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Context

THE NORTH: CHALLENGES AND INNOVATION

Researchers from Quebec and elsewhere in Canada have been active in the North for over half a century. From marine ecosystem protection to the loss of sea ice, they study the issues—and there are plenty of them!—affecting the North. Perhaps it would be more accurate to speak of the Norths, given the world of diversity and contrast that exists between the 49^th parallel and the Arctic of Nunavik. Climate change, industrialization, and modernization have dramatically impacted the environment, economy, culture, and health of the population within this region.

Building on their wide-ranging expertise in natural, social and health sciences as well as engineering, Quebec and the rest of Canada have, over time, become world leaders in northern research. A consensus has grown within the scientific community that this expertise needs to be brought together to assist decision-makers and societies in tackling the challenges the North presents.

The result is Institut nordique du Québec (INQ), which brings together the best talent in the fields of northern and Arctic research to work toward the ethical and harmonious development of Northern Quebec and the Canadian Arctic. The project, which was officially announced in fall 2014, came about through an unprecedented academic partnership, in close collaboration with the public and private sectors.

NORTHERN QUEBEC IN FIGURES

Area of
1,2 million km²

72%
of Quebec’s
surface area

Over
200 000 km²
of forests

Over
75%
of Quebec’s hydroelectric
capacity

Over
120 000
people

1/3
of the population of
Indigenous origin

4
Idigenous nations (Inuit, Cree, Innu,
and Naskapi) in
31 communities

32
Non-Indigenous communities
(James Bay,
Lac Saint-Jean, and Côte-Nord regions)

>250
Affiated researchers in
16 Quebec universities
working on northern issues