TORONTO, Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2018 – Whether high above the city on steel girders, under the ground digging tunnels, driving dump trucks or pouring concrete foundations, this city was largely built on the backs of immigrant workers. 91��ɫ post-doctoral visitor Gilberto Fernandes at the and has just completed a multi-media research and public history project detailing postwar Toronto as it grew outward, upward and under.

Toronto Dominion Center: High steel workers, photo by Don Grant, published by Toronto Telegram, and now part of the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at 91��ɫ U. https://digital.library.yorku.ca/yul-90323/toronto-dominion-center-high-steel-workers

The project, , will launch Friday with a multi-media exhibition, a presentation and a film screening. The project used more than 3,200 from the Toronto Telegram collection, including of the some of the city’s landmarks under construction, which were digitized by the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at 91��ɫ. There are also audio recordings, , and , as well as essays by prominent historians, biographies of some of the leading figures of the time, a two-part documentary and a travelling exhibit.

Toronto Dominion Center: High steel workers, photo by Don Grant, Toronto Telegram, now in the Clara Thomas Archives and Special Collections at 91��ɫ U. https://digital.library.yorku.ca/yul-89344/toronto-dominion-center-high-steel-workers

The account includes the struggles, unsafe working conditions, deaths and dreams of immigrants primarily from Italy, Ireland and Portugal. “The history of Toronto’s construction industry is filled with fascinating personal stories of bravery and foolishness, selfishness and greed, friendship and enmity, triumph and tragedy, all marked by the pursuit of individual and collective dreams,” said Fernandes of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies, who is available for interviews this week.

Many of those stories are told by retired construction workers. More than 240 of their peers were killed between 1950 and 1979, while thousands more were permanently disabled, especially in residential and industrial construction.

WHO: 91��ɫ U alumnus and post-doctoral visitor Gilberto Fernandes, Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies. Deputy Toronto Mayor Ana Bailão, the daughter of a Portuguese immigrant construction worker, will say a few words.

WHAT: Unveiling of the research and public history project, City Builders: A History of Immigrant Construction Workers in Postwar Toronto, featuring a multi-media exhibit, including photos, audio recordings, video, artifacts and a presentation, followed by a film screening of a two-part documentary of two transformative moments in the history of Toronto’s construction industry and labour movement.

For the multi-media exhibit, people will need a smartphone or tablet with a data plan to access the exhibition's digital content, along with a QR code reader, or they can download the free mobile app . Head/earphones are recommended.

WHERE: The exhibit will be in the Scott Library Atrium, 2nd Floor, Scott Library (See on Map). The presentation and screening will take place in the Price Family Cinema, Accolade East Building (See on Map).

WHEN: Friday, Sept. 28, from 5 to 6pm, for the exhibit and 7 to 10pm for the presentation and screening.

PHOTOS:

-30-

91��ɫ champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.  

Media Contact:
Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097,

The post City built by immigrant workers whose stories are told in new, 91��ɫ U multi-media project appeared first on News@91��ɫ.

TORONTO, Monday, June 12, 2017 – Without action, the supply of fresh water in Iqaluit will begin to dwindle by 2024 due to climate change and increased demand, research led by 91��ɫ has found.

“Extreme climates make the management of fresh water difficult, but add climate change to the mix, along with too few financial and human resources, and northern cities, such as Iqaluit could run out of fresh water,” said Andrew Medeiros of 91��ɫ U who led the research.

Even if population growth remains stagnant, current climate change projections show demand will outstrip supply for freshwater in the Arctic community, said Medeiros, a research fellow for 91��ɫ’s . However, as Iqaluit is a growing city, the pressure on water resources will only increase.

So far, various methods of increasing freshwater supply only helped to extend it for a couple of years. Medeiros and his team used novel hydrologic modelling and climate forecasting methods looking ahead 20 years. Their forecasting included the possibility of diverting water from the nearby Apex River, something the city plans to do to help solve the water shortage problem.

The researchers found the primary source of renewal for the Apex River is rainwater with little evaporation, which means it could be used as an alternative source of freshwater on a seasonal basis. However, long term it would not solve the issue as it would only extend the water supply by two years even if only 10 per cent is diverted as recommended by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

“The availability, quality and security of freshwater in the Canadian Arctic an increasingly pressing issue,” said Medeiros. The research highlights the need to address end-of-winter water shortages, due to climate change, with over winter replenishment. Otherwise consumption restrictions would be necessary.

As it is now, many northern Canadian communities rely on a single, small shallow lake reservoir or seasonal replenishment systems for their freshwater that are not always sustainable, especially as the climate warms in the Arctic. Temperatures in the Arctic have increased close to twice the global rate and are expected to further increase. “Arctic lakes are especially vulnerable to climate change,” says Medeiros.

His team’s forecasting and modelling has provided municipal planners and engineers in Iqaluit with information on how climate will affect their area’s freshwater supply, and how long current sources of water are likely to last, so that they can better plan for the future.

“” is published today in the journal of Environmental Science and Pollution Research.

Funding organizations for the research include the Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Northern Scientific Training Program.

��30-

91��ɫ is known for championing new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-discipline programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91��ɫ students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91��ɫ U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 26 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91��ɫ is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 295,000 alumni. 91��ɫ U's fully bilingual Glendon campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Sandra McLean, 91��ɫ Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097, sandramc@yorku.ca

The post Iqaluit could start running out of fresh water by 2024 appeared first on News@91��ɫ.