Grants and Contributions

Shelter Movers will collaborate with Victim Services agencies and other referral agencies to review current practices and develop an updated protocol for the organization. They will collect feedback on processes and interactions with agencies and remove barriers to connecting clients to Shelter Movers' services. The organization will compile recommendations and update internal documentation for use with partner agencies, including police, victim services, and shelters. The updated protocols will be in place ahead of the opening of new Shelter Movers chapters in Saskatchewan and Manitoba in fall 2024 and 2025, respectively.

Support upgrades to community climate comfort centers affected by Hurricane Fiona

Improve the readiness of a climate comfort centre affected by Hurricane Fiona

Support the upgrade of a climate comfort centre affected by Hurricane Fiona

Provide assistance to mitigate economic hardships resulting from Hurricane Fiona

Support the upgrade of a climate comfort centre affected by Hurricane Fiona

Improve the readiness of a climate comfort centre affected by Hurricane Fiona

Domoic acid (DA) is a significant concern to consumers of marine foods, given acute poisoning can be life threatening, and with impact of low doses being cumulative over time, can cause cognitive disability and illness. At present, the only existing option for biotoxin testing in Canada is to send samples to a CFIA laboratory. Sensoreal aims to develop a novel microfluidic integrated electrochemical sensing device for the detection of DA in water, phytoplankton and shellfish. The proposed method involves a simple sample preparation method that does not require cumbersome instruments and results to extract and purify DA from simple (water) to complex (shellfish) samples by anyone. The device will be cost-effective and portable, making it ideal for the point-of-need detection of DA for water monitoring and food safety needs.

Domoic acid (DA) is a significant concern to consumers of marine foods, given acute poisoning can be life threatening, and with impact of low doses being cumulative over time, can cause cognitive disability and illness. At present, the only existing option for biotoxin testing in Canada is to send samples to a CFIA laboratory. Cytodiagnostics aims to develop a simple, rapid, and field-ready assay to address the current market issue. The proposed sensor is an aptamer-based fluorescent assay with semi-quantitative output for estimation of domoic acid in marine water and tissue homogenate samples. The field-ready device will be an easy to use test that requires minimal processing and is robust enough to resist environmental challenges.

This project will convert and rehabilitate the lands surrounding an old youth justice facility into a space to support community healing, on-the-land learning, and climate resilience. This site is 18 acres large with a pond onsite that is a key water system for the surrounding town of Kirkland Lake. The process of land restoration through the planting of plants and trees as well as hybrid natural in structure to enable increased accessibility to the lands will support self guided access to the land for community members as well as a space for on-the-land training to occur. One of the components of the rehabilitation efforts will be to revitalize the existing space for greater public use by establishing an Indigenous-led interactive food forest system demonstration site that models sustainable land use and climate resilience. The food forest system will provide local families experiencing poverty and food insecurity direct access to nutrient dense, safe and healthy foods and contribute to a clean growth economy through the development of entrepreneurial opportunities. This will be a space where people of all ages can access and interact with natural infrastructure. The Indigenous-led teaching curriculum will build capacity among community members to stimulate the local food and green economy and create more jobs. Key activities: Creating an Indigenous-designed outdoor space The healing of the lands and revitalization of the outdoor space will create a gathering place for Indigenous ceremonies and public celebrations. Its close proximity to our Indigenous Health Care Centre will also support on-the-land healing for Elders and families alike. Our interactive food forest will be designed and developed with an Indigenous lens. This will ensure that our community space is reflective of Indigenous worldviews and Traditional Knowledges, while incorporating natural and hybrid infrastructure systems. Supporting site activation with curriculum to support the activation of the food forest, we will develop an education curriculum around the local circular economy and connection to traditional cultural teachings. This will be utilized to share Indigenous ways of processing, foraging, and other ways of doing and knowing their food and build capacity to support a localized circular food economy through an Indigenous lens. Community-led implementation. We will engage with Elders and other community members to assist with the implementation of the food forest and other natural and hybrid infrastructures. This will include site preparation, planting, maintenance, harvesting, and foraging. Participating in the implementation and management of these infrastructure systems will bring community members together and provide an opportunity for multigenerational learning.