Science and Research committee  Our research centre in Inuvik is busy. It is the hub of research activity in the western Arctic. You see people from our college conducting research on permafrost, water, infrastructure, energy systems—all types of things. Researchers from around the world are looking at treeline migration and climate change impacts on fish, animals and terrain.

Science and Research committee  Yes, I can certainly follow up. There's a good example in ArcticNet research partnerships, which were led through Université Laval. They're partnerships with universities, colleges and northern residents. It's a great example.

Science and Research committee  There are lots of people from many countries that conduct research in our region. As to “questions”, I'm not sure what you mean. We do have a regional licensing process that manages and forces adherence on basic research requirements that would be expected within Canadian research—

Science and Research committee  No.

Science and Research committee  It depends on the community. It's natural gas in some communities, and in others it's oil. There is some hydro, but largely it's gas and oil.

Science and Research committee  Climate change is impacting everything in the north. The region where our research centre is located, the Western Arctic Research Centre, and where the Tuktoyaktuk coastline is shows that climate change is three to four times what you're seeing in southern Canada, and all of our infrastructure is on permafrost.

Science and Research committee  Honestly, it's a stretch. We don't receive very much funding to support that work, and it's off the sides of people's desks that we manage to do it. Because we have to, we just find ways to pull together as needed within our institution to do it, but do we have the base funding to meet it easily?

Science and Research committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair, for the opportunity to speak with the committee today. I would like to acknowledge that I am here speaking on behalf of the president of Aurora College, Dr. Glenda Vardy Dell. She was unable to make it today and asked me to speak on her behalf since we recognize that it is critical that the voices of smaller and remote post-secondary institutions participate in discussions surrounding the distribution of research funding.