Dr. John Colton

Professor
Head of Community Development (on sabbatical July 1, 2021 until December 31, 2021)

Education

• Ph.D., University of Alberta (Sustainable Tourism)
• M.A., University of Alberta (Geography)
• B.A., University of Washington (Geography)

2021-2022 Courses

• Global Issues and Social Advocacy (Winter 2022)
• Ecotourism and Nature-Based Tourism (Winter 2022)

Scholarly Interest & Expertise

• Sustainable Community Development
• Community-Based Renewable Energy
• Tidal Energy Development: Socioeconomic Dimensions
• Ecotourism/Sustainable Tourism and Indigenous Tourism

Did You Know?

• I was a member of the Nova Scotia Renewable Energy Steering Committee that developed Nova Scotia’s renewable energy targets in 2009.
• I am a founding member of the Acadia Tidal Energy Institute and Flourish Community Development Cooperative.
• I teach a Marine Renewable Energy and an Applied Methods in Community Development courses in Iceland for the University of the Westfjords, Coastal Marine Management and Economic Development graduate programs.
• I worked with the Halifax Regional Municipality in training their staff on sustainability using the Natural Step as the sustainability framework.
• I guide northern wilderness river expeditions in Alaska, the Yukon and Northwest Territories and British Columbia.
• I’ve worked for National Geographic as their sustainable tourism evaluator for eastern Canada.

Highlights of Scholarly and Professional Work

• Exploring climate change impacts to the Tatshenshini-Alsek watershed in the Yukon Territories, British Columbia, and Alaska (current work).
• Director of the Atlantic Canada Sustainability Initiative, a multi-year project focused on providing strategic planning and sustainability training/coaching to municipalities and organizations in Atlantic Canada.
• Chair, Centre for Rural Sustainability and collaborator with the Town of Wolfville on the Wolfville Sustainability Initiative.
• Co-authored the Bay of Fundy Strategic Environmental Assessment Update for Tidal Energy Development.
• Co-authored the Community and Business Tidal Energy Toolkit andthe Tidal Energy Community Engagement Handbook.
• Co-authored Energy Projects, Social Licence, Public Acceptance, and Regulatory Systems in Canada: A White Paper, a report sponsored by the School of Public Policy at the University of Calgary to encourage greater transparency and accountability in energy development.
• Authored several book chapters and scholarly paper on Indigenous Tourism in northern Canada.

Education | Publications | Presentations