Taiga, Testing and Training

2004-10-14

"Taiga" – from the Russian word for a wooded area – is defined as "the coniferous forest lying between tundra and steppe"[i] but for the more than 56,000 Aboriginals living in Canada's North, it is much more. The Taiga is their traditional hunting and gathering ground and home to the many animal and plant species that have provided both physical and spiritual nourishment for centuries.

Located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, the Taiga Environmental Laboratory not only takes its name from this ecosystem, it is also working with its residents to ensure a healthy environment where traditional practices can be kept alive.              

Part of the Renewable Resources and Environment division of Department of Indian and Northern Affairs (DIAND), Taiga is the only laboratory north of sixty accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC). Its scope of accreditation includes numerous biological and chemical tests for soil and water.

"Accreditation allows you to look at the processes, people and training. You can pinpoint non-conformances in the lab and target improvement," says Shane Harnish, the laboratory's Quality Assurance Officer.

The Taiga Lab plays an important role in various initiatives coordinated by the DIAND, aboriginal communities and local organizations that work to monitor and address the impacts of pollution and contaminants on this delicate ecosystem. Taiga provides testing to ensure that industrial development projects are aligned with environmental laws and regulations. The lab also supports the Northern Contaminant Program (NCP), which was created in 1991 to address concerns about increasing levels of contaminants present in the air, water, plants, animals and their impact on people.

Until a year ago, Northern communities relied on outside specialists to gather testing samples and interpret results. As part of efforts to establish local expertise, Taiga now offers training in these areas. The delivery of two-week courses explaining how to collect samples in the field and how to interpret and analyze data is helping Northerners become more educated about and involved in efforts to monitor pollutants that could affect their health.

As Canada's North continues to develop, Taiga and its partners must strive to adapt in order to help ensure a balance between economic and ecological needs. Harnish reports that the lab is currently taking the necessary steps to expand its scope of accreditation to meet new water and soil testing needs that will be generated as a result of the Mackenzie Gas Project, a network of over 1,200 kilometres of pipeline being laid in the Northwest Territories. The project, which will connect Arctic gas fields to the North American market, is expected to be operational by 2010.

"We know there will need to be testing in that field," says Harnish. "We have clients asking about it."

At Taiga analysts deal directly with assessors. Their confidence in the process grows as they see firsthand accreditation's role in increasing productivity and getting things done efficiently. Along with creating a positive working environment and job security, accreditation – and an evolving quality assurance plan – is helping Taiga Environmental Laboratory keep Northern Canadians safe.

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[i] Definition from the Oxford English Dictionary.

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This article first appeared in Volume 31 of CONSENSUS Magazine, 2004.  The information it contains was accurate at the time of publication but has not been updated or revised since, and may not reflect the latest updates on the topic.  If you have specific questions or concerns about the content, please contact the Standards Council of Canada.

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