EPI Researchers attend the CAG Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia

Faculty and students of the Environmental Policy Institute travelled to Halifax to present at the Canadian Association of Geographers Conference (CAG) 2016. The CAG Conference is an annual event that invites researchers associated with the CAG to present research, exchange ideas, and conduct business.  This year’s conference took place May 30 – June 4 in Halifax.

Dr. Kelly Vodden co-organized a double special session, “The State of Rural Canada”, with Dr. Ewa Dabrowska (Grenfell Campus, Memorial University), Dr. Ryan Gibson (St. Mary’s University), and Dr. Heather Hall (University of Saskatchewan). She chaired the first of these sessions. Kelly also presented as part of the “Employment-Related Geographical Mobility: Implications for Communities, Workers and Families” sessions, organized by Joshua Barrett (Memorial University) and Leanna Butters (Grenfell Campus, Memorial University). Her presentation discussed the implications of working away on the concepts of housing and home in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) based, in part, on emerging findings from the On the Move Partnership.

Brennan Lowery, interdisciplinary PhD student, presented as part of the “State of Rural Canada” sessions. Brennan’s presentation discussed sustainability indicators as tools for participatory regional planning and governance in rural communities. The Clarenville-Bonavista Rural Secretariat Region in NL was discussed as a case study.

Sarah Minnes, interdisciplinary PhD student, organized and chaired a “Rural Drinking Water” session. Her presentation discussed emerging findings from her research on source water protection policies and planning in Ontario, with an interest in whether these might be transferable to other Canadian rural contexts.

Seth Eledi, MAEP student, presented as part of the “Rural Drinking Water” session. His presentation discussed his proposed thesis research which will examine policy implementation gaps, such as monitoring, in source water protection regulations in rural NL communities.

Benjamin Dosu Jnr, MAEP student, also presented as part of the “Rural Drinking Water” session on behalf of Dr. Maura Hanrahan. This presentation discussed emerging themes in a cross-case analysis of rural drinking water crises based on a study of government and community responses in three NL communities.

Leanna Butters, MAEP student, co-organized a double session, “Employment-Related Geographical Mobility: Implications for Communities, Workers and Families”, with Joshua Barrett, MA Geography. She chaired the first of these sessions. Her presentation discussed her proposed thesis project: identifying the built space and planning impacts of fly-in/fly-out employment-related mobility on Deer Lake, NL.