NCP Funded Projects (2021-2022)

There are 70 projects funded under the Northern Contaminants Program for the 2021-2022 year, with allocated funding support of roughly $4.8 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 NCP 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.

Human Health
Project Title Project Leader(s) Funding Awarded
Hexachlorobenzene Analysis in Old Crow Traditional Foods Brian Laird (University of Waterloo) $96,564
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) and Elyse Caron-Beaudoin (University of Toronto) $201,360
Informing and Supporting Integrated Action on Contaminants, Nutrients and Food Security for Pregnant Women and All Nunavimmiut Mélanie Lemire and Pierre Ayotte (Université Laval) and Chris Furgal (Trent University) $111,665
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) $214,797
Country Foods for Good Health: Developing a Country Food Database for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region Brian Laird, Kelly Skinner and Sonja Ostertag (University of Waterloo) $166,750
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) $249,734
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) $72,711

Total Funding Awarded to Human Health projects: $1,113,581

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Community-Based Monitoring and Research
Project Title Project Leader(s) Funding Awarded
Understanding Fish Mercury Concentrations in Dehcho Lakes Mike Low (Dehcho First Nations) and Heidi Swanson (University of Waterloo) $26,370
Mobilizing Inuit Knowledge and Land Use Observations to Assess Ecosystem Trends and Processes Affecting Contaminants Lucassie Arragutainaq (Sanikiluaq Hunters & Trappers Association) $57,560
Nunalinni kamatsianik palastikkinik igitauKattatunik Nunatsiavummi / Community-Based Monitoring of Plastic Pollution in Nunatsiavut Liz Pijogge (Nunatsiavut Government) and Max Liboiron (Memorial University) $38,112
Sources of Methylmercury, Poly- and Perfluoroalkyl Substances, and Polychlorinated Biphenyls to Ringed Seal Food Webs of Lake Melville, Northern Labrador Jane Kirk and Sarah Roberts (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Liz Pijogge (Nunatsiavut Government) $32,260
Contaminants in the Carcross Tagish First Nation Traditional Territory Kate Andre (Carcross Tagish First Nation) $46,732
Assessment of Mercury Concentrations and Presence of Microplastics in Sea-Run Arctic Char Harvested by the Community of Resolute Bay (Cornwallis Island, NU) Samantha Burke (University of Guelph), Debbie Iqaluk (Resolute Bay), Derek Muir (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $19,482
Contaminants and Microplastics in Fish from the Kitikmeot Region, Nunavut Chantal Langlois (Government of Nunavut), Mary Gamberg (Gamberg Consulting) $54,668

Total Funding Awarded to Community-Based Monitoring and Research projects: $275,184

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Environmental Monitoring and Research
Project Title Project Leader(s) Funding Awarded
Northern Contaminants Air Monitoring: Organic Pollutant Measurements Hayley Hung (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $143,093
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) $108,300
Passive Air Sampling Network for Organic Pollutants and Mercury Hayley Hung and Alexandra Steffen (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $24,247
Temporal Trends of Persistent Organic Pollutants and Metals in Ringed Seals from the Canadian Arctic Magali Houde, Derek Muir and Steve Ferguson (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $57,020
Temporal and Spatial Trends of Legacy and New Organic and Metal/Elemental Contaminants in Canadian Polar Bears Robert Letcher (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Markus Dyck (Government of Nunavut) $29,830
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) $35,700
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) $70,400
Temporal Trends of Contaminants in Arctic Seabird Eggs Philippe Thomas and Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $53,905
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
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) $71,102
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) $55,675
Temporal Trend Studies of Trace Metals and Halogenated Organic Contaminants (HOCs), Including New and Emerging Persistent Compounds, in Mackenzie River Burbot, Fort Good Hope, NWT Gary Stern and Paloma Carvalho (University of Manitoba) $33,591
Temporal Trends in Contaminants in Yukon Lake Trout Mary Gamberg (Gamberg Consulting) $51,251
Caribou Contaminant Monitoring Program Mary Gamberg (Gamberg Consulting), Jeremy Brammer (National Wildlife Research Center) $80,458
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) $38,350
Overwintering Ecotoxicology of Arctic Seabirds and Adaptive Responses to Climate Change Kyle Elliott (McGill University), Kim Fernie (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $38,200
Microplastics Contamination in Sediment, Water, Snow/Ice, Fish and Seals of the Canadian Arctic Patricia Corcoran (University of Western Ontario), Miriam Diamond (University of Toronto) Liisa M. Jantunen (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $94,525
Occurrence of Plastic Stabilizers in Fish, Seabirds, and Marine Mammals from Nunavut and Northwest Territories Zhe Lu (Université du Québec à Rimouski) Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $39,875
Aerodynamic Characterization of Microplastics for Predicting Long-Range Atmospheric Transport to the Arctic Region and the Effects of Turbulence Mark D. Gordon and Ronald E. Hanson (York University), Liisa M. Jantunen (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $27,600
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) $39,500
Empowering Youth for Research and Monitoring of Plastic Pollution in the Arctic: A Community-Focused Research and Mentorship Initiative in the Kitikmeot Eric Solomon and Anna Posacka (Ocean Wise) $145,391
Investigating Microplastics and Associated Chemical Contaminants in Arctic Char and their Coastal and Freshwater Habitats Near Cambridge Bay, Nunavut: A Multi-Year Effort to Understand the Exposure of Multiple Anthropogenic Stressors in a Critical Northern Species Chelsea Rochman and Bonnie Hamilton (University of Toronto), Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $48,702
Microplastics, Perfluorinated Substances (PFASs) and Organophosphate Esters (OPEs) Pathways to the Canadian Arctic Lakes in Yukon and Nunavut via the Snow Deposition Zhe Lu (Université du Québec à Rimouski), Amila De Silva (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $42,320
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) $15,900
Microplastic Concentration, Transport, and Fate in Great Slave Lake and the Mackenzie River to the Southern Beaufort Sea, Northwest Territories Jesse Vermaire (Carleton University), Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $27,365
Seabirds as Indicators of Plastic Pollution Contributing to Pan-Arctic Monitoring of Litter and Microplastics Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada), Mark Mallory (Acadia University) $68,380
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) $22,000
Developing Tools for Monitoring, and Assessing Impacts of Heavy Metals and Hexachlorobenzene in Sympatric Declining Muskox and Caribou Populations in Nunavut and NWT Susan Kutz (University of Calgary) $34,232
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) $23,770
Assessing Baseline Plastic-Related Contaminants in Consumed Seabird Tissues Across Nunatsiavut via Community-Based Harvesting Liz Pijogge (Nunatsiavut Government), Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $73,120
Plastic-Related Contaminants in Canadian Arctic Seabirds Known to Accumulate Plastic Pollution Roxana Suehring (Ryerson University), Jennifer Provencher and Liisa M. Jantunen, (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $52,910
Assessing Microplastics Exposure of Arctic Char and Dolphin and Union Caribou Near Kugluktuk, Nunavut Susan Kutz (University of Calgary) $38,589

Total Funding Awarded to Environmental Monitoring and Research projects: $1,700,871

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Communications, Capacity and Outreach
Project Title Project Leader(s) Funding Awarded
NWT Regional Contaminants Committee Emma Pike (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada), Tim Heron (Northwest Territories Métis Nation), Kendra Tingmiak (Inuvialuit Regional Corporation) $159,955
Nunavut Environmental Contaminants Committee (NECC) Selma Al-Soweydawi (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada), Jean Allen (Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated) $35,195
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) $109,733
Northern Contaminants Researcher Liz Pijogge (Nunatsiavut Government) $53,904
Coordination, Participation and Communication: Evolving Inuit Research Advisor Responsibilities in Nunatsiavut for the Benefit of Inuit and their Communities Carla Pamak (Nunatsiavut Government) $26,750
An Inuit Research Advisor (IRA) for the Inuvialuit Settlement Region (ISR) Kendra Tingmiak (Inuvialuit Regional Corporation) $63,250
Nunavik Inuit Research Advisor: Environmental, Health and Climate Change Research in Nunavik Markusi Qisiiq and Veronique Gilbert (Kativik Regional Government) $67,250
Research Advisor for Nunavut James Bolt, Tina DeCouto and Jean Allen (Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated) $56,350
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) $37,106
Learning About Ringed Seal and Arctic Wildlife Health from Contaminants Science and Inuit Knowledge Through Educational Workshops in Resolute Bay, Sachs Harbour and Arviat Dominique Henri, Magali Houde and Jennifer Provencher (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $30,360
Contaminants Workshop at Yellowknife for the Dene Regions Trevor Teed, Roy Jr. Erasmus, and Sam Bullock (Dene Nation) $100,000
Beluga Summit II: Sharing Knowledge About Beluga Whales in the ISR Jen Lam (Joint Secretariat – Inuvialuit Regional Corporation), Lisa Loseto (Fisheries and Oceans Canada) $25,000

Total Funding Awarded to Communications, Capacity and Outreach projects: $764,853

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Program Coordination and Indigenous Partnerships
Project Title Project Leader(s) Funding Awarded
Coordination and Administration of the Northern Contaminants Program Sarah Kalhok Bourque (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada) --
NCP and AMAP Quality Assurance/Quality Control Interlaboratory Study Harold Malle (Environment and Climate Change Canada) $125,000
Data Management Support to the NCP from the Canadian Cryospheric Information Network/Polar Data Catalogue Gregory Vey (University of Waterloo) $68,195
The NCP Publications Database: Making Northern Contaminants Program Publications More Accessible Shannon Christoffersen (Arctic Institute of North America) $40,308
NCP Secretariat: Operational Support and Coordination for the NCP Sarah Kalhok Bourque (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada) $186,500
TOTAL $420,000
Facilitation of International Action Related to the Long-range Transport of Contaminants into the Arctic Sarah Kalhok Bourque (Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada) --
Canadian Support for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme Rolf Rødven and Simon Wilson (AMAP Secretariat) $147,000
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) $12,000
TOTAL $159,000
Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) Participatory Support in the Northern Contaminants Program Merran Smith and Ed Schultz (Council of Yukon First Nations) $38,224
Dene Nation Participation in the Northern Contaminants Program Trevor Teed (Dene Nation) $36,225
Inuit Tapiirit Kanatami (ITK) National Coordination Eric Loring (Inuit Tapiirit Kanatami) $109,250
Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) Canada’s Activities Under the Northern Contaminants Program (NCP) Eva Kruemmel (Inuit Circumpolar Council) $145,475

Total Funding Awarded to Program Coordination and Indigenous Partnerships projects: $908,000

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