While Canadian law has started to seriously grapple with questions that relate to reconciliation with Indigenous communities and laws, much of the focus is on specific, often resource-based, projects. As a result, there has been relatively little attention paid to other aspects of reconciliation, such as how legal aspects of employment may be re-evaluated. Employment law is a useful place to start as employment is a fundamental aspect of a person’s life, providing both financial support and a contributory role in society. This paper examines how different societal values impact employment law and in particular, how Coast Salish worldviews and law may impact, facilitate, and resist, the employment legislation in force in British Columbia.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a devastating toll on long-term care (LTC) residents, families, and staff. In an effort to keep residents safe from COVID-19, public health measures were implemented early in the pandemic to restrict visitation with residents in many countries, with subsequent adjustments made over the course of the pandemic. It is critical to understand the implementation process and how restrictions on visitations have impacted residents, families, and staff. This research note shares a summary of research interviews conducted with key informants in British Columbia (Canada), England (United Kingdom), and The Netherlands on the implementation of visitation programs in the COVID-19 context. It highlights leading practices and key challenges from these jurisdictions.

We investigated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk associated with latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) (Aim-1) and LTBI therapy (Aim-2) in British Columbia, a low-tuberculosis-incidence setting. 49,197 participants had valid LTBI test results. Cox proportional hazards model was fitted, adjusting for potential confounders. Compared with the participants who tested LTBI negative, LTBI positive was associated with an 8% higher CVD risk in complete case data (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 1.08, 95% CI: 0.99-1.18), a statistically significant 11% higher risk when missing confounder values were imputed using multiple imputation (HR: 1.11, 95% CI: 1.02-1.20), and 10% higher risk when additional proxy variables supplementing known unmeasured confounders were incorporated in the highdimensional disease risk score technique to reduce residual confounding (HR: 1.10, 95% CI: 1.01-1.20). Also, compared with participants who tested negative, CVD risk was 27% higher among people who were LTBI positive but incomplete LTBI therapy (HR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.04-1.55), whereas the risk was similar in people who completed LTBI therapy (HR: 1.04, 95% CI: 0.87-1.24). Findings were consistent in different sensitivity analyses. We concluded that LTBI is associated with an increased CVD risk in low-tuberculosis-incidence settings, with a higher risk associated with incomplete LTBI therapy and attenuated risk when therapy is completed.

Lakes in the semiarid Southern Interior Plateau of British Columbia, Canada are vulnerable to future climate-driven changes in water quantity and quality. However, few long-term monitoring records exist to assess the effects of varying hydroclimate conditions on lake function. We present a high-resolution multiproxy paleolimnological record containing subfossil diatoms, μXRF via ITRAX, and chlorophyll-a that spans the past 1800 years from Roche Lake in south-central British Columbia. Generalized additive models indicate that the diatom assemblages were associated with changes in lake level and the accompanying effects of atmospheric forcing on lake thermal structure, and that these forcing mechanisms had a weak relationship with primary production. We infer two pronounced arid periods between ca. AD 600–950 and ca. AD 1730–1950 that correspond to evidence of reduced lake mixing and enhanced anoxia, but variable patterns in primary production. Synthesis of regional proxy records suggests that inferences of moist but possibly warm conditions during the Medieval Climate Anomaly may have occurred because of a complex interaction between prolonged La Niña-like conditions and higher radiative forcing. Overall, lakes in this region are sensitive to changes in hydroclimate generated by interactions between external forcing and Pacific Ocean–atmosphere processes, and the resulting changes in aridity may have potentially negative consequences on salmonid habitat.

Extreme heat and wildfires have health implications for everyone; however, minority and low-income populations are disproportionately negatively affected due to generations of social inequities and discriminatory practices. Indigenous people in Canada are at a higher risk of many chronic respiratory diseases, as well as other non-communicable diseases and hospitalization, compared to the general population. These wildfires occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic have demonstrated how disruptive compounding disasters can be, putting minority populations such as First Nations, Metis, and Inuit tribes at increased risk and decreased priority. Going forward, if the necessarily proactive mitigation and preparedness steps are not undertaken, the ability to attenuate health inequity in the indigenous community by building resiliency to wildfire disasters will be significantly hampered.

This article highlights the utility of vibracore technology to sample deep shell midden deposits on the Central Pacific Coast of British Columbia, Canada. Analysis of six core samples and 21 radiocarbon dates revealed that the archaeological deposits extended to a depth of 544 cm below surface and that occupation began approximately 6,000 years ago, continuing into the sixteenth century AD. Zooarchaeological identification of fine screened (2 mm) sediments shows that fish constitute 99.8% of identified vertebrate fauna, with a focus on herring (Clupea pallasii), salmon (Oncorhynchus sp.), rockfish (Sebastes sp.), and greenling (Hexagrammos sp.), followed by a variety of other fish taxa utilized throughout the occupation of this site. Despite a much smaller examined volume relative to conventional excavation, vibracoring was effective in recovering deep, stratigraphically intact, and adequate samples of zooarchaeological fisheries data as well as a considerable number of stone, bone, and shell artifacts (an estimated 550 artifacts per cubic meter of cultural sediments). These results show a persistent and sustainable ancient fishery through six millennia until the contact period. The field and laboratory methods described are especially conducive to sampling large and deep shell midden deposits repetitively.

Vitamin B12 (B12) is a co-enzyme essential for fetal growth and development. Lower maternal B12 status has been associated with preterm birth (<37 gestational weeks) and low birth weight (<2500 g), which are linked to morbidity and mortality across the lifespan. In Canada, 17–25 % of women in early pregnancy had a serum total B12 concentration <148 pmol/l and maternal total B12 concentration decreased throughout pregnancy. This study aimed to determine the association between maternal B12 status and birth outcomes in Canadian mother–newborn dyads. A secondary analysis of 709 mother–newborn dyads in British Columbia (BC), Canada, was conducted. Bio-banked first- (n 656) and second-trimester (n 709) maternal serum samples of apparently healthy South Asian (50 %) and European (50 %) women from the BC Prenatal Genetic Screening Program were quantified for B12 biomarkers (total B12, holotranscobalamin (holoTC), methylmalonic acid (MMA) and total homocysteine (tHcy)). Obstetric history and birth outcome data were obtained from the BC Perinatal Data Registry. All associations were determined using multiple linear regression. Maternal serum total B12, holoTC, MMA and tHcy had a mean weekly decrease of 3·64 pmol/l, 1·04 pmol/l, 1·44 nmol/l and 0·104 μmol/l, respectively (P < 0·001). Despite a total B12 concentration <148 pmol/l among 20–25 % of the women, maternal B12 biomarker concentrations were not associated with birth weight z-score, head circumference z-score and gestational age at birth (P > 0·05). Additional research in women at high risk of adverse birth outcomes and the association between maternal B12 status and functional, for example, cognitive, outcomes is needed.

Progressive education swept across Canada in the early to mid-twentieth century, restructuring schools, introducing new courses, and urging teachers to reorient the classroom to the interests and needs of the learner. The women religious who taught in Vancouver's Catholic schools negotiated the revised public school curriculum, determined to utilize the latest methods and meet public school standards in hopes of receiving government funding. But they were equally adamant about preserving Catholic beliefs regarding human life and resisting “false” philosophy. Despite their caution, progressive education began to transform Catholic pedagogy in this period, most notably in religious education. Looking back over the decades, Catholic educators in the early 1960s would observe that progressive education had brought about a shift in schools that emphasized process over content and self-expression over discipline. They found themselves questioning whether the curriculum undermined revealed knowledge by overemphasizing empirical science as the foundation for all knowledge.

Canada celebrated its 150th anniversary since Confederation in 2017. At the same time, Canada is also entering an era of reconciliation that emphasizes mutually respectful and just relationships between Indigenous Peoples and the Crown. British Columbia (BC) is uniquely situated socially, politically, and economically as compared to other Canadian provinces, with few historic treaties signed. As a result, provincial, federal, and Indigenous governments are attempting to define ‘new relationships’ through modern treaties. What new relationships look like under treaties remains unclear though. Drawing from a comprehensive case study, we explore Huu-ay-aht First Nations—a signatory of the Maa-nulth Treaty, implemented in 2011—BC and Canada’s new relationship by analysing 26 interviews with treaty negotiators and Indigenous leaders. A disconnect between obligations outlined in the treaty and how Indigenous signatories experience changing relations is revealed, pointing to an asymmetrical dynamic remaining in the first years of implementation despite new relationships of modern treaty.

Alkali-deficient tourmalines are found in albitized rocks from the hanging-wall of the Sullivan Pb-Zn-Ag deposit (British Columbia, Canada). They approximate the Mg-equivalent of foitite with an idealized formula □(Mg2Al)Al6Si6O18(BO3)3(OH)4. Major chemical substitutions in the tourmalines are the alkali-defect type [Na*(x) + Mg*(Y) = □(x) + Al(Y)] and the uvite type [Na*(x) + Al(Y) = Ca(x) + Mg*(Y)], where Na* = Na + K, Mg* = Mg + Fe + Mn. The occurrence of these alkali-deficient tourmalines reflects a unique geochemical environment that is either alkali-depleted overall or one in which the alkalis preferentially partitioned into coexisting minerals (e.g. albite).

Some of the alkali-deficient tourmalines have unusually high Mn contents (up to 1.5 wt.% MnO) compared to other Sullivan tourmalines. Manganese has a strong preference for incorporation into coexisting garnet and carbonate at Sullivan, thus many tourmalines in Mn-rich rocks are poor in Mn (<0.2 wt.% MnO). It appears that the dominant controls over the occurrence of Mn-rich tourmalines at Sullivan are the local availability of Mn and the lack of other coexisting minerals that may preferentially incorporate Mn into their structures.

Mining is known to be a major source of metal contamination for fluvial systems worldwide. Monitoring and understanding the effects on downstream water and sediment quality is essential for its management and to mitigate against detrimental environmental impacts. This study aimed to examine the effects of the small-scale, abandoned, hydraulic Black Creek gold mine on the geochemical content of fine (<63 μm) stream bed and floodplain sediment in the Horsefly watershed (British Columbia, Canada), which is a part of the Quesnel River basin. Concentrations of As, Cd, Se and Zn were determined by aqua regia digestion and the modified BCR (European Community Bureau of Reference) sequential extraction procedure followed by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy or inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Age-depth models for the floodplain cores were constructed using excess Pb-210 and Cs-137 activity concentration profiles. The results show that the mine caused local As contamination of the Horsefly River floodplain sediment during the first years of operation, but at present the contamination is mainly contained in the Black Creek. Present-day and recent concentrations of Cd, Se and Zn in the Horsefly River are elevated and this is probably derived from other upstream mining activities. The spatial and temporal changes in heavymetal concentrations suggest a slight, but not particularly widespread, mining effect on the finesediment geochemistry in the Horsefly River system.

Our study combines new geological and paleoecological information to reconstruct the glacial history and terrestrial paleoenvironments on Haida Gwaii during the advance phase of the Fraser glaciation (Marine Isotope Stage 2). At Cape Ball on eastern Graham Island, five accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon ages ranging from 23,200±280 to 26,650±390 14C yr BP (ca. 27,000–31,400 cal yr BP) record the earliest approach of mainland glaciers to Haida Gwaii. Abundant marine dinoflagellate cysts indicate isostatic depression by glacial ice in Hecate Strait to the east. At Mary Point on the north coast of Graham Island, similar outwash of a piedmont lobe advancing westward along Dixon Entrance preserves plant remains dated from 19,270±360 to 23,740±300 14C yr BP (22,500–28,600 cal yr BP). These sediments also contain marine indicators. Plant macrofossils, pollen, and invertebrates support the geological evidence of a proglacial environment under a colder-than-present macroclimate. Although some trees were likely present on Graham Island at this time, tundra-like plant communities dominated low-lying areas. A large area that appears to have been ice-free during this time is a portion of the continental shelf off the east coast of Moresby Island, referred to provisionally as the “Hecate Refugium.”

Formation of annually laminated sediments in Summit Lake, White Pass, British Columbia is controlled by runoff generated by snowpack and glacier melt and major rainfall events. The 700-yr varve record is divided into two subannual series (early and late) based on sedimentological criteria and sedimentary structures within each varve. A comparison of recent subannual laminae with nearby meteorological records supports the interpretation they are formed by river discharge events generated by major snow and glacier melt events and large late-summer rainfall events. A significant correlation exists between the late subannual thickness series and the size of the largest rainfall events in late summer. The long record indicates there was an abrupt increase in the thickness and frequency of major rainfall-induced sedimentary events at the end of the seventeenth century. In addition, the frequency of laminae generated by early runoff events also increased. However, early subannual varve thickness component remains statistically the same as the thickness prior to the end of the seventeenth century. This suggests the change in varve thickness at this time is due to increases in major late-summer rainfall frequency rather than increased sediment availability caused by regional Little Ice Age glacier advances.

Diatoms, silicoflagellates, and biogenic silica (BSi) were analyzed from two piston cores recovered from Effingham Inlet, British Columbia. Relatively productive marine conditions from 4850 to 4000 cal yr BP were followed by a transition to the modern ocean–climate regime marked by a decreased siliceous microfossil production since 2800 cal yr BP. This change in the northeast Pacific climate was characterized by an apparent cooling associated with higher rainfall and lower light levels. The reduced abundance of most spring–summer bloom diatom taxa (Skeletonema–Thalassiosira–Chaetoceros) was coupled with a decreased abundance of diatoms normally associated with incursions of offshore water into coastal inlets. This pattern reflected a weaker summer upwelling along Vancouver Island associated with the insolation-related increase in the strength of the Aleutian Low and a weakened North Pacific High. After ca. 2800 cal yr BP, diatom assemblages also indicated more frequent periods of relatively low spring–summer surface water salinity and a disruption of the typical bloom sequence, indicative of increased climatic variability. A period of warmer and drier climate conditions and possibly increased coastal upwelling offshore occurred ca. 1450–1050 cal yr BP. The most recent 500 yr are marked by reduced diatom production and the appearance of three distinct diatom biomarkers in the stratigraphic record (Rhizosolenia setigera ca. AD 1940; Minidiscus chilensis ca. AD 1860; Thalassionema nitzschioides morphotype A, ca. AD 1550). The oceanographic changes recorded in Effingham Inlet are correlative with other marine and terrestrial paleoenvironmental records in the northeast Pacific Ocean.

Postglacial climatic conditions were inferred from cores taken from Big Lake in southern British Columbia. Low concentrations of nonarboreal pollen and pigments near the base of the core suggest that initial conditions were cool. Increases in both aquatic and terrestrial production suggest warmer and moister conditions until ∼8500 cal yr B.P. Hyposaline diatom assemblages, increases in nonarboreal pollen, and increased concentrations of pigments suggest the onset of arid conditions from ∼8500 to ∼7500 cal yr B.P. Slightly less arid conditions are inferred from ∼7500 until ∼6660 cal yr B.P. based on the diatoms, small increases and greater variability in biogenic silica and pigments, and higher percentages of arboreal pollen. At ∼6600 cal yr B.P., changes in diatoms, pigments, biogenic silica, and organic matter suggest that Big Lake became fresh, deep, and eutrophic until ∼3600 cal yr B.P., when water levels and nutrients decreased slightly. Our paleoclimatic inferences are similar to pollen-based studies until ∼6600 cal yr B.P. However, unlike these studies, our multiple lines of evidence from Big Lake imply large changes in effective moisture since 6000 cal yr B.P.

Sharp-crested moraines, up to 120 m high and 9 km beyond Little Ice Age glacier limits, record a late Pleistocene advance of alpine glaciers in the Finlay River area in northern British Columbia. The moraines are regional in extent and record climatic deterioration near the end of the last glaciation. Several lateral moraines are crosscut by meltwater channels that record downwasting of trunk valley ice of the northern Cordilleran ice sheet. Other lateral moraines merge with ice-stagnation deposits in trunk valleys. These relationships confirm the interaction of advancing alpine glaciers with the regionally decaying Cordilleran ice sheet and verify a late-glacial age for the moraines. Sediment cores were collected from eight lakes dammed by the moraines. Two tephras occur in basal sediments of five lakes, demonstrating that the moraines are the same age. Plant macrofossils from sediment cores provide a minimum limiting age of 10,550–10,250 cal yr BP (9230±5014C yr BP) for abandonment of the moraines. The advance that left the moraines may date to the Younger Dryas period. The Finlay moraines demonstrate that the timing and style of regional deglaciation was important in determining the magnitude of late-glacial glacier advances.

Extensive portions of the continental shelf off the coast of British Columbia were subaerially exposed during Late Wisconsinan deglaciation due to lowering of relative sea level by as much as 150 m. Paleoecological analyses were conducted at two sites on the emergent continental shelf where terrestrial surfaces with in situ conifers are preserved. The woody plant remains confirm that, during the latest period of subaerial exposure, terrestrial vegetation was established on the continental shelf. Microscopic identification of fossil wood, and analyses of pollen and plant macrofossils from the associated paleosols and overlying shallow pond sediments indicate that productive Pinus contorta-dominated communities with abundant Alnus crispa and ferns grew on the shelf adjacent to and on the Queen Charlotte Islands around 12,200 14C yr B.P. Dwarf shrubs including Salix and Empetrum, and herbaceous plants such as Heracleum lanatum and Hippuris vulgaris, were also important components of the shelf vegetation. Near northern Vancouver Island, mixed coniferous forests dominated by Pinus contorta with Picea, Tsuga spp., Alnus spp., and ferns occupied the shelf at 10,500 14C yr B.P.