Current Research Projects

Canada Research Chair on Métis Identity – Canada Research Chairs – 1^st term (2004-2009); 2^nd term (2010-2015): The purpose of the Chair is to explore the complex processes of Métis identity construction by showing how this mistreated identity has a history that is not only rich in tradition, but also in success stories and acts of resistance to assimilation. While the Chair focuses primarily on Canada's Métis people, the research areas that explore the relationships between identity, history, culture and politics will examine these topics from an international and comparative perspective.

Professor Denis Gagnon (Université de Saint-Boniface) became the holder of the Canada Research Chair on Métis Identity in August 2004 for a ten-year period (two five-year terms). He is a research associate at Université Laval’s Centre interuniversitaire d'études et de recherches autochtones (CIÉRA) and at the Laboratoire d'analyse cognitive de l'information (LANCI) at UQAM (University of Quebec at Montreal). The results of his research have been presented in numerous conferences and workshops in Canada, France and Mexico as well as in several articles and book chapters.

Chairholder: Denis Gagnon

Community-University Research Alliance on Francophone Identities in Western Canada / Alliance de recherche universités-communautés sur les identités francophones de l’Ouest canadien (CURA/ARUC-IFO): This action research program currently involves nine universities from across Canada as well as more than 40 community partners. The alliance studies the diversity of francophone and Métis identities in order to define, revitalize, transmit and celebrate this cultural and linguistic heritage. It also provides training opportunities for young university researchers, mobilizes community groups, and creates new knowledge supporting the development of these communities. The team includes more than 50 researchers, contributors and research assistants and is investigating nine areas that can be divided into two main groups: (1) Education (education methods for teaching science in francophone schools; parental involvement in preschool education; issues of exogamy in educational administration; integrating immigrant newcomers in schools); and (2) Language and culture (the varieties of spoken French in communities across Western Canada; Métis heritage; toponymy and geographical names of French or Métis origin and influence; representations of cultural identity in francophone theatre; representations of francophone identity in the media). The five-year period of research and action (2007-2012) is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and focuses primarily on francophone communities in Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.

Le phenomène de l’exogamie dans le cadre de la gestion scolaire francophone [Exogamy in francophone educational administration (fourth ARUC-IFO research component)]: This research focuses primarily on the socio-cultural mandate of French-language schools by examining how schools maintain the French language and culture in a minority setting and contribute to their development. To facilitate this mandate, the major stakeholders (school, family and the community) must work together closely to support the French language and counterbalance the assimilating influence of the predominant English-speaking environment. The researchers note that the vast majority of Western Canadian children with francophone roots come from exogamous households in which the dominant home language is English. As a result of this situation, the study wishes to address how schools receive, guide and support exogamous families in their efforts to maintain a high level of French language development at home and at school in a socio-institutional environment that is predominantly English at all levels.

Lead researcher: Jules Rocque

Étude de la variation du français dans l’Ouest canadien et des pratiques, attitudes et représentations linguistiques en contexte minoritaire [Study on the variation of French in Western Canada and of the linguistic practices, attitudes and representations in a minority context] (ARUC-IFO linguistic research component)

Lead researcher at ARUC-IFO: Léonard Rivard

Co-researchers for the linguistic component: Sandrine Hallion Bres (co-lead researcher, Université de Saint-Boniface), Davy Bigot (Concordia University), France Martineau (University of Ottawa), Moses Nyongwa (Université de Saint-Boniface), Robert Papen (UQAM)

La sauvegarde et la mise en valeur du patrimoine culturel et linguistique des Métis francophones de l’Ouest canadien [Safeguarding and developing the cultural and linguistic heritage of francophone Métis in Western Canada] (sixth ARUC-IFO research component)

Lead researcher: Len Rivard (USB) 
 Co-researchers: Denis Gagnon, Yves Labrèche

CURA Common Ground Research Forum, Kenora, Ontario: The Common Ground Research Forum is an excellent example of collaboration between a First Nations community (Grand Council Treaty # 3) and a non-First Nations one (City of Kenora) in which people work together to share natural resources—with a focus in this case on Tunnel Island—and to build sustainable local and regional economies.

Researcher Laura Sims’s role is to create an innovative study program and a pilot project for a place-based, cross-cultural and environmental education. It will involve area Elders, local and regional resource managers, university researchers, teachers and students.

USB researcher: Laura Sims 
Co-researchers involved in the Common Ground initiative: John Sinclair* and Iain Davidson‑Hunt (University of Manitoba), Alan Diduck (University of Winnipeg)
*Lead researcher

Community‑based pest management in Central American agriculture – Project funded by CIDA (Canadian International Development Agency): In this CIDA‑funded project for Community‑based pest management in Central American agriculture that was launched in 2006, universities work together with rural communities and other relevant stakeholders to increase food security through improved pesticide safety practices. The four participating universities are: Universidad de Costa Rica, Universidad Nacional Agraria (Nicaragua), Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras and the University of Manitoba (Canada).

The project has three major components: the community development component overseen by Laura Sims, in which project participants work directly with farming families in rural communities to understand how and why they farm the way they do, particularly with respect to their pest management practices; the technical component, which involves the creation of demonstration plots and facilitating educational outreach to promote alternative and more rational practices for pesticide use; and the political component, which includes developing indicators to help understand current practices and bring about change in rural communities and have an impact on local and national programs and policies regarding pesticide use.

USB researcher: Laura Sims
 Co-researchers involved in the Central American project: Annemieke Farenhorst*, Martin Entz, David Lobb (University of Manitoba) 
*Lead researcher

La santé et le mieux-être : Les services médicaux en harmonie avec les services communautaires [Health and well-being: medical services aligned with community services]: This research project is based on the Centre de santé Saint-Boniface Agir! Pour ma santé! initiative, which promotes a comprehensive approach to health care in the mental health field. The purpose of this innovative project is to support Francophones aged 18 and over living with mild to moderate depression as they strive to improve their mental health through physical activity. The active offer of service is ensured by an interdisciplinary team of professionals; a physician, a dietician and a physical activity coach offer personalized assistance that is tailored to the specific needs of participants.

Lead researcher: Danielle de Moissac

Disponibilité et accessibilité des services de soins de santé en français au Manitoba [Availability and accessibility of French language health services in Manitoba]: The goal of this study is to get a better understanding of the French-language health services available in Manitoba, particularly in terms of health practitioners, accessibility and barriers to access. This information will help to identify remedial action aimed ultimately at ensuring a healthy community. The research has three components: (1) determining the availability of francophone health practitioners; (2) identification and prioritization of barriers to access; and (3) remedial action and recommendations.

Lead researcher: Danielle de Moissac
 Co-researcher: Florette Giasson

Recherche sociolinguistique panlectale sur les variétés de français de l’Alberta, du Manitoba et de l’Ontario et sur le français métis [Panlectal sociolinguistic study on the varieties of spoken French in Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario and on Métis French]: This collaborative research project draws on the corpus of spoken French gathered in three Canadian provinces (Ontario, Manitoba—St. Boniface and St. Laurent—and Alberta) in a comparative perspective. Specifically, it examines similarities and differences in use and frequency of a certain number of targeted linguistic variables (morphosyntactic and lexical) between the corpus types. This will shed some light on the issue of homogeneity versus diversity in the varieties of Canadian French spoken in the Quebec ‘diaspora’.

Lead researcher: Raymond Mougeon (York University, Glendon College)

Co-researchers: Davy Bigot (Concordia University), Sandrine Hallion Bres (Université de Saint-Boniface), Robert Papen (UQAM)

Vérification de l’effet d’un nouveau facteur électronique sur le mécanisme de la réaction S_N2 [Examining the effect of a new electronic factor on the S_N2 reaction mechanism]

Researchers: Lamine Diop, Michael Dickman

La production de résumés [Summary production]: Professor Léonard Rivard and Christian Violy from the Language Enrichment Service are conducting a study on the summaries produced for a scientific text on wolf reintroduction at Yellowstone Park. The study includes the analysis of summaries prepared by students in Grades 9 to 12 as well as university students. It will also provide a detailed analysis of the texts produced by 13 individuals at different moments in their learning lives, at the secondary and university levels. The researchers also hope to show how anti-wolf bias due to this animal’s predatory nature may have hindered the production of a summary that is faithful to the original text in certain writers.

Researchers: Léonard Rivard and Christian Violy

L’enseignement des sciences en milieu francophone minoritaire : défis et solutions [Science instruction in a minority francophone setting: challenges and solutions]

Researchers: Léonard Rivard (USB), Marianne Cormier (Université de Moncton), Hélène Archambault (USB), François Lentz (USB) and Martine Cavanagh (Campus Saint-Jean)

Une formation continue en littératie destinée aux enseignants de sciences de la nature au secondaire : un projet manitobain [Professional development in literacy for secondary Science teachers: a Manitoban project]: Since 2008, Grade 9 Science teachers in the Division scolaire franco-manitobaine (Franco-Manitoban School Division - DSFM) have taken part in a professional development program with the support of a number of education partners. The goal is to better prepare students to read and produce scientific texts in the classroom. This action research will help guide and support the appropriation of literacy practices. The research project is guided by three objectives: (1) Participants’ level of satisfaction with the program; (2) Effective learning and its transfer to teaching practices; and (3) The impact of the program on schools, teachers and students.

Lead researcher: Léonard P. Rivard

Co-researchers: Hélène Archambault, François Lentz, Pauline Gagné

Petites écoles en réseau (PEER) [Small schools network]: The project partners will commit to cooperating and working on an educational model to deliver Science courses using technological teaching tools on the Internet. This model will bring students and teachers in small rural schools together to create virtual communities with the potential of enhancing Science students’ comprehension. It will enable students to receive a high-level Science education, allow teachers to focus more on their area of expertise, and will contribute to the vitality of smaller schools.

Lead researcher: Rodelyn Stoeber

Développement de la littératie scientifique dans le contexte de l’éducation pour un avenir viable par l’intermédiaire des Petites écoles en réseau (PEER) [Developing scientific literacy in the educational context for a sustainable future through the PEER small schools network]

Lead researcher: Rodelyn Stoeber

La dévotion à Sainte-Anne chez les Autochtones [Aboriginal devotion to St. Anne] - Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB)

Lead researcher: Denis Gagnon

Canadian Forum for Public Research on Heritage – SSHRC – Strategic Knowledge Clusters Program

Lead researcher: Luc Noppen (UQÀM) 
Co-researcher: Denis Gagnon

PromoSciences: The objective of this project is to promote an appreciation of Science with francophone elementary and secondary students in a minority setting. These budding scientists will have the opportunity to study the composting process in the classroom using special pails that permit the observation and testing of factors involved in the decomposition of organic matter and the recycling of these elements into the ecosystem. The microcomposter will be used as a teaching tool for the learning of scientific principles and will highlight the importance of sustainable development and protection of the environment. Technological teaching tools will be used to assist and motivate students as they observe and experiment.