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This report was originally published as: Jóhannesson, G.T., Welling, J., Müller, D.K., Lundmark, L., Nilsson, R.O., de la Barre, S., Granås, B., Kvidal-Røvik, T., Rantala, O., Tervo-Kankare,K., & Maher, P. (2022). Arctic tourism in times of change: Uncertain futures - from overtourism to re-starting tourism. Nordic Council of Ministers. DOI: 10.6027/temanord2022-516 This report presents the findings of the third and final workshop and field course hosted by the project Partnership for Sustainability: Arctic Tourism in Times of Change funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Arctic Co-operation Programme 2018–2021. The focus of the workshop was on overtourism and the impact of and response to COVID-19 by companies and stakeholders in Arctic tourism. This publication was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25309/delaBarre2022.pdf?sequence=3

Despite the essential role of recreation in the health and well-being of individuals and communities and the rural nature of Canada, rural recreation has received limited attention from researchers. To address this gap and explore the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on rural communities, researchers from the World Leisure Centre of Excellence at Vancouver Island University and the Recreation & Parks Association of the Yukon investigated pandemic impacts on rural recreation in the Yukon Territory. This study focused on five rural communities with unique governance structures, recreation delivery approaches, and population characteristics. The purpose was to explore pandemic impacts on residents and recreation delivery and how recreation can assist with pandemic recovery. Using a participatory rural appraisal approach, eight modified world cafes were hosted, and 28 key informants were interviewed. This research showed that rural Yukoners preferred to be outdoors and that most of their recreation and physical activity involved outdoor recreation, on-the-land activities, and tasks of daily life (e.g., hauling water or firewood). Engagement in these activities also proved to be more resilient in the face of public health mandates and for those who were vaccine-hesitant. Three strong narratives emerged from the data: (a) recreation funding and programs have been focused on children/youth, (b) physically active recreation has been defined as sports participation, and (c) indoor recreation (e.g., pools and arenas) facilities are necessary infrastructure in all rural communities. In contrast, it was found that (a) most engaged in unstructured outdoor recreation and on-the-land activities, (b) outdoor facilities and infrastructure would meet community needs, (c) communities want programs that promote social connections and wellness, and (d) there is a strong need for physical and social experiences across the lifespan. Outdoor recreation and on-the-land activities are central to the lives of rural Yukoners. They can also be central to the recovery of individuals and communities if decision-makers and funders consider systems-level changes (e.g., reviewing the Recreation Act) and if stakeholders consider broadening the scope of community recreation. Additionally, supporting residents’ capacity to engage in unstructured and self-led recreation across the lifespan would assist with pandemic recovery and developing a more sustainable recreation delivery model in rural Yukon. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/27224/PIRR2023FinalReport.pdf?sequence=3

This research explores the perspectives of faculty members teaching in undergraduate tourism programs across British Columbia (BC), Canada regarding curricula revitalization in consideration of macro changes that have occurred in the tourism industry worldwide including the COVID-19 pandemic, the ongoing climate change crisis, and the urgent need for indigenization. With a focus on programs that offer bachelor’s degrees in tourism management, this qualitative study investigates the perspectives of nine faculty members representing Capilano University, Royal Roads University, Thompson Rivers University, and Vancouver Island University. Data was collected by conducting semi-structured interviews. A reflexive thematic analysis indicated one overarching theme: collaboration; two themes: tourism management higher education must 1) craft leaders who embody 21st century skills and 2) be as dynamic as the tourism industry; and three subthemes: 1) multi-disciplinary, 2) work-integrated learning, and 3) macro changes. Due to the rapid pace of change in the tourism industry, the current curriculum offered in tourism management degree programs across BC must be reimagined. Recommendations include course content revitalization, mandatory work-integrated learning, and the renewal and maintenance of collaboration across institutions. The study’s findings are relevant to tourism management students, faculty members and higher education institutions in British Columbia.

This paper aims to explore the demand for wellness tourism and how it has grown in the last decade. This growth is in part due to increased stress levels from various factors. Some of these factors are heightened stress in society such as COVID-19 and high inflation, people working longer hours, unhealthy lifestyles, and higher obesity rates. The study focused on the demographic cohort known as millennials, ranging from 25 to 40 years of age. Millennials are projected to account for 75 percent of consumers and travelers by 2025 globally. The study aimed to determine how Destination Marketing Organizations (DMO) can rethink their approaches for targeting millennial consumers and travelers and the preferences of Canadian millennials specifically related to their perceptions and their needs from wellness tourism within Canada. The material presented in the literature review represents the relevance of wellness, wellness in tourism, the importance of wellness in Canada, the impact of COVID-19, and millennials' characteristics and influence on tourism. The study uses a qualitative approach for interviews with DMOs on how to approach their marketing strategies and a mix-method approach on surveys for millennials on how they perceive wellness tourism. The qualitative research assisted in identifying the elements of millennial travel and DMO's influence in marketing to the demographic. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was the critical component in developing the questions for the interview and survey. The questions focused on AI's four D's: Dream, Destiny, Discovery, and Design. The purpose of AI is to help anticipate if the best-case scenario occurred more frequently within the wellness tourism industry in Canada instead of analyzing problems. The data gathered produced a list of the critical factors pertaining to millennial consumer and travel behavior, the importance of wellness tourism for the millennial demographic, and DMO's marketing techniques to target millennial travelers within Canada. Additionally, the data also produced recommendations for the future of wellness and tourism.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people work together, particularly how colleagues communicate with one another in a remote work setting. With the onset of the pandemic in early 2020, all organisations in Canada were mandated to move their employees to work from home to slow the spread of the virus. This resulted in the work from home phenomenon (WFH) and a transposition of the social aspects of work and relations between colleagues. This study investigates the WFH phenomenon through the lens of workplace communication and applies the findings to the practice of HR and organisational leadership. Through the use of adaptive structuration theory (AST), which proposes the idea of soft technological determinism, the study explains the introduction and utilisation of information and communication technologies in the workplace, particularly for a workforce with low digital literacy. The study reveals the absence of organisational policies and legislation on remote work, while acknowledging the challenges created by differences between organisations, unique features of various communication software, and varying individual preferences. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the importance of workplace relationships in organisational resilience and the role that HR and organisational leaders play in supporting a culture that promotes flexibility and openness.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a myriad of impacts and consequences for secondary school education resulting in, among other things, decreased student engagement and increased issues related to student mental health. The issues of student engagement and mental health are not borne solely from the pandemic however, and teachers have long been seeking ways to address these issues as our traditional educational paradigms lag behind in their ability to combat these problems. This Process Paper and accompanying Major Project seek to address these issues through the Critical Challenge Question, “How can gamified design increase student engagement to support improvements in mental health in secondary fine arts courses?” Photoshop Gamified is a sample gamified secondary elective course designed to introduce teachers to the principles and practice of gamification in secondary education through a research and evidence-based approach to course design and delivery. This sample gamified course utilizes the Google Suite for Education Learning Management System through the use of Google Sites, Docs, and Classroom and is intended for use in both face-to-face and blended learning environments. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25218/Janzen.pdf?sequence=3&isAllowed=y

In this paper, urban planner, development consultant and educator, Mark Holland, outlines a rethinking of urban structure that will be supercharged as we learn from the impacts of COVID 19 on our cities. The modern city region has been focused on building high density downtowns and peripheral town centres, based on assumptions that are now out of date as a basis for regional planning. COVID 19 closed our downtowns and we now need to reinvent our urban and regional patterns in light of what we have (re)discovered from our pandemic response. Restructuring our economy, social patterns, food systems and regional growth patterns into a network of high-street-based corridors will not only make us more resilient to shocks like COVID 19, but overall create a much healthier, sustainable, and economically viable region. https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/23638/HollandFP2021.pdf?sequence=3

Canada in 2050: What does the future look like?|Le Canada en 2050 : À quoi ressemble l’avenir? / Glenn Miller & Ray Tomalty -- On a different path towards 2050: Future-proofing cities against climate change / David Miller -- Planning plausible futures / Sarah Krapez, Blair Underhill, & Robert Barrs -- Plan UX: Designing plans and processes for a rapidly changing world / Robert Barrs & Kasia Tota -- Social infrastructure: Increasing quality of life amid an uncertain futures / Dylan Thiessen -- Transforming Vancouver into a water sensitive city by 2020 / Julie McManus & Wendy de Hoog -- Planning education: The next generation / Markus Moos -- Immigrants in suburbs are restructuring the Toronto Region / Mohammad A. Qadeer -- CIP and COVID-19|L'ICU et la COVID-19 / Beth McMahon -- John Merton Wright: 1929-1999 / Nicholas Tunnacliffe Canada in 2050|Le Canada en 2050 Canada in 2050: What does the future look like?|Le Canada en 2050 : À quoi ressemble l’avenir? / Glenn Miller & Ray Tomalty -- On a different path towards 2050: Future-proofing cities against climate change / David Miller -- Planning plausible futures / Sarah Krapez, Blair Underhill, & Robert Barrs -- Plan UX: Designing plans and processes for a rapidly changing world / Robert Barrs & Kasia Tota -- Social infrastructure: Increasing quality of life amid an uncertain futures / Dylan Thiessen -- Transforming Vancouver into a water sensitive city by 2020 / Julie McManus & Wendy de Hoog -- Planning education: The next generation / Markus Moos -- Immigrants in suburbs are restructuring the Toronto Region / Mohammad A. Qadeer -- CIP and COVID-19|L'ICU et la COVID-19 / Beth McMahon -- John Merton Wright: 1929-1999 / Nicholas Tunnacliffe https://viurrspace.ca/bitstream/handle/10613/25291/PlanCanada_Summer2020.pdf?sequence=3

The COVID-19 pandemic has produced an opportunity for urban planners, government decision-makers, health practitioners, and environmental psychologists to further understand human psychosocial wellbeing in cities. Given a growing base of evidence illustrating that interaction with nature positively affects mood and mental health, preserving access to green spaces in cities during this time of mandated social isolation should be considered imperative for as long as possible. This think-piece highlights that parks, community gardens, and other natural areas are essential to urban dwellers, especially if directives to physically distance from one another become longstanding or recurrent. Public decision-makers should aim to develop simple, relatively inexpensive strategies to augment the usability of nature in innovative ways that make it possible to enjoy them while respecting distance guidelines. Also discussed is the notion that a predominant goal for social scientists and urban practitioners during this crisis will be to learn how people view the ways in which public parks and wilder urban areas mitigate their response to worry, isolation, and an altered form of civic engagement. Research on the extent to which ���sense of place��� changes for city dwellers during this global circumstance will be important for planners and social scientists alike. This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Cities & Health on July 30, 2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/23748834.2020.1795385.

This action research inquiry, undertaken in partnership with the Independent Schools Association of British Columbia (ISABC), was guided by the question: How might the ISABC’s Team Leadership Program support the leadership development and thriving of emerging and middle leaders throughout and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic? Data were collected with a survey and two focus groups involving 52 participants from 16 independent schools. Arts-based approaches included photo elicitation and found poetry. Key findings indicated the pandemic has magnified the human side of educational leadership and thriving as being a middle leader requires communication, relationship building, and the prioritization of followers’ needs. Recommendations addressed strategies to (a) develop self-awareness, coaching, and interpersonal skills amongst emerging leaders; (b) capitalize on existing leadership networks to foster a stronger sense of belonging within the ISABC; and (c) offer leadership-focused professional development and resources accessible to the broader ISABC community. Keywords: arts-based research, found poetry, K–12, independent schools, leadership development, middle leaders, photo elicitation, thriving at work