Safeguarding traditions and health in the online space
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Challenge
Since 1991, the Northern Contaminants Program has tackled a quietly high-stakes question: are the traditional foods that sustain communities still safe? Communicating that work is delicate. Go too clinical and people tune out, go too alarming and you erode the very food traditions you're trying to protect. The program, in partnership with the Council of Yukon First Nations, needed a site that shares real science clearly, builds trust, and helps people make informed choices without fear.
Solution
We built a platform that explains food safety in plain language while honoring the cultural importance of traditional food sources. The site covers how contaminants in wildlife are monitored, what the health research shows, and how communities can stay informed, and it invites researchers to engage respectfully with Yukon First Nations' culture and protocols. On Astro and Directus, the program can keep findings and resources current, and the site stays fast and dependable for the communities that rely on it.
Results
Trust in the program's online home is climbing fast: 509 visitors and 1,170 page views over the past year, up 169% and 134% year over year. The rebuild backs that up under the hood, loading fast, meeting strong accessibility standards, and staying easy to find for the communities searching for answers. For health information that people act on, clear and credible is everything, and the numbers suggest the message is landing.
