Latest news with #UniversitéLaval
CTV News
2 days ago
- Science
- CTV News
Satellite images reveal conditions that contributed to ‘catastrophic' wildfire season
The use of images from space and artificial intelligence can help in detecting areas that may be prone to extreme wildfires, researchers suggest. A fire burns as fire crews continue to fight wildfires around Lac du Bonnet, Man., Thursday, May 15, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/David Lipnowski WINNIPEG — Images from space and artificial intelligence can help detect areas prone to extreme wildfires, researchers suggest, after satellite photos showed dry parts of Manitoba ahead of its devastating wildfire season. Scientists from the University of Ottawa and Université Laval in Quebec used data collected by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Drought Monitor to review areas hit by fast-moving blazes in late spring. They found various climate anomalies, including a lack of winter snowfall and spring rain, contributed to 'cumulative vegetation stress,' or drier soil and vegetation. 'Canada is often seen as a land of endless water with countless lakes, rivers and wetlands, but ... right now we face the situation of the drought. Drought is more than just no rain,' said project lead Hossein Bonakdari, an associate engineering professor at the University of Ottawa. In early May, severe wildfires broke out in various parts of Manitoba and spread rapidly due to hot, dry and windy conditions, leading to the province's worst wildfire season in 30 years. Flames also claimed the lives of two people near Lac du Bonnet, northeast of Winnipeg. The researchers used the data to track irregularities in snow coverage, precipitation, temperature and soil moisture. 'While each anomaly alone appeared moderate, the observed spatial and temporal overlap of moderate anomalies suggests a potential synergistic effect that significantly preconditioned the environment for ignition,' says the study published in the journal Earth. Researchers have said wildfire seasons are expected to become worse each year. The intensity of fires this year is a 'consequence' of drought conditions and the last few fire seasons, said Bonakdari. His team says the study underscores the importance of integrating climate and biosphere anomalies into wildfire risk monitoring, in order to be better prepared for wildfire seasons accelerating under climate change. They say using satellite imagery can help determine which areas are at risk of early-season fires. 'This is particularly important in a changing climate, where such compound conditions are expected to become more frequent, subtle and hazardous,' says the study. A spokesperson for the Manitoba government said in an email that the province 'already uses satellite data and drought monitoring when it prepares for each wildfire season.' However, Canada doesn't have its own satellite system to monitor active forest fires across the country, and instead relies on partners to access images from space. That's expected to change in 2029, when the federal government said it plans to launch seven satellites into orbit under the WildFireSat program. It's to collect daily data on active forest fires, allowing officials to determine which are the most dangerous and predict their behaviour. That information would help officials make better use of firefighters and equipment — and ultimately save lives, the president of the Canadian Space Agency said earlier this year. Infrared sensors are to be installed on the satellites to produce thermal imaging, allowing officials to assess the intensity of fires and track their progress. However, with Canada's current wildfire season now the second-worst on record, Bonakdari said governments need to act now. 'The conditions are ready to again have a type of catastrophic event.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2025. Brittany Hobson, The Canadian Press
Winnipeg Free Press
07-08-2025
- Science
- Winnipeg Free Press
Climate change major driver of surging algae levels in Canada's lakes: study
TORONTO – A study of dozens of Canadian lakes suggests global warming is the major driver of surging algae levels, raising questions about the health of a sizable chunk of Earth's freshwater as temperatures continue to climb. Average algae levels have spiked seven-fold since around the 1960s compared to the previous century, according to a study of 80 lakes across Canada. Those changes were more pronounced in lakes near human impacts on the environment but were still seen far away from farms, mines and forestry, the study said. 'Even lakes in pristine catchments are vulnerable to change,' said the study, published last month in Communications Earth and Environment. To try to explain what's behind that spike, researchers looked at other possible algae influences such as rain, the sun's radiation and land use changes, such as farming. Temperature was the leading factor the study associated with surging algae growth. 'This is a warning,' said Hamid Ghanbari, the study's lead author and a post-doctoral researcher at Université Laval in Quebec City. The study doesn't determine which lakes are facing dangerous levels of algae growth or account for toxic algal blooms. The seven-fold increase since the 1960s is an average across the 80 studied lakes. Some with low algae levels to begin with are still at fairly low levels. But for lakes with lots to begin with, a seven-fold increase could lead to problems, including toxic algal blooms, researchers said. 'If (algae growth) reaches a level of being considered dangerous, we will see some consequences. It's going to harm the lake ecosystem, it's going to hurt the wildlife around it, and it's also going to hurt our wallet,' said Ghanbari. Algae are at the base of the lake's food web, feeding the small fish and zooplankton that then feed the larger fish, and so on. But too much algae growth can suck the oxygen out of the bottom of the lake, leading to large fish kills and so-called 'dead zones' where it's hard for aquatic life to survive. Toxic algal blooms are also a persistent issue for some of Canada's drinking water sources, from Saskatchewan's Buffalo Pound Lake to Ontario's Bay of Quinte, leading to taste, odour and safety concerns and prompting upgrades to local treatment facilities. Contaminated lake water can also be deadly for dogs and cattle. Pollution packed with nitrogen and phosphorus, such as from fertilizers or stormwater runoff, can fuel algae growth. And what this study shows is lakes already dealing with direct human impacts are even more vulnerable to climate change, said Katrina Eyvindson, the chair of Western University's geography and environment department, who was not involved in the project. 'I think that's what's really key in this research,' she said, calling the project an 'impressive undertaking.' The research team led by scientists at Laval and McGill University pieced together an algae chronology that starts in 2014 and dates back all the way to 1850 by studying chlorophyll levels in lake sediment cores. Chlorophyll, molecules critical in turning sunlight to plant energy, are a proxy for algae and cyanobacteria known as blue-green algae, which also performs photosynthesis. Those samples were drawn from lakes covering a massive swath of Canada and facing different conditions. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. By the mid 1960s – a 'breakpoint' identified by the researchers – both temperature and chlorophyll increases began to accelerate. Climate change, driven by the burning of fossil fuels, is warming Canada about twice as fast as the global average. Since the mid-20th century, average temperatures in Canada have increased by 2.4C degrees, federal records indicate. The findings underscore the urgent need to fight climate change and protect Canada's lakes, said Irene Gregory-Eaves, a McGill biology professor and study co-author. Canada has the most lakes of any country and holds about seven per cent of the world's renewable fresh water. 'I would hope that this is like a big megaphone for, you know, getting people interested in climate change, trying to put pressure on government to make sure that strong policies and laws are in place to bend the curve on emissions,' she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 7, 2025.
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Meet Canada's Best Employers For Company Culture 2025
Participants in the Grand Défi (grand challenge) ULaval pose with the sports equipment available to employees who join the health challenge at Université Laval. Université Laval, Yan Doulet Though universities are often stereotyped as ivory towers detached from practical realities, the Université Laval in Quebec City breaks that mold wide open. The administration, faculty and staff have made it their mission to create a welcoming campus environment that represents its surrounding community and fosters accessible lifelong learning, employee wellbeing, innovative research and professional development. In short, ULaval recognizes the importance of a positive organizational culture. 'To develop this culture, you need everyday engagement and commitment to the values you're representing and promoting,' says Sophie D'Amours, the rector of the university. One way ULaval does this is by including a wide range of stakeholders in strategic planning task forces so that perspectives from across the community have a voice in how the university operates. 'Our students, staff, professors, and partners in the community really embraced this idea of coming along for this exercise and being a part of informing us and participating in brainstorming,' says D'Amours. As a result of this active participation, employees and other individuals with a vested interest in the university have consistently had a hand in creating the organization's culture, and in helping Université Laval earn the No. 1 spot on Forbes' inaugural list of Canada's Best Employers For Company Culture. To create this new ranking, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista and surveyed more than 40,000 Canadian-based workers employed at companies with at least 500 people in the country. Survey respondents (who remained anonymous so they could answer freely) were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to rate it based on a range of company culture-related topics involving fairness, inclusivity and opportunity. For instance, participants were asked whether their employer recognizes good performance, encourages a healthy work-life balance, values input and ideas from employees across the organization, prioritizes collaboration among coworkers and provides avenues to advance. Respondents were also asked if they would recommend their previous employers (within the past two years) and those they knew through industry experience or through friends or family who worked there. Data from the past three years of Forbes -Statista employee surveys were incorporated into a scoring system, with heavier weights placed on the more recent data and on recommendations from current employees. Each company ultimately received a score, and the 200 organizations with the highest scores made our new list. In addition to Université Laval, two other universities ranked in the top five of this list: Humber Polytechnic (No. 4) and Université de Sherbrook (No. 5). Martin Bisaillon, vice president of human resources and community development at Université de Sherbrooke, says that it's not an accident that the university, located in the province of Quebec, is known for its compassionate culture. Leadership has focused on building a 'healthy, inclusive, and fulfilling work environment based on the real needs expressed by its community,' he says. The university consistently runs internal campaigns focused on listening, respect, and open-mindedness, he says, and the organization 'greatly values work-life balance and overall well-being.' ULaval also emphasizes employee wellbeing and has taken a novel approach to promoting it: The 'Grand défi' (grand challenge) ULaval is a program that offers employees support in managing various aspects of their health, including 'the way they handle stress, how they sleep, and their nutrition,' says D'Amours. Conceived by a university task force as a pilot program almost two years ago, participants in the Grand défi ULaval receive one-on-one health assessments with a healthcare professional that determine the areas in which they might benefit from new habits, and then they are given the resources to change those habits over twelve weeks. Whether it involves free access to the university's training rooms and sports equipment, consultations with a faculty nutritionist, time away from work to meditate, or testing with new cardiopulmonary technologies, everyone is provided with the support they need to improve their health. Participants also split into teams and motivate each other with friendly competition. The first cohort of the grand challenge reported positive results related to their physical health, mental health and productivity, so the program is now being implemented throughout the university. 'People came to us, some crying, saying this was an incredible gift,' says D'Amours. 'People may think you need to give employees more money to be happy, but it's not always true. You need to give a fair and good salary, but there are a lot of other things that an employer could do.' Indeed, this program revealed that providing employees with a healthy environment and supportive culture can be critical to employee satisfaction and engagement. Heather Haslam, vice president of marketing at ADP Canada (No. 9), says that her company's positive culture stems from the fact that leaders are encouraged to get to know their team members, and they're given the time to do so. 'Leaders get to know what their people's drivers are, how they want to be recognized, what their career aspirations are, what they want to develop, and what work life balance they want,' says Haslam. For instance, 'we all want to be recognized in different ways,' she says. 'We have people on our team who don't want their birthday recognized whereas I'm celebrating for the whole month of my birthday,' and leaders at ADP Canada are mindful of these individual preferences. Similarly, some employees may be working toward an opportunity to transition into a new role while Haslam says that currently, she values the flexibility she has to 'jump out in the middle of the day to cheer my son on at the soccer pitch.' Each of these individual priorities are taken into account at ADP. How do ADP leaders learn what their team members need? They have a range of ways to connect with each other including regular group roundtables, weekly one-on-one meetings, anonymous polls and transparent conversations. One online platform, for example, allows each person's manager to see how their direct reports felt about the previous week. 'My leaders get to see what I loved about this week and what I loathed,' says Haslam. This knowledge is then used to give employees more opportunities to do the tasks that they love and do well. Haslam also sits down with her team as a group each week to dissect what's working and what can be done to improve their processes. 'It's our team. Not my plan,' Haslam says. 'Culture isn't just top down. We all impact this. We all have a role, and it's amazing what folks can come up with.' Another way that ADP Canada ensures that employees feel supported and valued: There is no stigma around taking vacations. 'There is very much an understanding that we must take our necessary breaks so that when we're back, we're better,' explains Haslam. And best of all, there's no 'time off tax'—which she describes as having to do extra work before and after a vacation—because colleagues have each other's backs, and step in to keep projects moving when a team member is out. This allows employees to truly disconnect while they're away from work. Celeste Burgoyne, president of the Americas and global guest innovation at Lululemon Athletica (No. 11)—officially written as 'lululemon athletica'—credits the company's collaborative culture with helping the team get through the pandemic. 'It was a time of uncertainty, and our teams showed up with unwavering courage and care,' she says. 'We kept all employees on payroll, launched digital tools to support mental wellbeing, and stayed rooted in one guiding belief: if life works, work works.' For the 200 organizations on this inaugural list, each company's culture has enhanced both the life and work of its employees. For the full list of Canada's Best Employers for Company Culture, click here . METHODOLOGY To determine our inaugural list of Canada's Best Employers for Company Culture, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista and surveyed more than 40,000 Canadian-based workers employed at companies with at least 500 people in the country. Survey respondents (who remained anonymous so they could answer freely) were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to rate it based on a range of company culture-related topics involving fairness, inclusivity and opportunity. For instance, participants were asked whether their employer recognizes good performance, encourages a healthy work-life balance, values input and ideas from employees across the organization, prioritizes collaboration among coworkers and provides avenues to advance. Respondents were also asked if they would recommend their previous employers (within the past two years) and those they knew through industry experience or through friends or family who worked there. Data from the past three years of Forbes -Statista employee surveys were incorporated into a scoring system, with heavier weights placed on the more recent data and on recommendations from current employees. Each company ultimately received a score, and the 200 organizations with the highest scores made our new list. As with all Forbes lists, companies pay no fee to participate or be selected. To read more about how we make these lists, click here. For questions about this list, please email listdesk [at]
Forbes
05-07-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Université Laval
Located in Quebec City, Université Laval is North America's first French-language university. Founded in 1663, the globally-minded university currently has almost 50,000 students, more than 6,000 of which hail from around the world. Laval offers more than 400 academic programs and boasts 750 partnerships with universities in 70 countries, and receives more than $200 million in research funding annually.
Ottawa Citizen
24-06-2025
- Science
- Ottawa Citizen
Raymond Laflamme, Canadian pioneer in quantum computing, has died
Article content Raymond Laflamme, a Canadian pioneer in the field of quantum information processing who once worked with Stephen Hawking, has died after a lengthy bout with cancer. Article content The University of Waterloo announced his death in a press release this week. He died June 19 on what would have been his 65th birthday. Article content Article content Born in Québec City, the third of five siblings, Laflamme studied physics as an undergraduate at the Université Laval before moving to England to continue his education there. Article content Article content At Cambridge University, he earned his PhD under the supervision of Stephen Hawking, at one point convincing the eminent scientist (over the course of six months' spirited discussion) that Hawking was wrong in his belief that time would run backwards during the contraction of the universe. Article content Article content Hawking gave credit to Laflamme for this contribution in his best-selling book A Brief History of Time. When Laflamme left Cambridge a few years later, Hawking personalized his copy of the book with a note reading: 'To Raymond, who showed me that the arrow of time is not a boomerang. Thank you for all your help. Stephen.' Article content Article content Article content After Cambridge, Laflamme worked for a number of years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where his interests shifted from cosmology to quantum computing. Article content Article content In 2001, he returned to Canada and joined the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo and the university's newly created Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. There, he became founding director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, a position he held for 15 years. Article content 'Through his leadership, IQC became a world-class research hub, positioning Canada at the forefront of the quantum revolution,' the university said in its release. 'In his scientific research, Laflamme pioneered theoretical and experimental approaches to quantum information processing and quantum error correction.' Article content It added: 'Laflamme and colleagues developed an innovative approach to quantum information processing using linear optics, the results of which became one of the most referenced works in quantum computing.'
