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Recent Submissions
Understanding the Colonial Foundations of the Sri Lankan Civil War: Implications for Peacebuilding
(2025-08-31) Silva, Savandhi; Not Applicable; Master of Arts; Department of International Development Studies; Not Applicable; Daniel Salas - Gonzalez; Not Applicable; Nissim Mannathukkaren; Ajay Parasram
The Sri Lankan civil war (1983–2009) between the Sinhala-dominated state and the LTTE is often analysed in mainstream literature as a conflict rooted in discriminatory post-independence policies toward Tamils. While these accounts offer valuable insight into post-independence catalysts, they overlook the deeper structures that enabled a violent context to emerge. This study departs from such analyses by situating the trajectory of the conflict within the British colonial period (1815–1948). It examines administrative policies, constitutional reforms, and colonial ideologies that laid crucial foundations for civil war. Adopting a problematization of colonial structures as its methodological approach, the dissertation offers a critical re-narration of the war. In conclusion, it is argued that contextualizing the conflict within colonial legacies is vital for contemporary peacebuilding. Without this dimension, efforts risk reproducing the very structures that once facilitated violence, drastically limiting the prospects for peace.
Sacred Place // Makerspace: Repointing St. Patrick’s Catholic Church
(2025-08-29) Basilio, Ceasar (Jam); Not Applicable; Master of Architecture; School of Architecture; Not Applicable; Joyce Hwang; Not Applicable; Catherine Venart; Michael Putman
As more churches close due to declining religious participation, many historic buildings are left empty and at risk. This thesis explores how the idea of sacredness can guide the transformation of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Halifax into a new kind of public space. Instead of replacing the church’s meaning, the project strengthens it, like repointing mortar between old bricks to help a wall stand strong. The proposal adds three new programs inside the church: a library at the front, maker pods in the center, and an exhibition space at the back. These are organized using the sequence of gate, path, and place. Each space supports learning, creativity, and reflection. Inspired by the church’s original role in serving the community, the project brings new life through practical use while respecting its sacred qualities. It offers a way to preserve sacred buildings by reimagining them with care and purpose.
ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PREHOSPITAL AIRWAY MANAGEMENT AND 30-DAY SURVIVAL AND HYPOXIA: A 5-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY
(2025-08-31) Stirling, Jeffrey; Not Applicable; Master of Applied Science; Department of Community Health & Epidemiology; Received; n/a; Not Applicable; Judah Goldstein; Samuel Campbell; Sanja Stanojevic; Jill Hayden
Prehospital airway management in respiratory failure remains controversial, particularly around the timing and choice of advanced interventions. This retrospective observational study reviewed 756 Emergency Medical Services activations in Nova Scotia, Canada, from 2015–2019 involving cardiac arrest, trauma, or medical causes. Trends in device use, outcomes, and associations with 30-day survival and hypoxia were assessed for bag-valve-mask, supraglottic airways, and endotracheal intubation.
BVM use declined sharply across all cohorts, while SGA adoption increased. ETI rates were stable in cardiac arrest cases but rose modestly in trauma and medical presentations. Care times were shorter with BVM, yet advanced airway attempts carried higher hypoxia risk. Adjusted analyses found no survival differences between devices in cardiac arrest, but in trauma and medical cases BVM use was associated with reduced 30-day mortality. These findings suggest growing reliance on SGAs and potential survival advantages of less invasive airway strategies, supporting refinement of EMS protocols.
The Scottish Reynard: Robert Henryson's Interpretation of Reynardian Fables
(2025-08-30) Timmons, Alex; Not Applicable; Master of Arts; Department of English; Not Applicable; n/a; Not Applicable; Andrew Brown; Trevor Ross; Kathy Cawsey
In medieval Europe, fictional depictions of animals were very popular. These works of fiction offer insight into the ways in which animals were viewed in this time. Scottish poet Robet Henryson offers a unique example of the depiction of animals in beast literature because he bends the rules of the literary genres he is working with and advocates on the behalf of animals. This is particularly apparent when comparing his works with stories and traditions that he took inspiration from, such as the “Reynard the Fox” cycle of fables. In his transformation of this popular narrative, Henryson creates a vibrant animal world that also allows a human reader to respect and relate to the creatures that occupy it, as well as considering how they may be more like beasts than they believe.
LINEAR SHRINKAGE PRECISION MATRIX METHOD FOR IMPROVED FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY ESTIMATION IN NEUROIMAGING
(2025-08-14) Tan, Bei Ni; No; Master of Computer Science; Faculty of Computer Science; Not Applicable; n/a; No; Janarthanan Rajendran; Gabriel Spadon; Carlos Hernandez Castillo
Neurological disorders, arising from abnormalities in the nervous system, impose a major global health burden due to the lack of curative treatments and challenges in early diagnosis. Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) enables non-invasive mapping of brain activity, but conventional functional connectivity (FC) estimation often fails to capture complex network interactions. This study combines machine learning with shrinkage-based FC estimation to identify discriminative features that may serve as biomarkers across multiple disorders.
Five FC methods—Pearson’s, Spearman’s, Empirical Covariance, Ledoit–Wolf, and Oracle Approximating Shrinkage—were compared using classifiers including Logistic Regression, SVM, Random Forests, KNN, Naive Bayes, and CNNs. L1-regularized models guided feature selection.
Shrinkage-based estimators outperformed traditional methods, and a proposed Weighted Connectivity Matrix further improved accuracy, particularly with interpretable classifiers. Synthetic data confirmed robustness, and sensitivity analysis showed greatest influence from ROI count, followed by sample size. Results highlight the potential of shrinkage-based FC approaches for neuroimaging-based classification.
ON OUR OWN TERMS: USING WÂHKÔHTOWIN AND MIYO-WÎCÊHTOWIN AS A NÊHIYAW RESPONSE TO ARTICLE 31 OF THE UNITED NATIONS DECLARATION ON THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES
(2025-08-29) Lafond, Alphonsine; Not Applicable; Master of Laws; Faculty of Law; Not Applicable; Sara Ross; Not Applicable; Naiomi Metallic; Cheryl Simon
This thesis examines the role of nêhiyaw (the Plains Cree) “intellectual inheritance” within its legal order, framed through wâhkôhtowin and miyo-wîcêhtowin, and positions this as a legal response to Canada’s implementation of Article 31 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (the UN Declaration). It argues that the re-configuration of Canada’s domestic intellectual property regime for implementing Article 31 must be done through a broader, more fulsome approach that aligns with the UN Declaration’s overarching purpose: Indigenous self-determination. Rather than speak definitively on the nêhiyaw legal order, this thesis offers a potential framework for understanding it in relation to broader discussions on Indigenous intellectual property protection, with the aim of supporting legal revitalization efforts and underscoring the importance of Indigenous legal autonomy.