UBC Okanagan professor Dr. Kasun Hewage stands in the Engineering, Management and Education Building.

Electric vehicles and smart buildings are realities, but can technology be improved as researchers work to keep BC ahead of the curve in energy efficiency?

A renewed research collaboration between FortisBC and UBC Okanagan seeks to do this and more as a grown-in-the-Okanagan smart-energy success story begins a new chapter.

Five years ago, FortisBC, Mitacs and UBC created the Smart Energy Research Chair position to help optimize provincial energy and reduce BC’s greenhouse gas footprint.

Professor Kasun Hewage, with UBCO’s School of Engineering, was appointed to this role, which has just been renewed for another five years.

The research has focused on four theme areas: building energy performance enhancement, clean technologies for climate change mitigation, BC Energy Step Code implementation and demand side management.

“As a society, we cannot make informed and sustainable energy choices if we don’t understand the environmental, financial and social implications—what we call the complete lifecycle—of each of those choices,” says Dr. Hewage. “Over the past five years, we have made a significant contribution to the smart energy knowledge base, and our researchers are making an impact in municipalities, government and industries across BC, Canada and internationally.”

Dr. Hewage says the renewed funding will allow UBC to continue its independent research to address BC’s growing energy needs and improve the sustainable use of energy sources.

An Associate Director with UBC’s Clean Energy Research Centre, Dr. Hewage takes a holistic approach to investigating smart energy strategies, including cost-effective, sustainable and renewable energy production systems coordinated by cutting-edge technologies.

By evaluating the implications and cost-benefits of a diverse variety of smart energy solutions, Dr. Hewage says UBC researchers can continue to provide policymakers with invaluable data.

“In this next phase, we will be looking at topics such as the practical realities of implementing hydrogen gas and enhancing electric vehicle charging networks with considerations for wider EV use in public transit,” says Dr. Hewage.

“The renewal of this chair means we can continue to grow UBC Okanagan’s expertise in sustainable technologies and work with stakeholders like FortisBC to advance current tools and strategies—and suggest new ones—to improve energy sustainability throughout the province.”

Dr. Hewage is also part of a multidisciplinary network of UBC researchers—the Cluster of Research Excellence in Green Infrastructure—who develop new tools, techniques, policies and best management practices to address municipal infrastructure challenges, including climate resiliency and the environment.

The cluster integrates the expertise of researchers in engineering, economics, geography and the social sciences.

“We’re thrilled FortisBC is continuing to work with UBCO to pursue greener, more efficient energy solutions that will lead to a more sustainable future,” says Dr. Suzie Currie, Associate Vice-President and Vice-Principal, Research and Innovation.

“At UBCO, we’re committed to pursuing climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. Partnerships such as this that help investigate cleaner energy alternatives are a key part of advancing that work and achieving success.”

In addition to the funding from FortisBC, the renewed appointment will continue to be supported by matching internship funding from Mitacs. This will allow students to engage with FortisBC, whenever necessary, throughout this five-year collaboration.

Training students and providing research opportunities for them is an important aspect of this partnership, explains Danielle Wensink, Director of Conservation and Energy Management for FortisBC.

“With energy efficiency and conservation being key to transitioning to a lower-carbon energy future, we’re pleased to continue our support of UBC Okanagan through the Smart Energy Chair,” Wensink says. “We look forward to seeing more UBCO students become leaders in the field as well as finding opportunities to apply their research in ways that lower energy use, reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions and ensure affordable, resilient energy systems for our customers.”

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Grizzly bears are excellent gardeners, dispersing digested huckleberry seeds near and far, new research from UBC Okanagan and UBC Vancouver shows.

Grizzly bears are doing more than building fat reserves as they feast on huckleberries each summer in the Canadian Rocky Mountains—they’re playing a vital role in plant ecology.

A study led by researchers from the University of British Columbia’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, published in PLOS ONE, reveals the ecological importance of bears as long-distance seed dispersers.

“Bears don’t just eat huckleberries—they help them grow in new places,” says lead researcher Aza Fynley Kuijt, from UBC’s Faculty of Forestry.

“Our findings show that this mutual relationship is crucial for both species, especially as climate change shifts suitable habitats for huckleberries.”

The study focuses on how bear digestion enhances huckleberry germination and spreads seeds across vast areas, a process called endozoochory.

Researchers found that seeds consumed and defecated by bears had significantly higher germination rates (up to 28.5 per cent) compared to seeds left inside intact berries (0.2 per cent). The key factor is the removal of germination inhibitors in the berry pulp during digestion.

Using GPS data from 74 collared grizzly bears, the study estimated that bears disperse 50 per cent of consumed seeds at least one kilometre away from their feeding sites, with potential maximum distances of up to seven kilometres.

This movement creates a “seed shadow” covering areas as large as 149 square kilometres, enabling huckleberries to expand into new territories.

The implications are significant. Huckleberries are a key food source for bears, providing essential energy during late summer.

In turn, bears help huckleberries adapt to changing climates by dispersing seeds into new, potentially more suitable habitats. However, human activities such as urban development, resource extraction and increased recreation in bear habitats can affect this critical ecological partnership.

The study underscores the intricate relationship between large mobile mammals and the food they eat. Disrupting the bear-huckleberry relationship could have knock-on effects on both species and the broader ecosystem.

“Wildlife conservation is not just about protecting certain species, but about looking after ecological processes and relationships. As we show here, looking after grizzly bears and movement corridors can also help huckleberries, which people and bears both adore,” adds Clayton Lamb, co-author and UBC Okanagan biologist.

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New research from UBC and UBCO demonstrates that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia can alleviate postpartum depression.

While many people believe that poor sleep during pregnancy is inevitable, new research has determined that cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBTi) while pregnant can not only improve sleep patterns, but also address postpartum depression.

Researchers from UBC’s Okanagan and Vancouver campuses, as well as the University of Calgary, discovered that delivering CBTi during pregnancy significantly reduces postpartum depressive symptoms after baby arrives.

“Early intervention is crucial for infant and parental mental health,” says Dr. Elizabeth Keys, an Assistant Professor in UBCO’s School of Nursing and a study co-author. “Our research explores how addressing sleep problems like insomnia can lead to better mental health outcomes for families, helping parents and their children thrive.”

CBTi is a therapeutic intervention that identifies thoughts, behaviours and sleep patterns that contribute to insomnia. Treatment includes challenging or reframing misconceptions and restructuring habits in ways that improve sleep quality.

“CBTi is the gold standard for treatment of insomnia and has consistently shown to improve symptoms of depression,” says Dr. Keys. “Its treatment effects are similar to antidepressant medications among adults, but with fewer side effects, and is therefore often preferred by pregnant individuals.”

Sixty-two women assessed for insomnia and depressive symptoms participated in the study—with half randomly assigned to an intervention group and half to a control group.

“We found that CBTi during pregnancy significantly improved sleep and reduced postpartum depressive symptoms for participants,” explains Dr. Keys. “These are enormously encouraging results for anyone that has struggled in those early weeks and months with their newborns.”

Results indicate that effective insomnia treatment during pregnancy may serve as a protective factor against postpartum depression.

“Our study adds to the growing evidence that treating insomnia during pregnancy is beneficial for various outcomes,” Dr. Keys says. “It’s time to explore how we can make this treatment more accessible to pregnant individuals across the country, with the goal of improving sleep health equity.”

The research highlights the interdisciplinary collaborations happening between UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, along with researchers from across Canada. Dr. Elizabeth Keys is from UBCO while Dr. Lianne M. Tomfohr-Madsen, a Canada Research Chair in Mental Health and Intersectionality, is based at UBC Vancouver.

Dr. Keys and Dr. Tomfohr-Madsen are lead investigators on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Sleep Equity Reimagined team and members of the Canadian Sleep Research Consortium.

The study appears in the October issue of Journal of Affective Disorders.

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UBC Okanagan is co-hosting the Columbia River Basin symposium with Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash.

UBC Okanagan’s prominent Indigenous scholar and activist, Dr. Jeannette Armstrong, will deliver the keynote address at the Columbia River Transboundary Water Governance and Ethics Symposium, to be held at Gonzaga University from November 13 to 14 in Spokane, Washington.

Dr. Armstrong will address the critical role of Indigenous knowledge in governance and the necessity of integrating youth perspectives in discussions about water stewardship.

Dr. Joanne Taylor, a UBCO postdoctoral research fellow in Columbia River Basin Governance and the symposium chair, says the event prioritizes youth engagement and seeks to empower the next generation of water warriors committed to protecting the Columbia River Basin.

“The Columbia River is not just a resource; it is a lifeblood for communities and ecosystems,” Dr. Taylor says. “We invite community members, scholars and advocates to join us in this important dialogue as we strive for a just and equitable governance system.”

UBCO and Gonzaga are co-hosting the symposium alongside their host Nations, the syilx Okanagan and the Spokane Tribe of Indians. The event will explore the emerging initiatives and public governance issues in the Columbia River Basin, focusing on the impacts of climate change, water quality, Indigenous fisheries revitalization and public engagement.

This symposium is particularly timely following the recent announcement by Columbia River Treaty negotiators about their agreement in principle.

The agreement between Canada and the United States marks a pivotal step in modernizing the Columbia River Treaty, which has been essential for decades for managing flood risk and generating hydropower.

Registration for the symposium is now open. Participants can expect robust discussions on water quality, climate change, governance and salmon restoration, guided by ethics, justice and intergenerational equity principles.

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