Laurentian SETAC: Annual General Meeting and Community Events
Victoria Restivo, SLR Consulting; Tyler Andrew Black, University of Guelph; and Sarah Gewurtz, Environment and Climate Change Canada
Annual General Meeting at McMaster University
Laurentian SETAC (L-SETAC) welcomed their membership to an in-person conference on 13–14 June at McMaster University’s David Braley Health Sciences Centre in Hamilton, Ontario. The theme of the conference was “A Brighter Future – Towards the Health & Well-Being of All.”
The conference began on Thursday, 13 June, with a full day of short courses. In the morning, Jessica D’eon from the University of Toronto facilitated an “Introduction to Environmental Chemistry” aimed at non-experts in the fields of biology, engineering and environmental science to provide them with an appreciation for the role chemistry plays in their research. In the afternoon, Andrea Amendola, Ecometrix Inc., and Lara Alves-Beese, Dillon Consulting Ltd, delivered an “Introduction to Conceptual Site Models and Problem Formulations.” This course introduced the initial phases of Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessments and was aimed at new graduates and early career professionals. Following the short courses, we gathered at a local pub where Emily Choy, McMaster University, presented her research on the effects of climate change and pollutants on Arctic seabirds.
We kicked off day two with a plenary by Darren Thomas, Wilfrid Laurier University, who spoke about Canada-Indigenous relations and Indigenous rights. Following the plenary, we had the opportunity to attend various platform and poster presentations in the field of laboratory toxicology, field toxicology and environmental monitoring, -omics, chemistry and method development, and risk assessment. We had a total of 119 attendees, 33 platform presentations and 25 poster presentations. Following the presentations, we headed to the local pub for a student–mentor networking event and awards ceremony. Thanks to our generous sponsors, we awarded $3,600 in prizes.
This conference would not have been possible without our organizing committee: Victoria Restivo, SLR Consulting; Tyler Black, University of Guelph; Sarah Gewurtz, Environment and Climate Change Canada; Elise Millar, Ontario Ministry of Environment. Conservation and Parks; Carolyn Brown, Wilfrid Laurier University; Wilson Lau, Health Canada; Andrea Amendola, Ecometrix Inc.; Tana McDaniel, Environment and Climate Change Canada; Quinn Allamby, McMaster University; Jack Salole, McMaster University; Celina Ruan, McMaster University; Laiba Jamshed, McMaster University; and Abithiny Selvarajah, McMaster University.
Finally, we would like to extend our thanks to our sponsors for their generous support: Thermo Fisher Scientific, Investigative Science Incorporated, Syngenta, Nautilus Environmenta, MTE, Dillon Consulting, Wellington Laboratories, Ecometrix, Geosyntec, McMaster University Faculty of Science, Aquatic Omics Lab and SLR Consulting.
Laurentian SETAC in the Community
This year, L-SETAC members were involved in three regional science fairs and tree planting as part of Earth Day activities.
Regional Science Fairs
From left to right, Laiba Jamshed, Victoria Restivo and Celina Ruan
Members of L-SETAC were involved with three regional science fairs in 2024. We presented special awards in the field of environmental toxicology and chemistry at the Bay Area Science and Engineering Fair (BASEF), Ottawa Regional Science Fair (ORSF) and Peterborough Regional Science Fair (PRSF). A number of L-SETAC members were present at the fairs to evaluate students’ projects and decide on winners at the middle or high school levels. We were very impressed with all of the projects and it was very difficult to select award winners.
L-SETAC judges at the BASEF were Victoria Restivo, Celina Ruan and Laiba Jamshed. The titles of the L-SETAC award-winning projects were “Integrating a CNN with an autonomous drone to facilitate visible water pollution monitoring” and “Plant trait identification using convolutional neural networks."
In the national capital, Hardeep Gill, Wilson Lau and Jillian Rohonczy volunteered to judge for the L-SETAC special award at the ORSF. Our judges selected two amazing projects for which we awarded two prizes: “Waste for waste: The valorization of waste cotton textiles into cellulose for pollution remediation” and “The use of alum and the effect it has on aquatic plants.”
Elise Millar and Denina Simmons volunteered to judge at PRSF for the L-SETAC special awards. The L-SETAC award-winning projects were “Lake health vs. humans – 50 years then and now, what will happen?” and “Human impact on bodies of water.”
From left to right, Elise Millar and Denina Simmons
Kirpa Dhillon
We wish to thank our great judges for attending the BASEF, ORSF, and PRSF on behalf of L-SETAC. Our involvement in these science fairs would not be possible without L-SETAC members being so gracious with their time.
Earth Day Tree Planting Event
L-SETAC members commemorated Earth Day by planting trees in a new forest in Guelph, Ontario, called the Hanlon Creek Forest. This forest is being planted in partnership by the Rotary Club of Guelph, Trees For Guelph and the City of Guelph. This site will take several years to plant and will become part of a future pollinator flyway.
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