Government of Nunavut

Dental lesions are often painful and can impair digestive efficiency and fitness in mammals, consequently leading to systemic health complications. Although dental lesions are rarely described in wild herbivores, a high prevalence of incisor abnormalities was detected in wild muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) using mandibles collected by Inuit hunters through the Community-Based Wildlife Health Surveillance program in the Canadian Arctic. Here, we present the first comprehensive examination of incisor dental lesions and developmental anomalies in wild muskoxen. We examined 243 mandibles from harvested muskoxen and identified and described both gross and radiographic pathology. The most frequent lesion was enamel infractions, characterized by linear cracks along lingual enamel surfaces, which was present in 91.4% (222/243) of individuals. Incisor fractures, which featured at least one incisor with a complicated crown fracture, were present in 50.6% (123/243) of individuals. Labial enamel abrasions were present in 26.3% (64/243) of muskoxen in which wear extended to the dentin, and in severe cases to the pulp. Other common gross abnormalities included rotation (31.3%; 76/243), crowding (21.8%; 53/243), and unerupted fourth incisors (18.9%; 46/243). Radiographic analysis revealed congenitally absent teeth, root fractures, and endodontic-related lesions that correlated with gross incisor abnormalities in a subset of 136 animals. Other radiographic findings included hypercementosis, ankylosis, dilaceration, dental decay, and retained primary teeth. These results underscore the high prevalence and severity of incisor pathology in muskoxen and provide foundational data for subsequent assessment of lesion epidemiology and their association with muskox health.

Inequities persist in health services delivery for rural, remote and Indigenous populations internationally. These populations require attention to improve health outcomes for individuals, communities, providers and the health system. Strong collaboration and trusting relationships in rural and Indigenous communities in British Columbia (BC), Canada enabled rapid health services delivery changes in rural BC in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In June 2020, the Rural Coordination Centre of BC and First Nations Health Authority co-hosted the BC Rural and First Nations Health and Wellness Summit to collaborate with community and organizational partners to identify needs and co-create actions required to address priorities in rural health services delivery. The aim of this article is to provide information on the innovative practices of the 2020 Summit as a knowledge-to-action approach for health services delivery redesign and to share these learnings with other organizations planning large events featuring dialogue among participants distributed throughout a large area. Key learnings from the Summit include: (1) the importance of building on pre-existing and current relationships to facilitate Summit discussions in a virtual environment; (2) detailed planning and technological expertise are needed to implement large events; and (3) a carefully co-created agenda are necessary to generate buy-in and participation from partner organizations.

Abstract. Ground temperature is an essential variable for monitoring the thermal state of permafrost, developing models, and conducting fundamental research. However, the usability of GT data in Canada is often hampered by inconsistent file formats, a lack of metadata standardization between organizations, and varied temporal resolutions. This fragmentation has prevented the development of a comprehensive benchmark dataset, leaving researchers reliant on small, ad-hoc data subsets for model evaluation. To address this gap, we present a new, standardized collection of ground temperature (GT) and ground surface temperature (GST) data from across Canada, designed to serve as a benchmark for synthesis and model evaluation. The collection integrates data from 29 published datasets and 13 unpublished contributions, encompassing 427 GT and 491 GST sites across British Columbia, Labrador, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Québec, and Yukon. All included time series feature at least one year of measurements at daily resolution. We performed quality control and standardization using tempcf — a newly-developed python software tool — to document and remove anomalies, outliers, and drilling disturbances. Then we aggregated sub-daily data to daily means. The dataset is standardized into NetCDF files adhering to CF, ACDD, and IOOS metadata standards as well as a compatible permafrost-specific metadata profile. Data are provided as both individual NetCDF files and text files. They are fully accessible at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18022925 (Meier-Legault et al., 2025) and via an ERDDAP server (data.permafrostnet.ca/erddap), following FAIR principles. Several limitations remain, including time zone uncertainty in some datasets, and the lack of a standardized methodology for harmonizing site description metadata. Nevertheless, this collection improves the accessibility and usability of Canadian ground temperature data for national-scale permafrost research.

In Nunavut, public health management of tuberculosis (TB) remains a challenge due to social and economic inequities, geographic isolation, TB-related stigma, and distrust in healthcare linked to a history of colonialism. A TB outbreak was declared in Naujaat, Nunavut following an increase in reported cases starting in January 2023. In response to this outbreak, the Naujaat community-wide TB screening (CWS) clinic was held from April 15th to May 29th, 2024, with support from the Nunavut Tunavik Incorporated (NTI) leadership and community engagement teams. This article outlines the steps taken in the coordination and implementation of a large public health intervention in this remote, northern community. Despite significant logistical challenges, the CWS clinic screened 89.2% of the 1000-person target consisting of all previously unscreened individuals residing in the community. As a result, 31 individuals with latent TB infection and <5 active TB cases were diagnosed and offered treatment, representing nearly 4% of those undergoing 2-step testing. Although the screening outcomes suggested that community transmission was low at the time of community-wide screening, it nonetheless exceeded the WHO threshold of 0.5% prevalence for community-wide screening. Lessons learned through the Naujaat CWS can help inform future public health actions towards TB elimination in Nunavut and other circumpolar jurisdictions.

Inuit have long utilized trail networks for subsistence harvest. Fueled by climate change, increasingly volatile environmental and weather conditions in the Canadian Arctic territory of Nunavut have made these routes less reliable and more dangerous—jeopardizing availability of traditional foods. Qualitative research indicates communities adapt by grocery shopping. We modeled consecutive days of trail inaccessibility on total grocery and meat product sales, respectively, of a market-dominant retailer in 13 Nunavut communities. Although we hypothesized positive associations between trail inaccessibility and store purchasing, we observed negligible negative associations; meanwhile, socioeconomic factors like pay dates yielded strong, positive associations. In light of the null findings with respect to trail inaccessibility, we discuss key limitations of our approach and potential alternative explanations that might account for these unexpected findings, including the ecological level of analysis potentially masking subgroup vulnerabilities relative to exposure or outcomes, hunters’ possible risk tolerance elasticities, and food sourced beyond our partner retailer (such as from the other major retail chain or through food sharing networks). Given the local nutrition and economic transitions—away from traditional food and subsistence livelihoods—communities may face reduced day-to-day vulnerability to trail accessibility disruptions. As the wage-based economy expands and the contemporary diet includes more energy-dense, processed store-bought food, Inuit communities may become increasingly sensitive to macro-political and economic pressures on their food system and sovereignty.