BEEDIE LUMINARIES — From Cohort 2022, Cain Tipton is currently completing his Bachelor of Science at UBCO, with a specialization in Earth and Environmental Sciences. It is no doubt that Cain’s passion for sustainability and climate action have been a great driving force throughout his undergraduate experience. In his second year, Cain was the Sustainability Education Coordinator with Innovate, Design, Sustain (IDS) Okanagan–a campus organization that “exists to empower, educate, and equip students with the skills needed to incorporate sustainability in their careers and communities.”
Now, in the summer before his third year, Cain has been working as a Hydrology Research Assistant with Yukon University’s Climate Change Research Lab. Having started the position in May of 2024, Cain’s work focuses mostly on researching the erosion of the Dempster Highway, a crucial route stretching 740km that provides vehicle access to several remote northern communities along the Yukon and the Northwest Territories.
Though erosion of this highway has always been an issue, recent years have proved more rapid rates of deterioration along certain sections of the Dempster highway. Under the leadership of the Senior Research Professional in Hydrology, Cain has been working to identify the factors and their effects on erosion, with hopes to accurately predict which sections of the highway should receive the highest attention in terms of maintenance and preventative measures.
Additionally, Cain has assisted with the research on the development of aufeis along the Dempster Highway. Aufeis–a type of ice that forms when water in rivers freezes successively on top of an ice sheet–is often cause for a significant rise in water levels, and further leading to flood thread to the highway. By observing the development of aufeis along culverts of the Dempster Highway, Cain and the team hope to implement preventative measures to mitigate overflow situations.
When asked about this experience so far, Cain says:
“The best part of my job is the fieldwork when we collect equipment from our POIs along the Dempster Highway. These trips usually involve the removal or addition of equipment that collects hydrometric data for the winter. It can be tricky to remove some sensors installed in the riverbank, as the bed can shift from season to season, but we usually find all the equipment with our metal detector. The best part of visiting each site is the stunning views. I have hundreds of photos of the beautiful landscapes, but they don’t do justice to the breathtaking sights along the Dempster.
Along with the exciting work, I’ve also enjoyed exploring Whitehorse and the surrounding area. I’ve been fortunate to make some great friendships with other research assistants here for the summer, and exploring the beautiful trails around Whitehorse with them has been a blast.
I feel blessed to have this opportunity to work on something I’m passionate about while knowing that the work I’m doing benefits others as well.”
Go Cain! We’re so excited to learn with you this summer and can’t wait to hear about it soon!
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