The Politics of Northwest Territories involves not only the governance of the Northwest Territories but also the social, economic and political issues specific to the territory. This includes matters relating to local governance and governance by the federal government of Canada, the inclusion of the aboriginal population in territorial affairs, and the matter of official languages for the territory.Key to the politics and governance of the Northwest Territories are the limits on the jurisdiction of the territorial government. Territories of Canada have no inherent jurisdiction and only have those powers delegated to them by the federal government. The devolution and delegation of power to the territory has always been a factor in the territory's politics.A hallmark of politics in the Northwest Territories is that it operates as under a “consensus government” system. Candidates for election to the territorial legislature do not stand as members of a political party. While some candidates may express an affiliation or membership with a party, party membership is not recognized in the legislature. As a result, the Members of the Legislative Assembly select a Premier by way of a secret ballot, rather than on the basis of party affiliation (see Responsible government).Local governance has been a long-standing issue in the territory. This includes not only the loss of local government authority from the period from 1905 to 1951, when Ottawa asserted direct control over the governance of the territory, but also related matters of aboriginal self-governance and land claims. This latter issue lead, in part, to the division of the territory into the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.Language has also been a long-standing issue in Northwest Territory politics. French became an official language, along with English, in 1877. This resulted in heated debates in the territorial assembly and the establishment of English as the only official language until pressure from the federal government in the 1980s lead to not only the inclusion of French as an official language, but also nine aboriginal languages..
The organic-rich shale facies of the Lower Jurassic Datta Formation in the Upper Indus Basin in Pakistan was studied using geological and geochemical investigations to assess the unconventional shale oil reservoir potential. The Datta shale facies is a promising oil-prone stratum, consisting of total organic carbon (TOC) exceeding 2 wt%, and primarily comprising Type II and II/III kerogens, with a hydrogen index (HI) exceeding 250 mgHC g(-1) TOC. The Datta shale facies is also characterized by higher free hydrocarbon (S-1) content than TOC, resulting in a high oil saturation index (OSI) between 30.81 and 298.7 mgHC g(-1) TOC, wherein the high OSI of more than 100 mgHC g(-1) TOC indicates a strong potential for oil production. This finding is consistent with the current thermally mature oil window, which ranges between early mature and peak mature, as supported by vitrinite reflectance (%VRo) values of up to 0.82. This main oil-generation window leads to the conversion of extensive hydrogen-rich kerogen for commercial oil generation, with a transformation ratio (TR) of up to 65%, as demonstrated by 1D basin modelling. Maximum oil generation, with TR values exceeding 50%, leads to high pressure and results in microfracture pores in the Datta shale facies. The presence of non-fabric-fracture pores is confirmed by high-resolution petrographical scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Consequently, these findings highlight that the Datta shale facies should be considered for use as an unconventional shale oil reservoir, with the suggestion of hydraulic fracturing techniques for production purposes.
Background: The development and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines were crucial during the pandemic; however, adverse events can affect public perception and vaccine utilization. This project explored COVID-19 vaccine adverse events among Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories, Canada, where overcrowding, limited healthcare access, and historical disparities increase disease risk. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed Indigenous adults (18+) in Northwest Territories using intervieweradministered questionnaires. Phase one (Apr-Nov 2021) in ten communities examined adverse events after the first COVID-19 vaccine dose. Phase two (Aug 2022-Jan 2023) in eleven communities assessed adverse events after doses two to five. Results: In phase one (n = 93) and phase two (n = 190), most participants were women (62.4% and 67.9%), with mean ages of 41.6 years (+/- 12.1) and 43.7 years (+/- 14.2), respectively. Adverse events were most frequent after the first dose (97.9%) and declined with subsequent doses (p < .001). Injection site pain/swelling was most common. Severe symptoms after dose one included chills (64.3%), muscle pain (56.9%), and fatigue (51.3%). Fatigue was more frequent in women than men (50.9% vs. 23.5%, p = .04). Younger adults reported higher rates of pain (p = .003), chills (p = .01), headache (p = .02), and fever (p = .003) than adults over 50. Conclusions: Adverse events decreased with each additional dose and were generally mild to moderate after the first dose. Communicating the mild nature of side effects and the protection vaccines offer against severe illness may help increase uptake. Higher rates among younger individuals and women highlight the need for targeted public health messaging and supportive strategies.
OBJECTIVES:Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a common sexually transmitted infection linked to several cancers, including cervical cancer, which ranks fourth in cancer incidence and mortality among women globally. Despite its significance, awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine remains limited across many populations. This project assessed HPV and HPV vaccine awareness among Indigenous adults in Northwest Territories communities in Canada and explored factors influencing HPV vaccine utilization; such data have never been available or explored. METHODS:Using a community-based participatory research approach, quantitative and qualitative data were collected in 11 Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories. Indigenous adults aged 18 years and older were invited to complete a semi-structured questionnaire administered by trained local research assistants. Multiple logistic regression was used to examine potential associations among age, gender, education, and awareness of HPV and the HPV vaccine. A thematic analysis of qualitative data explored reasons for non-vaccination. RESULTS:Among the 221 participants (66.5% women; mean age 43.6 years (±13.9)), approximately half had heard of HPV, and fewer than one-third had heard of the HPV vaccine. Education emerged as a key factor, with individuals with lower educational attainment being significantly less aware of HPV (p < .000). Age (p < .033), gender (p < .019), and education (p < .004) predicted vaccine awareness, with women, individuals with higher education, and younger adults being more likely to have heard about the vaccine. Only 26.3% of participants aged up to 26 years had received the HPV vaccine. Qualitative data revealed that limited awareness and insufficient information about HPV and the vaccine are the main barriers to vaccination. Participants recommended enhancing vaccine promotion by raising awareness about the connection between HPV and cancer, as well as increasing educational efforts in schools and communities. CONCLUSIONS:Limited awareness of the HPV vaccine may contribute to low vaccination rates. Tailored and targeted interventions are crucial to increasing HPV vaccine utilization in Indigenous communities in Northwest Territories.
Climate change is shifting when animals breed [C. Parmesan, G. Yohe, Nature 421, 37-42 (2003) and S. J. Thackeray et al., Nature 535, 241-245 (2016)], but it is not clear why some populations keep pace with warming while others fall behind [L. D. Bailey et al., Nat. Commun. 13, 2112 (2022) and J. M. Samplonius et al., Glob. Change Biol. 24, 3780-3790 (2018)]. Differences could arise from variation in sensitivity to temperature [L. D. Bailey et al., Nat. Commun. 13, 2112 (2022)] or constraints on the ability to respond to temperature. Without knowing whether populations differ in sensitivity-or in their ability to act on that sensitivity-we cannot identify which are most at risk. Using 1,555 population-years from 123 populations of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), we show that populations have similar sensitivity to local temperature, advancing breeding by about one day per degree of warming. However, northern populations face tighter time constraints and greater exposure to recent warming. Northern populations have advanced laying dates the most, but still experience stronger selection for earlier breeding, especially in warm years; they have also declined most in breeding abundance. These findings suggest that vulnerability to climate change can arise not just from different sensitivity to warming, but from when and where populations can respond effectively. By disentangling sensitivity from timing constraints, our results are consistent with a general mechanism by which even uniformly responsive species can show uneven impacts of climate change across their ranges.
In permafrost regions, road construction alters the ground thermal regime and hydrology, with implications for permafrost and infrastructure. This paper examines the hydrothermal and terrain effects of highway bridges and culverts on small streams in continuous permafrost in the western Canadian Arctic near Inuvik, Northwest Territories. Along the Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway, stream-crossing structures modify channel configuration, material properties, and boundary conditions, accelerating streambed freezing, impeding flow under bridges, and forming ice plugs in culverts. Coupled with prolonged winter baseflows, we demonstrate that these conditions produce elevated hydrostatic pressure upstream of the structures leading to the formation of aufeis, injection ice, and significant perturbations to riparian areas. Dynamic pressure-driven processes in a freezing hydrological system also impact structures through the heaving and subsidence of adjacent natural and engineered streambanks and culverts, the icing of road surfaces, scour beneath bridge structures, or washout of aggregate road embankments during freshet when channels or culverts remain ice-filled. We demonstrate that rapid freezing promoted by roads and structures drives complex interactions between winter stream flow and infrastructure, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary perspectives and robust monitoring systems to evaluate infrastructure performance and inform mitigation and engineering innovations in a changing permafrost environment.
