Lake Wiyâshâkimî (formerly Lac à l’Eau Claire) is the second largest natural lake in Quebec (2243 km²). Located at an altitude of 240 m, above the limit reached by the postglacial sea, it is drained by the Rivière à l’Eau Claire (maximum flow 150 m³/s) towards Hudson Bay. The lake includes two juxtaposed circular basins (26 and 36 km in diameter) that were formed by a meteorite impact 290 ± 20 million years ago (Permian). Although the vascular flora of the region is rather poor on granite and gneissic lands, the volcanic breccias of the islands in the western basin (11 islands arranged in a circle) contain 250 vascular species, 15% of which are shoreline specific. The birdlife is abundant. The islands are an enclave of shrub tundra in this region, which is more characterized by forest tundra.
The laboratory is equipped with a stainless steel counter. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use the laboratory. No chemical storage is permitted, all products must be returned after use. Prior agreements must be made with Nunvaik Parks (Tursujuq Park) and the Centre for Northern Studies (CEN). Contact the station officials and a permit is required to conduct research and access the station. Consult the document “Scientific Research in Nunavik’s National Parks: A Guide for Researchers” published on the Nunavik Parks Research Request page (www.nunavikparks.ca).
Mickaël Lemay
Pavillon Abitibi Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, local 1204, Université Laval
418.656.2131 poste 402503
mickael.lemay@cen.ulaval.ca
The village is located on the east coast of Hudson Bay and 15 km north of the Gulf of Richmond (Lac Guillaume-Delisle), a huge inland bay connected to Hudson Bay by a rocky canyon-like ravine. Opposite the village are the elongated islands of Nastapoka, which stretch over 475 km, forming a popular coastal barrier for birds. Many bird species, such as common loons, eiders and peregrine falcons, find refuge here in summer. This protected marine environment is characterized by the sporadic presence of black spruce and larch, dominant shrub tundra, discontinuous permafrost (peat palsas) and thermokarst lakes.
In 2010, CEN undertook the modernization of the station. CEN then built a vehicle garage and a three-bedroom house. The building area includes 60 m2 of garage space. The addresses are: 256 Hudson road – garage and 257 Hudson road – house; 255 Hudson road – laboratory and warehouse that can be rented from Anniturvik LHC;
Mickaël Lemay
Pavillon Abitibi Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, local 1204, Université Laval
418.656.2131 poste 402503
mickael.lemay@cen.ulaval.ca
Salluit is located at the northern end of the Ungava Peninsula, on the southern shore of Hudson Strait, in an area of continuous permafrost, nearly 500 km north of the northern treeline, in an area dominated by herbaceous tundra. The bedrock is mainly composed of Proterozoic age granitic gneiss rocks belonging to the Canadian Shield. The village is built at the bottom of an old glacial valley that ends at the edge of Sugluk Fjord. The surrounding landscape consists of rocky plateaus with hilly topography. The area was ice-free about 8,000 years ago and areas below 150 m in altitude were flooded by the postglacial sea of Iberville. The fjord opens onto Hudson Strait.
A laboratory is located in the container adjacent to the house. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use the laboratories. No storage of chemicals is permitted, all products must be returned after use. Basic equipment is available.
Mickaël Lemay
Pavillon Abitibi Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, local 1204, Université Laval
418.656.2131 poste 402503
mickael.lemay@cen.ulaval.ca
The landscape around the station is composed of wooded hills (30%) and hills dominated by tundra vegetation (70%). The most protected sites are generally forested, except for areas that have been affected by fires that introduced an opening in the forest cover. Landscapes of scientific interest include discontinuous permafrost, eskers, thermokarst ponds, palsas, Boniface River, vegetation and tree line.
The total area of the buildings covers 50 m2, including 25 m2 of scientific laboratories. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use the laboratory. No storage of chemicals is permitted, all products must be returned after use. Basic equipment is available.
Mickaël Lemay
Pavillon Abitibi Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, local 1204, Université Laval
418.656.2131 poste 402503
mickael.lemay@cen.ulaval.ca
Radisson is located in a boreal forest environment dominated by black spruce and jack pine. The region is poor in terms of flora (350 vascular species), but rich in terms of wildlife (40 mammal species and 60 bird species). Fire is the dynamic agent of regional forests. It structures the landscape in a mosaic between rocky hills separating wet depressions dominated by lakes and peatlands. Radisson is located in the postglacial marine invasion zone and the presence of clays in the depressions of the relief limits drainage. The region has been the subject of ecological studies and monitoring since 1974, in the context of the development of the hydroelectric complex. Synthesis books produced by Hydro-Québec and the Société d’énergie de la Baie James are available.
Wet and dry laboratory, chemical hood, electronic balance and microscope / binocular. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use the laboratories. No chemical storage is permitted, all products must be returned after use.
Mickaël Lemay
Pavillon Abitibi Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, local 1204, Université Laval
418.656.2131 poste 402503
mickael.lemay@cen.ulaval.ca
Ward Hunt Island is located at the northern tip of Canada, off the coast of Ellesmere Island. Ward Hunt Island is part of Quttinirpaaq National Park, Nunavut, Canada. Quttinirpaaq means “the summit of the world” in Inuktitut and reflects the location of this station, located about 750 km from the North Pole, owned and managed by the Centre d’Études Nordiques (CEN) in collaboration with Parks Canada (www.pc.gc.ca). Scientists have been working at the station since the 1950s. Today, Parks Canada has three “Weatherhaven” shelters equipped with oil furnaces. An insulated laboratory powered by solar panels was built by CEN in 2010, thanks to a federal government infrastructure grant.
The laboratory is equipped with an electronic balance, microscope / stereomicroscope, dryer and laboratory glassware. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use the laboratory. No chemical storage is permitted, all products must be returned after use.
Warwick Vincent
Pavillon Abitibi-Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, Université Laval
418.656.3340
warwick.vincent@bio.ulaval.ca
Bylot Island is located off the northern tip of Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. It is accessible from the communities of Pond Inlet (Mittimatalik) and Nanisivik, both located on northern Baffin Island. Research on the island focuses mainly on the southern plain of the island (1600 km2), but the station is located in a glacial valley at the southwestern tip of the island. Located in Sirmilik National Park and the Bylot Island Migratory Bird Sanctuary, access to the site requires a research permit issued by Parks Canada (www.pc.gc.ca) and the Canadian Wildlife Service (Parks Canada, Iqaluit). It is also recommended to meet with wildlife officers and representatives of the Pond Inlet Hunters and Trappers Organization before visiting the site. Most of the surface area of Île Bylot (11,100 km²) is covered by high mountains and glaciers. These include the Byam Martin Mountains, which are part of the Arctic Cordillera that extends from the east coast of Baffin Island to Ellesmere Island. The rest of Bylot Island, particularly its southern plain, is characterized by large, low-lying areas covered with a wide variety of vegetation.
The laboratory is equipped with an electronic balance, microscope / stereomicroscope, dryer and laboratory glassware. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use the laboratory. No chemical storage is permitted, all products must be returned after use.
Gilles Gauthier
Pavillon Abitibi-Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, Université Laval
418.656.3340
gilles.gauthier@bio.ulaval.ca
The village is located in Ungava Bay, on the bank of the George River. This region is divided by a few deep and steep glacial valleys. Several vestiges of the last glaciation can be found here: trough valleys, cirques, moraine ridges, suspended valleys, etc. The cold climate and topographic heterogeneity result in a mixture of tundra, forest tundra and boreal forest vegetation. The valley bottoms are ecologically rich, characterized by a rise of the boreal forest (with spruce, larch, birch, etc.) that contrasts with the bare areas of the region’s slopes and peaks. In terms of wildlife, the distribution of species is closely linked to vegetation, landform and climate. This region has a unique wildlife feature: the presence of the George River caribou herd and further from the village, the Torngat Mountains herd. Wolves, black bears, snowy owls and willow ptarmigan also inhabit this region. Atlantic salmon and Arctic char are abundant in the region’s rivers. As for Ungava Bay and the rivers that flow into it, it represents an estuary rich in salmon, Arctic char, brook trout, beluga whales and several species of seals.
A sample preparation room (laboratory without chemical hood) is available. WHMIS training or its equivalent is required to use this room. No storage of chemicals is permitted, all products must be returned after use. Basic equipment is available: glassware; centrifuge; hot plate; scales; oven; refrigerator; -80°C freezer.
Mickaël Lemay
Pavillon Abitibi Price, 2405, rue de la Terrasse, local 1204, Université Laval
418.656.2131 poste 402503
mickael.lemay@cen.ulaval.ca
The McGill Arctic Research Station (MARS) is located at the head of Expedition Fiord on west side of Axel Heiberg Island. MARS was established in 1960 and it is one of the oldest university operated field stations in the Canadian Arctic. Initially created to conduct research on climate, glaciology, geology, geomorphology and biology, data from MARS has helped establish the scientific baseline for Canada’s polar region. Its current mission is to provide baseline data for the early detection of climate change in the north, to characterize unique polar ecosystems and their susceptibility of environmental change, and to provide opportunities for student training and research. The current research emphasis is in the fields of glaciology, geology, climatology, hydrology, geocryology, microbiology, astrobiology, remote sensing, geophysics and analogue studies.
Wayne Pollard
Department of Geography, Burnside Hall, 805 Sherbrooke Street West
514-398-4454
wayne.pollard@mcgill.ca