The University of Laval established a research station for its Centre d’Études Nordique [CEN] in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik in the early 1980s. Situated at the confluence of James Bay and Hudson Bay, and forming the western gateway to Nunavik, the settlement  is home to a bicultural Cree and Inuit community  numbering about 1500. Strategically located on the dividing line between the taiga and the tundra, the station is the main research infrastructure used by the CEN to study northern ecosystems and geo-systems.

By Jim Taggart

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New Eco-lab puts focus on green building technologies

Claudette McKay Lassonde was an innovator in Canadian Engineering and instrumental in raising the profile of women in engineering practice and education. It is fitting that the addition to the UWO engineering school that bears her name, is equally committed to the spirit of innovation. (more…)

Simplicity of design and execution make a winner

The north elevation. All windows are operable for natural ventilation

In cross-section, this two storey, 1,115 sq.m office building is a simple flat roofed rectangle, the upper level being a partial mezzanine leaving double height spaces to promote stratification of warm air. In plan the building is elongated in the east-west direction, maximizing the benefits of north and south exposure for day-lighting and passive solar heating. (more…)