Media Kit. Challenges of coastal communities in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence at a time of climate change

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1 Media Kit Announcement of a $ investment by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to create a Communities Universities Research Alliance (CURA) on major Canadian environmental issues Challenges of coastal communities in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence at a time of climate change Under the direction of Steve Plante Professor of Regional Development UQAR and Chantal Gagnon Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability

2 NOTICE - PRESS CONFERENCE Announcement of a $ investment by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) to create a Communities Universities Research Alliance (CURA) on major Canadian environmental issues entitled Challenges of coastal communities in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence at a time of climate change and lead by Mr. Steve Plante Professor of Regional Development UQAR and Ms. Chantal Gagnon, Executive Director of the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability. Ladies and Gentlemen, The The Université de Moncton and the Southern Gulf of St.Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability are pleased to invite you to the announcement of the creation of the Communities Universities Research Alliance (CURA) - Challenges of coastal communities of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence at a time of climate change. This project, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) for a period of five years, includes several researchers from different universities in Canada and Europe as well as organizations and research centers in Quebec and the Maritimes. This grant was obtained by Steve Plante, professor of regional development UQAR, and partners through an application to address major Canadian environmental issues. You are invited to attend this press conference: Wednesday, April , Pavillon P.-A. Landry room 222, l Université de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick. 11:00 Welcome by the Executive Director of the Southern Gulf of St.Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability, Mss Chantal Gagnon 11:15 Presentation of the CURA project, the participating team as well as planned projects and activities by Professor Omer Chouinard 11:45 Question period 12:00 End of Press Conference Pastries and coffee will be offered. Welcome! Yours sincerely. Information : Chantal Gagnon, Executive Director Coalition-SGSL, Omer Chouinard, Master in Environment professor, UdM,

3 Please do not disseminate the information before the end of the press conference. UQAR S ACTIVE DEPARTMENT At the Université du Québec à Rimouski, the department of Sociétés, Territoires et Développement is very active. It has two Canada Research Chairs and a Centre for Research on Spatial Development (CRDT). The Coastal Communities Challenges CURA, by Professor Steve Plante, becomes a great addition to those already existing at the university, including the Territorial Development and Cooperation CURA. What is a University Research Alliance (CURA) The program of Communities-Universities Research Alliance (CURA) is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). It aims to support the creation of alliances between community based groups (community organizations, NGOs, municipalities, etc...) and postsecondary institutions. These alliances aim to foster the development of innovative research, the training of skilled professionals and the production of new knowledge in areas of importance to social, cultural or economic development of Canadian communities. The agreements are built on a process that focuses on of ongoing collaboration and mutual learning. This type of funding provides incentives to coordinate and support the planning and implementation of research activities that meet the needs of partners. These activities are negotiated by partners and focused on issues of mutual importance. Coastal Communities Challenges CURA This CURA project receives financial support, over a five year period, from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. Management is assumed by Professor Steve Plante of the UQAR and Ms. Chantal Gagnon, Executive Director of the Southern Gulf of St.Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability. This dual leadership assumed by a university member and a community member ensures a greater territorial anchoring of the work to be undertaken. The Steering Committee for this CURA, in addition to Mr. Plante and Ms. Gagnon, include Omer Chouinard, Université de Moncton, Irene Novaczek, Institute of Island Studies, and Liette Vasseur, Brock University. At this time, this CURA comprises nine partners from non-profit organizations, nine universities and two research centers representing more than 22 co-investigators and collaborators. Participants in this CURA come from Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. The partners are: the Southern Gulf of St. Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability, Mi'kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island, Comité ZIP des Îles-de-la-Madeleine, 3

4 Conseil de bassin versant de la rivière Bonaventure, Stratégies Saint-Laurent, Regroupement des organismes de bassins versants, Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de la Côte-Nord, Réseau de recherche sur les océans du Canada et l Observatoire Global du Saint-Laurent. The universities are: Université du Québec à Rimouski (Québec), Université de Montréal (Québec), Université Laval (Québec), Université du Québec en Outaouais (Québec), Université de Sherbrooke (Québec), University of Prince Edward Island (Îledu-Prince-Édouard), Université de Moncton (Nouveau-Brunswick), Université de Moncton, campus de Shippagan (Nouveau-Brunswick), Université de Moncton, campus d Edmunston (Nouveau-Brunswick), Mount Allison University (Nouveau-Brunswick), Brock University (Ontario), Institute of Island Studies (Île-du-Prince-Édouard), Institut national de santé publique du Québec (Québec), Centre d'économie et d'éthique pour l'environnement et le développement, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin (France), Université de Dijon (France), École nationale supérieure agronomique de Rennes (France). Project Summary The integrated management of coastal areas of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence is a major issue and faces many challenges for communities in eastern Canada, particularly when dealing with climate change scenarios. The speed with which changes induced by this phenomenon occur on the coasts and the politics involved in the management of water resources (fresh and saline) require the development of effective and innovative coping and management strategies in both the collective (municipalities, regions, associations, professional organizations) and the individual (citizens). Several factors must be taken into account for this: 1) the resilience (ability to recover after an extreme event) of individuals and communities, considering the long-term sustainability of communities operating in a critical but vulnerable ecosystem; 2) the complexity and uncertainty surrounding social systems and environmental phenomena that force local individuals involved in development to consider both the scientific and sociological socalled "experts" knowledge and that of local communities; and 3) the integration of these types of knowledge to define communities and ecosystems vulnerability levels in order to increase their resilience. These findings, developed with our partners, need to be addressed by concerted partnership approaches. In this context the representation of different stakeholders (public, private and voluntary) in decision-making mechanisms for the development, management and adaptation of communities is a prerequisite for the production of knowledge necessary to the implementation of sustainable approaches. To achieve this, one of the basic conditions is the networking of associations, municipalities, academics and stakeholders, public and private, in riparian, rural and urban areas to bridge and strengthen the governance capacities of all. 4

5 The concept of community is addressed from two scales of observation. The first is the community of practice, represented by the partners. The second relates to the local community (local population) and territorial (members and associate members of our partners) who act as agents of dissemination and change. Several researchers in this CURA project also lead research and work with communities in the fields of climate change, resilience of communities and integrated management of water and coastal areas. We agreed with our partners that integrated approaches in conflict resolution and the establishment of dynamic processes to cope with biophysical, social and political changes are appropriate channels for addressing environmental issues (health, coastal development, public safety). Thus, the sharing of experiences, knowledge and expertise from various backgrounds: 1) fills a lack of human and material resources that increase the vulnerability of communities, 2) promotes synergy through knowledge exchange and sharing, and 3) allows the emergence of collaborative partnership governance throughout the region of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. These elements are at the heart of community resilience oriented approaches. The development of tools (scientific articles, grey literature, evaluation forms, workshops and seminars) and the involvement of non-academic stakeholders in the joint production of new modes of governance based on scientific observation of social and ecological processes will provide food for thought to partners and communities. These tools will guide their position in relation to rising issues of concern (e.g. effects of climate change on the coastal area, securing integrated management of watersheds and of the St. Lawrence (QC), development of land-use management plans (PEI) or, the implementation of the coastal policy of NB). The main objective of the Coastal Communities Challenges - CURA The objective of the Coastal Communities Challenges - CURA is to strengthen the resilience of communities living in coastal areas of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence. We will achieve this goal through participatory action research. This method allows the joint construction and production of consultation process, adaptive and flexible modes of governance in coastal zones and the development of adaptation strategies for communities to cope with the effects of climatic and environmental changes. The roles of women, youth and indigenous peoples in these processes will consider in our work. Thus, this CURA will strengthen the regional capacity for research, while allowing partners to strengthen their own capacity to negotiate with different actors who face the same situations. 5

6 Three major initiatives Research Axis The first initiative aims to develop participatory-action research to understand the links between scientific and local knowledge in terms of climate change and the resilience of social and ecological systems. We seek to identify the changes observed by individuals living in these communities in regards to perceptions, collective representations, attitudes and behaviours related to climate change and politics of water management. This project will separate the effects of climate change from other environmental factors and identify the process of sharing and transfer of scientific knowledge and local ecological knowledge in co-construction and co-production strategies for implementation of collaborative modes of partnership governance. The second initiative aims to increase the skills of stakeholders and communities through the development of expertise and the joint production of tools to transfer and integrate knowledge that serves to support decision-making. These activities include resolving conflict over resource use, mapping of values and sense of belonging in coastal zones, integrating coastal zone management, supporting communities, as well as establishing a framework for the long-term evaluation (including monitoring) of actions taken under this CURA. Our research will determine to what extent the modes of governance related to coastal zone management and adaptation can enhance the resilience of communities. For example, this project will help to determine how contextual changes influence the range of observations regarding perception, collective representations, attitudes, behaviour and adaptation to new knowledge and skills to address climate change, management of the coastal zone and public policy. It will allow better understanding of the role of community involvement in developing adaptation strategies. The project will permit the development of tools for transferring knowledge based on multi-criteria analysis, stakeholder participation and participatory action research processes (e.g. consultation, mediation, negotiation and process of inclusion) that favour appropriate geographic scales and cultural contexts stakeholder engagement. The third initiative deals with the question of relations between governance and public policy in the fields of management and adaptation. We will explore and we study these relationships in terms of legitimacy, respect, trust, communication and transparency. We want to understand the processes and modes of governance (local and regional) and the resulting institutional arrangements that are to de designed, built and put into action in a collaborative partnership governance approach. We want to identify the characteristics of multi-level governance arrangements appropriate to the realities of those concerned according to their chosen mandates and resources available among the partners. 6

7 Biography of Principal Investigator Mr. Steve Plante (PhD) is a Professor of sciences sociales du développement in the department of Sociétés, Territoires et Développement at the Université du Québec à Rimouski. He is also the director of GRIDEQ and responsible for the governance axis of the Centre de recherche sur le développement territorial (CRTD). Since he arrived at UQAR, he has become a specialist of the dynamics of stakeholders in island and coastal environments. Steve has also started digging deeper into questions relating to participatory governance, community engagement and coastal communities adaptation. Recently, he has received funding by the Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF) and by the FQRSC. His areas of studies are concentrated in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence portions of Quebec and New Brunswick. Coordinates: UQAR 300 allée des Ursulines Rimouski, QC G5L 3A1 steve_plante@uqar.ca Phone: ext 1456 Fax: Biography of the main partner Chantal Gagnon is the Executive Director for the Southern Gulf of St- Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability. Prior to this she was the Conservation Projects Coordinator for the cross-border conservation organisation Two Countries, One Forest. She graduated with a Master s degree in Resource and Environmental Management from the School for Resources and Environmental Studies of Dalhousie University. She has worked for various organisations and agencies in the Maritimes on a wide variety of issues, from environmental assessments on liquefied natural gas terminals to climate change adaptation for aboriginal traditional medicine. Chantal has a Bachelor of Arts honours degree in International Studies from Glendon College, York University and a hotel management degree from Collège Mérici in Québec City. She currently resides in Nova Scotia. Coordinates: Southern Gulf of St.Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability Université de Moncton, Campus de Shippagan PIL 047B 218, boul. J.-D.-Gauthier, Shippagan, N.-B. E8S 1P6 coord@coalition-sgsl.ca Phon : (506) Web site: 7

8 Researchers and collaborators Members of the Steering Committee Omer Chouinard - Université de Moncton, Nouveau-Brunswick Irene Novaczek - Institute of Island Studies, Île-du-Prince-Édouard Liette Vasseur - Brock University, Ontario Chantal Gagnon Southern Gulf of St.Lawrence Coalition on Sustainability Steve Plante- Université du Québec à Rimouski, Québec Researchers Geneviève Brisson - Institut national de santé publique du Québec Élise Mayrand - Université de Moncton, Nouveau-Brunswick Pierre André - Université de Montréal, Québec Christopher Bryant - Université de Montréal, Québec Catherine Choquette - Université de Sherbrooke, Québec Johanne Boisjoly - Université du Québec à Rimouski, Québec Marie-José Fortin - Université du Québec à Rimouski, Québec Yann Fournis - Université du Québec à Rimouski, Québec Sabrina Doyon - Université Laval, Québec Darren Bardati - University of Prince Edward Island, PEI, Prince Edward Collaborating Researchers Pascal Bernatchez, Chair of geoscience in the coastal zone at UQAR Thomas Buffin-Bélanger, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR) Martin Robitaille- Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO) Brad Walters - Mount Allison University Stephen Wyatt Université de Moncton Jean-Eudes Beuret - École nationale supérieure agronomique de Rennes (France) Anne Cadoret Université de Dijon, France Jean-Paul Vanderlinden - Centre d'économie et d'éthique pour l'environnement et le développement, Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin (France) Partners Randy Angus - Mi'kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island Ives Martinet - Comité ZIP des Îles-de-la-Madeleine Michel Chouinard Conseil de bassin versant de la rivière Bonaventure Dan Lane - Réseau de recherche sur les océans du Canada Johanne Hamel - Observatoire Global du Saint-Laurent Marie Lagier - Stratégies Saint-Laurent Mathieu Gingras - Regroupement des organismes de bassin versant Raynald Cloutier - Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de la Côte-Nord 8