Acadia ALERT - Campus Closed (Weather)

Today, Monday December 08, 2025, Acadia University will remain closed, with the exception of residences and Wheelock Dining Hall, due to the current weather, poor travel conditions and King's Transit cancelling service for the day. Wheelock Dining Hall may adjust their hours due to the weather and any change in hours will be communicated through Residence Life.

Employees and students are not expected to come to campus and only employees deemed essential are required to report to work. Non-essential employees are not expected to work during the closure. Any events scheduled for today will be postponed or cancelled. All exams scheduled for today will be rescheduled to a later date.

Updates will be posted on www.acadiau.ca and pre-recorded on Acadia’s Information Line: 902-585-4636 (585-INFO). If you need emergency-related information, please contact the Department of Safety and Security by dialing 88 on all 585-phone systems, or by calling 902-585-1103.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Acadia University

Department of Safety & Security

902-585-1103

security@acadiau.ca

(Monday December 8, 2025 @ 11:34 am)

Dr. John Colton

Professor
Head of Community Development
John is open to supervising a Master's degree student beginning Fall 2026 if your research interests align. Please make sure to provide details about your area of interest if you email him asking about the MCD program; general emails with no information will not receive a response.
Pronouns: He/him
Phone: (902) 585-1160
Office: CD House, 24 Highland Ave. Room 202
 
Education
  • Ph.D., University of Alberta (Sustainable Tourism)
  • M.A., University of Alberta (Geography)
  • B.A., University of Washington (Geography)
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