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This dissertation traces the emergence of the "transgender predator" discourse on social media. Taking its cue from the 2019 British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal case Yaniv v. Various Waxing Salons, in which a white Canadian trans woman named Jessica Yaniv unsuccessfully filed a series of complaints against a number of racialized cisgender aestheticians claiming that they denied her body and Brazilian waxing services, I examine Canadian socio-legal discussions regarding trans women's access to spaces and services designed for cisgender women. Second, I focus on the realm of YouTube in which Yaniv v. Various Waxing Salons was marketed as the case of a transgender predator by another trans female YouTuber named Blaire White. I locate Yaniv-related content within a larger genre of "predator-hunting" in which self-proclaimed vigilantes lure and "hunt" putative child predators through sting operations and publish their expeditions as online shaming content on YouTube. By analyzing the visual and verbal discursive elements of the genre of predator catching/exposé, I suggest that "transgender predator" functions within the axis of surveillance regimes and monetized humiliation-entertainment, rather than merely being motivated by the goal of protecting cisgender women and children. Lastly, I turn my attention from "transgender predator" to another type of pejorative construction about trans people represented in the stand-up comedy of Dave Chappelle and Ricky Gervais. I argue that, as opposed to comedy's previous engagement with trans subjectivity in which the comedic element was revealed through the tropes of deception and bodily incongruity, in the works of Chappelle and Gervais, transgender subjectivity is used to make social commentary about the supposed decline of, what are deemed to be, Western values of reason, rationality, and freedom of speech.

Author Keywords: predator, stand-up comedy, surveillance, transgender, vigilantism, YouTube

ABSTRACTASSEMBLING THE BRAID: ALDERVILLE FIRST NATION, LEARNING FROM THEIR WALK IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Catherine Davis Alderville First Nation is a small, dynamic Anishinaabe First Nation community in central Ontario with the distinction of having one of the first federal residential schools in Canada, established in 1838. Access to education, both on and off reserve, has been primarily through the provincial model. This study applies a weaving imagery of the Anishinaabe braided sweetgrass, and threads together three strands: (i) experiences in the education system, (ii) perspectives about learning, (iii) an exploration of future educational possibilities for Anishinaabe youth. Open-ended in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 members of varying ages, life experiences, geographical locations, spiritual beliefs, and backgrounds. Members shared experiences of racism and disengagement with the system. At times, classroom spaces were inhospitable spaces and relationships with teachers and peers proved difficult. As a member of Alderville First Nation, I draw on more than 20 years of experience as a community educator, and I am driven to understand why fundamental change has not happened. Though there have been surface changes, more profound transformation remains elusive. Consequently, the reconciliation project is a problematic endeavour for First Nations like Alderville. Our community, a microcosm of other First Nations and education systems, shares tensions between simultaneous, overlapping movements of reconciliation and resurgence. Nevertheless, it is our legacy to find a way forward for our youth.

Author Keywords: Alderville, Anishinaabe, Indigenous Education, Racism, Reconciliation, Resurgence

Background: Researchers who study both attachment and criminal thinking propose that perceptions of the self and others explain why individuals engage in illegal behaviour (e.g., Bowlby, 1944; Mitchell & Tafrate, 2012). The purpose of this study was to combine these areas of research and examine how attachment views of self and others are associated with self and other models of criminal thinking patterns. Method: The first study included 582 undergraduate students and the findings were partially replicated in a second sample of adults recruited through social media (n =142). Participants completed measures of attachment, criminal thinking, and reported their engagement in illegal behaviours. Results: Structural equation modelling was used to test associations between models of the self and other. The respective models of the self and other for attachment and criminal thinking were associated, however, the cross paths were also associated for some groups and indicated a relationship where views of the self and other are predictive of one another in the context of relationships and criminal thinking. The findings were somewhat stronger for participants who reported engaging in deviant behaviour. Impact: To date, this study is the first to study the connection between attachment representations and criminal thinking, highlighting how our views of the self and others within relationships impact the complex way of thinking associated with criminal behaviour.

Author Keywords: adult attachment, attachment, criminal thinking, deviance

This thesis focuses on how contemporary urban Anishinaabekwewag are understanding our traditional roles and responsibilities in urban spaces. Utilizing storytelling as a research methodology, three urban Anishinaabekwewag participated in individual guided discussions as they shared their life stories. Through their stories, they share how they have come to understand their roles and responsibilities, what has helped each of them on their life journeys, and what they hope to see for our future Anishinaabeg generations. Urban Anishinaabekwewag identity is not yet a widely researched area of Indigenous academia; this research might serve as groundwork to be further explored by other Indigenous researchers.

Author Keywords: Ancestors, Anishinaabekwe, community, Indigenous women, Settler colonialism, storytelling

The generation of polymer brushes by surface-initiated polymerization techniques has become a powerful tool for the creation of hybrid materials. Governed by the type and amount of polymer used in the modification, the chemical and physical properties of a surface can be tailored by polymer grafting. In this study, a commonly used polymer flocculant, polyacrylamide (PAM), was grafted onto the surface of activated carbon (AC). This hybrid material was designed with the intent of combining the functionalities of both the activated carbon and the polymer flocculant, potentially acting in a synergistic manner. The PAM grafted AC (AC-PAM) was examined as a flocculant in the treatment of mature fine tailings (MFT). AC-PAM was synthesized by surface-initiated activators generated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-AGET ATRP). This was accomplished by pre-functionalizing the surface of activated carbon by oxidation, followed by the attachment of an ATRP initiator. From this surface, SI-AGET ATRP of acrylamide monomers was performed. The resulting AC-PAM was characterized by FTIR, XPS, TGA, SEC, and BET analysis. Characterization results indicated the successful grafting of polyacrylamide from the surface of activated carbon. The AC-PAM was measured to contain approximately 10.6% PAM by weight, and the average-number molecular weight of the grafted polymer was 176,100 g/mol. The flocculation performance of AC-PAM and PAM were compared by performing settling tests with 5 wt% MFT. The optimal polymer dosage for PAM was found to be 10,000 ppm, producing an initial settling rate of 3.51 m/hr and a supernatant turbidity of 430 NTU. Comparatively, the optimal dosage for AC-PAM was found to be 20,000 ppm, producing a supernatant turbidity of 114 NTU and a fast initial settling rate of 27.54 m/hr. The improved flocculation performance is hypothesized to occur due to the effective increase in the molecular weight of PAM when grafted from the surface of activated carbon. In all, our work demonstrates the successful grafting of PAM from AC, as well as potential wastewater treatment applications for these types of hybrid materials.

Author Keywords: Activated carbon, Atom transfer radical polymerization, Flocculation, Grafting, Polyacrylamide, Surface-initiated polymerization

Understanding snowpack variability is important as it plays an imperative role in environmental, hydrologic, and atmospheric systems. Research questions related to three linked areas were investigated in this thesis: 1) scaling issues in snow hydrology, 2) forest-snowpack relationships, and 3) methods of integrating snow water equivalent (SWE) into a hydrologic model for a large, forested drainage basin in central Ontario. The first study evaluated differences in SWE across process, measurement, and model scales. Point scale snowpack measurements could be bias corrected using scaling factors derived from a limited number of transect measurements and appropriately stratified point scale measurements may be suitable for replacing transect scale mean SWE when transect data are not possible to collect. Comparison of modelled products to measurements highlighted the importance of understanding the spatial representativeness of in-situ measurements and the processes those measurements represent when validating snow products or assimilating data into models.The second study investigated the efficacy of field-based, and remotely sensed datasets to describe forest structure and resolve forest-snowpack relationships. Canopy cover was highly correlated with melt rate and timing at the site scale however, significant correlations were present in 2016 but not 2017, which was attributed to interannual differences in climate. Peak SWE metrics did not correlate well with forest metrics. This was likely due to mid-winter melt events throughout both study years, where a mix of accumulation and melt processes confounded forest-snowpack relationships. The third study evaluated the accuracy of the Copernicus SWE product and assessed the impact of calibrating and assimilating SWE data on model performance. The bias corrected Copernicus product agreed with measured data and provided a good estimate of mean basin SWE. Calibration of a hydrologic model to subbasin SWE substantially improved modelled SWE performance. Modelled SWE skill was not improved by assimilating SWE into the calibrated model. All models evaluated had similar streamflow performance, indicating streamflow in the study basin can be accurately estimated using a model with a poor representation of SWE. The findings from this work improved knowledge and understanding of snow processes in the hydrologically significant Great Lakes-St Lawrence Forest region of central Ontario.

Author Keywords: data assimilation, hydrologic model, multi-objective calibration, remote sensing, scale, snow

Cytokinins (CKs) are a pervasive group of growth-promoting signaling molecules spanning every kingdom of life. Their roles are best known in plants, where they act as phytohormones controlling nearly all aspects of plant growth and development. CKs continue to be detected in new organisms, posing questions about their roles in such widespread forms of life. The research presented in this thesis, therefore, investigated CK dynamics in a non-plant system using the simple eukaryotic model, Dictyostelium discoideum. Prior to this thesis, CKs were established as key intercellular signals necessary for proper development of D. discoideum – specifically in the induction of sporulation and maintenance of spore dormancy. However, there were no documented roles of CKs prior to the late stages of multicellular development. Comprehensive mass spectrometric screening for CKs detected six novel CK forms during all stages of D. discoideum growth and development. Based on these findings, a model was proposed that mapped CK biosynthesis in D. discoideum. The CK profiles indicate that there are differing dominant CK forms during vegetative growth and early development compared to those detected during late multicellular development. This led to the hypothesis that CKs have different roles during the distinctive life cycle stages of D. discoideum. This hypothesis was tested by generating knockout and overexpression strains of the key, primary CK biosynthesis gene, iptA, to investigate potential expanded roles for CKs during growth and the early stages of D. discoideum development. iptA-deficiency resulted in cytokinesis defects and both iptA-deficiency and overexpression caused altered mitochondrial morphology, dysregulated TCA cycle and amino acid metabolism, as well as increased levels of the energy metabolite, AMP. These combined phenotypes were suggestive of mitochondrial-associated dysfunction in vegetative growth and provided the first evidence of expanded roles of CKs during the D. discoideum life cycle. This was the first metabolomics-based evidence of CKs influencing mitochondrial function in D. discoideum. Lastly, a key CK-activating enzyme was functionally characterized, DdLOG, and additional CK biosynthesis enzymes were identified for future examination. Together, the findings of this thesis provide insights into: CK biosynthesis in a non-plant associated model; new roles for CKs during the D. discoideum life cycle; and CK interactions with mitochondria. The methods established as part of this thesis can be used as a foundation for characterizing further CK biosynthesis enzymes and as a guide for detecting subtle sub-cellular phenotypes related to CK metabolism in D. discoideum and other CK-producing organisms.

Author Keywords: cytokinin biosynthesis, cytokinins, Dictyostelium discoideum, IptA, mass spectrometry, mitochondria

This research aimed to capture the experiences of cities that have endeavored to localize the SDGs in their areas. Literature review and one-on-one interviews with SDG practitioners have been conducted to glean best practices and effective strategies to develop recommendations for how cities in Canada should plan to localize the SDGs in their areas. The research uncovered themes in relation to building on existing initiatives, stakeholder management, data management, and the role of personal rapport and connections in professional settings. This research also revealed an important tension between the top-down approach of adopting a unified federally devised framework and a bottom-up community indicator approach. Finally, the research uncovered opportunities to increase support for local organizations and city governments embarking on localizing the SDGs through engagement with academia and partnering with faculty and graduate students at the local university to incorporate graduate research into SDG localization efforts and tap into funding opportunities. The research also resulted in a flow chart that is gleaned from interviews and the literature review to describe a step-by-step process that cities and communities could deploy to localize SDG targets and indicators.

Author Keywords: Indicators, Localization, Measurement, Strategies, Sustainable Development Goals, Voluntary Local Review

Keywords: #MeToo, COVID-19, Gender-Based Violence, Help-Seeking, Community-Based Services, Community Organizations