboriginal organizations and communities in this human health research. Research to date has shown that levels of many contaminants are building up in traditional / country foods (polar bears, seals, beluga whales) of many aboriginal northerners to levels that would be unacceptable in southern Canada. Levels of contaminants are rising to unacceptable levels in human tissues and early epidemiological studies have found subtle health effects in Inuit infants. The NCP will be co-funding human health studies during 2003-2008 to ascertain if these initial health effects can be validated in older age groups of Inuit children. The aboriginal people of arctic Canada are concerned about the possibility of health effects due to contaminants in their traditional / country foods. The NCP will need to report in a significant way in 2008 and there will be major interest from Aboriginal peoples on the results of this research. The NCP has usually held it’s major reporting symposium in southern Canada. This proposal will ensure that this symposium is held in Arctic Canada to ensure that a wide northern audience is able to attend. Significant resources will be set aside to ensure that arctic residents can attend this meeting. This will build capacity in the north for research and evaluation on human health and contaminant issues. The NCP will also be considering its direction for the next five years in abiotic and biotic monitoring and human health research. This meeting will also allow Northerners direct input into the future vision of this important program.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
This meeting will highlight the research under the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) from 2003 to 2008. By hosting this meeting in the Canadian arctic the NCP will be able to increase capacity to undertake and assess the value of arctic contaminant research on abiotic/biotic and human health research. This project will address Themes 4, 5 and 6 plus address the Targets of Natural / Social Science, Education, Outreach and Communication and Legacy. A meeting of this scale bringing contaminant experts in the fields of the abiotic arctic, arctic biota and human health from all across Canada and appropriate international guest speakers plus will allow significant knowledge transfer to northerners. This will allow northerners to take a greater role in the NCP research in future years.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
This meeting will allow Canada to summarize the last five years of Canadian arctic contaminant research and will involve discussions with Northerners, Canadian and International research scientists.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Canadian arctic north of 60.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 04/03 – 12/07            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
No new major logistic resources are needed for this project.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The major legacy of this project will be increased knowledge among northerners on arctic environmental and human health contaminant issues. This will allow northerners to take a greater role in the leadership on this important arctic issue.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes. The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) secretariat at the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) has agreed that this is the type of project that the NCP would support. A proposal for ratification will be presented at the April 2005 NCP Management Committee meeting.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Yes

The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) is an active research program that has involved several federal departments (DIAND lead, Environment, Fisheries, Health Canada), provincial / territorial departments and aboriginal organizations for the past 14 years.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) has a Management Committee and a sub-committee will be struck to help plan and organize this conference. A significant focus of the renewed NCP is human health so the members of the NCP Human Health Review team (Health Canada branches and Territorial/Provincial Health Agencies) and NCP secretariat will have a lead in organizing this conference. The additional funds available through the IPY initiative will allow more people from the north be brought to one centre and more scientists brought to the north.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
One of the key components of the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) has been communication with northerners and publication of the key findings in significant “Plain Language Summaries” or “Knowledge in Action” have allowed easy involvement of the general public. Full scientific volumes will also be available summarizing the results of the NCP research (2003-08). These type of reports will be produced in advance of the Conference.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Not part of conference, though data management issues are addressed in a consistent way under the NCP.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
The Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) funds it major reporting conferences at a cost of approximately $30K in southern Canada. This meeting will be held in the north and the additional $25K that will be obtained from federal Canadian IPY funds will allow more northerners to attend this meeting. More scientists will also be able to attend this northern meeting to ensure greater capacity building by northerners.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This meeting on northern contaminants will allow the NCP to assess where it has come over 2003-2008 and where the NCP needs to go in the future. Northerners will have direct input into determining future directions of the NCP and will build capacity in the north by bringing scientists and northerners together.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Jay Van Oostdam
Health Canada, Safe Environments Program
Rm A722, Jeanne Mance Bldg. Tunney’s Pasture, AL 1907A
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0K9
Canada

Tel: 613-941-3570
Mobile: no
Fax: 613-941-9238
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation