UNews - Lethbridge

Comparing approaches to learning a second language

caroline.zentner — Wed, 15 Nov 2017 20:46:48 +0000

Recent waves of immigration have led to a burgeoning bilingual population in Canada and second-language programs offered by the public education system have flourished in response.

The ability to speak a second language at a level that approaches native-like proficiency can positively affect academic and career success. However, graduates of second-language programs often produce speech errors that impair how well they are understood and sometimes lead to stereotypical judgments of their capability.

Now, thanks to $150,000 in funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Dr. Fangfang Li, a professor in the Department of Psychology at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, will be able to examine the factors that might influence speech errors. Li hopes to better understand the origins of such speech errors after she found some rather puzzling results from research she conducted with elementary-aged children in local French Immersion programs.

“In my past research, I looked at students in Grades 1, 3 and 5. At the time, we thought students in the higher grades should make fewer speech errors than students in lower grades but that’s not the case,” says Li. “We found that, if students make pronunciation errors when they are in Grade 1, it’s going to persist in Grade 5. They’re not getting substantial improvement over time.”

As Li pondered possible reasons for the finding, she hypothesized that local children in French Immersion programs continued to make the same speech errors because they most likely have an Anglophone background and are learning a second language that isn’t the dominant language in the community. These factors limit opportunities to speak French outside the classroom.

Li and fellow researchers from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montreal have designed a further study to test out that hypothesis. Working with a colleague from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Montreal, one part of the study will have native French speakers evaluate students’ speech production and identify areas that need improvement. This information can then be used by teachers to design better educational materials.

“Once we obtain the normative data, we can then use it as a reference to design standard tests,” says Li.

In her previous study, Li spoke with school administrators who indicated a concern that no standard testing is available for students who are native speakers of English who acquire a second language such as French.

Another part of the study, done in collaboration with the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta, will look at a bilingual Mandarin Chinese and English program in Edmonton where the curriculum is divided equally between English and Mandarin.

“The student body is also divided so that native speakers of Mandarin Chinese and native speakers of English are mixed in the same classroom,” says Li. “That’s the kind of opportunity that French Immersion students, say in Lethbridge, don’t have. They don’t have the opportunity to talk to native speaking peers on a daily basis.”

Li expects that English students who have more opportunities to talk with native Mandarin-speaking peers and teachers will produce more accurate Mandarin speech as they move into the higher grades.

“If the Mandarin-English bilingual program proves to be better, I think it may be time to think about whether we can combine students from Anglophone backgrounds and Francophone backgrounds in the same school so they can learn from each other,” says Li.

��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge official tartan unveiled

m.williams — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 20:58:53 +0000

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s golden anniversary is taking on a ‘wee’ brightly coloured hue this week with the unveiling of the official U of L tartan. In the spring of 2016, a call was put out to students, staff, faculty, alumni and retirees to submit their design for what would become the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ’s official tartan. After all of the entries were reviewed it came down to four finalists. Staff member and alumna Sarah Hilliard (BA ’10), was awarded the golden go-ahead for her design.

Sarah says her design represents the feeling she experienced walking up the hill during her convocation ceremony with her fellow graduates.

“It wasn’t until I looked around during convocation that I fully realized what we had all accomplished,” says Sarah. “Now as a staff member, I recognize that look in the graduates' faces as I see them for the last time before they go off and do great things with what they learned during their time here at the U of L.”

Sarah Hilliard (BA '10) see her tartan design come to life for the very first time.

One of those graduates is Garrett Bishoff (BA ’16) who convocated in the spring. Garrett’s design was chosen as the winning student design and was awarded a cash prize from the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Students’ Union.

The idea behind creating a university tartan was a long time in the making for resident tartan expert, Steve Firth (BA ’14, MA ’16). You may have seen Steve around campus over the past few years championing the charity, Kilt-Up 4 Cancer. Steve wore a kilt every day for close to 600 days in support of men’s cancer awareness and given his heritage, has become the go-to-guy for all things tartan throughout the design and selection processes.

“Tartan has such a rich and long history,” says Steve. “It is a symbol of enlightenment and overcoming adversity. It represents a connection to history and an ethos looking forward, which is fitting for the U of L’s 50th year.”

Thanks to Steve’s connections and participation in the Kilt-Up 4 Cancer charity, he was able to pass along a substantial registration fee waiver with the Scottish Tartans Authority and negotiated the use of the Croft Weaver program with the Scottish Tartans Authority, which entrants used to design their submissions.

The process of officially registering the tartan with the Scottish Tartans Authority began in July of 2016, with the official certificate arriving just in time for Founders’ Day Weekend. ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mike Mahon says developing an official tartan is a significant way to mark the 50-year history of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ.

“The tartan is a symbol of the great and bright things the student will do with the knowledge gained here at the U of L, and it will now be part of our legacy going forward,” says Mike.

The tartan will also be something that people can take with them thanks to the U of L Bookstore. Tartan bow ties, ties, scarves, sashes and even kilts will be available to order through the bookstore after the unveiling at the Founders’ Day BBQ. These limited edition items are handwoven and have been sewed by world-renowned kilt maker, Paul Henry, in Surrey, U.K.

Sarah says while this is the first time she’s ever designed a textile, the idea formed when she thought about who and what she wanted represented visually in her tartan design.

“The colours of each Faculty are represented as they are in the braids of their academic dress for convocation,” says Sarah. “All of the colours come together with the bright sunburst against the dark blue of the U of L field and these colours are framed by the colour red which honours the name Sacred Buffalo Stone (Iniskim) as given by Blackfoot Elder, Bruce Wolf Child.”

As a staff member providing administrative support in the Faculty of Fine Arts, an alumna and passionate contributor to the arts, Sarah embodies so much of what it means to be a shining member of the U of L community.

“The U of L has been such a big part of my life. I was able to discover my passions here, I forged life-long relationships here, I even got married here,” exclaims Sarah. “Being able to have my design become a part of U of L’s legacy is an incredible feeling and one I’m humbled to have.”

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Passing along thanks to Postdocs

m.williams — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 16:23:59 +0000

As their numbers at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge continue to grow, postdoctoral fellows took the time last week to hold the first ever Postdoc Appreciation Day. The U of L Postdoctoral Association (ULPA) was formed about a year ago and boasts a membership of around 45.

President of ULPA, Senthilkumar Kailasam

“Postdocs have finished their PhD and then they go for training for three to four years. They are one of the important cogs in the wheel of research for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” says Senthilkumar Kailasam, president of ULPA. “What we’re trying to do on this Postdoc Appreciation Day is to recognize their contributions and to increase awareness among community members.”

Post-doctoral fellows conduct research and some also have teaching duties. The majority are international postdocs and the association hopes to help recruit the brightest minds to the U of L. Kailasam is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and part of the Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute. After completing his PhD in computational biology in India, he wanted to work in RNA research and Dr. Hans-Joachim Wieden’s lab was the best place to do that work. Wieden and Dr. Ute Kothe encouraged him to form ULPA and he’s grateful for their support.

Amazing alumni adventures come to an end

m.williams — Fri, 12 Aug 2016 22:10:37 +0000

Lethbridge’s own Julie (Greidanus) Taylor (BA ’05) and Lowell Taylor (BFA ’04) have stepped foot on the final pit stop mat for the last time. The husband and wife team and parents of two were the fifth team eliminated from CTV’s The Amazing Race Canada last week.

Speaking to the challenges that contributed to their last place finish and ultimate elimination, Julie laughed lightly when she described how helpful hindsight could have been in the moment.

“If we had stayed at the soccer field and kept trying, we probably would have gotten it. We were a little scared by the time limit but in the end, the sailboats ended up being kind of time consuming, too,” said Julie.

The dynamic duo raced around the globe as they found their way through the bustling cities of Vietnam, the frozen tundra of the Northwest Territories and on the remote islands off the B.C. West Coast. For Lowell, there were a few standout moments that he says he’ll remember for the rest of his life.

“Bungee jumping off the sky tram and repelling off the Calgary Tower were epic, but my absolute favourite challenge was the tug boat! I really rocked that boat!” laughed Lowell.

The couple say that, while they went into the reality show knowing they would have some strong support from their community, they were continually humbled by how many people were reaching out and cheering them along each week.

“We just really want to say thank you to Lethbridge and to the U of L for everything. We’ve been supported so strongly and felt really loved and cared about which helped so much in those harder moments on the show,” says Lowell.

Although their time on The Amazing Race Canada has come to an end, the adventures are far from over for the Taylors. Lowell is turning up the training dial on his journey to the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic games to compete in cycling. You can keep up to date on Lowell's journey for Paralympic glory and support him by checking out his website.

Overcoming challenges and embracing adventure; Amazing alumni

m.williams — Tue, 28 Jun 2016 17:22:05 +0000

Lethbridge couple Julie (Greidanus) Taylor (BA ’05) and Lowell Taylor (BFA ’04) say their alma mater gave them more than just a liberal arts education, it also gave them the critical thinking skills for their next great adventure.

Julie and Lowell Taylor prepare to race around Canada with reality TV program, The Amazing Race.

The adrenaline-seeking duo are on the journey of a lifetime as they compete against nine other teams on CTV’s Amazing Race Canada.

While road blocks and challenges on the reality TV program are enough to push some teams to the edge, Julie and Lowell have an additional level of difficulty added to each situation. Lowell is legally blind and suffers from a degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa. Lowell’s vision is non-existent in low light and has lost his peripheral vision completely which means Julie had to take on the driving and navigation duties throughout the series. A small responsibility which Julie says gives Lowell the chance to see more of Canada’s great outdoors before his sight declines further.

“He is so positive and he doesn’t let his vision get in his way and that is a huge part of our story. We are a team and we conquer things despite his disability,” says Julie.

While Julie and Lowell may have crossed the stage over 10 years ago, the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ still plays an active role in their daily lives. The Taylors are members of the Lethbridge Masters Swim Club which meets at the Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre and can occasionally be found at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ climbing wall.

Lowell also worked as a counsellor with Counselling Services at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ where he assisted students in overcoming the stresses that study can bring. Mental health and wellness is an issue which Lowell still continues to advocate for, and hopes he can inspire others to do the same by being a part of the Amazing Race Canada.

“Challenges can be overcome. There is support available for people. I couldn’t do this race without Julie, that doesn’t make me weak, but I just need an extra bit of help,” says Lowell. “The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ can also help people who feel like they’re struggling with course work or struggling in life. Just get support. It’s not a weakness to ask for help, it’ actually a strength,” says Lowell.

As to their adventure-filled, reality TV experience, the Taylors have to remain tight lipped until the show airs, but did have some advice for anyone wanting to follow in their footsteps.

“It’s a lot harder than it looks! We sat at home on the couch, fully rested and eating and saying “oh the clue box is there and that’s really simple, we could totally do that task.” It’s so much harder in person!” laughs Lowell.

Stay up-to-date and cheer on our amazing alumni as their journey airs on Tuesday’s at 8 p.m. on CTV.

Alumni set to thrill on Amazing Race Canada

Julie Taylor (BA ’05) and Lowell Taylor (BFA ’04) are set to become household names this week as the Amazing Race Canada kicks off its fourth season.

A married couple and parents to two boys, Julie and Lowell Taylor may have a few more obstacles than most in their path to victory on the reality tv program. Lowell suffers from a degenerative eye disease called Retinitis Pigmentosa which has now rendered him legally blind. While the registered psychologist has been learning to live with decreased vision, it certainly hasn't stopped him from experiencing all that life has to offer.

Lowell is a para-triathlete and para-cyclist who recently earned two bronze medals at the Canadian Track Championships with partner and pilot Mark MacDonald on the tandem bike. Julie works in town as a speech and language therapist.

According to the show's webpage, the Lethbridge couple wanted to compete in the Amazing Race before Lowell's vision decreases even further. Be sure to cheer on our amazing alumni on CTV starting this Tuesday at 8 p.m.

U of L’s Centre for Oral History and Tradition to offer public workshops

caroline.zentner — Tue, 03 May 2016 17:11:13 +0000

Oral history projects help bring the past to life through the voices of people who lived at the time. Members of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge’s Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT), in partnership with the Galt Museum and Archives, a

Dr. Jenna Bailey

re offering their expertise as oral historians to help southern Albertans make their projects a reality.

“There’s definitely more and more interest in oral history in Alberta these days,” says Dr. Jenna Bailey, COHT senior research fellow. “People realize it’s a wonderful way to collect local history and many museums and community organizations are doing oral history projects.”

“Oral histories are found in many archives and the Galt Archives is no exception. They are valuable historical sources as much as letters, diaries and official documents,” says Andrew Chernevych, the Galt Museum’s archivist. “Oral histories help preserve experiences of people who don’t commit their memories to writing; this is perhaps the only way to capture some unique aspects of history.”

Andrew Chernevych

Oral history projects often involve collaboration amongst the generations. As people in a community get older, younger generations may realize that much local history resides in people’s memories, especially in rural areas. Oral history projects provide a way for that knowledge to be preserved.

“In an era of so much electronic communication and ever-changing technology, we must consciously record and preserve aspects of our history,” says Dr. Heidi MacDonald, history professor and director of COHT. “Oral histories, preserved in archives, will be a wonderful source for future generations of family and professional historians.”

Oral history is an intimate way of capturing the history of a place as well as the diverse histories of individual lives. Engaging stories are the result and those who offer up their own history often enjoy the opportunity to share their lives as part of a wider history.

Dr. Heidi MacDonald

“For organizations or individuals who recognize the importance of the history of an area but don’t necessarily have a huge budget or team, oral history interviews are an accessible way to capture history,” says Bailey.

Workshop participants will learn how to plan an oral history project from the ground up, including what kind of recording device to use, what questions to ask and obtaining consent.

The COHT and the Galt Museum & Archives are delivering the workshops with several co-partners — the Crowsnest Community Library, the Crowsnest Museum & Archives, Stavely and District Museum, Claresholm & District Museum, and the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat — who are hosting the individual sessions. Beginner workshops are scheduled for May 27 at the Galt Museum, June 10 at the Crowsnest Community Library, June 11 at the Stavely & District Museum and September 23 at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre in Medicine Hat. An intermediate workshop is scheduled for October 21 at the Galt Museum & Archives.

The keynote speaker for the workshops is Kimberly Lyall, project manager for the Governor General’s Award-winning Coyote Flats Oral History Project. She’ll share her experiences and offer tips for carrying out an oral history project. Other workshop presenters are trained oral historians.

The cost is $70 plus GST for adults and $25 plus GST for seniors and students. To register for the May 27 workshop, call 403-320-3954 or 1-866-320-3898, ext. 0 by May 20. For the June 10 workshop in the Crowsnest Pass, call 403-563-5434 by June 3. For the June 11 workshop in Stavely, call 403-549-0189 or send an email to jmbmab@gmail.com by June 4. For the Sept. 23 workshop in Medicine Hat, call 403-502-8777 by Sept. 16. The deadline for registration for the intermediate workshop at the Galt is Oct. 14.

U of L committee’s fundraising efforts to help Syrian refugees garner wide support

caroline.zentner — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 22:41:12 +0000

A fundraising effort organized by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Refugee Action committee in September has already raised more than $26,000 and enough household goods to fill four garages and a donated storage space.

The committee, led by ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Chaplain Erin Phillips and Dr. Anne Dymond, a U of L associate professor in the Department of Art, created a Facebook page called “UofL Refugee Action” and put the call out to U of L faculty and staff. Offers of help began to pour in.

From left to right, Holly McCartney, Marinna Grajauskas and Jacklyn Peloquin, sell holiday cards in Markin Hall to raise funds for the U of L Refugee Action Committee. The students are members of a new club on campus to be affiliated with the World ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Service of Canada. The club has yet to be ratified by the U of L Students' Union.

“We’ve had a fantastic response and, while the money is really important, it’s only one part of it,” says Dymond. “The really inspiring part is people’s reactions. Almost everyone who donated money said they want to help settle people and donate household goods or provide language lessons or be actively involved in other ways.”

The U of L Refugee Action committee is one of several subgroups working under the banner of the “From Syria to Lethbridge” group started by the Lethbridge Mennonite Church. Many churches across southern Alberta are also part of the initiative and, collectively, they plan to bring at least seven Syrian refugee families to Lethbridge. The U of L component has committed to support one family of four.

To help them reach their fundraising goal of $36,000, various fundraisers have been organized by students, faculty and staff.

The U of L Conservatory Choirs, led by Kathy Matkin-Clapton, have recorded a Christmas CD and pledged to donate $2 from the sale of every CD. ‘A Winter’s Night’ can be purchased through CD Babyor through the U of L Conservatory of Music Choirs website. CDs can also be purchased at the Casa front desk, Prim Health and Beauty, and Joey’s Seafood Restaurant. Multiple CDs can be ordered through Matkin-Clapton at conservatorychoirs@gmail.com.

Dr. Brian Black, a U of L music professor, has organized one benefit concert and two more are in the works.

U of L students will be selling holiday cards this week at various locations across campus. The card, designed by U of L alumna April Matisz (BFA ’09), has been printed courtesy of the President’s Office. The cost is $2 per card, $5 for three or $15 for 10.

“I put it on our Facebook page and got orders for 170 in less than half an hour,” says Dymond.

Students have also created their own fundraising efforts. A group of students in the Global Citizenship Cohort has organized a bottle drive on Dec. 12 and 13.

In addition, students are setting up a new club on campus affiliated with the World ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ Service of Canada (WUSC). The organization’s Student Refugee Program allows Canadian students to raise funds to help student refugees realize their educational goals at Canadian post-secondary schools.

“In January, they’ll do a drive to increase awareness. They’ve been such active contributors to our side of the project,” says Dymond. “It has been lovely to see those students working together because they’ve come from all across campus.”

Anyone interested in helping out can connect to the committee through its Facebook page. Because the U of L cannot issue tax receipts for donations destined for another organization, the funds raised by the U of L committee are going to the Anglican Church of Ascension in Coaldale, where Phillips ministers. Those who would like to contribute money can make cheques payable to Church of the Ascension and indicate “Syrian Refugee Appeal” on the memo line. Donations of $20 or more will receive a tax receipt. Electronic transfers can be arranged by emailing Phillips at phillips@uleth.ca.

“One of the best things about this initiative has been the creation of community on campus. The committee has people from every Faculty and staff from a wide range of fields. The students have come together and, in a world where many bad things happen, this effort helps everyone feel good about making a positive difference in these people’s lives,” says Dymond.

Applied study takes learning beyond the classroom

caroline.zentner — Thu, 29 Oct 2015 18:01:20 +0000

As a way to implement theory gained in the classroom to a real world setting, an applied study gives students an experience that makes their learning come alive. Erin Davis, a third-year ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge student working on a Bachelor of Arts and Science in psychology and religion, has found the learning from an applied study so valuable she’s done it twice.

“It is an excellent opportunity to take what you’ve learned and apply it in real life. It’s definitely not the way to get out of the work of a class because it ends up being a lot of work,” says Davis. “I believe that what you gain is more enriched than just sitting in a classroom and I would definitely recommend it for students in their second year and beyond.”

“Many students say they learned more in their applied study course than in any other course they took at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ,” says Dr. Jennifer Mather, a psychology professor and Davis’s faculty supervisor.

An applied study gives students the chance to integrate what they’ve learned in the classroom in practical situations through paid or voluntary employment. Students have both a faculty and a workplace supervisor and work a minimum of 130 hours over 13 weeks. Applied studies courses are offered in all U of L faculties and departments. Students gain interpersonal and technical skills and develop more self-awareness.

“I am really interested in the psychology of religion and I decided to do the applied study with Dr. Jennifer Mather because it combined a cultural aspect with psychology. I looked at what it was like for people immigrating to Canada to experience a whole new culture and what kind of barriers they encountered,” says Davis.

Through Lethbridge Family Services - Immigration Services, Davis volunteered to work with a group of seniors who had been Bhutanese refugees. Some of the seniors Davis worked with have lived in Canada for about seven years while others had arrived more recently and were working on obtaining their Canadian citizenship. Davis estimates some of the seniors had been living in refugee camps in Nepal for up to 25 years before coming to Canada.

“My job was to do the co-ordination of a gardening project for the seniors. This allows them the opportunity to do something that’s very similar to what they did at home,” she says. “A lot of them were farmers on a large scale and if they weren’t farmers on a grand scale, they were definitely farming to live. Everybody gardens, that’s their source of food.”

An applied study course gave Erin Davis, wearing sunglasses in the front row, the opportunity to learn about the experiences of a group of Bhutanese seniors when they immigrated to Canada.

With some money for seeds and tools provided by Mather, the group maintained two garden spots, one at the U of L’s Campus Roots Community Garden and the other at Lethbridge College. Davis worked closely with a steering committee, consisting of six of the seniors, to plan the gardens, ensure the necessary tools were available and organize a work schedule.

“My final project was co-ordinating a garden festival on Sept. 28. We harvested everything in the garden and both food banks were present so the seniors got to hand over the goods to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and College food banks,” says Davis.

In addition to organizing the work of the garden, Davis was required to write two papers to fulfill the academic portion of the applied study, one looking at how seniors adapted to immigration and the other examining multiculturalism. By working alongside the seniors in the garden, Davis was able to glean some information about their experiences adjusting to a new culture.

“I’ll admit I learned a lot about gardening,” says Davis. “The seniors helped me to see firsthand what they were experiencing. Even though they had really limited English, I was able to hear a lot of stories about their emigration and the challenges that they face here.”

The seniors relayed their feelings of sadness, especially when they first arrived in Canada. They also said they experienced a sense of isolation. Coming from a culture where community is key, where everyone works together and people live in close proximity, their adjustment to a city like Lethbridge was challenging. Living farther apart from each other, needing to learn to use public transit and even knowing where they could meet all presented obstacles.

“Lethbridge Family Services (LFS) wanted to create programs for the seniors that allowed them opportunities to get out into the community and give back to the community,” she says. “One of the things the seniors stressed was that they wanted it to be an opportunity for them to give back to the community that had accepted them.”

Despite the difficulty of adjusting, Davis says the seniors who worked on the garden project seemed to build a sense of community and were happy to be involved. She found seniors have a more difficult time adjusting to a new culture in general, so the LFS project, along with English language classes and learning cafés, helped the seniors adapt.

The applied study gave Davis plenty of food for thought about multiculturalism, too. While multiculturalism, where diverse cultures co-exist peaceably, may be ideal in theory the reality is different.

“The biggest question I have coming out of this whole project is where do we draw the line where people who immigrate to Canada stay connected with their cultural heritage and where do they integrate because they need to be able to live and adapt in the new culture?” she says. “I found myself, at times, really questioning what was appropriate for us to be telling them to change in order to make things better for them here and the kinds of things that needed to be kept intact.”

Dr. Esther Tailfeather to receive Friends of Health Sciences Award

caroline.zentner — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 17:53:25 +0000

In the summer of 2014, Dr. Esther Tailfeathers drove into the parking lot of a store in south Lethbridge. As she pulled into a parking spot, she noticed something amiss in the next car. One of the doors swung open and a young man fell out onto the pavement.

Tailfeathers, a physician, rushed to help. The young man wasn’t breathing so she began administering CPR and, by the time the ambulance arrived, the young man had a pulse and was breathing again. Children inside the young man’s vehicle were crying and when Tailfeathers asked them what had happened, they said the young man had taken some kind of medication.

That was Tailfeathers’ first case of fentanyl overdose and, although she didn’t know it at the time, she’d encounter many more in her work in Standoff and Cardston.

In the intervening months, Tailfeathers played an integral role in mobilizing a community response. For her efforts, the Faculty of Health Sciences has chosen her as a recipient of the Friends of Health Sciences Award. The annual award recognizes those who exemplify outstanding support of the mission and goals of the faculty.

“That was quite a surprise and a huge honour,” says Tailfeathers, quickly adding that many other people were involved. “It’s not just me who made an effort. There were a lot of people who worked hard at making a difference on the reserve.”

Tailfeathers was born and raised on the Blood Reserve. In addition to working in a clinic in Stand Off, she is an associate at a medical clinic in Cardston, sharing on-call and emergency duties with her colleagues. She also provides physician services in Fort Chipewyan one week a month.

As a physician, Tailfeathers had treated overdoses, typically for prescription narcotics or street drugs like crack cocaine. When the number of people overdosing started to climb, she and her colleagues screened for drugs and found fentanyl, a drug 100 times more toxic than morphine, heroin or oxycodone, was responsible. They now knew what they were dealing with but the number of overdoses continued to rise.

“One of my colleagues saw two in a day and then we started seeing three to four overdoses a day that were quickly resolved with the antidote, Narcan,” says Tailfeathers. “Then we started seeing deaths in the community, mostly young people in their twenties.

“By October of last year we had all become very alarmed as physicians. I had contacted the police several times about the drugs that were coming through and had the police watch out for dealers in the community. My patients were telling me what was happening. Many mothers and sisters or children of these patients were telling me my patients were taking Oxy 80s. Actually, it was fentanyl and they were snorting it.”

By November, the crisis reached a height. Tailfeathers notified chief and council and a group came together to develop a community response. They began educating community members about the dangers of fentanyl and several rallies were organized.

Tailfeathers worked with Health Canada to bring Narcan kits to the community and into the hands of family members who were afraid their loved one was in danger of overdosing. In partnership with Lethbridge HIV Connection, the community group began educating people in how to use the kits.

“We had no idea so many people were using fentanyl and it’s so highly addictive that after the first or second use they were hooked,” she says. “We began to see people selling everything they had to get it.”

The community began to see an increase in crime, especially break-ins and theft. At first, thieves stole mainly televisions and other electronic devices but when those were gone, thieves took to stealing food. Violence also escalated when police started to crack down on the dealers.

“As a result, we’re seeing the family breakdowns, increased crime and increased poverty and hunger because people are using their money to buy the drugs and the children are not getting the food that they need,” says Tailfeathers. “It drains the resources from people who are already poverty stricken.”

In addition to providing Narcan kits, counsellors working in the addictions field are learning skills to deal with fentanyl addiction and more spaces for detox and treatment were made available throughout the province. In-hospital detox was started but unfortunately, many people leave treatment too early.

“The problem is that the drug is so addictive. It really needs special attention,” she says.

Treatment with suboxone is being offered through the medical clinic in Levern, a community on the Blood Reserve. Suboxone treatment is similar to methadone treatment for heroin addiction. Planning for an addictions treatment clinic is also underway.

Tailfeathers says the community is tackling a huge problem. People have experienced trauma as a result of almost 20 deaths due to fentanyl overdoses. Resources that were thin to begin with have been stretched even further. To get at the root of the problem, work must also tackle the health determinants, such as poverty, lack of housing and lack of employment.

“I don’t think our community was targeted. It was just a very naïve community to fentanyl. People had no idea about the destructive power of that drug,” says Tailfeathers. “The silver lining in the cloud is seeing people come forward and being really alive and energetic about helping the community. I think that was the key to slowing this crisis down.”

The measures introduced in response to the crisis have made a big difference and the number of deaths due to fentanyl overdose has declined to around one a month.

“It’s built some confidence back in us that we can do this, we don’t have to wait for somebody in the outside community to come in and save us. We’re doing it ourselves and that’s so important, regaining the confidence within our community to be able to deal with a crisis,” says Tailfeathers.

Expert in American water law to study Alberta’s water rules as Fulbright Visiting Research Chair at the U of L

caroline.zentner — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 17:29:40 +0000

The hot, dry summer across western North America was a reminder of the importance of carefully managing the water supply but it’s something Reed Benson, a faculty member in the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of New Mexico School of Law, has been aware of since his earliest days growing up on the American plains.

“I have always felt that water was important not just to societies and communities and ecosystems, it was also important to me. I went to law school thinking I could learn something to help me play a role in how water was managed. That’s always felt like the best use of my time,” he says. “I’ve spent my career working on issues of water and the environment.”

Benson will be spending the fall semester in southern Alberta as he conducts research into water law as the Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Water and the Environment. He was drawn to the U of L because of its focus on water research and the expertise available here.

“I have always focused on the water challenges of the western United States and there are enough similarities in southern Alberta, both on the water supply and demand side and the legal aspects, that I thought I could learn some relevant lessons here,” says Benson.

In the western United States, as in southern Alberta, water was historically allocated without much thought about environmental impacts. Most of the widely available water has already been allocated, largely for irrigation purposes, says Benson. Now, it’s better understood that taking too much water out of a river damages aquatic and riparian ecosystems and the challenge is to develop water management practices that take the health of the river into account, along with the needs of society and the economy.

While some similarities exist between water laws in the United States and those in Canada, Benson is particularly interested in how Alberta changes operating plans for water projects like dams and reservoirs in light of changing needs for water, increasing scientific knowledge, and the expected effects of climate change. In the western U.S., the federal government operates many of the major dams.

“The practice has really been not to revise the operating plans for these reservoirs even though all of those things are changing and they’re not required to revise them,” he says. “It makes a lot of sense to engage the public and stakeholders to talk about how a dam should be operated in the future. In Alberta, there seems to be more willingness to be flexible in looking at some of these same issues.”

Benson will be studying developments in the Oldman and Bow river basins. In addition to collaborating with researchers at the U of L, Benson will also connect with law professors at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary and the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Alberta.

“With the Rockies and the plains, this is a beautiful, interesting part of North America and I am excited to have the chance to spend a few months here,” he says.

Fulbright Canada is a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to identify the best and brightest minds in both the United States and Canada and engage them in academic exchange. Fulbright Canada provides support to students, teachers and independent researchers through a variety of programs, including the Fulbright Visiting Research Chairs Program.

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