Climate Change in Northern Latitudes Canada is a country that is defined by its forests, a nation for which the social, economic, and ecological importance of its forests cannot be overstated. As stewards of much of the world's intact forests, it is essential for Canadians to understand the dynamics of the phenomena that shape our forests, how these processes interact, and how they are affected by humans. This session brings together a team of researchers who have a demonstrated track record of interdisciplinary collaboration to discuss challenging problems in fire management and health effects using spatial quantitative methods augmented by computer-based geomatic and remote sensing tools. The researchers have substantial expertise in fire management, the analysis of local fire history using paleontological and statistical methods, and the investigation of the health impacts of forest fire smoke exposure. They demonstrate the changes and impacts of extremes in fire occurrence, discuss innovative smoke exposure assessment methods using remote sensing and impacts of smoke on health, as well as provide historical evidence of notable changes in fire occurrence in the past, with linkages to historical aboriginal suppression activities.